Blockchain intelligence provider Crystal has appointed former Ripple CEO Navin Gupta as its new CEO. Gupta will look to expand Crystal’s compliance and monitoring tools for crypto assets amid growing adoption.
Blockchain intelligence firm Crystal has appointed Naveen Gupta, formerly of Ripple (XRP), as its new CEO. Gupta takes over from Marina Haustova, who is transitioning to the role of COO at Crystal.
Gupta joins from Ripple, where he led the blockchain company’s growth initiatives in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia markets. His experience at banking giants HSBC and Citibank, as well as co-founding a commercial transportation technology startup, makes him well-suited to lead the next phase of Crystal’s global expansion.
Ripple experience
Gupta brings deep knowledge of the cryptocurrency space from his previous role at Ripple. The San Francisco-based company focuses on providing blockchain-powered payments technology, relying heavily on its XRP cryptocurrency.
“Navin Gupta has successfully driven Ripple’s growth in key markets such as the Middle East and South Asia,” Crystal said in a statement. “His roles at HSBC and CitiBank and entrepreneurial experience as co-founder of a commercial transportation technology platform make Gupta the ideal candidate to lead this next phase of Crystal’s expansion.”
Crystal growth
Founded in 2018, Crystal offers blockchain analytics tools to help financial institutions and law enforcement monitor risks and comply with anti-money laundering regulations related to cryptocurrency transactions.
The company doubled its client base in 2022, focusing on cybercrime investigators and regulators. Crystal currently monitors over 50,000 entities and organizations and provides training programs to investigate crypto-related crimes.
“As we continue to see an increase in adoption, we are committed to leveraging new age technologies to stay ahead of the curve,” said Gupta. “Regulators need superior intelligence and cutting-edge tools to navigate these changes, and TradFi institutions seek to manage risks effectively as they enter the digital asset market.”
With Gupta as CEO, Crystal aims to expand its global presence in regions such as the Middle East, Asia and North America. The blockchain analytics space is evolving rapidly along with the growth of cryptocurrencies.
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