Binance US onboards ex-New York compliance chief

Crypto exchange Binance.US named Martin Grant, a former New York Federal Chief Compliance and Ethics officer, to its Board of Directors. 

Currently the Global Head of Regulatory Affairs at JST Digital, Grant joins Binance.US as a 30-year veteran from the financial and digital asset landscape. 

Following the crypto firm’s regulatory debacle with the U.S. SEC and a $4.3 billion plea agreement, the ex-Fed officer is expected to bolster best practice enforcement and conduct within the embattled crypto giant. 

“The American digital asset industry is at an inflection point, and I am excited to help guide the future of one of the country’s most influential and customer-centric crypto platforms. It is an honor to join the Binance.US Board and be part of an organization built from the ground up to connect Americans to the digital asset industry in a safe, responsible, and compliant manner.”

Martin Grant, former NY Federal Reserve Bank Chief

Binance appoints first-ever board

Grant’s appointment follows the first-ever assembly of a Binance Board of Directors, in line with terms agreed with the U.S. Justice Department. The crypto exchange has not selected a headquarters yet, but it revealed a seven-member board earlier this month.

Per crypto.news, the board includes CEO Richard Teng, who took over from founder Changpeng Zhao after he resigned late last year at the climax of a multi-year U.S. crackdown.

Also included on the board are top-ranking executives like Heina Chen, Jinkai He, and founding member Lilai Wang. Bayview Acquisition Corp. CEO Xin Wang, and Arnaud Ventura, managing partner at Gojo & CO., were named as two of three external figures. 

Former Barbados’ ambassador to the UAE, Gabriel Abed, will chair the board and oversee general operations while reporting to authorities as part of a monitoring program that may last up to five years.