Practitioners highlighted for a distinctive sub-specialty edge in this field — beyond the directory criteria.
European Banking Authority (EBA) · European Union
Editor's note. EBA Chair coordinating EU significant CASP supervision (MiCA Article 85), ART/EMT issuer framework, and AMLA development. Critical EU regulator voice on crypto-asset firm coordination.
José Manuel Campa is Chair of the European Banking Authority (EBA), the EU-level regulator responsible for ART and EMT issuer supervision coordination, significant CASP framework under MiCA Article 85, and the broader EU AML framework including the new AMLA. Campa took the EBA Chair role in March 2019. His EBA tenure spans the full MiCA legislative development and implementation phase plus the AMLR/AMLA framework development. The EBA's central role in EU crypto-asset framework operationalisation makes Campa one of the most influential EU regulator voices on crypto-asset firm supervision.
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Circle Internet Financial · European Union, Germany
Editor's note. Most-visible Circle EU regulatory voice through MiCA implementation. Public commentary widely-cited on Title IV EMT pathway specifics.
Patrick Hansen is Director of Crypto Policy and Strategy at Circle Internet Financial, focused on the European Union regulatory framework for stablecoins and crypto-asset services. Hansen has been one of the most visible Circle-side voices on MiCA framework implementation, EMT issuer authorisation, and the broader EU crypto regulatory landscape through the 2023-2026 period. His public Twitter/X commentary, conference appearances, and policy analyses have been widely-cited industry references on EU crypto policy development.
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Tether Operations Limited · British Virgin Islands, European Union, United States
Editor's note. General Counsel of largest stablecoin issuer through systemic-scale growth period. Operational compliance positioning across BVI, US NYAG settlement, and EU MiCA frameworks.
Stuart Hoegner is General Counsel of Tether — the issuer of USDT, the largest stablecoin globally by issuance volume. Hoegner has held the General Counsel role since 2017 through Tether's growth from emerging stablecoin to systemic USD-denominated digital-asset payment infrastructure. His role spans regulatory engagement across multiple jurisdictions including the British Virgin Islands (Tether's primary corporate base), the United States (including the New York Attorney General settlement), the European Union (MiCA framework analysis), and the broader global supervisor environment that systemic stablecoins now operate within.
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Manimama · Estonia, Lithuania, European Union, Ukraine
Editor's note. Founder of CLPAI #2-ranked firm Manimama. Author of Ukraine's virtual-asset law and former General Counsel at KUNA — distinctive regulator-side + private-practice combination.
Ganna Voievodina is CEO and Founding Partner of Manimama, the international fintech law firm headquartered in Tallinn (Manimama OÜ) with offices in Lithuania. She has 16 years of legal experience and has been a licensed attorney in Ukraine since 2012. Before founding Manimama, Ganna served six years as Chief Legal Officer of the cryptocurrency exchange KUNA. She is the author of Ukraine's Law "About Virtual Assets" and is pursuing a PhD in international law.
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Gofaizen & Sherle · Estonia, Lithuania, European Union, United Arab Emirates, El Salvador
Editor's note. Co-founder and senior partner of the CLPAI #1-ranked firm. Mark's positioning across MiCA, UAE VARA, and El Salvador markets is distinctive among EU crypto-licensing practitioners.
Mark Gofaizen is the Senior Partner and Head of Consulting at Gofaizen & Sherle, the international legal and business advisory firm specialising in fintech, blockchain, crypto-asset licensing, and global corporate structuring. With more than a decade of hands-on experience, Mark has established the firm's positioning across MiCA, UAE VARA, and Latin American crypto-licensing markets. Gofaizen & Sherle ranks #1 in the 2026 CLPAI Index.
Full profile → Editor's note. Head of Legal & Compliance at the CLPAI #1-ranked firm. Mihhail's track record on 300+ financial-licence files makes him one of the highest-throughput EU crypto-licensing practitioners.
Mihhail Sherle is Senior Partner and Head of Legal & Compliance at Gofaizen & Sherle. With 13 years of legal experience including seven years specialising in FinTech and AML/CTF compliance, he has led the firm's team on more than 300 successful financial-licence projects — including CASPs, investment fund managers, and EMIs across the EU.
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Arendt & Medernach · Luxembourg, European Union
Editor's note. Mouton led Arendt's team on the first Coinbase MiCA CASP authorisation from the Luxembourg CSSF — the highest-profile MiCA file in the EU.
Marc Mouton is a Partner in the Banking & Financial Services practice at Arendt & Medernach in Luxembourg. He advises banks, investment firms, payment institutions and electronic money institutions on financial regulatory matters, M&A in the financial sector, and emerging fintech sectors. Arendt, jointly with Latham & Watkins, advised Coinbase on its successful CASP licence application under MiCA from the Luxembourg CSSF.
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SBSB Fintech Lawyers · Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, El Salvador
Editor's note. Managing Partner of a multi-jurisdictional firm with documented offices and crypto-licensing practice across nine countries — one of the few practitioners running named, cross-border crypto advisory at this geographic scale.
Yuliya Barabash is Managing Partner of SBSB Fintech Lawyers, a firm she has led since 2013. SBSB has offices across Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Costa Rica, Italy, Mauritius, and El Salvador, with a practice focused on crypto licensing, AML/CFT compliance, and cross-border fintech advisory.
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