Joonas Ilmasti
Joonas Ilmasti

Lawyer, economist, Bitcoin regulatory advisor.

I'm a lawyer and economist based in Helsinki. For the last decade I've worked on Bitcoin regulation: first inside one of the most-scrutinised crypto companies of the era, now independently with founders, exchanges, custodians, and institutional investors.

From 2017 to 2022 I was Chief Compliance Officer and General Counsel at LocalBitcoins, the world's largest peer-to-peer Bitcoin marketplace. I founded and led the compliance and AML investigations teams, and ran regulatory engagement across the jurisdictions in which we operated.

Today I work independently. I take on a small number of advisory engagements at a time so I can stay close to each one: regulatory strategy, compliance program design, and investment analysis for crypto-asset businesses.

I also speak and write, usually about MiCA, AML, and how permissionless money meets a rules-based world.

Career

  1. Since 2022
    Independent advisor
    Helsinki

    Regulatory strategy, compliance program design, and investment analysis for crypto-asset businesses and institutional investors across Europe.

  2. 2017–2022
    Chief Compliance Officer & General Counsel
    LocalBitcoins

    Built and led the compliance and AML investigations teams at the world's largest P2P bitcoin trading platform. Owned regulatory engagement and licensing across multiple jurisdictions.

  3. Earlier
    Legal Counsel
    Fondia and private practice

    Advised technology, fintech, and emerging-tech clients on technology law, regulatory matters, and cross-border compliance.

What I work on

  • Cryptoasset regulation in the EU (MiCA, TFR) and Nordic implementation
  • AML and CFT compliance programs for exchanges, custodians, and asset managers
  • Investment analysis for Bitcoin-native businesses and institutional allocators
  • Cross-border licensing strategy for crypto-asset service providers

Find me