Coinbase hires former Goldman Sachs executive

Coinbase, the Nasdaq-listed bitcoin exchange, has hired a former Goldman Sachs top executive and former official Faryar Shirzad [Faryar Shirzad] to lobby for the company’s interests. The matter is described in the blog post by the trading platform.

According to the release, the appointment comes amid increasing scrutiny by U.S. authorities. Shirzad, as policy director, will engage with lawmakers and regulators to “fully realise the potential of cryptocurrency to create a fairer financial system”.

Previously Shirzad worked as Assistant Secretary for Import Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. In the White House he served as Deputy National Security Adviser during the George W. Bush administration.

He later held the position of Co-head of Goldman Sachs Global Government Relations.

In April 2021, former Morgan Stanley Ian Rooney, formerly the managing director and head of regulatory compliance, led the bitcoin exchange’s corporate compliance division.

Earlier in March, Coinbase hired the former director of trading at the SEC, Brett Redfern.