GTN Appoints Former Gemini CEO Mark Jennings to Lead Global Digital Assets Strategy

GTN has appointed Mark Jennings as its new global head of digital assets to lead the firm’s strategy for tokenised securities. The move signals a significant push by the fintech to bridge traditional market infrastructure with on-chain trading, providing institutional and retail platforms with 24/7 settlement capabilities for traditional asset classes.

What was announced

The appointment of Mark Jennings as global head of digital assets marks a strategic expansion for GTN into the tokenisation space. Jennings is tasked with leading the firm’s efforts to support tokenised securities through its existing global market access infrastructure. This initiative aims to allow investors to trade traditional assets on-chain with real-time settlement, a shift GTN views as a critical evolution in market infrastructure.

Jennings joins the firm with a deep background in the digital asset sector, having most recently served as the CEO of Gemini Europe. During his tenure at Gemini, he oversaw the exchange’s expansion across the European market. Prior to that, he held senior leadership positions at Kraken, where he served as the CEO of Crypto Facilities, an FCA-regulated derivatives venue catering to institutional clients.

This hire follows the October appointment of Daniel Endler, a former Saxo Bank executive, who joined GTN as its first group chief product officer. Together, Jennings and Endler are expected to strengthen the senior leadership team as GTN scales its offerings for financial institutions and digital asset platforms. The firm is focusing on leveraging its multi-market and multi-asset coverage to simplify the delivery of traditional assets in a compliant, scalable manner for the digital ecosystem.

"Tokenisation is one of the most significant shifts in market infrastructure in decades. At Gemini and Kraken, I saw first-hand users' demand for traditional assets alongside crypto, and the complexity of delivering them in a robust, compliant and scalable way. GTN has already done the difficult work to connect to markets and asset classes. That puts us in a unique position to take a leading role in helping platforms bring those assets on-chain. I'm excited to lead that work with platforms across the ecosystem to bring tokenised securities to their users."

Mark Jennings at GTN

The companies involved

GTN is a global fintech firm that provides investment technology and market access to financial institutions, wealth managers, and digital asset platforms. The company operates as a business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) provider, enabling its clients to offer their end-users access to a wide range of global markets and asset classes. By providing the underlying infrastructure for trading and settlement, GTN allows its partners to scale their investment offerings without the need to build complex regulatory and technical connections themselves.

The firm has established a significant presence in the global market, particularly in regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where it has partnered with major banking institutions and wealth tech providers. GTN’s platform is designed to be asset-agnostic, supporting everything from equities and fixed income to the emerging field of tokenised securities. This versatility has positioned the company as a key intermediary for firms looking to modernise their brokerage and investment services. Under the leadership of co-founder and Group CEO Manjula Jayasinghe, GTN continues to expand its footprint by integrating digital asset capabilities into its core traditional finance stack.

What FF News has reported before

GTN has been active in expanding its global footprint through several high-profile partnerships recently. FF News reported on the Payward’s xStocks Framework Expands to UK and European Markets with GTN Partnership, which focused on bringing tokenised assets to a broader audience. In the Middle East, the firm facilitated Rakbank Launches Digital Equities Trading with GTN Integration, enabling in-app global equities trading for the bank's customers.

Further expansion in the GCC region was highlighted when GTN Partners With State Street Investment Management for GCC Wealth Tech Expansion to launch model portfolio services. Additionally, the company strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia, as seen when GTN Partners with AmInvestment Bank to Expand Global Market Access in Malaysia, providing Malaysian investors with enhanced access to international markets.

What this means

The appointment of a high-profile executive from the pure-play crypto world like Gemini and Kraken signals that the "bridge" between traditional finance and digital assets is no longer a theoretical concept. For the fintech industry, this move highlights a shift in focus from speculative crypto trading toward the tokenisation of "real" assets—equities, bonds, and funds. As GTN moves into this space, it puts pressure on traditional custodians and clearing houses that are still operating on T+1 or T+2 settlement cycles. The industry must now grapple with whether existing regulatory frameworks can keep pace with the 24/7, real-time settlement expectations inherent in on-chain finance.