Crypto’s Hottest Hires Aren’t Millennials. They’re Banking Cops

Veteran Wall Street enforcers are landing new roles on a wild frontier: virtual currencies.

A growing number of crypto startups are adding former regulators and other government authorities to their payrolls, a practice that could help them head off or prepare for stricter rules. Ventures have snapped up ex-prosecutors, national security officials, and at least one former senior diplomat — all of whom may prove handy as nations decide whether to embrace or outlaw digital money.

The drumbeat of hires crescendoed in November when Ripple, a venture looking to rewire global banking with its own cryptocurrency, added Ben Lawsky to ...