Renegade Crypto Exchange Enlists Mainstream CEO for Makeover
- New chief Höptner brings BitMEX closer to regulators
- Derivatives exchange considers spot trading and brokerage
This article is for subscribers only.
Alexander Höptner was leading the Börse Stuttgart when he jumped at the chance to take a top job with BitMEX, a pioneering cryptocurrency exchange known for its high-risk offerings.
Just a few months later, the people who hired him found themselves fugitives wanted by the U.S. government. Federal prosecutors in New York charged outspoken co-founder Arthur Hayes and other senior officers at the company with failing to deploy an adequate anti-money laundering operation at the derivatives trading platform. Hayes, along with fellow owners and co-founders, resigned from his day-to-day leadership duty at the exchange’s holding company.