Customer safety has long been at the heart of Blockchain.com, and recent events in crypto have underscored this point even more. That’s why we conduct regular audits to protect the data we hold for millions of customers in more than 200 countries around the world. We’re the most trusted crypto platform and also the most secure and reliable because of a robust system of checks and balances in place.

Blockchain.com is proud to hold Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type I and Type II certifications from the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), after recently completing audit reports by a world class third-party audit firm. The audit affirms that Blockchain.com meets the rigorous standards of managing customer data including security and availability.

The SOC 2 Type II Compliance certification is the latest example of Blockchain.com’s dedication to earning and maintaining trust with customer security at its core.

We also proudly hold certifications for meeting world class information security standards including ISO27001 and CryptoCurrency Security Standard (CCSS) Level Three, as well as PCI DSS Compliance for payment card data confidentiality.

With over a decade of innovation within crypto, Blockchain.com has earned its longevity by being one of the most stable players in the space, largely thanks to our conservative and experienced leaders. Today, I’m pleased to build on that reputation by welcoming former U.S. Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting to our board of directors, where he will also chair our audit and risk committee.

Joseph has served in the highest levels of the U.S. government. From 2017 to 2020, he was chief officer of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) — the primary federal banking regulator — where he supervised nearly 1,400 national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banks operating in the U.S. While at the OCC, his remit was to ensure that national banks and federal savings associations have safe and sound operations, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Prior to becoming Comptroller of the Currency, Joseph was a seasoned executive in the banking industry, serving as President of CIT Bank and President, CEO and Board Member at OneWest Bank, as well as in senior posts at U.S. Bancorp, Union Bank of California, and Bank of America.

“Crypto is in an era similar to the pre-consumer-use period of the early 1990s when the internet was being built but before it was a way of life,” said Joseph Otting. “It also reminds me of the earlier days of banking, when the industry was navigating its digital shift. I’m honored to join the board of Blockchain.com and help it navigate the regulatory landscape as one of the most established firms in its space.”

The coming decade will be important not just for Blockchain.com, but for the entire crypto industry. With entrepreneurs, builders, employees and users engaging in the space coupled with healthy dialogue with global regulators, it’s important that we continue to relentlessly ship products that people love — while working towards a permanent regulatory framework to govern the space.

As Blockchain.com and the crypto industry grow and become more ingrained in people’s lives, Joseph’s perspective and expertise in banking, financial policy and regulation will serve as an incredible asset to the company. Welcome Joseph, and can’t wait to work with you to build the future of finance.

As our global business scales, we maintain a commitment to upholding the highest standards of compliance in every market we serve. Regulators across the world are thoughtfully discussing ways to protect consumers while supporting innovation in the industry. Nowhere is crypto regulation more robust and advanced than in Germany, where our team continues to grow.

Sven Niederheide, the newest member of our German team, joins us as Head of Legal and Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO), and is based in Hamburg. With nearly 20 years of management experience in banking, payments, and fintech within Germany, the UK, and Europe, Sven specializes in helping to scale businesses through strategic banking and payments licensing. He has extensive experience working with regulators in Germany, Europe and the United States, handling crypto regulation, corporate and regulatory compliance, open banking, anti-money laundering, and more.

A former Chief Compliance Officer for a number of German banks and financial services companies, Sven is no stranger to navigating complex regulatory landscapes. Most recently, Sven led compliance for neobank N26. He also built the compliance function from scratch at B2B fintech company Nufin, automotive financial services firm GMAC, as well as all of GE Capital’s businesses in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. In his role as Chief Governance Officer for Hamburg Commercial Bank, Sven supported a turnaround from a state-owned entity to what has now become one of the most profitable private banks in Germany.

The largest economy in Europe, Germany is led by a pro-blockchain government and boasts high crypto adoption rates. Sven will be instrumental in supporting our efforts to work alongside regulators and acquire the appropriate licenses in Europe and beyond. As we work to build the future of finance, we look forward to providing more access to crypto directly from the heart of Europe.