Wintermute Plants Flag in New York, Betting on Softer US Crypto Rules

Regulation SEC Trump

Julia Smith

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Julia Smith

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Julia is an experienced editor with a passion for covering a wide variety of beats. She loves all things politics and regularly covers regulatory updates on emerging technology here for Crypto News.

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Last updated: 

May 15, 2025

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As Washington warms to digital assets, algorithmic trading heavyweight Wintermute announced in a May 15 press release that it is shifting its base from London to New York, planting one of crypto’s biggest market makers on Wall Street just as U.S. rules loosen.

London-based Crypto Firm Heads to the Big Apple

Founded by Evgeny Gaevoy in 2017, the London-based organization cited the changing regulatory environment toward digital assets as a primary driver of its U.S. expansion.

Wintermute has also tapped the Blockchain Association’s senior director of government relations and institutional engagement, Ron Hammond, to serve as the crypto firm’s head of policy and advocacy.

“I am thrilled to join Wintermute, a global powerhouse in digital asset markets, as it establishes a U.S. presence at this critical moment for the digital asset industry,” commented Ron Hammond, head of policy and advocacy.

“With the regulatory climate in the U.S. becoming more constructive, we see tremendous opportunity to foster responsible innovation and deepen engagement with policymakers and industry stakeholders,” he added.

“As the U.S. policy towards digital assets and blockchain innovation has become friendlier, we were determined to act fast and establish roots in the financial capital of the world, New York City,” said Gaevoy. “We’re eager to continue our growth and play an integral role in the U.S. market.”

U.S. Crypto Regulatory Environment Begins to Shift

U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to enact crypto-friendly regulations during his second term in office, prompting a post-election crypto rally that saw Bitcoin reach an all-time high this past January.

Most recently, Trump tapped businessman Paul Atkins to lead the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the federal regulator responsible for governing digital asset policy.

Atkins, who previously served as SEC chair from 2002 to 2008, is widely seen as a crypto-friendly choice to spearhead the agency.

“A key priority of my Chairmanship will be to develop a rational regulatory framework for crypto asset markets that establishes clear rules of the road for the issuance, custody, and trading of crypto assets while continuing to discourage bad actors from violating the law,” Atkins said.