Share this article
Coinbase Taps Former LinkedIn Exec to Lead Acquisitions Efforts
Coinbase has hired former LinkedIn executive Emilie Choi to lead its global mergers and acquisitions.
Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:38 a.m. Published Mar 5, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Cryptocurrency startup Coinbase has enlisted a former LinkedIn executive to spearhead its acquisition efforts.
Emilie Choi will serve as vice president of corporate and business development, according to a blog post published Monday. Having previously acted as LinkedIn's vice president of corporate development, Choi's new role will focus on bringing Coinbase to new markets, with an added emphasis on "world-class acquisition and partnership opportunities."
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Prior to working for LinkedIn, Choi worked for Warner Bros. Entertainment, working on the corporate development and digital business strategy initiatives. She also worked for Yahoo's corporate development team.
In statements, the startup signaled the focus on potential acquisitions, highlighting Choi's expertise in this area.
"In addition to her deep experience building and scaling at high-growth companies, Emilie's reputation as an advocate for founders through every step of the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process makes her the perfect fit for Coinbase," Asiff Hirji, president and COO wrote in the blog post, adding:
"As part of our vision to create an open financial system, we want to connect with entrepreneurs and teams around the world who are passionate about building innovation in the crypto space."
Choi told Fortune that she views the mergers and acquisitions prospects in the cryptocurrency industry as akin to opportunities that Google had in the early 2000s.
"There were just a bunch of really interesting startups that helped Google take things to the next level," she told the publication. "So it feels like that kind of an atmosphere. We're seeing so much, so many interesting startups and entrepreneurs in the space...and Coinbase wants to capitalize on that."
The addition of Choi to the Coinbase lineup is perhaps indicative of the exchange's continued efforts to bolster its executive team. The company made another notable hire in late January when it tapped former Twitter executive Tina Bhatnagar to beef up its customer support team.
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Coinbase.
Image via Coinbase blog.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Bitcoin slips below $88,000 ahead of Fed week and Big Tech earnings
Bitcoin and major tokens weakened Sunday as markets position ahead of the Federal Reserve’s next rate decision and a heavy slate of Magnificent Seven earnings.
What to know:
- Bitcoin fell below $88,000 in thin weekend trading, extending a weeklong pullback that has left most major cryptocurrencies sharply lower.
- Market sentiment remains fragile after more than $1 billion in leveraged crypto positions were liquidated amid recent volatility in currencies and bond markets.
- Traders are watching potential Japanese yen intervention, U.S. political brinkmanship over a spending bill and a heavy tech-earnings calendar, as the Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged.
Top Stories
