Laurian Cristea Bio

Laurian Cristea transforms complex financial regulations into actionable strategies, guiding clients through the evolving landscape of commodities, futures, crypto and digital asset markets. His practice spans event and binary markets, helping institutions remain competitive and compliant as they innovate across traditional and emerging financial products. Laurian brings deep experience advising U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-regulated exchanges and clearinghouses, giving clients a competitive edge. He helps build compliant infrastructure, navigate relationships with technology and connectivity vendors, and develop innovative products across futures, crypto, digital assets, and event-based markets. His guidance is grounded in a practical understanding of how these platforms operate in real time and under regulatory scrutiny. A central focus of Laurian’s practice is securing key regulatory approvals that allow clients to scale and diversify. He has led efforts to obtain Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) and Designated Contract Market (DCM) designations, as well as money transmitter licenses in multiple states—including the New York BitLicense. This regulatory insight enables clients to confidently bring offerings like binary markets and cryptocurrency trading platforms to market while remaining compliant with complex legal frameworks. Prior to joining the firm, Laurian served as chief legal officer for a group of regulated exchanges, giving him firsthand insight into the operational, compliance, and governance challenges clients face. He continues to serve as a trusted adviser on day-to-day matters including internal investigations, member disputes, and regulatory audits. His ability to translate evolving legal requirements into practical strategies helps clients stay ahead in traditional and emerging financial sectors.