Landing a role in crypto has never been tougher. With AI soaking up venture capital that once flowed into blockchain, and the industry itself becoming more mature, crypto firms are far more selective in their hiring.
- They haven’t gotten hands-on and actually built something on-chain
- They’ve created something — but struggle to explain it
- Submitting AI-generated, cookie-cutter résumés
- They’re chasing the wrong areas of crypto
- FTX’s collapse tainted crypto’s image just as AI began to surge
- The crypto job market remains highly vulnerable to macro shifts
- Dig deeper to land the right hire
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently revealed that its summer internship program accepted just 0.3% of applicants — a stark reminder of how demand dwarfs supply.
Similarly, CryptoJobsList founder Raman Shalupau and researcher Stefi Kiemeney told Cointelegraph that they regularly see job postings draw in more than 200 applicants for a single opening.
So the big question is: how do you stand out? And what mistakes are most candidates making along the way?
They haven’t gotten hands-on and actually built something on-chain
Proof of Search CEO Kevin Gibson told Cointelegraph that while there’s no shortage of “crypto enthusiasts,” very few are actually creating anything.
“Most people might have traded a couple of tokens, grabbed an NFT, or skimmed through articles and X threads or LinkedIn posts — but that’s usually as far as it goes,” he said.
“They haven’t really rolled up their sleeves and gotten hands-on with the tech in a way that’s actually useful for working at a protocol or crypto company.”
Gibson’s comments align with what CryptoRecruit founder Neil Dundon noted on LinkedIn about a month ago:
“If your résumé says Web3 but your wallet says 0x000, I’ve got questions,” Dundon wrote. He added, “If you’re not actively living in the space, why would a founder trust you to help build it?”
While demonstrating onchain activity is a step in the right direction, Gibson said the clearest proof of real crypto work is an active GitHub account:
“If you can point to your GitHub and show you’ve actually delivered on different projects, contributed code, or collaborated with others, that’s huge.”
For those not aiming to become on-chain developers, Gibson emphasized the importance of demonstrating involvement in other ways — whether that’s creating content, contributing to a DAO, or engaging with the community.
While non-technical roles in areas like finance, marketing, and operations are still available, Shalupau and Kiemeney pointed out that the highest demand is for hard-skill specialists such as Rust developers, smart contract engineers, and zero-knowledge cryptography experts.
They’ve created something — but struggle to explain it
While it’s a common stereotype that tech-minded people aren’t the best communicators, recruiters say the issue often rings true in crypto. Many skilled builders struggle to clearly explain their work in interviews, which ends up underselling their contributions and hurting their chances.
“Companies want candidates who can both build and break down what they’re building in simple terms,” said CryptoJobsList’s Shalupau and Kiemeney.
Gibson added that he’s interviewed developers who couldn’t answer even the most basic questions:
“I’ll often ask questions like, ‘What’s the last thing you did on-chain?’ or ‘How do you keep your wallet secure?’ and you’d be surprised how many people get stumped by the basics.”
Submitting AI-generated, cookie-cutter résumés
Crypto firms treat the application process as a way to gauge authenticity, and they expect to see genuine, personally crafted submissions — not AI-generated templates.
“Using AI in your application is easier to spot than you think, and it will get you disqualified instantly,” warned Shalupau and Kiemeney.
They also cautioned against “shotgunning your résumé” during interviews, urging candidates instead to highlight hands-on experience with the company’s tech stack — or at minimum, show a solid understanding of it.
“Do your homework. Learn the project before applying.”
They’re chasing the wrong areas of crypto
Many candidates are still targeting sectors that peaked back in 2021 but have since lost momentum.
Shalupau and Kiemeney noted that firms in areas like stablecoins, DeFi infrastructure, and real-world asset tokenization are “hiring steadily,” while interest in NFT marketplaces and play-to-earn gaming has largely “burned out.”
They described metaverse land sales as “dead,” adding that while companies continue to develop virtual worlds, “the speculative land-grab model is finished.”
Just this week, leading metaverse platform Sandbox announced staff layoffs, with its two founders shifting into strategic roles.
Still, Shalupau and Kiemeney stressed that not all of the challenges facing crypto job seekers are their own fault.
FTX’s collapse tainted crypto’s image just as AI began to surge
Crypto faced its own “Lehman Brothers moment” with FTX’s collapse in November 2022 — right as OpenAI brought large language models into the mainstream, sparking an AI boom and a dramatic shift in job opportunities from crypto to artificial intelligence.
Since then, AI has drawn both talent and capital away from crypto. “Developers and entrepreneurs follow the money and excitement, and right now AI is soaking up both,” Shalupau and Kiemeney said.
Crypto fundraising hit $29 billion in 2021 and $28.5 billion in 2022, but investment has plunged since 2023. Over the last two and a half years combined, funding hasn’t even matched 2022’s total, according to RootData.
So far in 2025, crypto firms have raised money across just 547 rounds — putting the industry on pace for its lowest count since 2020 — a sign that VCs are backing fewer startups with larger, more concentrated bets.
The crypto job market remains highly vulnerable to macro shifts
Crypto hiring is highly cyclical and closely tied to broader macro conditions, according to Dragonfly’s head of talent, Zackary Shelly, who shared insights on X earlier this month.
Shelly noted that in January, over 300 new crypto jobs were posted across Dragonfly’s portfolio companies — a 60% jump from the previous month. But by February, postings had dropped 60% as crypto prices slid amid renewed U.S. tariff concerns.
March brought the sharpest decline yet, with 750 roles eliminated — the largest monthly cut on record. Business development, customer service, and marketing roles bore the brunt, while data science and engineering positions proved more resilient.
“Even when sentiment shifts, technical roles retain demand across cycles — they stay competitive in both bull and bear markets,” Shelly said.
Despite Dragonfly’s data, CryptoJobsList’s Shalupau and Kiemeney argue that crypto jobs today are generally more secure, even if harder to land.
“We’re seeing fewer listings compared to the 2021 peak, but the overall quality is higher. Companies are hiring with sustainability in mind, not just chasing hype,” they explained. In contrast, during the last bull run, many blue-chip firms had more of a “‘hire first, figure it out later’ mentality.”
“This time, budgets are tighter, teams are leaner, and hiring is more intentional.”
However, early-stage companies are “still scrappy” and lack a structured hiring process, Shalupau and Kiemeney noted.
Dig deeper to land the right hire
Dundon urged crypto firms to take a more proactive approach to hiring, instead of relying solely on job boards and waiting for applicants to come to them.
“The best candidates aren’t filling out application forms or browsing listings — they’re busy building,” he wrote in a separate post. “They get discovered because they’re already doing work that stands out.”
“If your entire hiring strategy is ‘post and pray’ … you’ll never see them.”
