Lazaro Campos Takes OpenTrade Chairman Role
OpenTrade has appointed former Swift CEO Lazaro Campos as chairman, adding an executive with experience in global financial infrastructure to its stablecoin yield platform. The London-based company reported $300 million in total value locked and more than $1 billion in transaction volume over the past 12 months, according to CoinDesk.
The appointment follows OpenTrade’s $17 million funding round in May, which brought its total funding to $32 million, CoinDesk reported. Bloomingbit and Finextra also reported that Campos has taken the board chair role.
What happened
Campos joined OpenTrade as chairman of its board, according to CoinDesk. OpenTrade is a London-based company founded in 2023 that builds infrastructure for businesses seeking to make dollar- and euro-denominated returns available through products backed by real-world assets.
CoinDesk reported that OpenTrade processed more than $1 billion in transactions during the previous 12 months. The company also reported $300 million in total value locked, compared with more than $200 million in May.
Bloomingbit described OpenTrade as a stablecoin yield platform and reported the same $1 billion volume and $300 million total value locked figures. Finextra separately reported that Campos had been appointed chair of OpenTrade’s board of directors.
The company raised $17 million in May in a round led by Mercury Fund and Notion Capital, according to CoinDesk. That financing lifted OpenTrade’s funding total to $32 million. Tradersunion reported that a16z crypto, AlbionVC and CMCC Global participated in the May round.
Campos previously led Swift, the financial messaging network connecting more than 11,000 financial institutions and moving up to $1.5 quadrillion annually, CoinDesk reported. He currently chairs Payoneer Europe and has served on the Bank of England RTGS and CHAPS boards as well as the Starling board.
Why it matters
The move links OpenTrade with an executive whose career has been tied to the infrastructure used by established financial institutions. Swift’s network connects more than 11,000 institutions, according to CoinDesk, while OpenTrade is developing infrastructure intended for businesses offering stablecoin-based returns.
OpenTrade’s reported operating figures place the chairman appointment alongside measurable growth in its platform activity. The company said it had more than $200 million in total value locked in May and now reports $300 million, while its transaction volume over the past 12 months exceeded $1 billion, CoinDesk reported.
Its May fundraising also gives the company a defined financial milestone ahead of the leadership addition. CoinDesk reported that the $17 million round was led by Mercury Fund and Notion Capital. Tradersunion named a16z crypto, AlbionVC and CMCC Global as participants in that financing.
The reporting frames Campos’s arrival around OpenTrade’s effort to broaden its operations as stablecoin adoption reaches more financial firms. That positioning is significant because OpenTrade’s service is aimed at businesses rather than solely at direct retail users. Its infrastructure is designed to let those businesses launch offerings without creating their own investment systems, according to CoinDesk.
Background and context
OpenTrade helps fintechs, exchanges and digital wallets offer returns on stablecoin balances. Its products are structured around dollar- and euro-denominated returns backed by real-world assets.
That business model centers on infrastructure. Rather than requiring a financial business to build an investment system internally, OpenTrade provides the technology and framework through which the business can present stablecoin return products to its own users, CoinDesk reported.
Campos was brought in as OpenTrade expands alongside wider stablecoin adoption among financial firms. His appointment adds a veteran of traditional banking infrastructure to a company working on stablecoin yield products.
Campos’s previous roles span payment and banking-related organizations. In addition to serving as Swift CEO, he chairs Payoneer Europe, according to CoinDesk. His board experience includes the Bank of England RTGS and CHAPS boards and the Starling board.
The precise timing of the public announcement remains unclear as of October 29, 2026. CoinDesk published its report on October 29, while Cryptobriefing characterized the company announcement as occurring on Friday. The reports agree on the appointment itself and on OpenTrade’s reported $300 million in total value locked.
What to watch
A central question is how OpenTrade describes Campos’s responsibilities as chairman beyond the board appointment. The company has reported its recent funding, transaction volume and total value locked, but its next public updates may clarify how the new chair role fits into the expansion of its services.
It will also be relevant to follow OpenTrade’s future disclosures on the dollar- and euro-denominated products supported by its infrastructure. CoinDesk reported that these returns are backed by real-world assets, while the background to the appointment places the company among firms serving fintechs, exchanges and digital wallets.
Further company updates could also address the relationship between OpenTrade’s reported platform activity and its business expansion following the May financing. The disclosed benchmarks are more than $1 billion in transaction volume over 12 months, $300 million in total value locked and $32 million in total funding.
Finally, the company may provide a clearer account of the announcement timetable. As of October 29, 2026, the available reports align on Campos’s role and OpenTrade’s core reported metrics, while the wording around the day of the announcement differs.
