A decade after the financial crisis, The Wall Street Journal has checked in on dozens of the bankers, government officials, chief executives, hedge-fund managers and others who left a mark on that period to find out what they are doing now. Today, we spotlight former Morgan Stanley executive Zoe Cruz and former Merrill Lynch banker Matthew Greenburgh.

Zoe Cruz, a currency trader whose rise through the ranks at Morgan Stanley made her one of the most powerful women on Wall Street, lost her job after the firm’s subprime mortgage bets soured.

Now she’s attempting a comeback in the virtual currency world.

Ms. Cruz late last year joined the board of San Francisco startup Ripple. The company offers a virtual currency known as XRP, which aims to challenge bitcoin and other crypto assets. Ripple launched its currency in 2012 as part of a plan to use the concepts behind bitcoin to build a cross-border, interbank payments and settlement network.

As the one-time lieutenant of former Morgan Stanley Chief Executive John Mack, she was known as “Cruz Missile” for her hard-charging approach to management. Ms. Cruz was among the most senior women on Wall Street before the financial crisis. She had worked at Morgan Stanley for 25 years, rising through the firm’s bond and foreign-exchange trading business to become co-president. Many considered her a possible successor to Mr. Mack as CEO.