Former Homeland Security Agent Appointed as New COO at Huobi Trust

Huobi Trust has announced the hiring of Robert Whitaker as its new Chief Operating Officer. 

Nevada-based retail trust company, Huobi Trust, has announced a new hire to its C-suite. Robert Whitaker, former Homeland Security agent and authority in forensic cryptocurrency, will serve as Huobi Trust’s first COO. The hire coincides with the launch of Huobi Trust’s first fiat custody service for HUSD, a USD-backed stablecoin.

Huobi Trust is a subsidiary of Huobi Technology Holdings, aka Huobi Tech, formerly Pantronics Holdings Limited (1611.HK). According to its website,  “Huobi Tech is actively developing the blockchain ecosystem and virtual asset ecosystem business.” Meanwhile, Huobi Trust offers fiat custody and several services to help blockchain companies remain compliant with regulations. All funds stored with Huobi Trust have the protection of advanced security protocols and are regularly reviewed for inconsistencies. 

Whitaker bring decades of experience to Huobi Trust

Before this most recent appointment, Whitaker worked for the Finance and Proceeds of Crime Unit at the Department of Homeland Security. In his time there, Whitaker served as the head of the Digital Economy Program, which focused on dark net markets and other illegal virtual activity. Whitaker also has experience as an advisor to private companies and law-enforcement agencies to share strategies for fighting cryptocurrency crime. 

In the press release, the CEO of Huobi Trust, Frank Zhang, said of  Whitaker,  “Robert possesses a unique combination of both government and blockchain enterprise experience that will help Huobi Trust on many levels as we look to provide the most secure financial solutions for our clients.” Zhang added that he was excited to work together with Whitaker to expand the services Huobi Trust offers. 

This is not Whitaker’s first foray into the private sector as an executive. Before being hired by Huobi Trust, he served as COO of Blockchain Intelligence Group (BIG). The company provides cryptocurrency analytics and risk management solutions for government, law enforcement, and businesses in the United States. During his time there, Whitaker developed the Cryptocurrency Investigation Training Program to educate law enforcement agencies and institutions nationwide. 

Whitaker stated in the release that “Regulation is an important part of the cryptocurrency industry, but there’s a general lack of technical knowledge among regulators. Education in this sector is extremely important.”