As crypto matures, the next generation of leadership is being shaped not just by coders or traders, but by growth architects who understand the intersection of technology, regulation, and user behavior. One such figure is Matthew Howells-Barby, the VP of Growth at Kraken. With a background in marketing, product strategy, and startup advisory, Matthew brings a multidisciplinary mindset to the challenges facing the crypto space today. But unlike many industry veterans, he’s not just betting on price — he’s betting on entirely new categories of infrastructure.
From decentralized rails to tokenized assets and seamless UX, his vision for crypto is one of scale, not slogans.
“We are a financial technology business,” he said on his recent appearance in the CoinRock Show.
“But the route through which we power everything is through crypto.”
For Matthew, growth isn’t just about hype — it’s about utility. And Kraken’s roadmap reflects that clarity.
From Web2 Marketer to Web3 Builder
Before joining Kraken, Matthew cut his teeth in the high-velocity world of Web2 marketing and product growth. With years of experience building digital products and advising startups, he entered crypto not as a maximalist, but as a pragmatist. It was this practical approach — understanding user pain points and business models — that led him to Kraken, one of the few exchanges actively balancing regulatory compliance with user-first innovation.
His current role places him at the center of crypto’s growth curve: mapping market trends, user behavior, and competitor strategies across regions.
“We do see ourselves competing with the Wise, the Robinhoods, the Revoluts of the world,” he said.
“They’ve all done stuff really well… but we want to stay true to some of our roots in kind of pioneering down new paths and maintaining a focus on the core mission.”
Matthew’s arrival at Kraken marked a turning point in the exchange’s ambition to move from being just another trading platform to becoming a crypto-native financial services ecosystem.
Why Kraken Wants to Be More Than an Exchange
Despite regulatory headwinds and a still-uncertain macro backdrop, Matthew believes Kraken’s mission is clear: build a suite of products that use crypto infrastructure without requiring users to fully understand it.
This thinking shapes Kraken’s product roadmap, from tokenized equity plays to on-chain UX enhancements. Whether it’s DeFi-inspired financial tools or abstracted blockchain rails, the exchange is positioning itself for a future that’s less speculative and more service-oriented.
“We want to take a risk on that,” he said of tokenized equity,
“And we believe it will pay off.”
But it’s not just about new markets. It’s also about user psychology. In a world of rising geopolitical tension, uncertain rate cuts, and flattened retail interest, Howells-Barby sees Kraken as a stabilizing bridge — not a flashy outlier. He frequently emphasized that the industry’s future lies not in idealism, but in sustainable, permissionless infrastructure that’s intuitive for the average user.
“When UX can be done really well,” he noted,
“you really can capture the attention of regular consumers and bring them into the world of crypto.”
The Bigger Bet: Institutional Liquidity and Coiled Market Cycles
What makes Matthew’s insights especially timely is his ability to connect the dots between macro signals and crypto-native behavior. He believes we’re in a historic moment — one where liquidity is waiting, but uncertain.
“May, by all measures, should have been a period for takeoff in euphoria,” he said.
“We saw BTC break into price discovery, but it didn’t even enter the news cycle… we’ve got just a lot of people still sitting on the side.”
He’s especially focused on the shift in crypto’s investor base — from retail-dominated to increasingly institutional. This change, he argues, has reshaped volatility, risk appetite, and trading behavior across the board.
“I think the catalyst that really starts to get us there… is when we begin the rate cutting cycle,” he predicted.
“If we don’t break all-time highs for BTC, I’d be very surprised.”
For ETH, however, his take was more self-aware:
“Maybe the day I decide to give up and sell… that’s when we’re going to rip past the 5K mark.”
Matthew’s role — and his vision — reflect what the next chapter of crypto might look like: institutional, experimental, global, and deeply rooted in real-world use cases. Whether it’s tokenized markets, UX-first onboarding, or Kraken’s positioning as a fintech force, he’s betting big on a long-term trajectory.
Where to Find Matthew Howells-Barby
- X (Twitter): @matthewbarby
- YouTube: Matthew Barby
- Company: Kraken
