Binance Recruits Brussels Lobbyist as EU Develops Crypto Rules

The world’s largest crypto exchange Binance is recruiting a full-time Brussels lobbyist as it seeks to influence those regulating the crypto industry.

The recruitment drive shows the increasing importance of policy to major crypto firms as European Union lawmakers seek to bring the sector within the regulatory fold.

The Policy Comms Director would be “responsible for shaping a communications narrative and creating impactful campaigns around corporate, regulatory and political developments impacting the company across the EU,” said a job ad posted on the Binance website, which also cites blogs and social media that would be designed to reach policymakers.

The job would be based full time in Brussels, unlike many other Binance positions which can be done remotely. The location would allow access to officials from the European Commission and European Parliament responsible for proposing and agreeing to new laws that could affect the crypto sector.

The EU is set to formalize its Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation in April, which would impose consumer protection and financial stability norms on wallet providers and exchanges. Further laws could be set to come in other areas such as crypto lending and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Binance is registered in a number of EU states including France, Italy and Cyprus, and is already a member of Brussels-based umbrella lobbying organization Blockchain for Europe. Martin Bruncko, Binance’s executive vice-president for Europe, even suggested last year that company headquarters could in time be sited in Europe.

The company is also recruiting for more junior policy communications roles in Latin America and Asia, according to the website. A spokesperson for Binance did not immediately respond to a CoinDesk request for on-the-record comment.

Read more: MiCA at the Door: How European Crypto Firms Are Getting Ready for Sweeping Legislation