"Kraken Appoints Crypto Veteran Ben Gray as New CLO"

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has appointed Ben Gray as its new Chief Legal Officer (CLO), the company announced. In his new role, Gray will oversee the legal, compliance, and enterprise risk management operations of the company, guiding it through the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape in the cryptocurrency industry.

Gray will ensure that Kraken continues to uphold the highest standards of compliance and integrity as it expands its geographical footprint and product portfolio. He will report directly to the company's co-CEOs, Arjun Sethi and David Ripley.

Sethi welcomed Gray's appointment, stating, "Ben is a critical addition to our leadership team as we scale the business and drive innovation globally. His deep experience as a general counsel and chief compliance officer make him an ideal CLO for Kraken, as the industry continues fighting for regulatory clarity and consumer protections."

Ripley also expressed his enthusiasm about Gray's appointment, saying, "By aligning legal, compliance, and risk within this team, we are looking forward to leveraging Ben’s unique experience to ensure seamless execution and operational excellence across the markets in which we operate globally."

Gray, who has over 15 years of experience at the intersection of blockchain, crypto, and legal compliance, is excited about joining Kraken. He said, "I am honored to step into the role of CLO at Kraken, a company that has consistently been at the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry. Over the past year, we’ve seen tremendous progress in moving towards regulatory clarity around the globe, and 2025 will be a pivotal year. Those that adapt most effectively — without compromise to their ability to innovate and provide the best possible client experience — will come out on top. Kraken is extremely well positioned to capitalize on this opportunity, and I couldn’t be more excited to join during this next phase of growth for the crypto industry."

Gray's diverse background, including serving as a financial regulator in the U.S. federal government and working as a regulatory attorney during the early days of Bitcoin, will be invaluable in helping Kraken navigate regulatory changes in its major markets such as Europe and the U.S. He has also pioneered compliance frameworks for consumer-facing crypto products at Block (formerly Square) and led innovative stablecoin initiatives at Paxos.

Gray succeeds Marco Santori, who has been Kraken's CLO since 20