SAN FRANCISCO – Javelin Strategy & Research, part of the Escalent family, is pleased to announce James Wester as the firm’s new Director of Cryptocurrency. Wester will lead the newly created cryptocurrency research practice and will help clients navigate the space by providing strategic insights and advice to Javelin clients. This new practice continues to deepen the firm’s financial services expertise following the recent acquisition of Mercator Advisory Group.
Crypto and digital currencies are becoming an increasingly important part of payments and wealth management ecosystems. Financial services firms and technology providers are eager to create new products and services around this evolving space and need a better understanding of how cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, digital assets, tokens and related topics fit into the larger financial services market.
“Cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and Web3 are top of mind for our clients, and Javelin is well positioned to help them play a meaningful and strategic role in this space,” said Jacob Jegher, President of Javelin Strategy & Research. “James is a seasoned professional with deep expertise in payments and cryptocurrency. We are confident that he is a perfect fit to lead our new practice.”
Wester joins Javelin with more than two decades of experience in research, marketing and communications in payments and technology. Most recently, he worked at PayPal supporting the company’s blockchain, crypto, and digital currencies business unit. Prior to PayPal, Wester served as research director of IDC Financial Insights’ worldwide blockchain and payment strategies practices.
“This is a pivotal time for cryptocurrencies and digital assets,” added Wester. “There are many unanswered questions about the technology and fitness of the technology for financial use cases such as payments, wealth management and insurance. Financial institutions and technology providers need data-driven insights and objective, sound counsel to develop winning products and services.”
Wester has been widely quoted in the media including The New York Times, Marketplace (NPR), The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Good Morning America. He has a master’s degree in management information technology from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in English and communications from Drury University.
Source: Javelin Strategy & Research
