Bitstamp has hired a new chief compliance officer (CCO) to stay ahead of the "evolving regulatory landscape," the cryptocurrency exchange said via a blog post on Wednesday.

Thomas Hook, formerly of online payments firm BlueSnap, joins the crypto exchange as a "key part of our strategic plan for continued growth and development."

He replaces Caitlin Barnett, who left the company to join Chainalysis as director of Regulation & Compliance in March.

In his new job Hook is returning to the crypto arena. He previously worked for mobile payments platform Circle, where he conducted anti-money laundering (AML) and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) compliance.

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For his new employer Hook is charged with maintaining a dialogue with global regulators, based on his prior risk and compliance experience. Hook's main focus has been in AML, KYC, sanctions compliance and financial investigations in traditional finance as well as in crypto, per a LinkedIn page.

Hook began his career as an assistant district attorney in the Cybercrime and Identity Theft Unit at the New York County District Attorney's Office. The new CCO has also spent time at financial services company American Express, auditing firm KPMG and software company Pegasystems, where he performed various roles relating to compliance and financial investigations.