Revolut Names Georgios Vasiliou to Head Its Cyprus Crypto Unit
Revolut has appointed former Trading.com CEO Georgios Vasiliou to lead its digital assets division in Cyprus. Here is what the appointment means for the company's crypto business and compliance focus.
Revolut Names Georgios Vasiliou to Head Its Cyprus Crypto Unit: the key facts, what changed and what it means for traders – updated November 2026.
Revolut's digital assets division in Cyprus has appointed Georgios Vasiliou as its new CEO, placing a senior risk specialist at the head of the company's Cyprus crypto operations. Vasiliou previously led Trading.com, the sister company of retail brokerage group XM. The move signals that Revolut is putting risk management and internal controls at the centre of its regulated digital asset business in Europe.
The appointment comes at a time when crypto regulation in the European Union is becoming stricter and more uniform. For traders, the leadership choice matters because it shapes how a major platform manages risk, compliance and the services it offers under its licences. This article explains who Vasiliou is, what changed at the Cyprus operation, and why the appointment fits into the wider regulatory picture.
Who Is Georgios Vasiliou?
Vasiliou has spent much of his career in the brokerage industry, and his background is weighted towards risk. Before taking the top job at Trading.com, a role he held for five years, he served as the company's chief risk officer. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at XM, progressing from the dealing desk into a risk management position. That path gives him experience on both the operational side of trading and the control functions that monitor exposure, client risk and compliance.
The table below summarises the stages of his career as described in the company's announcement.
| Stage | Organisation | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Early career (about seven years) | XM | From the dealing desk to a risk management position |
| Senior risk role | Trading.com | Chief risk officer |
| Leadership role (five years) | Trading.com | Chief executive officer |
| Current appointment | Revolut (digital assets division, Cyprus) | Chief executive officer |
Because Trading.com is the sister company of XM, Vasiliou's move from one group company to another is a familiar path within the brokerage world. XM itself is covered in our XM Group review for readers who want a closer look at that brokerage.
Head Its Cyprus Crypto: Leadership Change at Revolut's Cyprus Operation
Vasiliou replaces Costas Michael, who founded and led Revolut's Cyprus operation. Michael left the company two months ago and announced his departure on LinkedIn. He will continue to support the Cyprus business in an advisory capacity as a board advisor, so the transition retains some of the founder's involvement and institutional knowledge.
Founder-led businesses that move into a more formal leadership structure often reach a point where the skills needed to grow change. Early stages may reward product building and market entry, while a regulated business with a growing customer base tends to need strong controls, clear reporting lines and experienced risk oversight. The appointment of a risk-focused executive suggests Revolut is prioritising that second phase.
Why Risk Management Is Central to This Appointment
Vasiliou's background is not only a matter of career history. It reflects the priorities of a crypto business operating under European supervision. Revolut's wider hiring approach in Cyprus has drawn senior professionals from the country's established brokerage industry, particularly for leadership roles in its digital asset business. Bringing in people who have already run risk functions at established brokerages is one way for a newer business line to build credibility with regulators and clients.
Risk management in crypto covers several areas. These typically include:
- Monitoring client exposure and the concentration of positions
- Setting controls over how services are offered and to whom
- Maintaining anti-money laundering and know-your-customer processes
- Reporting to the board and to supervisory authorities
- Preparing systems and policies for changing regulatory requirements
Each of these areas becomes more demanding as regulation tightens, which is why a leader with a clear risk background is well placed for the role.
Revolut's Cyprus Crypto Licence and Regulatory Position
Revolut's Cyprus division was among the first firms to receive a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). A CASP licence is the authorisation that allows a firm to provide crypto-asset services under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. Since receiving that licence, the company has prepared its operations to comply with MiCA, which the European Union is now reviewing.
Being an early licence holder means the company has been working within the new rules for longer than many competitors. It also means the Cyprus unit is expected to meet the standards that regulators apply to new entrants, including governance, reporting and client protection requirements.
What MiCA Means for the Crypto Market
MiCA, the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework, is the European Union's regulatory system for crypto-asset services. Its purpose is to create consistent rules across member states, so that a provider authorised in one country can operate under a common set of requirements. The grandfathering period, which allowed some firms to keep operating while they sought full authorisation, ended in July. From that point, firms serving EU clients were expected to hold the appropriate authorisation.
For the industry, this means more uniform rules, stronger governance expectations and a greater focus on how firms handle customer assets and disclosures. For users, it can offer clearer protections, but it does not remove the basic risks of crypto markets, such as high price volatility and the possibility of losses.
How This Affects Traders and Crypto Users
The appointment itself does not change how a product works, and the announcement does not describe any new products, fee changes or service launches. What it does indicate is the direction of the business. Traders and crypto users may find the following points useful when they assess a platform:
- A company that places risk and compliance at the top of its leadership is generally signalling that controls will remain a priority.
- A licence from a national regulator under the EU framework is a useful starting point, but users should still read the terms that apply to their account.
- Changes in leadership can affect how quickly a company responds to new rules, so it is worth following official communications.
How to Check a Crypto Provider's Regulatory Status
Whatever platform you use, it is sensible to verify its authorisation yourself rather than relying on marketing material. A simple process looks like this:
- Confirm the legal entity you are contracting with, which may differ from the brand name you see in an app.
- Check the company's status on the relevant regulator's public register, such as the CySEC register for Cyprus-based firms.
- Look for the specific authorisation that covers the services you plan to use, rather than general licence claims.
- Read the client agreement, the risk disclosures and the information on how client funds and crypto assets are held.
- Compare fees, spreads and withdrawal terms before committing funds, as these vary by provider and product.
If you are comparing brokers more broadly, our PrimeXBT review covers one platform that offers crypto-related trading, and it can be read alongside other reviews on the site to compare features and terms.
What to Watch Next
Several developments will be worth following over the coming months. These include how the Cyprus unit presents its governance structure, whether the company publishes further detail on its compliance approach, and how the EU's review of MiCA affects the rules for crypto service providers. Changes to supervision or to the framework itself could affect the services available to EU clients.
About Revolut and XM
Revolut is a global financial technology company that offers digital banking and trading services to retail customers, and its Cyprus division runs the group's digital asset activities. XM is a retail brokerage group, and Trading.com is its sister company. Both are part of the wider brokerage sector that has been adapting to European regulatory changes.
Trading involves risk, and crypto assets can be highly volatile. Losses can exceed what you expect, so only trade with money you can afford to lose and make sure you understand the product before you begin.
Further reading: Cryptocurrency (Wikipedia).
We will keep this Head Its Cyprus Crypto report updated as new information comes in.
