FX and cryptocurrency trading venue operator LMAX Group has appointed the former Euronext FX global sales head to oversee its institutional sales for the Americas.
Paul Ainsworth joins LMAX Group in a newly created role from FX technology firm Spotex where he has worked since January. He will be responsible for driving the institutional business at LMAX Group in the region, reporting directly to Patrick Bartle, managing director for the Americas.
Prior to Spotex, Ainsworth was previously at Euronext FX where he was global head of sales for five years. Earlier in his career, he also worked at UBS as an executive director in eFX sales for nearly seven years and as a director in eFX sales at Barclays for five years.
“Paul is a capital markets veteran and brings with him an extensive track record of success throughout his career. Paul’s appointment will propel us on towards our next phase of growth with the vision to become the pre-eminent global exchange for FX and crypto currency trading,” commented Bartle.
Several crypto trading venues have appointed dedicated staff to institutional sales roles in the last year as major institutions in the asset class continue to enter the space.
Most recent was UK-based digital securities exchange, Archax, which appointed former CMC Markets sales consultant, Malcolm Ford, to head up its institutional sales.
Institutional interest in digital assets is undoubtedly on the rise. Last month alone, Standard Chartered, State Street, Nasdaq, TP ICAP and Deutsche Börse were among those to launch crypto focused initiatives.