BVNK, the crypto-powered business banking and payments platform, today announces the appointment of Maximilian von Both as Chief Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer as it looks to acquire the licences in the UK, Europe and other jurisdictions around the world that will enable it to operate as a fully-regulated banking and payments services provider.

The BVNK business account enables customers to seamlessly bridge between fiat and cryptocurrencies to manage payments, international settlement, trading and custody requirements. 

BVNK’s successful recruitment of von Both is the latest demonstration of a common sector trend - namely, the ability of pioneering cryptocurrency businesses to attract the highest calibre of international talent.

Prior to joining BVNK, von Both was Senior Vice President of Compliance for Paysafe Group, the international payments giant. In a period which saw Paysafe Group acquired by private equity firms, delisted from the London stock exchange and then listed on the New York Stock Exchange, von Both managed a global compliance team that delivered at the highest standards. Von Both was also previously legal counsel for PayPal in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As a qualified lawyer, von Both has been admitted to the bar in Germany. 

Von Both’s experience will prove invaluable as BVNK delivers on its vision of using blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies to reshape core banking systems and deliver superior customer experiences. 

BVNK CEO, Jesse Hemson-Struthers, said: “Crypto-powered banking is better banking. Digitally native, it is faster, more efficient, and better performing with lower costs. Bringing Max on board not only accelerates the acquisition of the appropriate licences, it means we can proactively engage with regulators and shape the sector’s development to the benefit of business customers.” 

Von Both said: “Every business in the crypto sector is going to be regulated and that’s the landscape BVNK has built its proposition for. I’m excited to be joining a company with ambitions of transforming business banking and payments on a digitally-native platform. My experience of guiding businesses through ever-evolving regulatory landscapes, in jurisdictions around the world, gives us a solid foundation for building a new type of regulated, compliant banking and payments services provider.”  

The appointment of von Both comes amid a raft of impressive senior hires for BVNK. George Davis recently joined as Chief Product Officer. Prior to the role, Davis led payments at open banking innovator, TrueLayer, where he drove the company’s transition to an e-money institution offering end-to-end wallet services to customers . BVNK has also brought Matt Barclay on board as Chief Revenue Officer to drive business growth. Matt has previously held regional director roles at Meltwater Group for the UK, Ireland, Middle East, India and Africa.