Coinbase hires former SEC director Brett Redfearn as capital markets lead

Capital Markets • March 30, 2021, 3:01PM EDT
UPDATED: June 9, 2021, 11:16AM EDT
the block

Coinbase has hired a big voice from the market structure world to lead its capital markets division ahead of the company's much-anticipated direct listing on Nasdaq. 

Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) director Brett Redfearn—who is best known for his contributions to policy proposals within market structure oversight—is taking on the role of VP of capital markets at Coinbase this week.

Redfearn, who left the SEC in December, previously was the global head of market structure at JPMorgan. As director of its division of trading and markets, Redfearn oversaw exchanges, high-frequency trading firms, and other brokers. He has sided against exchanges in US equities on issues like rising market data costs.

During his time with the agency, the SEC adopted new rules that aimed at increasing competition in the market data ecosystem. 

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Coinbase is set to go public next month. Along with the broader market for cryptocurrencies, the firm has seen its assets on the platform cross $90 billion by the end of the year. 

Redfearn will report to Coinbase chief product officer Surojit Chatterjee. 


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].

More by Frank Chaparro