Coinbase recruits CCO

Digital currency wallet and platform Coinbase has hired Jeff Horowitz as chief compliance officer (CCO).

Horowitz most recently worked at Pershing, where for the past three years he served as managing director and global head of compliance, overseeing its regulatory and compliance programs. He was previously the firm’s CCO and global head of anti-money laundering (AML).

Before joining Pershing, Horowitz led compliance and AML programs at Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Salomon Brothers. He previously served with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

According to a Coinbase announcement, Horowitz has roles on industry and regulatory panels including the Security Industry and Financial Markets Association’s compliance and regulatory policy committee and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s compliance and advisory committee.

Coinbase has recently added a new service custody service and has announced the acquisition of a licensed broker-dealer.

Coinbase president and COO Asiff Hirji says in a blogpost: ‘As Coinbase  -  along with the crypto-currency space as a whole  -  grows and matures, continued regulatory compliance across all the varying jurisdictions globally will be critical. Jeff’s appointment builds on the foundation laid by our chief legal and risk officer, Mike Lempres, who will now focus his resources exclusively on leading our government relations efforts.

‘Hiring Jeff is recognition on our part that navigating compliance complexities on a global scale requires a concerted, cross-functional effort, guided by leaders with experience that spans policy, financial services and corporate governance.’