Mumbai: Homegrown crypto unicorn CoinSwitch has announced the appointment of R Venkatesh as senior vice president of public policy. 

Venkatesh will work on policy, regulation, and external affairs to help create a regulatory framework for crypto assets in India, which fosters growth and innovation with consumer protection at the forefront, said the company in a statement.

"I am delighted to welcome Venkatesh to the CoinSwitch team," said CoinSwitch founder and CEO Ashish Singhal. "His rich experience across organisations with significant government interfaces will help accelerate our vision towards building a wealth-tech platform that customers and regulators can trust."

Venkatesh comes with nearly 25 years of experience in policy and government relations spanning diverse industries, including e-commerce, oil and gas, liquor, banking, and tobacco, with complex policy challenges impacting business operations. Most recently, Venkatesh was associated with MakeMyTrip India as the head of corporate affairs.

"I am excited to join CoinSwitch on their mission to make money equal for all, keeping customer protection at the forefront," stated R Venkatesh on his new assignment. "My top priority is to work closely with the industry and the Government to help create a progressive regulatory framework for this emerging but attractive asset class to support more Indians in their financial journey."

CoinSwitch, in September 2021, raised $260 million in Series C funding from Coinbase Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) to become India's most valued crypto unicorn at a valuation of $1.9 billion.