Luxembourg based crypto exchange Bitstamp has announced that JB Graftieaux has been appointed new Global CEO of the company.

JB Graftieaux rejoined Bitstamp in May 2021 as the company’s Europe CEO. He brings 20 years of experience in the crypto, payments, and financial sectors to his role at Bitstamp, including more than a decade at PayPal and eBay. In his last role at eBay, he was Managing Director of eBay Europe, where he led the company’s regulatory operations for payments and served on the board of directors for several eBay entities.

From 2014-2016, Graftieaux served as Bitstamp’s Chief Compliance Officer, where he was responsible for obtaining regulatory licenses for its EU-based business and operations, leading Bitstamp to become the first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in Europe. Since rejoining the company last year, Graftieaux has accelerated Bitstamp’s growth in Europe, securing several institutional partnerships and growing the company’s headcount.

“As the longest-running and highly trusted crypto exchange in the world serving millions of users, our strategic vision is to help build the financial ecosystem of tomorrow,” said Graftieaux. “Together with our highly experienced Executive Leadership Team, and more than 500 employees, we are well positioned to continue to accelerate crypto access for our valued clients and partners across the globe. As Global CEO, I look forward to building on this strong foundation.”

Bitstamp said that it has made large strides in recent months, including the launch of Bitstamp-as-a-Service in the North and South America which helps financial institutions provide simple, secure digital asset exposure to their customers. Bitstamp-as-a-Service has been successfully offered to European institutional clients for the last 5 years. In the last months, the company also obtained registrations and licenses in North America and Europe to accelerate its business, and established several major partnerships with banks and institutions reaching millions of clients.

“JB was with Bitstamp in its early days, and has admirably led our European business over the past year. We’re pleased to welcome a CEO with such an impressive track record, and very much look forward to the contribution and perspective he will bring to the company in his new role,” said Nicolas Huss, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bitstamp.

Graftieaux succeeds Julian Sawyer as Global CEO. He took over the new role May 7, 2022. Julian Sawyer, who has decided to pursue other opportunities, and the Bitstamp Board of Directors have worked together closely to ensure this was a seamless transition.

Bitstamp bills itself as the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011.