Gemini Hires Former Circle Compliance Officer for Europe Expansion
- Blair Halliday will now oversee Gemini Europe’s compliance program, as part of the firm’s effort to expand to the old continent.
- Halliday will be based in London, and will report directly to Gemini’s managing director of U.K. and Europe, Julian Sawyer.
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss arrive at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner on May 3, 2014 in Washington, DC. Rena Schild/Shutterstock
Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has appointed a new chief compliance and money laundering reporting officer for its U.K. and EU affiliate, the company said in a press release on 28 January.
According to the announcement, Blair Halliday will be the one overseeing Gemini Europe’s compliance program, as part of the firm’s expansion into the region. Halliday will report directly to Gemini’s managing director of the U.K. and Europe, Julian Sawyer, and will be based in London.
Halliday previously served as Circle’s chief compliance officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, where he headed the firm’s global anti-money laundering compliance program. Before that, he served as executive director of financial crime and compliance at fintech startup CashFlows, and as chief compliance officer at the International Currency Exchange. Prior to his involvement with fintech and digital assets, Halliday spent 14 years of his life at the Royal Bank of Scotland, where he was focused on financial crime–related roles.
The move from Gemini comes only weeks after the European Union’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD5) went into effect. The new rules require crypto exchanges and custodial service providers to register with their local regulator, and demonstrate compliance with know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering AML procedures. Sawyer said in a statement:
“Blair’s deep domain expertise makes him uniquely poised to drive Gemini’s compliance efforts in the U.K. His leadership will be critical in our mission to work with regulators to promote smart frameworks that encourage growth in the crypto industry.”
Last week, Gemini became the first cryptocurrency exchange and custodian to complete a SOC 2 Type 2 cybersecurity risk evaluation. In order to show its users that their data and cryptocurrency are well protected, the exchange has vowed to conduct such evaluation annually.
- An investigation from the New York Attorney General’s office has allegedly found that Gemini was aware of Genesis’ weak financial position, but still lied to investors.
- The lawsuit is looking to ban DCG, Genesis, and Gemini from the New York financial industry, seek restitutions for investments, and the return of “ill-gotten gains”.
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- Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of crypto exchange Gemini, proposed a plan that would see Digital Currency Group pay close to $1.5 billion over the next five years.
- The Winklevoss twin said that if the “final offer” is not accepted by the end of the week, Gemini would file a lawsuit against DCG and CEO Barry Silbert.
- Called Coinbase International Exchange (CIE), the new platform will allow institutional users outside of the U.S. to bet on the price of crypto via perpetual futures.
- The platform will not be available to retail customers “at this time”, and will initially provide trading of only BTC and ETH perpetual futures, settled in the USDC stablecoin.