Bitstamp named Julian Sawyer chief executive officer on October 22, 2020, the company said in a release carried by GlobeNewswire1. He became only the second CEO in Bitstamp's history. Founder Nejc Kodrič, who had run the exchange since co-founding it in 2011, moved into a board role on October 22, 2020. CoinDesk reported that Sawyer had most recently served as managing director for the United Kingdom and Europe at Gemini2.
Three leadership moves 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 |
Seven CEO appointments on the record in 2020
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year
- 2020: 7
- 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
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 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 18 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 26 |
The appointment
Sawyer's résumé spans banking and fintech. The release credited him with more than 20 years of experience in both fields1. In May 2015, Sawyer co-founded Starling Bank, where he served as chief operating officer until 2019. During that stretch, the release said, he helped grow Starling into one of the largest mobile banks in the United Kingdom. Before Starling, Sawyer worked as a consultant to other challenger banks and founded Bluerock Consulting, a financial management firm.
Sawyer spoke about the move in the release. “Bitstamp has an unrivalled reputation in our industry that dates back to the start of the company more than nine years ago. I feel privileged to have been asked to join as CEO and become part of a fantastic team across Europe, the US and Singapore,” Sawyer said1. He added that “cryptocurrency is at a pivotal moment with greater interest from institutional firms, regulators and central banks,” and called Bitstamp's role in that moment a focus on "unwavering" attention to regulation.
Before and after at Bitstamp
Kodrič had founded Bitstamp in 2011. He started it in a garage, with 1,000 euros, two laptops and a server, the release said1. Kodrič had led it since 2011. Bitstamp's release described that run as building Bitstamp into the longest-running cryptocurrency exchange in the world. In the 12 months before Sawyer's arrival in October 2020, Bitstamp had added a new matching engine from Nasdaq Technologies, the release said. Bitstamp had also become the first exchange to go live on BCB Group's BLINC network. It was the launch partner for Silvergate's SEN Bitcoin leverage product in the same 12 months. Kodrič called Sawyer's banking background the reason for the choice. “Julian's expertise in the complexities of global banking makes him the right choice to lead Bitstamp into its next phase,” Kodrič said.
What came next
Sawyer's run as CEO lasted under two years. CoinDesk reported on May 9, 2022, that Bitstamp had named a successor. JB Graftieaux, who had served as the exchange's chief compliance officer and Europe CEO, became global chief executive after Sawyer's departure3. The May 2022 report named only Graftieaux's prior titles at Bitstamp, leaving the reason for the change outside its scope.
Sources
- "Bitstamp Announces Julian Sawyer as New Chief Executive Officer," GlobeNewswire via Bitstamp Limited, Oct. 22, 2020, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/22/2112889/0/en/Bitstamp-Announces-Julian-Sawyer-as-New-Chief-Executive-Officer.html
- Danny Nelson, "Bitstamp Names Gemini Alum Julian Sawyer as CEO," CoinDesk, Oct. 22, 2020, https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2020/10/22/bitstamp-names-gemini-alum-julian-sawyer-as-ceo
- Jamie Crawley, "Bitstamp Appoints JB Graftieaux as CEO After Julian Sawyer's Departure," CoinDesk, May 9, 2022, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxNT29kYlpRUzM2TGphUTktYXBfVlNPUWpFekp5MDlUc1ZyVVZNMEt2UmhWRlNNOUpJdEtrT0Z0UlFKWUJBX0pyVlZZamVRX1BJcDM4VENaUktlcDFHTTlsX1Y4d3FCekxkTXo0NlZibjZLX1FDc0duTGhoZEU2VzVFR2lpYWxYWWxrbGtEcGhzcVlYelJ5VlU5R1VzZmRKazVhamJPeTNPWWhuYTI1M2N5QTdtOG4?oc=5