(Bloomberg) — Bitstamp Ltd., the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange, appointed JB Graftieaux as chief executive officer, replacing Julian Sawyer.
Graftieaux joined Bitstamp in May 2021 as CEO of its European business, the firm said in a statement on Monday. He started in his new role on May 7. Graftieaux previously worked as Bitstamp’s chief compliance officer between 2014 and 2016, before leaving for a senior role at eBay’s European unit.
Bitstamp, founded in 2011, is the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by 24-hour trading volume, according to data from CryptoCompare. The Luxembourg-headquartered firm is also Europe’s largest exchange by the same metric. The company has more than 500 employees, according to the statement.
Sawyer, who joined Bitstamp as CEO in 2020 following an 11-month stint running rival crypto exchange Gemini’s European business, “has decided to pursue other opportunities,” the company said. Sawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bitstamp recently launched a crypto-as-a-service product in North and South America, having operated the offering for institutional clients in Europe for the past five years. The platform makes it easier for banks and financial services firms to offer crypto trading services to their customers.
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