Kraken, a San Francisco-based digital asset exchange, has announced the appointment of renowned international lawyer, venture capitalist and fintech advisor Edward M. Stadum as General Counsel.

Stadum will be reporting to CEO Jesse Powell. He brings five decades of legal experience and extensive knowledge to Kraken and will offer specialist advice in the company’s cryptocurrency domain, with particular emphasis on best business practices, corporate governance, finance, acquisitions, strategy, technology and regulation.

“Edward Stadum’s 50 years worth of experience in banking, technology, law and venture capital will serve Kraken in key markets in North America, Europe and around the globe”, said Jesse Powell, CEO of Kraken.

Stadum joins Kraken’s management team after a post as US General Counsel to Fidor Bank, an innovative, German regulated online direct bank that supports Kraken’s leading euro business. An Air Force veteran, Stadum is a graduate of Stanford University and holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He was also the Founder and CEO of the San Francisco Local Development Corporation.

“At Fidor I was tasked with conducting a thorough external audit of Kraken. After combing through every detail, I grew more and more interested in the remarkable opportunities ahead for Kraken and for the digital currency market, so much so that with Fidor’s consent I left the bank to join the client full time”, Stadum said. “Kraken is already at the center of this growing industry and I look forward to helping Jesse and the team elevate a thriving startup into a lasting, professional trusted financial enterprise globally.”

During a storied legal career, Stadum has represented many technology firms, financial services organizations and high profile individuals. He practiced law for several years in the traditional banking sector and eventually founded TecVenture Partners, a Munich-based early stage technology venture capital fund. After 10 years with the fund, which invested in German startups incubated through city technology centers, Stadum founded Opus 111, a hedge fund due diligence and analytic service.

“It says a lot that Ed wanted to join the team after seeing what was ‘under the hood’ while conducting an audit of Kraken. In fact, having a window into how things work at Kraken made him even more interested in joining our exchange, which is a good sign that we have a solid foundation and that we’re on the right track for long-term success. We look forward to leveraging his five decades worth of experience as we further develop Kraken”, Powell added.

The news follows the recent investment from Money Partners Group in Kraken’s Series B funding round. Kraken has been making the most of this year. In January, it announced its expansion to North America, with the acquisition of two major exchanges Coinsetter and Cavirtex. The following month, it announced a multi-million dollar agreement with SBI Investment, the venture capital arm of SBI Holdings.