Wintermute, a global algorithmic trading firm, OTC desk, and liquidity provider in digital assets, has established its U.S. headquarters in New York City.
“Having a physical presence in New York allows us to work more closely with our U.S.-based institutional counterparties,” Evgeny Gaevoy, Founder & CEO of Wintermute, said.
“It gives us the ability to engage more directly, move faster on collaboration, and be locally available when it matters. We’re already working with many institutions in the region, and being on the ground helps deepen those relationships,” he told Traders Magazine.
He noted that the timing also aligns with a clear shift as institutions are accelerating their moves into digital assets.
From a product perspective, he said their approach is to respond quickly and build around what’s most relevant at any given time. He explained that their infrastructure and technology are designed to bring new ideas to market rapidly, which is particularly important when institutional needs evolve or new market narratives emerge.
Being one of the largest trading firms in crypto and having over 2,500 counterparties globally, Wintermute is already one of the largest players in the U.S. market in both OTC and algo trading.
“Opening a local office is a natural next step that reflects the depth of our involvement and the relationships we’ve built,” Gaevoy said.
When it comes to OTC trading, he explained that being one of the largest algorithmic liquidity providers globally gives Wintermute direct access to better pricing, broader digital asset coverage, and seamless execution across the board.
Gaevoy noted that the firm has been active in the space since 2017 and have continued building through every market cycle, which gives them a strong advantage in terms of coverage, custom technology, and market insight.
On the voice trading side, he said they offer “unmatched efficiency and operational support 24/7”. For API trading, he emphasized that Wintermute has heavily invested in system uptime and performance from the very beginning, enabling them to move quickly and operate reliably in even the most complex and fragmented areas of the market.
“Because we’re here for the long run, it’s in our best interest to forge long-term relationships and understand what our counterparties actually need. We offer all products in spot and derivatives, across all major tokens,” he said.
In conjunction with this expansion, Wintermute has tapped Ron Hammond, the former Senior Director of Government Relations and Institutional Engagement for the Blockchain Association, as Head of Policy and Advocacy.
In his new role, Hammond will lead all policy engagement for Wintermute in the United States, bringing the firm’s market expertise into direct engagement with policymakers.
Hammond told Traders Magazine that he chose to join Wintermute because of its policy-agnostic approach, rather than advocating for any specific token or interest.
He noted that during his time at the Blockchain Association, the goal was to serve as both a sword and a shield for the broader crypto industry, ensuring it could compete fairly in the market.
He emphasized that transparency leads to sound policy, and that Wintermute’s neutral stance aligns closely with the work he’s been doing over the past five years—presenting facts, recognizing the differences between crypto and traditional markets, identifying various risk parameters, and engaging with both political parties to help establish clear regulatory guidelines.
Hammond said he looks forward to continuing that mission at Wintermute, advocating for the benefit of the entire crypto industry.
With the regulatory climate in the U.S. becoming more constructive, Wintermute sees tremendous opportunity to foster responsible innovation and deepen engagement with policymakers and industry stakeholders.
“Wintermute carries a unique position when it comes to the US. A level playing field is important for all market participants, but it is also key to protect consumers by having standards and disclosures for certain actors. As we’ve seen with recent market disruptions such as Movement, it is important to ensure consumers are protected through clear regulations,” he said.
According to Hammond, given all the attention on stablecoin and market structure legislation in Congress, Wintermute’s first priority will be engaging with Capitol Hill to ensure there is a clear and workable regulatory framework for the trading, buying, and selling of digital assets.
“At the same time, we are continuing our dialogue with the UK’s FCA as they iron out their regulatory regime, and we are closely following developments in key U.S states such as Texas, New York, and California, which have made progress on various regulatory regimes and crypto reserves,” he said.
“Finally, we plan to establish Wintermute’s US presence and answer the White House’s call to make the US the crypto capital of the world by opening Wintermute’s first-ever US office in New York, along with hiring a high-caliber team,” he concluded.
