Coinbase Just Lost Its COO, Series of Executive Departures Continues

Coinbase has announced the departure of its president and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Asiff Hirji, reports say. Hirji will be replaced by Emilie Choi, who was formerly Coinbase’s VP of Business, Data & International of Coinbase.

Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase Brian Armstrong thanked Hirji for his contribution in a company statement,

We’re incredibly grateful for Asiff’s contributions over the past 18 months. His experience and mentorship helped guide Coinbase through an important chapter in its history. He joined at a critical time when both the company and crypto space were going through rapid growth, bringing his extensive experience to bear when it was most necessary.

Choi, a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, had worked for several companies before joining Coinbase, including LinkedIn. She served on the Board of Directors for both Naspers and ZipRecruiter. Sources told Bloomberg that Choi was highly involved in the success of a recent funding round. Choi was recently interviewed by The Block, in which she outlined the exchange’s margin trading plans.

Coinbase Seeing Executives Leave, Drawing Questions

Coinbase has several executives depart in the past few months, including then Vice President for International Business Dan Romero, Director of Institutional Sales Christine Sandler, and ex-Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Balaji Srinivasan.

The string of departures has some question the future of Coinbase. However, it does not seem to have affected business, as the exchange continues to grow and see higher numbers.