Bittrex, a popular U.S. based cryptocurrency and altcoin exchange with a global user base announced the addition of three new senior executives to support and enhance the company’s exponential growth and influence in the cryptocurrency community.
With extensive experience in cybersecurity and compliance in both the public and private sectors, all three executives fit Bittrex’s unique security-first approach and “its mission to provide individuals and businesses with a world-class platform they can trust to buy and sell cutting-edge cryptocurrencies and digital tokens.”
“Our mission is to develop the most trusted cryptocurrency exchange in the world, and we believe the breadth of experience that these individuals bring will be critical to achieving that goal,” said CEO Bill Shihara. “They will drive our enduring commitment to foster a secure and regulated trading environment that creates more opportunities for blockchain technology and the future of finance and security.”
Chief Strategy Officer Kiran Raj
Kiran Raj will drive Bittrex’s strategic vision and will be responsible for developing, communicating, and executing that vision through initiatives related to core business priorities.
Kiran Raj has worked at the intersection of technology, security, and law for nearly two decades. Formerly a partner at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers and the Deputy General Counsel of the Homeland Security Department, he has worked directly with leaders of corporate America. He held a similar role at the Justice Department as senior counsel to the Deputy Attorney General, where he advised the department’s senior leadership on significant issues and managed policy matters related to cybersecurity and national security.
Prior to entering the legal field, Raj was a lead program manager at Microsoft where he managed and supervised a large team of program managers to develop applications to secure customer networks. He was also responsible for developing and deploying software that improved the security, compatibility, and application experience of the Windows operating system.
See the recent Wall Street Journal op-ed by CSO Kiran Raj and CEO John Roth on cryptocurrency and national security.
Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer John Roth
John Roth will take the lead in advancing Bittrex’s core mission to ensure that the company remains in compliance with the evolving legal landscape in order to offer the most secure and reliable service to our customers.
Before joining Bittrex, Roth served as Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for more than three years.
Roth worked in the federal government for over three decades, including 25 years at the Department of Justice. Roth worked as a prosecutor at the Justice Department, including serving as chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General and as section chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section among other senior roles in the Criminal Division. Roth capped his Justice Department tenure as the lead representative on the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization fighting against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Roth also served in a senior capacity for the congressionally chartered 9/11 Commission and helped to compile a monograph on terrorist financing for the commission’s final report.
Chief Operating Officer Jim Waschak
Jim Waschak will lead the business, technical operations and administrative functions required for Bittrex to continue to evolve during this stage of rapid growth.
Jim is joining Bittrex after 12 years at Amazon, most recently serving as Director of Information Security and CISO for Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer Organization. During his tenure at Amazon, Jim has held key roles including leading Amazon’s Corporate IT Infrastructure and associated Sourcing, Contracts and Global Support. Jim also led Amazon’s Global Payments Infrastructure, Data Security, Technical Operations and Vendor Management.
Prior to Amazon, Jim worked for seven years at as a Director at Capital One, leading teams and critical areas such as Credit Card Processing and Online Account Servicing.
As mentioned above, many users say they have been disabled from their accounts for days on end now, with no emails or response coming from the exchange, meanwhile, their money is tied up while they are left wondering. See the Tweet below from such a user:
It's been 70 days my account is disabled can't trade nor withdraw my money.
My ticket number is #291731@BittrexExchange @jyap @ramikawach #BittrexTrouble #bittrex_disabled_accounts pic.twitter.com/N88hgizbFA— kevin kp (@keivanzz) December 9, 2017
