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Robinhood Names First Chief Operating Officer for Crypto Division

Christine Brown will head compliance and operations for the trading app's crypto wing.

Updated May 9, 2023, 3:18 a.m. Published Apr 22, 2021, 3:00 p.m.
Robinhood

Robinhood Crypto has appointed its first chief operating officer (COO).

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  • Christine Brown will oversee the trading app’s crypto operations and compliance, according to an announcement Thursday shared exclusively with CoinDesk.
  • She will perform this role alongside her existing position as vice president of product operations.
  • Robinhood has experienced a surge in crypto interest on its platform so far in 2021, with 9.5 million customers engaging in trades in Q1, up from 1.7 million in Q4 2020.
  • CEO Vlad Tenev stated in March that it was the company’s intention to grow its crypto team “hugely” this year to meet this increase in demand and to try and ensure that the growth is sustainable.
  • It was revealed Wednesday that Tenev is an early investor in decentralized finance (DeFi) upstart Terra.
  • The Cosmos-based project raised $25 million in a funding round led by Galaxy Digital and Coinbase Ventures in January.

Read more: Robinhood Growing Its Crypto Team ‘Hugely’ This Year Says CEO

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Tensions over El Salvador's bitcoin holdings ease as IMF praises economic progress

The National Palace in San Salvador, El Salvador.

The Central American country’s economy is projected to grow 4% this year, the IMF said.

What to know:

  • The IMF praised El Salvador's stronger-than-expected economic growth and progress in bitcoin-related discussions.
  • El Salvador's real GDP growth is projected to reach around 4%, with a positive outlook for 2026.
  • Despite previous IMF recommendations, El Salvador continues to increase its bitcoin holdings, adding over 1,000 BTC during November's market downturn.