Elon Musk’s X Taps Crypto Veteran to Lead Design as Payments Push Heats Up

• X has hired Benji Taylor, a crypto product specialist, to lead design as it expands into financial services.
• His background spans Aave, Base and self-custody wallet development, adding relevant expertise to X’s payments push.
• The move aligns with the upcoming launch of X Money, though crypto integration remains unconfirmed.

Elon Musk has recruited a crypto-focused product specialist to lead X’s design, as the platform continues building out its payments and financial services offering. Benji Taylor, known for his work in decentralised finance and wallet infrastructure, has been appointed head of design.

Taylor will oversee design efforts at X, spanning projects linked to xAI and SpaceX. He previously established Los Feliz Engineering, which created the self-custody wallet Family before its acquisition by Aave Labs in 2023. Following the deal, he took on the role of chief product officer and remained there until October 2025. He later joined Base, Coinbase’s Ethereum-based network, where he led design.

Related: xAI Recruits Wall Street Experts to Train Grok for Finance

Growing Emphasis on Payments Strategy

X product lead Nikita Bier highlighted Taylor’s track record, noting he had followed his work for years and encouraged his recruitment. His arrival adds direct crypto product experience as the platform prepares to expand its financial capabilities.

Musk previously outlined plans for “X Money”, which is expected to launch in April and include peer-to-peer transfers, bank deposits, debit card functionality and cashback rewards in more than 40 US states. The company has also explored offering a 6% yield on certain balances.

However, no details have been confirmed regarding whether blockchain or cryptocurrency capabilities will be integrated into the service.

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