Following a three-year tenure at PayPal, Jesse Spiro will assume the role of director of government affairs at Tether, a stablecoin issuer.
In his capacity at Tether, Jesse Spiro expressed his intention to collaborate with legislators and industry leaders to foster the ecosystem’s expansion.
Tether Onboards Former Paypal Jesse Spiro
Tether announced in a notice dated September 13 that Spiro would be accountable for “leading policy and engagement efforts with lawmakers, regulators, and key stakeholders” in his capacity at the company.
From 2021 to 2024, he served as the director of regulatory relations for PayPal’s blockchain and crypto business. Additionally, he held positions in policy and government affairs at Chainalysis for more than two years.
Spiro’s appointment was a component of the company’s “commitment to responsible innovation” in the crypto space, as stated by CEO Paolo Ardoino. Spiro noted that he intended to collaborate with legislators and industry leaders to facilitate the expansion of the ecosystem.
The stablecoin issuer facilitated the United States Justice Department’s seizure of fraudulently obtained funds through pig butchering and romance schemes. Nevertheless, Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple, has posited that the stablecoin issuer is at risk of an enforcement action by US government officials.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused Tether of misrepresenting its reserve holdings of USDT in 2021, and as a result, the company was required to pay a $41 million fine. A watchdog group has issued warning letters to US state officials regarding Tether’s lack of transparency, as numerous individuals have criticized the stablecoin issuer for its lack of transparency regarding its reserves.
The hiring announcement was made in the context of US legislators’ consideration of legislation to address dollar-pegged stablecoins. If enacted, the Lummis-Gillibrand Payment Stablecoin Act, which was introduced in April by a bipartisan group, could establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins.
