Crypto Exchange Operator, Europe, UAE, MENA, Asia
I operate and grow crypto exchanges in regulated markets.
Exchange operations, market entry and regional growth across Europe, the UAE, MENA and Asia.
Igor Haleta is a senior crypto operator based in Warsaw, Poland, focused on regulated exchange operations and market entry.
Across 8+ years in crypto and Web3, he has worked across Europe, the UAE, MENA and Asia, combining operator-level execution with regulatory and commercial context.
General Manager, Country Manager, Regional Director, Head of Exchange Operations, Market Entry Lead
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, founding operator
Exchange launches, market entry, VASP/VARA readiness, crypto M&A due diligence, tokenization
Four situations where I can be useful.
For exchanges entering or scaling a regulated market.
I own market-entry strategy, local team building, KOL and trader acquisition, partnerships and compliance coordination.
For teams building a CEX or DEX from zero to live.
I build the operating model, fee structure, liquidity setup, KYC/AML flow, risk process and vendor stack.
For buyers or sellers of crypto exchanges and related businesses.
I support operational due diligence, commercial review, deal structure, buyer-seller facilitation and risk flags.
For projects raising, listing or launching a token.
I help with tokenomics, ICO/STO/IEO launch, fundraising strategy, exchange listings, KOL growth and investor roadshows.
Led the 0 → 1 launch of VARA-aligned crypto exchange infrastructure for UAE market entry. Operating model, fee structure, liquidity strategy, KYC/AML, risk and MENA go-to-market.
Owned full P&L, budget allocation and runway planning. Secured $1M+ funding, scaled the team 3 → 68, and launched Poomb Creatures to 50,000+ users across App Store, Google Play and Telegram.
Built the KOL network for Bitget's EU launch: 100+ influencers, 30+ partnerships and $30M+ monthly trading volume. Led Poland/EU market expansion and regional trader acquisition.
Led market expansion and business development for a CEX startup in Poland/EU. Built the local team, drove trader acquisition, secured institutional partnerships and managed the VASP licensing process with legal teams.
Led ICO/STO consulting, crypto exchange development and tokenization platform operations. Delivered 10+ ICO/STO launches, built CEX + DEX platforms, scaled trading volume +30% and brokered a $200K Gate.io investment.
Supported Poland's Digital PLN (CBDC) initiative. Researched stablecoin and digital-currency adoption with government and private stakeholders.
Bachelor & Master in International Relations, Lazarski University, Warsaw. 2013 / 2018.
"Deep understanding of how crypto products function. He bridges the gap between product, business logic, and execution. Proactive, reliable, and easy to work with. He understands both the 'how' and the 'why'."
"Igor stands out for his ability to bridge business and technology. In high-pressure situations he stays calm and keeps things moving. He doesn't just discuss ideas. He drives them to execution."
"One of those people who just 'gets it', both from a product side and a regulatory perspective. No hype, no shortcuts. He builds things that actually work, scale, and won't fall apart once regulators get involved."
"It was a pleasure working with Igor. He is extremely dedicated and passionate about getting things done. Organized, structured, and action oriented."
Conferences, panels and keynotes across Europe, the UAE and Asia, from participant to speaker. 150+ educational reels and interviews since 2018.
A weekend-and-evenings build, kept here only as a small note. I shipped it solo, from idea to App Store in eight weeks, designing a 9-layer memory architecture on top of React Native, the Claude API and Supabase. Localised into seven languages.
Listed here so anyone hiring or partnering with me knows I can work fluently with AI APIs and modern product stacks. My specialty stays crypto.
Send a short note about the role, mandate or deal. I usually reply fast.