I help fintech and crypto startups survive bank, partner, and regulatory scrutiny as they scale.
I'm a hands-on compliance veteran who's spent years in the trenches of fintech and crypto, focusing on AML, infosec, and regulatory hurdles. I step in as a contract Chief Compliance Officer for early-stage startups that are hustling to build something big but can't afford to trip over compliance pitfalls. If you're a founder dealing with bank pushback, partner delays, or investor red flags, I'll help you set up a lean, scalable program that actually works as you grow.
Before going independent, I built and led compliance and risk at some of the most heavily scrutinized names in fintech and crypto including Coinbase, bitFlyer, and Google's payments-compliance and licensing team. I've stood up AML programs from scratch, carried companies through regulatory exams and bank diligence, and advised executives on licensing, sanctions, infosec, and the regulatory questions that decide whether a model scales or stalls.
Failure Patterns
I’m usually pulled in when:
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Bank or partner onboarding stalls with vague KYB feedback
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Investors flag regulatory risk late in diligence
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Compliance processes/tools exist, but no one owns outcomes
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Expansion triggers licensing or regulatory questions no one can clearl
Path to Success
Once I’m embedded, teams gain:
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A regulatory compliance program that survives scrutiny
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Faster partner onboarding with fewer resets
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Clear internal ownership of risk decisions
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Fewer surprises during diligence
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A defensible path from early-stage constraints to scale
How I Work
Engagements typically look like:
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An initial risk and regulatory architecture phase with a defined scope and outcome
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A longer-term embedded role, owning risk decisions as the business scales
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Preparation for a future full-time hire without leaving landmines behind
I work with a small number of teams that value my approach:
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Long-term survivability over short-term growth
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Saying no early to avoid existential rewrites later
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Building systems that still work when I’m no longer involved
Contact
If you’re an early-stage founder dealing with bank, partner, or regulatory friction, shoot me a quick note about what's going on. I'll let you know right away if I'm the guy to help sort it.