Bitfury Hires Former Binance US Chief Brian Brooks as CEO: Report

Bitcoin mining company Bitfury has hired former Binance US chief Brian Brooks as its new CEO, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

• Brooks is replacing Valery Vavilov, who will stay on as Bitfury’s “chief vision officer,” the report said.

• Bitfury did not immediately respond to CoinDesk’s request to confirm the appointment.

• The appointment comes weeks after news emerged that Bitfury was planning to go public in the next 12 months in what would be Europe’s biggest cryptocurrency valuation.

• The Amsterdam-based firm is thought to be valued at $1 billion.

• After just four months with Binance US, Brooks resigned in August citing “differences over strategic direction,” between him and his colleagues.

• His appointment had been seen as a sign that the infamously opaque Binance was seeking an image of greater transparency through hiring well-regarded regulators to senior roles.

• Brooks had previously served as the acting controller of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the regulator for U.S. national banks, between May 2020 and January 2021.