Bakkt, the regulated financial technology company building infrastructure for the token economy, announced a major expansion of its commercial team and raised its full-year 2026 Total Transacting Volume target to $3 billion on Wednesday. The New York Stock Exchange-listed firm is assembling senior executives with institutional market experience to accelerate product adoption across new industries and geographies, with sector-specific launches planned for 2027.

  • New Commercial Hires: Aman Ghose (Senior Vice President, Institutional Partnerships & Growth), Mark Hiriart (Global Head of Markets), Dean Salmon (Vice President, U.S. Sales)
  • Experience Focus: Institutional trading, enterprise partnerships, digital assets, stablecoins, and cross-border payments
  • 2026 Volume Target: $3 billion in total transacting volume
  • Geographic Reach: North America, Middle East, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and London

Aman Ghose joins from Aquanow, where he headed partnerships and developed the Middle East business; he brings over a decade of enterprise strategy and go-to-market experience across three continents. Mark Hiriart brings more than 20 years in institutional trading and sales, previously serving as Head of Sales at Zerocap and holding senior roles at OSL Australia, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan. Dean Salmon transitions from Circle, where he developed strategic relationships across the Americas spanning stablecoins and embedded financial infrastructure.

The strengthened commercial organization will engage directly with enterprises, financial institutions, trading businesses, and distribution partners to deploy Bakkt‘s existing products and new sector-specific solutions. Akshay Naheta, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “We built the rails to scale. We built the products to scale. Now we are building the commercial organization to sell at scale.” The company expects to announce additional senior appointments in the coming weeks.

Bakkt operates a financial operating system for the AI and token economy through Bakkt Markets, Bakkt Agent, and Bakkt Global, providing regulated infrastructure for trading, stablecoin settlement, and cross-border payments to financial institutions, fintechs, and consumer brands.

Aman Ghose, Senior Vice President at Bakkt. Source: LinkedIn

Mark Hiriart, Global Head of Markets at Bakkt. Source: LinkedIn

Dean Salmon, Vice President, U.S. Sales at Bakkt. Source: LinkedIn

Akshay Naheta, CEO at Bakkt. Source: bakkt.com

By Gavriel Gavrielides

Gavriel Gavrielides is the Founder and Chief Editor of fintech-intelligence. An ACA-qualified finance executive, he previously served as Group CFO and Global Head of Accounting & Finance for a major international Forex broker with over 800 employees, following a foundational career as an auditor at a Big Four firm. Having spent over 15 years navigating complex international regulatory frameworks, scaling financial infrastructure, and managing global corporate strategies, Gavriel launched fintech-intelligence because he recognized that the traditional boundaries between finance and technology have completely dissolved. He saw a critical need for an industry publication driven by actual operational expertise rather than outside commentary. Today, Gavriel leverages his deep institutional background to cut through the market noise, delivering high-signal, deeply analytical insights into the technologies, regulations, and innovations reshaping the future of money. Connect with Gavriel on https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavriel-gavrielides-103734124/