SEBA Bank appointed Amy Yu chief executive of its Asia-Pacific division on February 7, 2023, basing her initially in Singapore1. The Swiss crypto bank, which operates today as AMINA Bank AG, said the move would help it grow across the region. SEBA had just opened a Hong Kong office for its local subsidiary. FinanceFeeds reported on February 7, 2023, that Yu arrived at SEBA from Genesis Trading, the lending arm of Digital Currency Group. There she had led Asia-Pacific sales2.
Five leadership moves at AMINA Bank on the record since 2021
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 |
|---|---|
| Sept. 14, 2021 | Gwerder became CFO. Alena Nicolai Gwerder was named Chief Financial Officer of AMINA Bank |
| Sept. 14, 2021 | Matter left as CFO. David Matter left as Chief Financial Officer of AMINA Bank |
| Sept. 14, 2021 | Baretta left as Head of Client. Philipp Baretta left as Head of Client and Investment Solutions of AMINA Bank |
| March 7, 2022 | Buehler left as CEO. Guido Buehler left as Chief Executive Officer of AMINA Bank |
| Feb. 7, 2023 | Yu became CEO, APAC. Amy Yu was named Chief Executive Officer, APAC of AMINA Bank |
17 CEO appointments on the record in 2023
CEO appointments CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2023: 17
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 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 |
The move
Franz Bergmueller, SEBA Bank's chief executive, framed the hire around timing. “Our appointment of Amy Yu as Chief Executive Officer APAC is a key step forward in continuing our growth in the APAC market,” Bergmueller said in the release. “Following the recent opening of our office in Hong Kong, Yu has the successful track record and expertise to capitalize on this momentum and lead our business through the next pivotal phase of development in the region,” he said1.
Yu's own path into crypto ran through two firms that later drew regulatory action. FinanceFeeds reported that she entered digital assets in 2018 through BitMEX. Arthur Hayes, the exchange's co-founder and a Wharton classmate, brought her in2. BitMEX later settled with the CFTC, and FinanceFeeds reported the fine ran to $100 million, in a settlement that left the question of guilt unresolved. Genesis Trading, where Yu led APAC institutional sales next, suspended withdrawals in November 2022. FinanceFeeds said that move also affected Gemini's Earn program, and the SEC filed a complaint against both firms in January 2023. The legal issues named BitMEX and Genesis operations in the United States, FinanceFeeds specified. That detail kept the firms, rather than Yu, as the subject of those actions.
Before and after at SEBA
Traditional finance filled Yu's years ahead of crypto. FinanceFeeds reported she worked at UBS and Nomura early in her career. She then helped build JP Morgan's Prime Services business in the Asia-Pacific market, with a focus on prime brokerage, synthetics and delta-one trading2. SEBA's release said she brought more than fifteen years across capital markets, trading and liquidity provision1.
Yu took the APAC chief executive post at a bank still expanding. SEBA's release said the firm had recently partnered with Hashkey, a regional digital-asset manager, to speed institutional adoption across the region1. “I am proud to join the deeply talented team at SEBA and support the group's continued global growth in this dynamic and expanding region,” Yu said in the release.
What came next
By August 17, 2025, AMINA Bank, the renamed SEBA Bank, had appointed Michael Benz as head of AMINA Hong Kong and the wider Asia-Pacific region. A release republished by FF News carried the news3. Benz had served as global head of private banking at Standard Chartered and as CEO of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Asia. He reports directly to chief executive Franz Bergmueller, the same release said. That release tied the appointment to a record 2024 for AMINA Bank. Revenue grew 69 percent, to $40.4 million, which the release called a mark that made AMINA Switzerland's fastest-growing crypto bank. Bergmueller stood named as AMINA's chief executive, and Benz as the new leader over Hong Kong and the region. Benz replaced Yu, Blockhead reported on August 14, 20254. Yu had left AMINA in July 2025, after two and a half years, to join SC Ventures, Standard Chartered's venture arm.
Sources
- SEBA Bank (now AMINA Bank AG), "SEBA Bank (now AMINA Bank AG) Appoints Amy Yu as APAC CEO to Drive Regional Growth," February 7, 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20260118052848/https://aminagroup.com/press/seba-bank-appoints-amy-yu-as-apac-ceo/
- Rick Steves, "SEBA Bank appoints ex-Genesis, ex-BitMEX Amy Yu to lead APAC business of crypto bank," FinanceFeeds, February 7, 2023, https://financefeeds.com/seba-bank-appoints-ex-genesis-ex-bitmex-amy-yu-to-lead-apac-business-of-crypto-bank/
- AMINA Bank (via FF News), "AMINA Bank Taps Banking Leader Michael Benz to Lead APAC Expansion," August 17, 2025, https://ffnews.com/newsarticle/hiring/amina-bank-taps-banking-leader-michael-benz-to-lead-apac-expansion/
- "Swiss Crypto Bank Amina Recruits Private Banking Veteran to Lead Asia Expansion," Blockhead, August 14, 2025, https://www.blockhead.co/2025/08/14/swiss-crypto-bank-amina-recruits-private-banking-veteran-to-lead-asia-expansion/