Nasdaq names Gemini executive to head up new digital assets unit Nasdaq Inc. said Tuesday it''s launching its Nasdaq Digital Assets unit to offer proprietary custody services with liquidity and execution services for financial institutions. Nasdaq named Ira Auerbach as senior vice president and head of digital assets. He has joined Nasdaq from Gemini, where he most recently worked as global head of Gemini Prime, a specialist in crypto brokerage services. Nasdaq said it will offer marketplace technology for digital asset exchanges, crypto-native anti-financial crime offerings, and crypto-related index solutions for tradable products. "The technology that underpins the digital asset ecosystem has the potential to transform markets over the long-term," Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman said in a statement. Shares of Nasdaq fell 1.1% on Tuesday. The stock is down 14.2% in 2022. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.