Bio

Joshua Preston specializes in fintech product development, bank and fintech partnerships, licensing applications (bank, trust company, money transmitter, lending), business plan development, regulatory strategy and engagement, and financial services risk management.

Joshua helps banks and fintechs navigate the often complex regulatory landscape. He has a particular focus on supporting innovative founders develop their roadmaps for products, services, licensing, and partnerships. His advisory business, Bowsprit Advisory, partners with The Fintech Consultant to bring this experience to TFC’s growing client base. Prior to founding Bowsprit, Joshua was chief operating officer and chief compliance officer at Unchained, a financial services company focused on bitcoin that offers solutions for self-custody, lending, and retirement. At Unchained, Joshua led teams responsible for all aspects of Unchained’s operations, security, risk management, compliance, and he developed and managed relationships with policymakers and financial institution partners. He also developed and implemented the U.S. regulatory licensing strategy and secured money-transmitter and lending licenses, and he worked together with the company’s co-founders to raise $60 million in a Series B investment.

Joshua’s international career includes a decade regulating domestic and global financial institutions in the areas of prudential risk management (credit, market, and operational risk), compliance, information technology, and asset management and contributing to regulatory policy development for emerging technology; scaling a global fintech’s compliance risk management program; and leading an international marketing organization for a German semiconductor equipment manufacturer. Prior to Unchained, Joshua was compliance lead at Block (formerly Square) and a consultant in EY’s financial services practice. He spent ten years as an innovation officer and commissioned national bank examiner at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the U.S. regulator of national banks and federal savings banks.

Joshua was awarded an MBA as a graduate of the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and a B.S. Economics from the University of Idaho; he is also a Certified Fraud Examiner.