Regulatory Counsel (US)

Overview

An established digital assets ecosystem is seeking an experienced US Senior Regulatory Counsel to support its strategic expansion into the United States. This role will focus on regulatory structuring, licensing strategy, acquisitions, organic license applications, joint ventures, and product analysis across spot trading, derivatives, and real-world asset products.

Responsibilities

US Market Entry and Licensing Strategy

• Advise on US expansion strategy across spot crypto, derivatives, tokenized assets, and real-world asset (RWA) products.
• Assess regulatory pathways including acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships, and organic license applications.
• Support analysis of licensing requirements involving CFTC, SEC, FinCEN, NFA, state money transmission regulators, NYDFS, and other relevant authorities.
• Prepare internal legal and regulatory roadmaps for the US market.
• Advise on entity structuring, governance, permissible activities, and regulatory perimeter issues.

Strategic Transactions

• Assist in legal and regulatory due diligence for potential US corporate transactions involving licensed entities such as DCMs, DCOs, FCMs, broker-dealers, ATSs, RIAs, MSBs, money transmitters, trust companies, or other regulated businesses.
• Identify licensing gaps, regulatory risks, change-of-control requirements, enforcement history, operational limitations, and post-acquisition remediation needs.
• Collaborate with corporate, tax, finance, compliance, and external counsel on transaction structuring and execution.
• Prepare regulatory risk assessments and briefing materials for board and management.
• Support structuring and negotiation of US joint ventures, white-label arrangements, referral models, liquidity partnerships, custody arrangements, broker relationships, clearing arrangements, and technology partnerships.
• Review partnership contracts and advise on regulatory responsibility allocation.

Organic Applications and Regulatory Filings

• Support preparation and submission of US regulatory license applications.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders on business plans, compliance manuals, governance documents, financial projections, operational policies, cybersecurity materials, AML/KYC frameworks, and product descriptions in conjunction with the Compliance team.
• Manage regulatory filing workstreams and liaise with external counsel, consultants, and internal teams.
• Track application timelines, regulator questions, information requests, and remediation actions.

Product Regulatory Analysis

• Advise on US regulatory treatment of spot crypto, derivatives, futures, swaps, margin, lending, staking, tokenized securities, stablecoins, and RWA products.
• Review proposed product launches and assess regulatory implications including SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, state licensing, broker-dealer, exchange, clearing, custody, or investment adviser requirements.
• Provide practical guidance on product design, customer access, geo-restrictions, disclosures, risk warnings, and operational controls.
• Collaborate with product, compliance, risk, operations, and business teams to design compliant US-facing or US-excluded product models.

Regulatory Engagement and External Counsel Management

• Support communications with US regulators, self-regulatory organizations, and licensing authorities.
• Prepare regulator-facing submissions, responses, presentations, and meeting materials.
• Manage external US counsel and consultants, including scope of work, budget, deliverables, and timelines.
• Translate complex regulatory advice into clear, practical recommendations for senior management.

Internal Governance and Risk Management

• Develop internal policies, playbooks, and decision frameworks for US regulatory matters.
• Maintain trackers for US licensing initiatives, regulatory obligations, acquisition targets, and product approvals.
• Support internal training on US regulatory requirements and product restrictions.
• Coordinate with global legal and compliance teams to ensure consistency across jurisdictions.

Requirements

• Qualified U.S. Lawyer with at least 8 years of legal experience.
• Strong experience in US financial services, fintech, crypto, securities, commodities, derivatives, broker-dealer, exchange, payments, or banking regulation.
• Prior financial regulatory experience at a leading U.S. law firm, regulator, crypto exchange, broker-dealer, derivatives platform, fintech company, financial institution, or regulated trading venue.
• Familiarity with US regulatory frameworks involving the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, NFA, state money transmission regimes, and NYDFS.
• Experience with licensing applications, regulatory filings, acquisitions, or regulated entity diligence.
• Ability to analyze complex regulatory issues and provide practical, business-oriented advice.
• Strong drafting, project management, and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, cross-border environment.
• Ability to live and work in the U.S.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Location

• Must be able to live and work in the United States.