Crystal, a UAE-based blockchain solutions company, has announced the appointment of Navin Gupta as its new Chief Executive Officer for Middle East and Asia operations, with immediate effect.

In his new role, Navin takes over responsibilities from Marina Khaustova, who stepped down from the role to assume her new position as Chief Operations Officer within the company. Marina held the position for the past five years. Navin brings nearly three decades of experience to his new position; most recently, he served Ripple in the capacity of Managing Director for MEA and South Asian operations.

In his previous roles, Navin worked as the Head of Payments and Cash Management for HSBC Japan and Citigroup in various leadership roles across the US, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and India markets. His entrepreneurial experience as a co-founder of a commercial transport technology platform makes Gupta the perfect candidate to steer this next phase of expansion for Crystal.

Welcoming Navin to the leadership team, Brian Brooks, Bitfury Board member and former head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, said, “Recent developments like the Bitcoin ETF approval have set the stage both for an increased appetite for digital assets and for compliance tools to keep pace with regulatory expectations. It is imperative that regulators and financial institutions worldwide equip themselves with the best toolset and intelligence to keep pace and be fully prepared to tackle any potential risks from this asset class.”

Gupta added, “Marina and Crystal have been at the forefront of developing an exceptional blockchain intelligence solution. As we continue to see adoption grow, we are committed to leveraging new-age tech to stay ahead of the curve. Regulators need superior intelligence and cutting-edge tools to navigate these changes, and TradFi institutions are seeking to manage risks effectively as they enter the digital assets market. Our goal is to stay insanely customer-centric, bringing our solutions to every corner of the world.”