COINPAYMENTS Bolsters North America Leadership with Head of Sales Appointment

WHY THIS MATTERS
COINPAYMENTS’ appointment of Stacy Belf signals a renewed push into the North American market at a time when digital assets are moving closer to mainstream financial infrastructure. With improving regulatory clarity and growing institutional acceptance, the region is becoming a critical battleground for crypto payment providers looking to scale beyond early adopters.

Belf’s background is particularly relevant. Her experience across banking, compliance, and cybercrime prosecution reflects the direction the industry is heading, where growth must be balanced with strong governance and risk management. As more financial institutions and enterprises explore crypto payments, trust, regulatory alignment, and operational resilience are becoming just as important as speed and cost efficiency.

Focusing on financial services, alongside sectors like luxury goods and travel, also highlights where real-world crypto payment use cases are gaining traction. These industries often require cross-border capabilities, high-value transactions, and flexible payment options, areas where digital assets can offer clear advantages.

COINPAYMENTS, a global leader in cryptocurrency payment processing, today announces the appointment of Stacy Belf as Head of Sales, North America, where she will lead on scaling the business’ commercial presence and growth across the North America region. The appointment follows COINPAYMENTS’ re-entry to the market at the end of 2025.

Stacy brings over two decades worth of financial services, technology and legal experience, having most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at State Street Bank. During her 11 year tenure, Stacy held various leadership roles spanning operations, technology, compliance and commercial growth. She has deep experience in leading the modernization of systems, strengthening risk management approaches and building data-driven, technology-enabled programs.  Prior to this, she spent more than a decade in litigation and government enforcement, having served as a Federal prosecutor specializing in cybercrime, digital fraud and complex investigations.

In her new role, Stacy will be responsible for executing COINPAYMENTS’ go-to-market strategy for the region, delivering best-in-class digital asset solutions to clients that enable them to transact in crypto seamlessly, optimize their financial infrastructure and achieve their growth aspirations. Stacy will have a particular focus on developing the Financial Services segment in North America, alongside continued growth in luxury goods and luxury travel.

Stacy joins a cohort of recently appointed executive leaders, including Simon Dewsbury, Group CFO, Nigel Brook-Walters, Chief Revenue Officer and Alexander von Kaldenberg, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Asia, as the business positions itself for a new phase of accelerated global growth.

Commenting on Stacy’s appointment, Ali Rafi, Group CEO of COINPAYMENTS said: “The U.S. is at a genuine inflection point for digital assets. Adoption is broadening, regulatory clarity is improving, and the infrastructure is becoming increasingly mainstream. The implementation of the GENIUS Act and growing institutional acceptance means that COINPAYMENTS is now uniquely positioned to capitalize on this enormous market potential. We have the platform, the track record and the team to meet the growing demands of clients who want to transact in digital assets with confidence and ease.

“Stacy’s exceptional knowledge, deep industry experience and extensive network of connections make her the ideal person to lead this critical undertaking for us. Her appointment is a clear statement of our commitment to the U.S. market and I am looking forward to building something truly transformative with her.”

Stacy Belf, Head of U.S. Sales, commented on her appointment: “I am delighted to be joining COINPAYMENTS at such an exciting stage in its journey. I have built my career at the intersection of financial services, technology and law, and my experience of leading tech-enabled, regulated and fast-moving environments lends itself perfectly to where COINPAYMENTS, and the broader digital assets industry, is currently at.. The business’ scale, credibility and reputation for strict compliance precedes it across the industry, and I am excited to drive continued growth across the North American market and play a role in shaping the future of finance.”

FF NEWS TAKE
This hire is about credibility as much as growth. Bringing in a senior leader from State Street with deep regulatory and operational experience suggests COINPAYMENTS is positioning itself for institutional adoption, not just merchant expansion.

The timing matters. As the U.S. market becomes more structured from a regulatory standpoint, companies that can combine compliance with scalable infrastructure will have a clear edge. COINPAYMENTS’ re-entry and leadership buildout indicate it sees a window of opportunity to capture market share as the ecosystem matures.

The challenge will be differentiation. The crypto payments space is becoming increasingly crowded, with both fintechs and traditional players entering the market. Success will depend on execution across compliance, partnerships, and user experience, especially as expectations from enterprise clients continue to rise.