Why I’m Joining Element Finance
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve joined the team at Element Finance as Chief Legal Officer.
We have a vision
We’re not going to simply build a phenomenal protocol for high fixed yields and one of the most exciting projects in DeFi. Together, with input and collaboration with other projects, stakeholders, government representatives, and the wonderful Element Community, we’re going to shape the future of how DeFi will flourish in the future.
Where I’m coming from
I spent most of my career–more than seventeen fantastic years with fantastic people–in federal government service: most recently with FinCEN as the Interim Director of Compliance and Enforcement leading a team to enforce the anti-money laundering regulations against crypto companies, banks, securities brokers, casinos, and other financial institutions; and before that with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as an Enforcement Attorney; and for over a decade prior to that as an organized crime prosecutor with the Justice Department, handling RICO, public corruption, violent crime, and illicit finance cases. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with law enforcement agents, regulators, and the intelligence community in investigating and prosecuting fraudsters, money launderers, sanctions evaders, murderers and other violent criminals, and a whole host of other bad guys around the world.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with law enforcement agents, regulators, and the intelligence community in investigating and prosecuting fraudsters, money launderers, sanctions evaders, murderers and other violent criminals, and a whole host of other bad guys around the world.
Immediately before joining Element, I practiced for more than five years as a Partner at Hogan Lovells, mainly navigating the complex regulations in the FinTech space, including with DeFi and crypto generally. I’ll still have an advisory role at the Firm because I had the best portfolio of clients and cases and some of the most wonderful colleagues and friends that one can find.
So most of my career has been as a government attorney, or in working on the other side of government investigations and enforcement actions. I believe in government, and in protecting the public interest; I believe in regulation, and in transparency. And I firmly believe in innovation.
The Future of DeFi
There’s a lot in this space that can go wrong. Innovative developments, like regulation (and like people), can be good or bad. There’s too much at stake to be careless about that, or to think that innovation should somehow be an end unto itself.
If we’re going to make DeFi survive, and thrive, it has to be in a way that ensures that markets aren’t manipulated, that people aren’t subject to fraud, and that illicit finance doesn’t get a foothold. We don’t shy away from those risks; we’re here to address them in new ways with better solutions. That’s because not all rules, including existing rules for other types of institutions, will apply the same way here. It’s going to take a new way of thinking.
That’s what I love about this team. They’re bold and irreverent and humble and thoughtful and creative and brilliant and curious and passionate, and they’re going to change this whole system. We’re going to help build the primitives to meet the purposes that regulations attempt to achieve. We’re going to demonstrate new ideas in governance, in investment, and in how technology can solve some of the biggest problems and challenges in this space.
We’re going to help build the primitives to meet the purposes that regulations attempt to achieve. We’re going to demonstrate new ideas in governance, in investment, and in how technology can solve some of the biggest problems and challenges in this space.
Element has an amazing team of some of the most incredible developers, designers, and others, and I’m thrilled to join them and be a small part of their efforts. There will be disagreements. DeFi isn’t a monolith or an echo chamber, and if it becomes so, then we’re all doing something dreadfully wrong. But disagreements — even forceful ones (and perhaps especially the forceful ones) — are going to be respectful and productive. We won’t be putting meme-dunce hats on images of public officials, even where we disagree. And while we’ll call out possible inconsistencies or hypocrisies, we’re going to be productive with these conversations, and not simply speak to deflect criticism. We won’t pretend that we’re the only ones with a valid perspective; we won’t believe that those who disagree with us “just don’t get it,” or are corrupt, or who need to be “educated” by lecturing while thinking that we don’t need to listen because we have all of the answers. We’re going to engage.
What’s next?
I’m going to be absorbing as much information, perspective, and insight as I can from my new teammates. We’re going to be working with colleagues at other projects, with developers, with academics, with the Element community, and with government agencies, including regulators, law enforcement, and policymakers. We’re going to pioneer new frameworks and bring a unique perspective to this space and think through issues ranging from the role of regulation to governance models to economic issues.
We’re going to pioneer new frameworks and bring a unique perspective to this space and think through issues ranging from the role of regulation to governance models to economic issues.
My grandmother was a Sicilian force of nature: one of the loveliest and strongest people I’ve ever known, and also one of the wisest. I remember her telling me that after you die, you’re going to be dead for a long time. (She was also really good at stating the obvious.) So she told me that before I get there, I should do everything I can to do exciting, meaningful things and to surround myself with exceptional, remarkable people. I did that while I was in government and at Hogan Lovells, and I’m beyond thrilled to do that here at Element Finance.
Decentralized finance doesn’t have a future; it is the future. And Element Finance is going to play a critical role in writing this future. Stay tuned.
Join Our Community! 🧝
We want to hear from you! You can always ask questions in our Discord if you are interested in providing feedback, reviewing our code, or just want to learn more.