Cryptocurrency platform Coinbase has hired a Facebook marketing exec as its first chief marketing officer. Kate Rouch will oversee Coinbase’s global brand, product and performance marketing, the company announced in a blog post today.
Rouch had been at Facebook for nearly 12 years, most recently serving as global head of brand and product marketing for Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook app, public affairs and corporate, where she helped grow the consumer marketing team and was central to Facebook’s rebrand. During her Facebook tenure, the platform’s monthly active users grew from 500 million to 3 billion.
The news comes as cryptocurrency extends to a mainstream audience. Crypto platforms have been ramping up their marketing efforts in ways that are becoming more traditional, such as the use of celebrities. Still, there are a number of marketing challenges such as sustainability issues around crypto and crypto-driven technologies like NFTs. Platforms like Facebook and YouTube are also restrictive around allowing cryptocurrency ads.