Blockchain.com Hires Jamie Selway to Run Institutional Markets

Blockchain, the crypto wallet service named after the technology that underpins digital currencies, has hired Jamie Selway to lead its institutional markets business.

Cryptocurrency wallet solutions provider Blockchain announced on Wednesday the appointment of Jamie Selway as its global head of institutional markets. With 20 years of experience, he has become an expert in the US equity market structure and electronic trading.

Previously, Selway worked for global agency broker-dealer and trading tech company Investment Technology Group (ITG), running its electronic brokerage and execution services. ITG has been doing business with about 75% of the largest asset managers in the world.

Blockchain CEO Peter Smith said in a statement emailed to Reuters:

“Jamie is an established leader in the prime brokerage industry and a long-time markets leader. His track record and expertise will be critical to driving the development and growth of our products for institutional investors.”

In the official announcement, Smith noted that many institutional investors were still waiting for the proper infrastructure to trade and monitor cryptocurrencies. He stressed that Selway had worked for decades developing market infrastructure and technology, making the right person to serve Blockchain’s institutional clients.

Blockchain, which changed its domain from .info to .com, recently launched Blockchain Principle Strategies, a service aimed at institutional customers. It will include a trading platform and algorithmic trading solutions, according to Selway.

“The plan is to create a trading product. Going from the existing wallet service, which is substantial in terms of size, and then building execution tools for retail, expanding the wallet into custodial services for institutions, and then execution for those institutions,” he told Reuters.

Before working for ITG, Selway was managing director at White Cap Trading, an agency brokerage he co-founded five years ago to serve institutional clients. He also was chief economist at Archipelago, a company purchased by the NYSE.

Recently, Blockchain hired George Sax as global head of security. Sax is a former deputy assistant director of the US Secret Service.