Coinbase Hire Signals Hot Market for Digital Currency Lawyers

Coinbase Inc.'s recently announced hire of a senior Facebook Inc. lawyer has shone a spotlight on the busy job market for in-house counsel at digital currency companies as the industry gains legitimacy with financial institutions and regulators.

Digital currency exchange Coinbase announced on July 8 that Paul Grewal would be its new chief legal officer. Previously, Grewal served as Facebook’s deputy general counsel after nearly six years as a federal judge in California.

Grewal’s move is the most recent of a series of prominent in-house hires in the digital currency space. Some in the industry say this is a ...