Australia-based cryptocurrency exchange BTC Markets has announced two senior leadership appointments as the Australian digital asset sector enters a more defined regulatory and licensing phase, with Lucas Dobbins being promoted to chief executive officer ( CEO ) and board director, and Paul Stonham joining the company as chief commercial officer ( CCO ).

The appointments, the exchange notes, reflect its focus on operational resilience, regulatory readiness and sustainable growth as the industry matures and expectations from regulators, institutions and clients continue to rise.

Dobbins steps into the role of CEO and executive director following more than seven years at BTC Markets, most recently as chief technology officer. His appointment, the company points out, signals continuity at a time when technical capability, governance and execution discipline are increasingly central to running a digital asset exchange in Australia.

He brings over 18 years’ experience designing and operating secure, high-availability systems across broadcast media, finance and digital assets. He began working with bitcoin in the early 2010s, building mining infrastructure and experimenting with decentralized systems well before the sector attracted mainstream or institutional interest.

Before joining the company, Dobbins co-founded a software consultancy and delivered real-time graphics and gaming technology for major Australian broadcasters – environments, the exchange notes, where reliability, scale and security were non-negotiable.

Since joining BTC Markets in 2018 as an engineer, Dobbins, the company notes, has led a full rebuild of the exchange’s technology stack, strengthened operational controls and supported the business through periods of rapid market growth, volatility and increasing regulatory scrutiny. Under his technical leadership, the company has reinforced its position as Australia’s longest-operating home-grown digital asset exchange.

As CEO, Lucas will lead the company’s next phase of growth with a focus on institutional partnerships, product development and regulatory alignment – positioning the company at the intersection of always-on digital asset markets and the standards expected of traditional financial infrastructure.

Caroline Bowler, the company’s former CEO and current non-executive director, notes Dobbins’ appointment reflects the company’s long-term approach. “He has been central to how BTC Markets operates today – from platform architecture through to risk and operational discipline,” she adds. “His appointment provides continuity at a time when experience and execution matter more than ever in this industry.”

Stonham, as CCO brings deep experience across financial markets, market infrastructure and technology-led growth.

He has held senior leadership roles at the Australian Securities Exchange and within global financial institutions, where he was responsible for commercial strategy, product development and scaling businesses in highly regulated environments.

At BTC Markets, Stonham will lead the commercial function across institutional and retail segments, with responsibility for client growth, partnerships, pricing strategy and margin governance. His remit includes building scalable commercial frameworks that support the company’s expansion as digital assets become more integrated with traditional financial markets.

Stonham’s appointment, Dobbins adds, strengthens the company’s ability to execute. “Stonham understands how regulated markets work in practice – not just in theory,” Dobbins shares. “That experience will be critical as we scale the business responsibly and continue to raise the bar for what clients expect from an Australian digital asset exchange.”