Bitstamp named JB Graftieaux its new global chief executive on May 9, 2022, the exchange said in a post on its own blog1. He took over from Julian Sawyer. Graftieaux had run Bitstamp's Europe business as its CEO since rejoining the company in May 2021, after an earlier stint as the exchange's chief compliance officer from 2014 to 2016.
The second CEO appointment at Bitstamp on the record since 2020
Every move CryptoLately has verified there, by the day it became public
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct. 22, 2020 | Sawyer became CEO. Julian Sawyer was named Chief Executive Officer of Bitstamp |
| Oct. 22, 2020 | Kodrič left as CEO. Nejc Kodrič left as Chief Executive Officer of Bitstamp |
| May 9, 2022 | Graftieaux became Global CEO. JB Graftieaux was named Global Chief Executive Officer of Bitstamp |
18 CEO appointments on the record in 2022
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2022: 18
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 35 |
| 2026 | 18 |
Bitstamp's announcement traced Graftieaux's path through the company across two separate stretches. In his first run at the exchange, 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,” the blog post said1. Between those two stints, Graftieaux spent more than a decade at PayPal and eBay. He finished as managing director of eBay Europe, leading the company's regulatory operations for payments, Bitstamp's account said. Finance Magnates confirmed the appointment on May 9, 2022, the same day, reporting that “the crypto exchange Bitstamp announced the appointment of JB Graftieaux as the new global Chief Executive Officer on Monday, replacing Julian Sawyer who departed 'to pursue other opportunities'”2.
The board's case for Graftieaux
Nicolas Huss, chairman of Bitstamp's board of directors, framed the promotion around Graftieaux's record inside the company. “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,” Huss said1. Graftieaux gave his own read of the exchange's position. “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,” he said.
Bitstamp's blog post called the handover a planned one. It said Sawyer and the board "have worked together closely to ensure this was a seamless transition"1. Graftieaux took over the role on May 7, 2022, two days before the exchange made the appointment public.
What came next
Graftieaux still ran Bitstamp as chief executive on June 2, 2025, the day Robinhood completed its acquisition of the exchange, more than three years after Bitstamp named him global CEO3. Robinhood's June 2, 2025 announcement quoted him calling Bitstamp "one of the most-trusted and transparent crypto platforms worldwide".
Sources
- "Bitstamp Appoints JB Graftieaux as New Global CEO," Bitstamp Blog, May 9, 2022, https://blog.bitstamp.net/post/bitstamp-appoints-jb-graftieaux-as-new-global-ceo/
- Arnab Shome, "Bitstamp Names JB Graftieaux Global CEO as Julian Sawyer Departs," Finance Magnates, May 9, 2022, https://www.financemagnates.com/executives/moves/bitstamp-names-jb-graftieaux-global-ceo-as-julian-sawyer-departs/
- Robinhood Markets, Inc., "Robinhood Completes Acquisition of Bitstamp," Robinhood Newsroom, June 2, 2025, https://robinhood.com/us/en/newsroom/robinhood-completes-acquisition-of-bitstamp/