Digital asset investment management firm CoinShares has hired Lisa Avellini as group general counsel, replacing Graeme Dickson who resigned at the end of September to pursue another opportunity.

Avellini was most recently at Balyasny Europe Asset Management, where she was deputy GC. At CoinShares she will be responsible for all legal and regulatory matters globally, as well as providing strategic advice to the firm’s executive team and supporting its growth initiatives.

Jersey-based CoinShares is an alternative asset manager specialising in crypto assets, providing asset management and trading services.

Jean-Marie Mognetti, CEO of CoinShares, said: “As the digital asset ecosystem increasingly aligns with traditional finance and its regulatory frameworks, Lisa’s extensive legal and regulatory experience with established investment firms strengthens our expertise to navigate this evolving landscape.”

Mognetti added: “Lisa’s appointment reinforces our leadership team and underscores our unwavering commitment to exemplary legal and regulatory compliance. Her arrival not only enhances our capabilities but also signifies CoinShares’ entry into a new growth phase, demonstrating our ability to attract premier talent from the world’s foremost investment companies.”

Avellini spent three years at Balyasny, having previously spent three years as senior legal counsel at Citadel and 14 years as counsel at Sidley Austin before that. She started her legal career at Clifford Chance.

She said: “I am excited to join CoinShares at such a pivotal time in the company’s development. My career has always been driven by curiosity and innovation, and the digital asset industry presents unique challenges and opportunities. This is why I have decided to join a leader in this emerging industry. I look forward to contributing my experience to support CoinShares’ strategic objectives and to further enhance its strong compliance culture.”

Dickson, meantime, departed CoinShares after five years to join blockchain business Algorand Foundation as chief legal officer. Dickson was previously a senior counsel at Aviva and also worked in private practice at White & Case and Linklaters.

In other recent crypto-related moves, in October Bitcoin start-up Thesis hired former Cooley lawyer Katherine Snow as GC, while in August, crypto exchange Bitget appointed former Binance GC Hon Ng as its first CLO.