Pepperstone Hunts for CTO to Spearhead "Imminent Crypto Expansion"

Pepperstone has launched a public search for a new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to lead the development of its "imminent" spot crypto exchange, a move that signals the firm is building a high-level technical team to support its push into the digital asset space.

In a LinkedIn post about the search, CEO Tamas Szabo connected the CTO role to the company’s growth plans, saying, "We're at an exciting time with the recent announcement of our imminent crypto expansion. We are looking for a CTO..."

Szabo mentioned the upcoming cryptocurrency exchange launch at the AusCryptoCon convention in November. He also commented that there was "a little bit of fat on the bone" in the crypto exchange space, suggesting that current platforms charge too much.

Just a year ago, Szabo struck a more reserved tone on crypto, noting during a panel discussion that broker adoption remained surprisingly low and expressing concern about crypto exchanges moving into the CFD market.

A Senior Hire That Signals Full Infrastructure Build-Out

The CTO job description shows how ambitious Pepperstone is. The new CTO will lead a global technology team of over 300 people and set the company’s overall technology strategy. The role requires at least 10 years of senior leadership experience, including work in Forex & CFDs, Crypto, and Payments.

The scope of responsibilities — covering engineering, architecture, security and data — indicates that Pepperstone is building a full in-house technology stack for its forthcoming exchange.

Owning the core infrastructure, including order books and a matching engine, positions the company to compete on pricing and execution with established crypto trading venues.

Once final regulatory approval in Australia is secured, the CTO appointment will be one of the final steps before the project moves from development into operational rollout.

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Regulatory Status: What Pepperstone Has — and What It Still Needs

Pepperstone operates globally under multiple well-established licenses for its forex and CFD business. However no specific regulator has yet licensed the firm’s new spot crypto exchange.

The project, first announced at AusCryptoCon in late 2025, is still awaiting final regulatory approval in Australia. CEO Tamas Szabo did not specify which authority will oversee the exchange or what type of license the company is seeking.

Today, the broker holds a wide range of traditional financial licenses, including authorizations from ASIC (Australia), FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), BaFin (Germany), DFSA (UAE), CMA (Kenya), SCB (Bahamas).

These licenses govern Pepperstone’s established FX and CFD operations and do not extend to a spot crypto exchange. The firm’s upcoming Australian approval will therefore be pivotal for determining the regulatory structure under which the new platform will operate.