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Blockchain Australia, the nation's industry body advocating for appropriate regulation and policy, has appointed Laura Mercurio as its new CEO, the organization said on Wednesday.
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Mercurio succeeds Steve Vallas, who led Blockchain Australia for two years at a time when the nation signaled a new approach toward crypto adoption.
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Australia's new government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese since May 23, has introduced token mapping to identify how crypto assets are managed, and its central bank has started a pilot to explore the use cases of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). More than 20 prominent Australian institutions have backed an A$180 million (US$124.3 million) research program to benefit from the opportunities arising from asset digitization.
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Mercurio, who has worked at BlackRock (BLK), Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank (DB), various government and regulatory bodies and blockchain businesses globally, starts Sept. 12.
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“We are excited to welcome Laura to the role of CEO and to bring her wide global experience in this space to Australia," said Blockchain Australia Chairman Adam Poulton.