Running Coinbase Japan Through the Crypto Winter
About the Event
The Country Manager as Guardian: Steering through Market Volatility and Strategic Pivots
Join us for an exclusive, off-the-record session with Nao Kitazawa, former Country Manager of Coinbase Japan, as he pulls back the curtain on leading a premier global fintech through the most turbulent period in the history of digital assets.
Delphi Essential Country Manager Know-How events are BY Country Managers FOR Country Managers—a precious opportunity to share the "unfiltered truth" in a luxurious and confidential atmosphere. These sessions are designed to forge the high-level human bonds that underpin both corporate and personal resilience.
Discover the "view from the eye of the storm" when a local operation must balance the aggressive growth mandates of a Silicon Valley unicorn with the extreme compliance demands of the Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA)—all while the global market undergoes a "Crypto Winter." Nao will recount the complexities of securing a hard-won license, the psychological weight of leading through a global sector implosion, and the strategic discipline required to execute an orderly and dignified market exit.
Speaker: Nao Kitazawa
Nao Kitazawa brings a unique blend of legal precision and commercial leadership to the Delphi stage. As the former Country Manager and CEO of Coinbase Japan, he was responsible for establishing the company’s presence in one of the world’s most regulated financial markets. Under his leadership, Coinbase successfully navigated the rigorous FSA registration process, a feat few global players have achieved.
A lawyer by training, Nao began his career at Paul Hastings before spending several years at Morgan Stanley in the Investment Banking Division. Before joining Coinbase, he was the COO of Money Design, one of Japan’s first robo-advisors. Currently, Nao is a prominent figure in the Japanese Fintech and Web3 ecosystem, advising startups and established firms on how to bridge the gap between disruptive technology and institutional trust.
Key Takeaways
The Regulatory Tightrope: Tactical lessons on managing the friction between a "disruptive" HQ and the Japanese regulator without losing the trust of either.
Leadership Through Contraction: How to maintain team integrity and personal clarity when the global narrative shifts from "Expansion" to "Survival."
The Graceful Exit: The strategic and moral importance of the orderly wind-down: knowing how to protect your reputation and your staff when the macro-environment dictates a retreat.
Who Should Attend?
This session is essential for Country Managers who are navigating high-stakes regulatory environments, managing the "Silicon Valley vs. Japan" cultural divide, or leading teams through periods of significant market contraction and strategic realignment.