Meet the team

Prior to joining Crystal as CEO Navin Gupta was Managing Director for South Asia and MEA regions at Ripple and engaged with Regulators, Commercial Banks, Fintechs and Crypto Exchanges to remove friction in the cross-border movement of funds. Navin is a sought-after global advisor and speaker on use cases leveraging Digital Assets. Navin has extensive experience in banking having worked for HSBC and Citigroup across the U.S., Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and India. In 2008, he was recognized as one of "The 50 Most Promising Young Leaders" in Asia-Pac by The Asian Banker.

Marina transitioned to Chief Operating Officer in February 2024, after she served as CEO of Crystal for more than 5 years. Her extensive 12-year background in building global SAAS businesses laid a solid foundation for her leadership at Crystal. Initially focusing on marketing, Marina's interest pivoted towards cryptocurrencies in 2015. Before joining Crystal, she co-founded and served as CMO and Managing Partner at Actual Capital Group, LLC, where she advised on scaling, fundraising and compliance for US-based blockchain companies. Marina's entrepreneurial spirit also led her to establish several advertising companies, including SeoPult. Now, as COO, Marina continues to drive Crystal's global growth, leveraging her deep industry knowledge and experience to steer the company towards continued success in the dynamic and evolving landscape of cryptocurrency compliance and investigation software.

Val Vavilov is the CEO, founder and Chairman of the Bitfury Group – the world’s leading emerging technologies company. Val's entrepreneurial experience and passion for blockchain led him to found the company in 2011, when blockchain was just beginning to capture the world’s attention and imagination. A native Latvian who experienced first-hand the challenges resulting from the collapse of the Soviet Union, Val was inspired by the technology and saw an opportunity to build technological solutions that could improve the lives of people all over the world. Val focused first on the hardware solutions that would ensure security and trust in the Bitcoin Blockchain, leading Bitfury to develop eight generations of cutting-edge chips and state-of-the-art data center designs. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its focus to provide custom-designed software and advanced hardware in cryptocurrency, blockchain and artificial intelligence, all while maintaining its position as one of the major public Bitcoin Blockchain security and transaction providers. Prior to founding Bitfury, Val spent more than 15 years in a variety of technical and leadership positions.

George Kikvadze is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Bitfury Group - the world's leading emerging technologies company. Prior to joining Bitfury in 2013, George has worked at GCF Fund, York Capital Management, AFK Sistema and Morgan Stanley. He obtained his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and his MA in International Relations and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). George is a member of the Europe One YPO Club and is a Founding Member and Board Director of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

Meet François-Julien Alcaraz, a dynamic leader with over 15 years of experience in software engineering, finance, compliance, and entrepreneurship. As the VP of Engineering, FJ's background includes leading startups and co-founding a regulated crypto robo-advisor startup. His passion for blockchain and Web3 technologies ignited in 2016, drives his commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the industry. He also serves as a judge for The Webby Awards, underscoring his industry recognition. Equipped with a bachelor's in computer science, AMF certification, and training as a financial advisor and MLRO, FJ offers a comprehensive understanding of technology and compliance, driving forward the integration of both domains.

David joined Crystal in 2022 as Legal Counsel and has taken control and ownership of the legal framework of the organization, spanning from contract management, corporate housekeeping, legal advice, legal reviews and KYC checks on customers to all other legal related matters. David specializes in commercial and corporate law and corporate compliance services and has 15 years of experience as a legal and compliance professional in various industries. Prior to joining Crystal, David worked as a legal counsel at a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startup company and as Legal Director at Intertrust Group, focusing on a broad range of legal and compliance (KYC, AML) services. He started his career as a deputy civil law notary with a focus on M&A and corporate law. David holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Nicholas Smart joins the team as Director of Blockchain Intelligence and Data. Nick has 15 years' experience as a Professional Intelligence and Security Analyst working for Government Agencies and Private Companies, as well as experience working as a Compliance Officer for a Crypto Asset trading desk. Nick is currently a member of the International Compliance Association.

Hedi is an expert on the intersection of crypto-assets and financial crime. At Crystal, she leads engagement with regulatory bodies and other internal and external stakeholders. Hedi is experienced working on anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and sanction issues in both the public and private sectors. She previously worked as Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Manager at HSBC bank. Hedi obtained her master's in Law from LSE (London School of Economics), and she is an active participant-member of Cambridge University; Economic Crime Symposium. Hedi speaks Farsi, French, English, and Dutch.

Giorgi is a seasoned financial professional with over 16 years of experience gained at the likes of PwC, Pasha Bank and Georgian Manganese, and mostly recently as Finance Manager at Bitfury Group. Giorgi holds an MBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management and a dual program diploma from Caucasus University, Caucasus School of Business.

Hlib joined Crystal in 2018 as an Investigative Analyst. He communicates with stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned on the product vision and roadmap. Hlib manages the product backlog and monitors product performance and key metrics. He is also in charge of creating user stories and requirements to stay updated with industry trends. Hlib obtained his master's in Computer Engineering and System Programming at Donetsk National Technical University. Before Crystal, Hlib had worked as an IT support specialist in a large energy company. Then he was a branch manager at a service company in Kyiv. After that, Hlib changed his field of activity and started working in the software development sphere.

Jordan is an experienced product leader and entrepreneur with a background in cybersecurity and cloud computing. He has previously served as a product lead for Avast, where he was responsible for building a secure and private internet browser. Before that, he founded a cloud computing startup aimed at helping companies use infrastructure as code. Jordan holds a BSc in Economics and is focused on exploring the potential of Web3. He dedicates his spare time to working on passion projects in this field. Mission-driven, Jordan is passionate about blockchain technology and believes in using it to make a positive impact in the world.

Ana joined Crystal with more than 9 years of strategic marketing experience. She led and launched more than five products from different business domains to the EU, USA, and CIS markets. Ana has participated in all stages of product development including post-launch product maintenance and customer support. She has comprehensive experience in influencing all levels of organization management up to the enterprise VP level. Ana has dealt with multiple product priorities and navigated with key executives. She owned the overall product vision and roadmap, marketing strategy, and further execution, making strategic decisions on the product lines and families.

Nicolette joined Crystal as Head of Content in 2022, moving from London-based RegTech, Napier, where she developed and led the content function and strategy to position the brand’s messaging and transform highly technical information into easily consumable content. Nicolette brings over 20 years of experience creating content in multiple formats for print and digital channels serving a broad spectrum of industries covering both business and leisure.

Sviatoslav joined Crystal in 2018. He has worked in the IT industry since 2014, building reliable partnerships with customers and partners from more than 50 countries worldwide. At this time, Sviat supports communications with about 100 clients and partners, helping them get maximum value from the Crystal platform.

Tiburcio joined Crystal in October 2022. With experience in Fintech and Blockchain, Tiburcio joins our team to develop the UK&I and Iberic Markets. Originally from Argentina, and qualified as a lawyer, Tiburcio worked as a legal counsel for a local leading Credit Card firm until 2012, when he decided to pursue an international career and moved to London. Tiburcio recently worked as Head of Fintech Solutions, EU & UK, at RailsR, a leading Banking as a Service and embedded finance provider. RailsR supports several big players in the blockchain and crypto space which lead Tiburcio to dig deeper into the crypto world and pursue a career in blockchain analytics.
With more than 10 years of experience in sales and strategy, Tiburio’s goal is to present Crystal’s unique solution to enterprise players looking for a superb solution and unique dataset.

Zalan joined Crystal in 2019, having worked in the world of financial analysis and consultancy alongside his studies. He received a BSc in International Development with Economics from the University of Bath. Zalan currently works closely with clients from fields including financial services, government services, regulation, and law enforcement from across the globe. In addition to driving growth for Crystal. Zalan has a strong understanding of Crystal's user base - a profound experience with both risk and the crypto sphere allows him to deliver upon Crystal's vision for a safer and more transparent blockchain future. Zalan advises VASPs, Law Enforcement Teams, financial institutions, and all other users of Cryptocurrencies, ensuring they have access to the right tools or Crystal's Expert Divisions, including our Investigations, Intelligence, and Compliance teams.

Joe Yasseen joined the Crystal team in 2022. Previously, Joe worked at the leading Banking as a Service provider helping crypto businesses in the UK and EEA provide fiat on/off services. Joe has over five years of experience in the Customer Success space, building best-in-class relationships with customers and helping them get the best out of the product offering.

Artem Semko joined Crystal team in 2020. Previously, Artem had been working since 2012 with one of the leading distributors of software products in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. Specializing in solutions for the investigation of information security incidents, Artem worked with numerous financial and government organizations in the region, developing an affiliate network and implementing projects to protect companies from potential threats and malicious behavior.

Andrii joined Crystal as an analyst in 2018 and was responsible for market research, data analysis, and data collection. After a couple of years, he joined the Investigations Team, responsible for different types of investigations related to crypto crimes, audit checks of sources of funds, supporting customers with asset recovery queries, and cooperation with Law Enforcement.

Lesia is a communication and events manager with more than 10 years experience in IT and culture projects. Lesia's key responsibilities are collaborating with the international media, coordinating events, and bringing critical messages to the public.

Louise joined Crystal in September 2022. With experience in biomedicine and sales, Louise joined the Crystal team as a business development representative. She worked as a BDR at Aklamio, a leading referral platform as a service. With more than five years of experience in sales, Louise aims to make Crystal's outbound strategy a massive success. Louise is currently pursuing an MBA at Harvard Online.

Lyazzat graduated with honors from Ca' Foscari University of Italy, earning a Bachelor's in International Relations and Economics. Lyazzat previously worked at Grant Thornton, a consulting firm, where she gained experience in blockchain and digital assets. She joined Crystal sales support team in 2021 and then took on a Customer Success Manager role. As a Customer Success Manager, she onboards new customers, ensuring a seamless experience of the Crystal platform and addressing any concerns or questions that may arise.

Elena became a valuable member of the Crystal team in November 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience in the IT industry. With a career spanning since 2016, she has established herself as a proficient professional, collaborating with partners and clients across diverse regions including the USA, Canada, Western Europe, and the MENA Region. In her current role at Crystal, Elena serves as the primary point of contact for new clients hailing from Eastern Europe, CIS countries, and the MENA region. Her extensive background in international collaborations uniquely positions her to understand and address the specific needs and expectations of clients within these regions.