Fireblocks Taps Former SEC Acting Chair Elad Roisman to Lead Regulatory Strategy
The digital asset infrastructure provider hires a veteran regulator to navigate intensifying global compliance requirements for institutional clients.
Fireblocks has appointed Elad Roisman as its Chief Regulatory and Policy Officer and General Counsel for Regulatory affairs. The move signals a strategic push by the infrastructure provider to deepen ties with policymakers as institutional adoption of digital assets accelerates.
Based in Washington, D.C., Roisman will lead the company's regulatory strategy and serve as the primary liaison to standards bodies and regulators. He joins Fireblocks from the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he co-led the Digital Assets Practice. Roisman previously served as a Commissioner and Acting Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where he voted on more than 1,000 enforcement actions and over 100 rulemakings.
A Shift Toward Regulated Finance
The appointment arrives during a period of heightened global scrutiny and legislative activity. In the United States, the industry is grappling with new federal stablecoin laws and ongoing negotiations regarding market structure legislation. Simultaneously, the European Union is implementing the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.
Fireblocks currently secures more than $14 trillion in digital asset transactions, providing critical infrastructure for hundreds of asset managers, payment companies, and banks. As these traditional financial institutions migrate instruments onchain, the platform's technical requirements must align with rigid legal mandates. Michael Shaulov, Co-Founder and CEO of Fireblocks, noted that as customers move deeper into regulated finance, Roisman's experience will allow the company's infrastructure to adapt and lead in a dynamic environment.
Implications for Institutional Growth
For Fireblocks, the hire is both a defensive and offensive maneuver. Institutional clients cannot scale onchain revenues without certainty that their custody and transfer layers comply with emerging federal and international laws. By placing a former SEC Acting Chair at the helm of its policy wing, Fireblocks positions itself as a compliant bridge between legacy finance and decentralized ledger technology.
This transition reflects a broader industry trend where the "move fast and break things" ethos is being replaced by a preference for regulatory clarity. For the banks and asset managers using Fireblocks, the presence of a veteran regulator within their service provider reduces the operational risk associated with sudden policy shifts.
The Path Forward
Looking ahead, Roisman's primary focus will be engaging with policymakers to shape the evolving digital asset environment. He stated that the current priority is supporting institutions as they build the next phase of the financial system under new laws.
Industry observers will be watching how this appointment influences Fireblocks' ability to expand its footprint among Tier-1 global banks, which remain the most cautious adopters of digital asset infrastructure due to the very regulatory pressures Roisman is now tasked with managing.