Digital Currency Group Appoints First Chief Legal Officer as Crypto Firm Fights NY AG and Gemini in Court

On Thursday, April 25, 2024, The Digital Currency Group (DCG), a venture capital company focusing on the digital currency market, announced the appointment of its first chief legal officer. Aimie Killeen has been hired for the newly created role after spending over a decade navigating regulatory concerns and compliance issues in leading legal positions at fintech firms.

Killeen most recently served as General Counsel at Billtrust, where she helped take the payment management company private in a $1.7 billion acquisition. She previously spent time as global general counsel for Directcash Payments Inc. and Cardtronics after beginning her legal career in Australia with global law firm Ashurst.

DCG highlighted Killeen’s extensive experience advising fintechs through matters like securities oversight, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property management, and risk assessment. In a statement, Killeen said she was “honored” to join DCG during a transformative time in finance and technology. As the industry gains momentum, Killeen looks forward to supporting the growth plans of the prominent digital asset company.

The appointment of a chief legal officer comes amid ongoing legal issues for DCG. The company is embroiled in lawsuits related to the collapse of its former lending subsidiary Genesis Global in January 2023, which saw customers lose access to funds. DCG is fighting New York’s attorney general over allegations it defrauded customers out of more than $3 billion through misleading business practices.

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has also sued DCG for claimed misrepresentations about Genesis’ financial strength that led Gemini customers to lose assets through a joint lending product. DCG maintains the claims in both suits are “baseless” and has filed motions to dismiss.

As these legal disputes continue, Killeen will play a key role in navigating the regulatory landscape and compliance issues facing DCG. Her experience advising innovative fintechs is expected to benefit DCG as it aims to accelerate decentralized technology development on a global scale.