Rafael Melo

Rafael Melo is a distinguished Brazilian entrepreneur and financial expert, best known as the Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Crypto.com, a leading global cryptocurrency platform established in 2016. With over 15 years of experience in finance, his expertise spans risk management, compliance, and the mobile payments ecosystem, particularly in Asia.

Prior to co-founding Crypto.com, Melo held significant roles at other prominent companies. He began his career in March 1999 at Embraer, a global aerospace leader, where he progressed from an FP&A Specialist to Regional Finance Director for Asia-Pacific by January 2007. His responsibilities at Embraer included financial planning, SAP system implementation, and administrative functions related to customer pilot training and aircraft sales.

Following his tenure at Embraer, Melo joined Mobile Payment Solutions (a MasterCard-incubated technology company) in January 2011 as a Business Finance Officer. He later served as the CFO, and eventually CEO, of Ensogo Ltd., an ASX-listed e-commerce company in Singapore, from 2014 to 2016. At Ensogo, he was instrumental in leading fundraising efforts, securing strategic investments from VIPSHOP and raising over A$50 million from institutions such as Fidelity, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock.

At Crypto.com, Melo has been pivotal in shaping the company's financial strategy, supporting its rapid growth, and positioning it as a key player in the cryptocurrency and fintech industries. His work has involved securing crucial regulatory approvals, including from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, which has bolstered the company's reputation and expanded its global reach. He is recognized for his deep understanding of compliance and his advocacy for regulatory alignment in the volatile cryptocurrency sector to ensure long-term stability.

Academically, Melo holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (1993-1998) and an MBA in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed the Asian International Executive Programme (AIEP) at INSEAD in 2012 and is a certified CPA Australia member.