Bank of America and SAP Veterans to Lead Crypto Infrastructure Firm Taurus’ European Drive
Swiss institutional crypto infrastructure firm Taurus SA has been expanding its presence in Europe with the opening of two new offices in the United Kingdom and France.
In a Thursday blog post, the company said it has appointed former Bank of America executive Jürgen Hofbauer and SAP veteran Arnaud Fleischer to lead the new offices.
🌐 We're pleased to announce that Taurus continues to expand in Europe with new offices in the U.K. and France. This marks an important milestone in our ambition to serve our digital asset technology clients globally.
— Taurus (@taurus_hq) October 12, 2023
Read the full announcement here: https://t.co/eNXf3OCOgi pic.twitter.com/7D0nxju1X9
While Europe has already been Taurus’ primary market, the move is intended to bring the firm’s services closer to its partners, capitalizing on the increasing institutional interest from banking and corporate clients, as noted in the company’s statement.
Jürgen Hofbauer brings over 15 years of experience in the traditional finance and fintech sectors to Taurus.
He has held leadership positions at various fintech firms and spent a decade at Bank of America, most recently serving as its EMEA Head of Sales.
“Leading Taurus’ UK office and strategic partnerships globally is an exciting opportunity,” said Hofbauer.
“The global financial landscape here is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with digital assets gaining prominence. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with regional stakeholders, global partners, and clients to drive innovation together.”
Arnaud Fleischer, with over 15 years of B2B sales experience, joins Taurus from his previous roles at Salsify, Alkemics, and SAP.
In a statement, Fleischer emphasized the growing acceptance of digital assets in Europe and Taurus’ role in providing a premier platform for clients to engage in this space.
“I’m looking forward to leading Taurus’ expansion in Europe and consolidating Taurus’ exceptional track record in the region,” he said.
Taurus Looks to Further Expand Across Europe
In addition to the new London and Paris offices, Taurus has plans for further expansion across Europe, subject to regulatory approval.
The company aims to establish a stronger presence in Switzerland with new premises in Zurich.
Taurus boasts a market share of over 60% in Switzerland and has recently secured $65 million in a Series B funding round led by Credit Suisse.
Deutsche Bank, Pictet Group, Cedar Mundi Ventures, and Arab Bank Switzerland also participated in the funding round.
Last month, Deutsche Bank partnered with Taurus to offer digital asset custody and tokenization services to its clients.
Taurus has also expanded its digital-asset custody and tokenization services to support both public and private blockchains.
The renewed institutional demand in crypto comes following the application for a spot Bitcoin (BTC) ETF by BlackRock, Valkyrie, and Fidelity Investments, among others.
Although none has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which continues to cite market manipulation fears.
In Europe, the Markets in Crypto Asset (MiCA) regulation has been hailed over several quarters for reshaping rules and ensuring clarity for institutional investors to participate at all levels.
Brahimi also highlighted that recent developments around the market point to a heightened demand by top institutions amid regulatory hurdles in many jurisdictions.
