Nathan Catania

Nathan is a Partner at XReg and leads on education, regulatory audits, crypto-asset investigations, and technical matters such as DeFi.  As an FCCA qualified accountant, Nathan is also responsible for crunching the numbers at XReg.

Since joining XReg as a partner in January 2020, Nathan has advised a prominent Gulf region on the formulation of a national risk assessment for virtual asset and virtual asset service providers in line with FATF methodology, as well as providing technical training to regulators, law enforcement agencies and financial intelligence units. Nathan advises, as well as performs regulatory audits for crypto-asset players in the private sector. He is also trained in crypto-asset investigations by one of the largest blockchain analytics companies.

Before XReg, Nathan started his career at PwC where he undertook assurance engagements of financial services and technology-focussed clients including investment funds, asset management firms, insurance, and online gaming companies. During his time at PwC, Nathan headed the industry-led working group that assisted the financial services regulator in Gibraltar to develop a financial resources requirement for DLT providers. He was also a key early contributor to PwC’s global efforts in blockchain/crypto related matters, regularly taking part in global working groups and initiatives.

Nathan later joined the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission’s (GFSC) DLT Team as a technical specialist. At the GFSC, he was responsible for reviewing firms’ compliance with prudential, conduct, and AML/CFT requirements. He was critical in developing internal regulatory policies and procedures which considered technical and emerging aspects of the DLT industry. Nathan also qualified as a Certified Blockchain Expert from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management during this time.

For the past few years, Nathan has also provided evening lectures in both accountancy and crypto-asset regulation at the University of Gibraltar.