Former British Chancellor George Osborne addresses guests during a visit to the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on July 1, 2016 in Manchester, England. LONDON — A former British finance minister on Wednesday joined cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase as a global advisor, beefing up the company's regulatory bargaining power at a time when it faces severe scrutiny stateside. Coinbase announced that George Osborne, who served as Britain's chancellor of the exchequer from 2010 to 2016, will join the company on its global advisory council. Faryar Shirzad, Coinbase's chief policy officer, said the company was "pleased to have George join our council at an exciting time for us in the U.K. and globally." We look forward to relying on his insights and experiences as we grow Coinbase around the world," Shirzard added.

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Persons: George Osborne, beefing, He'll, Mark Esper, Patrick Toomey, Coinbase, George, Shirzard, Osborne Organizations: Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Wednesday, Coinbase, of Defense Locations: Manchester, England, British, Coinbase