Major United States cryptocurrency exchange OKCoin has announced that its current chairperson, Hong Fang, is taking over as CEO. Fang is a former Goldman Sachs banker, and early investor in OKCoin. She told Cointelegraph she will continue to be chief operating officer for parent company OK Group, in addition to her new duties as OKCoin CEO. Meanwhile the current OKCoin CEO, Tim Byun, is moving to a new role with OK Group as its chief global government relations officer. OKCoin secures licensing and fiat onramps Fang explained that OKCoin has spent the better part of the past year and a …

BAE Systems, Inc., a United States-based contractor that provides support and service solutions for defense, intelligence, and civilian systems, is seeking cryptocurrency exploiters. BAE Systems listed an open position for so called cryptocurrency exploiters on employment-oriented platform LinkedIn. Those in the position are set to support a company’s client’s operational requirements in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The job post requirements read: “Successful candidates will demonstrate proficiency in cryptocurrency with recognized and verifiable credentials in the field. This position will preferably be filled by a Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP), Certified Bitcoin Expert (CBX) or a candidate with a substantive understanding and …

It’s a nightmarish scenario that is sadly familiar to many who are seeking work in foreign countries. Slavery and human trafficking — these are criminal industries that continue to flourish in many regions across the globe. Such problems may seem distant and abstract to the average consumer in more developed regions, but it’s a very real problem for millions of people. Many retail products can be traced back through supply chains, linking consumers to some of the 45 million people in 167 countries that are reportedly trapped in modern slavery. Larry Cameron, chief information security officer of the Anti-Human Trafficking …

Pete Rizzo, former editor-in-chief at leading crypto news outlet CoinDesk, has started a new position at cryptocurrency exchange Kraken. Per a Jan. 15 announcement from Kraken, Rizzo’s new role as Editor-at-Large will entail responsibility for content production for the company’s new products and services. Departure from CoinDesk and the new role Regarding the shift in positions, Rizzo said “At this stage in my career, I wanted the opportunity to work with a larger team that was trying to acquire users and get people interested in bitcoin and cryptocurrency.” Rizzo, who left CoinDesk back in September, had been instrumental to the …

Blockchain will be the most in-demand hard skill in 2020, according to a new study by the educational subsidiary of professional social network LinkedIn. A newcomer to LinkedIn’s annual list of top-demanded hard skills, blockchain now tops the list of the most-needed skills in 2020, according to a LinkedIn Learning blog post on Jan. 13. Blockchain to surpass cloud computing and AI in 2020 In 2019, blockchain-as-a-skill overtook major hard skills including cloud computing, analytical reasoning, artificial intelligence (AI), and user experience (UX) design, becoming the number one hard skill in demand among global employers in 2020, according to LinkedIn …

Facebook’s Calibra is on the hunt for two marketing specialists as the company continues development of its Libra stablecoin project. The company is looking for a head of media, digital marketing and community and a head of brand for the Calibra digital wallet unit. The roles ask for applicants with a minimum of 15 years of experience in their respective fields, as well as upwards of ten years of leadership and people management experience. Per the job ads, the proposed head of media will be engaged in building acquisition and cross-sell strategies, creation of customer segments and audiences that can …

Co-founder of crypto mining giant Bitmain, Micree Zhan Ketuan, has initiated court proceedings against the company shareholders in a bid to restores his voting control of the firm. As BNN Bloomberg reported on Jan. 3, Zhan asked a Cayman Islands court to discredit Bitmain’s shareholders' decision to convert the mining company’s Class B shares to one vote per share, while previously each Class B share had come with ten votes. As such, the shareholders greatly reduced Zhan’s influence over the company. According to a 2018 initial public offering prospectus, Zhan reportedly owned nearly 4 million Class B shares — almost …

Blockchain development studio Lightcurve — a part of the Lisk open-source blockchain application platform — laid off 40% of its workforce earlier this week. Lightcurve and Lisk co-founder, Max Kordek, announced the decision earlier this week on Discord, citing a need for the project to cut costs. The job losses represent 21 of Lightcurve’s 53 employees, and in addition, the project has canceled the contracts of three employees who were set to join. Kordek said that the firm would focus on keeping talent in the research, backend development and developer relations departments while downsizing frontend development, marketing, design and operations. …

Payments company Circle will install a new CEO at the start of 2020 after one of its original co-founders steps down from the position. According to cryptocurrency media outlet CoinDesk on Dec. 5, co-founder and co-CEO Sean Neville will transition to a post on the company’s board of directors in January. Sean Neville becomes board member Neville launched Circle with Jeremy Allaire in 2013, and has presided over its metamorphosis in the ensuing years, including a pivot away from Bitcoin (BTC) and the acquisition of cryptocurrency exchange Poloniex last year. As Cointelegraph reported, Circle is now selling Poloniex, Neville describing …

Micree Ketuan Zhan, the co-founder of major Chinese Bitcoin (BTC) mining hardware producer Bitmain, claimed that he was removed as a legal representative of the company without his consent. On Nov. 7, Samson Mow, the CEO of Blockstream, posted a statement from Zhan on Twitter, in which the Bitmain co-founder claimed he would take legal measures to return to the company. Bitmain co-founder Jihan Wu announced in an email last week that Zhan had left the company, stating: “Bitmain’s co-founder, chairman, legal representative and executive director Jihan Wu has decided to dismiss all roles of Ketuan Zhan, effective immediately.” Stabbed …

Major crypto exchange Binance may be returning to China, with a planned office to open in Beijing, sources say. Binance in exile Binance, which left China in September 2017 in response to the country’s ban on crypto trading, is looking to open a new office in Beijing to accompany one operating in Shanghai, two unnamed sources told Coindesk, Oct. 31. As of press time, sources at Binance had not confirmed to Cointelegraph plans to establish a new Beijing office, but did say that there were a number of Binance employees currently operating in the Chinese capital. The move follows a …

Former members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have joined the Shyft Network’s advisory team. In a press release shared with Cointelegraph on Oct. 28, public blockchain protocol Shyft Network announced that it was adding the former head of the Canadian delegation to the FATF, Josee Nadeau, and former FATF executive secretary Rick McDonell as members of its board of advisors. The FATF is one of the most important financial regulatory organizations worldwide. While it cannot enforce recommendations, adherence to its guidelines is important for financial inclusion in major economies and markets. In late June, the FATF issued new …