Zodia Custody Appoints Crypto Exchange Bitstamp’s Julian Sawyer as CEO

Sawyer was Bitstamp's CEO and a co-founder of U.K. lender Starling Bank.

AccessTimeIconJan 3, 2023 at 11:52 a.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:05 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Cryptocurrency asset-service provider Zodia Custody appointed Julian Sawyer as its new CEO, the company said in a statement Tuesday. He replaces Maxime de Guillebon, who had been in post since the company was founded in December 2020.

Previously, Sawyer was CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp. He also co-founded U.K. lender Starling Bank in 2015 and served as its chief operating officer for four years.

  • How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
    00:56
    How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
  • Why the NEAR foundation Chose Eigenlayer as a Security Partner
    00:54
    Why the NEAR foundation Chose Eigenlayer as a Security Partner
  • Judge Kaplan Had 'No Love' for Sam Bankman-Fried, Legal Expert Says
    07:08
    Judge Kaplan Had 'No Love' for Sam Bankman-Fried, Legal Expert Says
  • How Bitcoin and Ether's Options Contracts Combined Expiry Could Spike Volatility
    01:11
    How Bitcoin and Ether's Options Contracts Combined Expiry Could Spike Volatility
  • “I am excited to begin working with Zodia Custody,” Sawyer said, and “look forward to taking the business to the next level and scaling Zodia Custody to become the default choice for institutions.”

    Zodia has developed its own "proof-of-ownership" technology and was one of the first crypto-asset custodians to be registered in Ireland. It is now looking to scale up its operations in 2023. The custodian sees long-term interest from institutional investors in
    digital assets. The company is a joint venture between Standard Chartered and Northern Trust and is also registered with the U.K. regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority.

    Following the collapse of crypto exchage FTX, Zodia announced in December a new service to protect clients’ digital assets in case an exchange becomes insolvent. The custodian will allow clients to keep assets on its platform while their holdings are mirrored and available on an exchange for trading.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Author placeholder image

    Will Canny is CoinDesk's finance reporter.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.