X Hires Crypto Design Veteran Benji Taylor as Head of Design Amid Financial Services Push

Elon Musk's social media platform X has brought on Benji Taylor as its new head of design, a move that signals the company's growing ambitions in payments and financial services. Taylor, a designer with deep experience in the cryptocurrency space, announced the role in a Wednesday post, confirming he now leads design for X under its connections to xAI and SpaceX.

Taylor's background makes him a notable addition to the X team. He previously founded Los Feliz Engineering, the studio responsible for Family, a self-custody crypto wallet known for its clean and user-friendly design. Decentralized finance giant Aave Labs acquired Los Feliz Engineering in 2023, and Taylor subsequently served as chief product officer there until October 2025. Before joining X, he held the role of head of design at Base, Coinbase's Ethereum-based blockchain network, further cementing his reputation as a leading voice in crypto product development.

X product lead Nikita Bier publicly praised the hire, stating he had followed Taylor's work for years and personally championed bringing him on board. Bier described one of Taylor's past products as among the most well-designed he had ever encountered, underscoring the level of craft Taylor brings to the role.

The appointment comes at a pivotal time for X, which has been actively telegraphing its expansion into financial services. Earlier this month, Musk confirmed that X Money is slated to launch in April, introducing peer-to-peer payments, bank deposits, a debit card, and cashback rewards across more than 40 U.S. states. The platform also proposed offering users a 6% yield on their balances, a competitive figure in the current financial landscape.

Notably, X Money's announcement made no direct reference to blockchain or cryptocurrency integration, though Taylor's hiring suggests the platform may be positioning itself to bridge traditional finance with the broader digital asset ecosystem.