Binance Japan Picks DeFi Veteran as New Leader Amid PayPay Integration

Binance Japan has appointed Arisa Toyosaki as its new general manager and representative director. She will take over on July 1, replacing Takeshi Chino who is transitioning to honorary chairman and director.

Toysaki co-founded Cega, a DeFi protocol that built structured investment products on-chain. The protocol raised $9 million in funding, including a $4.3 million seed round at a $60 million valuation. Before it was acquired and eventually sunset in 2024, Cega processed approximately $500 million in trading volume.

Toysaki's background includes working as a derivatives trader at UBS. Her new role will likely involve accelerating the integration of Binance Japan with PayPay, Japan's dominant mobile payment platform that acquired a 40% stake in the exchange last October.