Veteran WilmerHale counsel Elijah Alper will join Capital One in September, where his responsibilities will include specializing in FinTech and blockchain.

Alper has long been a notable voice in blockchain and digital currency industry, speaking out on pressing issues at industry events and authoring opinions in the developing subject area. At the firm, he also advised clients on bitcoin and digital currency matters.

In statements, Alper said the decision to leave WilmerHale after nearly seven years was not made lightly.

"It was a good opportunity to move in-house, and a difficult decision to leave WilmerHale," he told CoinDesk.

Capital One has been one of the more quiet financial firms regarding its blockchain work. To date, it has been active in the industry through its VC arm, participating in a $30m fundraising round for blockchain startup Chain last year.

Capital One did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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