Binance Australia Hires Alum of ASX-Listed DigitalX as New CEO

Binance has hired a former CEO and director of the Australian Securities Exchange-listed blockchain firm DigitalX (ASX: DCC) to head its operations in Australia.

Leigh Travers will spearhead operations with a focus on bolstering Binance’s brand awareness in the country while reaching out to regulators in a bid to assuage doubts about its presence there, according to a press release on Sunday.

“It’s imperative that we continue to develop our relationships with regulatory bodies while reinforcing our company commitment to compliance and best practice,” Travers said.

Travers also said it is essential to advocate for a graduated, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework.

“We have a responsibility to be involved in helping to shape the growth of our industry and this means prioritizing engagement and conversations with policymakers and regulators.”

And it can’t come too soon. Australia’s regulatory landscape is beginning to take shape, albeit slowly, as the country’s leading industry body, Blockchain Australia, put it. Earlier this month, Binance extended restrictions to derivatives trading from within the country following intense scrutiny from regulators worldwide.

Read more: FCA Said Binance Had Complied With Its Requirements, but Was ‘Not Capable’ of Being Supervised

Before his time at DigitalX, Travers forged a blockchain career path at none other than Blockchain Australia where he served five years, first as vice-chairman then as chair of finance as well as treasurer, according to his LinkedIn page.

Travers also has over seven years of experience as an investment adviser at Perth, Australia-based financial services company Euroz Securities Ltd.

Binance Australia is registered with AUSTRAC, one of the country’s primary financial enforcement agencies, and had launched its fiat-to-crypto exchange platform in the country last year.

The CEO of Binance’s U.S. arm, Brian Brooks, quit the company earlier this month after just four months on the job.