BinanceUS picks CFO to helm exchange after abrupt Brian Brooks exit

Exchanges • August 16, 2021, 7:50PM EDT
The Block

Quick Take

  • Binance.US has selected an interim CEO
  • Joshua Sroge, previously CFO of the firm, will serve as CEO until the firm can find a replacement for Brian Brooks 

After the abrupt exit of CEO Brian Brooks, Binance.US has picked one of its longest-tenured employees to helm the crypto exchange, two people familiar with the decision tell The Block. 

Joshua Sroge — who joined Binance.US in January 2020 as its chief financial officer — was picked by the exchange's board to take over on an interim basis.

Brooks, previously the acting head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, announced August 6 that he was leaving Binance.US after three and a half months on the job.

Brooks cited "differences over strategic direction" as the catalyst for his exit. Before the announcement, Brooks spent months declaring Binance.US was a separate operating entity from Binance. Both companies are owned by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.

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As for Sroge, he was previously a principal at FireStone CFO, a consultancy that provides companies with budgeting, accounting, and financial solutions. Prior to that, he was the chief accounting officer at crypto firm ShapeShift, overseeing the growth of the company from 15 to 115 employees. 

A spokeswoman for Binance.US confirmed the selection. Sroge declined to comment. 


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Frank Chaparro is Host of The Scoop podcast and Director of Special Projects. He also writes a biweekly newsletter. Chaparro started his career at Business Insider, where he specialized in the intersection of digital assets and Wall Street, market structure, and financial technology. Soon after joining Business Insider out of Fordham University, Chaparro was interviewing top finance and tech executives, including billionaire Mark Cuban, “Flash Boys” star Brad Katsuyama, Cboe Global Markets CEO Ed Tilly, and New York Stock Exchange President Tom Farley. In 2018, he become a sought after reporter in the crypto world, interviewing luminaries such as Tyler Winklevoss, the cofounder of Gemini, Jeremy Allaire, the CEO of Circle, and Fundstrat head Tom Lee. For inquiries or tips, email [email protected].