The cryptocurrency industry is experiencing leadership changes as major exchanges Coinbase and Bybit announce new hires and departures. Robert MacDonald, a former Binance executive, has joined Bybit as Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, while Coinbase’s Jesse Pollak is expanding his role. Meanwhile, several notable executives are stepping back from their positions.
Bybit Welcomes a New Compliance Leader
Robert MacDonald, previously Binance’s Head of Sanctions, has been appointed as Bybit’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer. With a career that includes compliance roles at Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC, as well as a stint at the UK Ministry of Justice, MacDonald brings extensive experience to his new position. He will focus on critical issues like regulating stablecoins and ensuring adherence to anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations.
“These issues give legitimate crypto exchanges with the technical know-how and right culture an opportunity to change the digital asset industry for the better,” MacDonald said in a statement.
Coinbase’s Pollak Expands Role
At Coinbase, Jesse Pollak, who leads the company’s Layer-2 network, Base, is expanding his responsibilities to also oversee Coinbase Wallet. Pollak shared his enthusiasm on X, stating, “I’m really excited to take on this new mandate and to accelerate our mission of bringing a billion people and a million builders onchain.”
Executives Stepping Back
Amid these leadership changes, some key figures in the crypto industry are stepping down. Coinbase’s Manish Gupta, an engineering executive for nearly five years, is leaving to take time off. Gupta, who previously worked at Lyft and Google, has been instrumental in shaping Coinbase’s technical direction.
Chainalysis is also seeing a leadership shift as CEO Michael Gronager has been on leave since September 25 for personal reasons. Sari Granat, the company’s President and COO, is currently serving as interim CEO. It remains unclear when or if Gronager will return to the role.
At Coin Center, longtime leaders Jerry Brito and Robin Weisman are set to step down. Brito, who has been the nonprofit’s Executive Director since 2014, will be succeeded by Peter Van Valkenburgh, currently Coin Center’s Director of Research, on January 1. Brito reflected on the organization’s journey, noting its goal of securing Bitcoin’s “escape velocity” but emphasizing that the fight for privacy and crypto rights is far from over.
In Other Leadership News
In a related move, Gurbir Grewal, the head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) enforcement division since 2021, is also stepping down from his post.
These transitions highlight a period of transformation for some of the crypto industry’s most influential companies and organizations as they adapt to regulatory changes and new leadership dynamics.
