Ex-Gemini, Kraken exec appointed as CEO of crypto advocacy group

Ji Hun Kim, a lawyer who previously worked at cryptocurrency exchanges Gemini and Kraken, has been appointed permanent CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation (CCI), after serving in the role in an interim capacity.

In a Thursday notice, the CCI said its board of directors had appointed Kim as CEO after serving as president and acting CEO since January. He previously worked as the organization’s chief legal and policy officer after three years at Gemini and less than a year at Kraken.

“This is a pivotal moment of evolution for our industry, one that requires serious, informed engagement,” said Kim. “I look forward to continuing to build an institution that serves as a bridge between technology and public policy, grounded in facts, trust, and respect around the world.”

The CCI is one of many crypto advocacy organizations that periodically write to US lawmakers and regulators on digital asset policy. Before Kim, Sheila Warren headed the council as CEO for three years, departing just a month before the Trump administration took office.

Related: Crypto advocates call for post-Biden clarity on digital asset regulations

Regulation of digital assets is front and center in US policy

Last week, the US House of Representatives passed three crypto-related pieces of legislation to address central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), market structure, and payment stablecoins. President Donald Trump signed the stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act, into law on July 18.

The Senate is expected to address the other two bills on CBDCs and digital asset market structure after the chamber gets back from its August recess. Leadership in the Senate Banking Committee set a September deadline for the market structure bill, though the legislation may need to pass back through the House for consideration.

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