Cryptocurrency firm Blockchain has hired former BlackRock Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executive and in-house leader Howard Surloff as general counsel. 

Surloff will oversee legal, compliance and corporate governance at the crypto wallet company, according to an announcement on Tuesday. He started his new job on Sept. 16 and is based in New York. 

"Blockchain is at the center of the digital assets ecosystem, and continues to expand with infrastructure like The PIT," Surloff said in a prepared statement, referring to the firm's crypto exchange. 

"As such, there is a complex regulatory landscape to navigate to best serve our users and partners around the world," he added. "I am excited to take on these challenges and join a team of talented individuals committed to maintaining Blockchain's meteoric growth and building a world-class legal and compliance program."

Attempts to speak with Surloff and representatives for Blockchain were unsuccessful.

Founded in 2011, Blockchain reports having raised $70 million from investors, including Virgin Group Ltd. and Google Ventures, the capital investment arm of Alphabet Inc.

The firm's New York-based president and chief legal officer, Marco Santori, who joined the company in February 2018, wrote in an email Tuesday that he and his colleagues were "excited to have Howard onboard. He's consistently made an impact at two of the largest financial services firms in the world, and I have no doubt he'll do the same at Blockchain."

Surloff arrives at Blockchain after nearly 25 years in the investment banking industry, most recently as managing director and global chief operating officer of BlackRock's iShares and Index Investments business, which has more than $4.4 trillion in assets and 800 employees globally. He was elevated to COO after serving for a decade as deputy general counsel and managing director. 

As a member of BlackRock's executive management team, Surloff was involved in overseeing the firm's global business, mergers and acquisitions strategy, regulatory engagement, budgeting, operations and talent development programs, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Before BlackRock, Surloff served as managing director and general counsel for the U.S. asset management division of Goldman Sachs, where he led a legal team that oversaw assets across more than 1,000 investment products, including U.S. mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity funds. 

A Cornell Law School graduate, Surloff began his career in 1990 as an associate at the boutique corporate law firm of Shereff, Friedman, Hoffman & Goodman.

In announcing Surloff's appointment, Blockchain co-founder and CEO Peter Smith said in a prepared statement that his new GC's "passion for legal, compliance, and operational excellence in new markets will be vital to executing our strategy globally." 

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