Expertise

Compliance and financial crime

Our expertise in compliance and financial crime prevention for crypto goes beyond traditional frameworks, addressing the unique challenges of digital assets. We help firms design and implement robust compliance programs, covering customer onboarding, on- and off-chain transaction screening, and real-time monitoring to detect suspicious activities. Unlike traditional finance, crypto compliance requires specialized tools and skills, including blockchain analytics, wallet attribution, smart contract risk assessment, and cross-chain transaction tracking. We guide clients in selecting the right RegTech solutions, integrating them into existing workflows, and training teams to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.

Licenses and authorisation

We have deep expertise in regulatory applications for crypto asset businesses, having successfully guided firms through licensing and registration processes across multiple jurisdictions, including MICAr in the EU, the UK FCA regime, Singapore’s MAS framework, and Hong Kong’s SFC requirements. Navigating these evolving regulatory landscapes requires a nuanced understanding of each jurisdiction’s approach to compliance, risk management, governance, and operational requirements.

Our team has firsthand experience managing regulatory engagements, preparing applications, designing compliant frameworks, and ensuring ongoing adherence to supervisory expectations. Whether securing a VASP license, obtaining FCA registration, or meeting MICAr’s stringent standards, we help crypto businesses streamline the process, mitigate regulatory risks, and position themselves for long-term success in a compliant and scalable manner.

Risk management

We bring deep expertise in risk management for crypto asset businesses, developing best practices and risk management framework across operational, technology, HR, treasury, product and third-party risk. The fast-evolving nature of digital assets requires a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks that differ from traditional finance.

We help firms establish robust operational risk frameworks, assess and manage technology risks, system resilience—and implement strong treasury management strategies to navigate liquidity, volatility, and counterparty exposure. Our expertise extends to HR risk, ensuring proper governance, key person dependency management, and compliance training, as well as third-party risk assessment for service providers such as custodians, liquidity providers, and infrastructure partners.

Go to market and product development

We offer deep expertise in go-to-market strategy and product development for crypto asset businesses, leveraging our strong industry connections to help firms successfully launch and scale. Whether bringing a new tokenized product to market, launching a trading platform, or expanding custody and infrastructure services, we guide businesses through the entire process—from market research and competitive positioning to strategic partnerships and execution.

Our extensive network across financial institutions, asset managers, exchanges, and service providers enables us to connect clients with key industry players, accelerating adoption and distribution. We also help refine product offerings, ensuring they meet institutional standards while addressing evolving regulatory and market demands.

Technology and R&D

We provide specialized expertise in blockchain and crypto R&D, including DeFi, through a dedicated team focused on technology review, innovation, and implementation. Our experts assess and validate blockchain protocols, smart contract architectures, consensus mechanisms, and security models to ensure resilience, scalability, and compliance with industry standards. We conduct deep technical due diligence on DeFi protocols, tokenomics models, and interoperability solutions, helping firms navigate the complexities of on-chain finance.

Lead consultant

Maxime de Guillebon

Maxime de Guillebon is an accomplished leader with a track record of innovation in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets, blockchain technology, and financial services. With extensive experience in both traditional finance and the digital asset ecosystem, Maxime has consistently driven change and growth in high-profile roles, from co-founding Zodia Group to leading product development at BNY Mellon and Ripple. He is uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate the intersection of innovation and regulation within the crypto space.

Why Maxime?

Pioneer in Crypto Custody & Institutional Digital Assets

As the co-founder of Zodia Group and Zodia Custody, Maxime played an instrumental role in building the only bank-owned crypto custodian in the market. Under his leadership, Zodia Custody offered institutional-grade solutions that bridged the gap between the world of traditional finance and digital assets. This success speaks volumes about Maxime’s ability to integrate regulated, secure solutions into a rapidly evolving, high-risk environment.

Digital Assetss Product Leadership at Ripple & BNY Mellon

Maxime’s experience at Ripple, where he was part of the product team, and at BNY Mellon, as Head of Digital Asset Product, enabled him to craft cutting-edge crypto and blockchain solutions for the financial sector. At BNY Mellon, Maxime led initiatives to integrate digital asset custody and tokenised assets into the traditional banking landscape, a key step in driving the future of institutional crypto and tokenisation adoption.

Driving Innovation in Finance at Standard Chartered

Maxime's tenure at Standard Chartered stands as a testament to his ability to drive large-scale innovation within established financial institutions. As Head of Digital Platforms, he was responsible for pioneering disruptive initiatives such as distributed ledger technology (DLT), mobile solutions, and AI. Maxime also led the intrapreneur program at SC Ventures, fostering a culture of internal innovation, while coaching fintech ventures that emerged from within the bank, and making waves in transaction banking and digital finance.

Driving Success at OpenTrade

As COO at OpenTrade, Maxime now helps a leading crypto platform expand its Yield as a Service solutions and secure its place as a market leader.

Maxime de Guillebon is a strategic visionary with the technical expertise and executive leadership needed to navigate the complexities of the digital asset market. His ability to balance innovation with regulation, and his expertise in product development, crypto custody, and institutional adoption, make him an ideal consultant for firms seeking to succeed in the crypto ecosystem. Whether you're aiming to launch a regulated crypto product, scale digital asset services, or innovate within traditional finance, Maxime offers the perfect blend of experience and insight.

Leveraging an Extensive Network of Industry Experts

Maxime de Guillebon brings more than just his personal expertise to the table. He has developed an extensive network of top industry experts, spanning areas such as compliance, risk management, technology, and research & development.

Maxime actively leverages this network to ensure his clients have access to the best resources for tackling challenges across various domains. Whether it's ensuring regulatory compliance, navigating complex risk landscapes, advancing technological development, or driving business growth and product innovation, Maxime’s network allows him to bring together the right expertise at the right time to support his clients' strategic goals.