Kai Kono has announced on LinkedIn today that he has assumed the role of Managing Director, Head of APAC, at EDXM Global. In this position, Kono will lead the company's international expansion efforts.

EDXM Backed by Major Firms

Based in Singapore, EDXM Global operates with backing from EDX Markets. EDX Markets was established in 2022 by a group of major financial institutions, including Citadel Securities, Fidelity Digital Assets, Virtu Financial, and Charles Schwab, among others.

The company also has support from well-known cryptocurrency venture capital firms such as Sequoia, Pantera, and Paradigm.

Before joining EDXM Global, Kono held several notable positions. He was the Founder and CEO of Spring Digital from June 2023 to July 2024. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Executive Officer for Zodia Custody in Singapore from September 2023 to May 2024, and as the Managing Director for APAC at the same company from July 2023 to May 2024.

Earlier, EDX Markets partnered with Anchorage Digital, a regulated cryptocurrency platform, to offer a custody solution for EDX's new clearinghouse initiative, as reported by Finance Magnates. The companies announced this collaboration, stating that it aims to incorporate traditional market structure standards into the digital asset sector.

EDX plans to implement custody practices from traditional finance to offer a custody model tailored for institutional investors. This approach allows investors to select their preferred custodian and ensures that their assets are not locked up for extended periods.

BitGo and Liquid Role

Kono's experience also includes a role as Managing Director and Global Head of Digital Asset Sales at BitGo from February 2022 to July 2023. He was an Executive Director for APAC at BitGo from April 2021 to February 2022.

Before BitGo, Kono worked at Liquid. His roles there included Chief Business Officer from May 2020 to April 2021, Managing Director and Global Head of Business Development & Sales from October 2019 to May 2020, and Head of Asia Pacific, Business Development & Sales from April 2019 to September 2019.