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KuCoin hires ex-LSEG executive to lead MiCA push

Written by Mahathir BayenaPublished Jan. 27 2026Last Updated Jan. 27 2026

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KuCoin has appointed former London Stock Exchange Group executive Sabina Liu as managing director of KuCoin EU to lead its Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation expansion in Europe.

The appointment follows KuCoin securing a crypto asset service provider licence in Austria, with Vienna set as the base for its European operations.

Liu previously led KuCoin’s institutional business and spent more than a decade at the London Stock Exchange Group working with global investment banks and cross-border trading clients.

KuCoin said the move reflects a shift towards a compliance-first strategy as it positions itself within Europe’s regulated crypto market.

Liu described the MiCA licence as a major milestone that provides a unified regulatory framework across a financially mature and diverse region.

She said the framework creates opportunities for further adoption across stablecoins, payments, and digital wealth products.

Rather than viewing MiCA’s capital, reporting, and governance rules as restrictive, Liu said they provide guardrails for sustainable long-term growth.

Our objective is to offer users greater choice through differentiated services and a clear compliance-first positioning.

Sabina Liu said.

Liu added that KuCoin does not see compliance as a trade-off against profitability but as the foundation for consumer protection and resilience.

The strategy places KuCoin EU as a regulated alternative in a European market already dominated by larger crypto exchanges.

The appointment comes less than a year after KuCoin’s parent company, Peken Global Limited, pleaded guilty in a US criminal case related to unlicensed money transmission and AML failures.

As part of the settlement, the company agreed to forfeit $184.5 million, pay a $112.9 million fine, and exit the US market for two years.

Liu said the settlement reflected the early development of the crypto industry and highlighted the need for clear regulatory standards.

She said KuCoin EU has embedded high compliance standards from the outset and maintains ongoing dialogue with European regulators.

MiCA has also prompted KuCoin to recalibrate its token listing strategy, moving away from reliance on a long tail of early-stage altcoins.

Liu said KuCoin EU remains committed to supporting Web3 innovation, but only within MiCA rules and internal risk assessment frameworks.

The exchange is aligning its listing procedures to balance innovation with regulatory expectations under the new regime.

KuCoin is also seeking to translate its MiCA authorisation into consumer-facing use cases beyond trading.

The company has signed an agreement to become the exclusive crypto exchange and payments partner for Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium from 2026 to 2028.

The partnership will use KuCoin’s European licence to support compliant crypto payments at the festivals.

Liu said the initiative is designed to test regulated crypto rails in mainstream environments rather than serve as a pure marketing exercise.

She said the goal is to integrate compliant crypto into real-world experiences so digital assets function as trusted financial infrastructure.