Crypto.com has appointed Iskandar Vanblarcum to head its Exchange division as the Singapore‑based platform accelerates its entry into institutional trading, prediction markets, and token‑ized real‑world assets.
Vanblarcum will serve as Managing Director of the Crypto.com Exchange, where he will expand the platform’s institutional client base and spearhead the launch of new products tailored to professional investors.
His primary focus will be developing an institutional‑grade platform for event contracts, with the long‑term goal of offering the service to regulated clients worldwide. He will also oversee the Exchange’s institutional strategy, including the upcoming launch of regulated prediction markets and real‑world asset (RWA) offerings.
The appointment comes at a time when institutional interest in digital assets is increasing, and crypto exchanges are vying to provide regulated infrastructure for banks, asset managers, and family offices.
Regulatory Experience
Vanblarcum brings more than twenty years of experience in investment banking and financial market infrastructure. After transitioning to digital assets in 2021, he helped develop institutional crypto products and contributed to regulatory initiatives across multiple jurisdictions, including aligning with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) framework, engaging with Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), supporting licensing efforts in The Bahamas, and establishing custody partnerships.
Prior to his work in crypto, he held senior roles at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and Barclays Investment Bank.
«With his extensive experience scaling global exchanges into regional markets with a focus on trust and transparency, Iskandar is the perfect choice to lead our growing product offering and expand our client base as more institutions look to access on‑chain assets,» said Kris Marszalek, Co‑Founder and CEO of Crypto.com.
He added that the Exchange has become a cornerstone of the company’s institutional strategy, with traditional financial institutions increasingly relying on the platform for trade execution, liquidity sourcing, and market risk management.
Betting on On‑Chain Finance
Vanblarcum said he joined the digital asset industry because he believes the next generation of financial markets will be built on blockchain infrastructure.
«Prediction markets are where derivatives were in the 1980s,» he said. «Institutional capital knows they belong in the portfolio, and they are searching for a regulated, secure platform to access these contracts.»
According to Vanblarcum, Crypto.com’s existing infrastructure provides a strong foundation for building the next generation of institutional on‑chain trading venues that bridge traditional finance and digital assets.
Expanding Institutional Offering
Crypto.com’s Exchange has become one of the world’s largest U.S. dollar‑supported cryptocurrency exchanges by spot trading volume and has ranked as Kaiko’s leading spot exchange for the past three consecutive quarters.
The platform recently upgraded its trading interface to enhance execution and portfolio management capabilities for professional users. It also became one of the first exchanges to integrate Blackrock’s tokenized money‑market fund BUIDL, enabling institutional clients to use the yield‑bearing tokenized asset as collateral for margin trading.
Beyond cryptocurrencies, the Exchange is expanding into tokenized real‑world assets, offering exposure to products linked to equities, commodities, precious metals, energy, and stock indices as part of its broader institutional strategy.
