Crypto veteran Benji Taylor joins X for design role, CEO Elon Musk shares welcome post

Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has hired crypto veteran Benji Taylor as its new head of design. The move comes ahead of the expected launch of X Money, a new feature aimed at offering peer-to-peer payments and other financial tools. Benji Taylor will work across X and xAI. Taylor, who has worked on crypto wallets and blockchain platforms announced the move in an X post saying he is “honoured” to join X and lead design. He said he looks forward to working with Elon Musk, product lead Nikita Bier and the wider team. Musk reshared the post, welcoming Taylor to X and xAI.“I’m honoured to be joining 𝕏 to lead design. I believe this is the most important platform in the world, and I can’t think of a more exciting place to help shape the future. I’m looking forward to working closely with @elonmusk, @nikitabier, and the rest of the team. I’m grateful for the opportunity, humbled to be part of it, and can't wait to get started!,” Taylor wrote. Elon Musk reshared the post on his timeline saying “Welcome to xAI and X, Benji!”. Taylor has a background in crypto and product design. He founded Los Feliz Engineering, which built the self-custody wallet Family. The company was later acquired by Aave, after which he served as chief product officer. He most recently led design at Base, Coinbase’s blockchain network.Taylor’s appointment comes at a time when X is preparing to expand its financial services. Earlier this month, Musk said the platform plans to launch X Money, which will offer peer-to-peer payments, bank deposits, a debit card and cashback features across the US.The platform has also indicated plans to offer returns on user balances, although details are still limited.