John Collins, head of policy and government affairs at bitcoin wallet provider and exchange Coinbase, has announced he will depart the company in February.

Collins joined the startup in October 2014 as its in-house liaison to US policymakers. At the time, Coinbase said the hiring was part of its broader effort to better inform US lawmakers on the technology.

In a email obtained by CoinDesk, Collins indicated that he will move on to a role at BAFT, the international subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, to serve as vice president of international policy.

Collins wrote:

“It’s been a fantastic opportunity working with each of you on some of the more interesting and timely issues in tech and finance today.”

Prior to his time at Coinbase, Collins had worked as a senior advisor to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, which has held congressional hearings on digital currency.

Coinbase did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether it would seek to fill the vacated position.

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