<p>Coinbase has tapped Lyft's former vice president of engineering to take a leading role on its engineering team. Manish Gupta is joining the exchange as executive vice president of engineering, according to an <a href="https://blog.coinbase.com/welcoming-manish-gupta-executive-vice-president-of-engineering-3f400e6e0041">announcement</a> from the firm. </p> <p>Gupta spent 16 years on Google's engineering team, eventually as a VP, before moving to Lyft. At Google, Gupta's efforts were focused on the tech giant's advertising platform. At Lyft, he lead teams focused on the development of the main rideshare product. </p> <p>In the announcement, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong indicated that Gupta's hiring comes at a time of flux for the exchange, and that Gupta's leadership skills amid change are as valuable to Coinbase's plans as his engineering experience. The firm recently announced a <a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/65972/coinbase-remote-first-covid">"remote-first" policy</a> that would allow most employees to work from home.</p> <p>"The opportunities and challenges at Coinbase and in crypto couldn’t be greater — more people than ever are experiencing the benefits of cryptocurrency, and want access to new crypto-native products and services," read the announcement. "Meanwhile, Coinbase is undergoing a shift to being a remote-first company, which will unlock potential but also require the company to learn and iterate within a remote-first culture."</p> <p>Gupta's installation comes a month after reports indicating the exchange is looking to go public. Sources told Reuters the firm<a href="https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/70982/coinbase-ipo-prep-report"> could go public</a> as early as this year, and that it's exploring a direct listing as opposed to an initial public offering (IPO). </p>