Coinbase Michael Rihani Joins Brazil’s Nubank to Lead Crypto

Nubank, a digital financial services platform in Latin America, has appointed former Coinbase product director Michael Rihani as its new Director of Crypto. Rihani, a veteran product leader and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience, joins Nubank after holding high-impact roles at some of the world’s most prominent technology and crypto companies.

The company announced the hire on September 26, 2025, enhancing  the move of established professionals from United States technology hubs exploring high-growth firms in emerging markets. Rihani will be based in the US and will report to Thomaz Fortes, the executive director of Nubank’s crypto division.

Product leader from Silicon Valley 

Rihani brings experience from technology companies like Apple, Tesla, Cash App, and Coinbase. Before this new role, he served as a product director at the crypto exchange, while in Tesla and Cash App he worked on the company’s Bitcoin payment integration. Earlier, he was part of the teams that developed Apple Pay and the Apple Card.

In a post on X, Rihani stated he is dedicating his career to Bitcoin and improving the world’s financial system. According to the company, he views Nubank as the ideal place to build products with significant impact.

“Over the past few years, I’ve dedicated my career to Bitcoin and improving the world’s financial system,” said Michael Rihani. “If you want to build something new and impactful, there’s no better place than Nubank. Nubank Crypto has become one of the most competitive options on the market, and it’s a privilege to work with a team committed to redefining the future of money,” the executive says.

Nubank’s crypto ambitions

Rihani will now lead the Nubank Cripto, a platform which allows users to buy, sell, and store digital assets. The platform currently serves six and a half million customers, according to information from the company.

This strategic hire follows other recent crypto-focused initiatives from the digital bank. The appointment comes shortly after the company enabled customers to pay credit card bills using Bitcoin, indicating an expansion of its digital asset services.

Rihani’s move from a US crypto exchange to a Brazilian-headquartered fintech shows how emerging countries are investing in external expertise for their growing technology sector. The appointment may be seen as a validation of the region’s market potential for widespread cryptocurrency adoption, given Nubank’s large user base. Since the fintech is advancing on digital assets plans, this hiring is aligned with what the bank has been showing. 

Also read: Nubank to Test Dollar-Backed Stablecoin Payments via Credit Cards