Binance Japan just handed its top job to someone who has worked both sides of the finance fence. Arisa Toyosaki, co-founder of the DeFi structured products protocol Cega, will become general manager and representative director of Binance Japan starting July 1.
She replaces Takeshi Chino, who has led the exchange since July 2022 and will transition to the role of honorary chairman and director.
From Wall Street derivatives to DeFi to running an exchange
Before diving into crypto, Toyosaki worked as a derivatives trader at UBS. She then co-founded Cega, a protocol that built structured investment products on-chain.
The protocol wasn’t a footnote operation either. Cega raised over $9 million in funding, including a $4.3 million seed round at a $60 million valuation. Before it was acquired and eventually sunset in late 2024, Cega processed approximately $500 million in trading volume.
