The crypto exchanges and platforms that are hiring like mad
JPMorgan is letting its clients invest in an actively managed bitcoin fund for the first time. For all those who've been waiting for the ultimate indication that bitcoin is an enduring phenomenon and that working with bitcoin might be a good idea, this is it. Failing that, there's always the Twitter account of an ex-Goldman partner turned crypto-enthusiast to inspire you.
As institutional investors espouse crypto, a wave of exchanges, crypto asset managers and payment and trading platforms is hiring. - And in many cases they're interested in precisely the types of technologists and market making professionals currently working for banks and funds.
If you want to work in crypto, here's where to look.
1. Coinbase
No list of the potential employers in the crypto market would be complete without Coinbase, the U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, that's been hiring from investment banks like HSBC, Barclays and JPMorgan and that listed on the Nasdaq for $75.6bn earlier this month.
At the end of last year, Coinbase employed 1,249 people globally, up around 20% on 2019. It plans to keep hiring "meaningfully" and currently has 183 jobs open globally, including 26 for recruiters - many of them for recruiters who have worked with technology staff.
Working for Coinbase can be lucrative. The CEO received stock options worth $57m last year.
2. Binance
Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange that provides a platform for trading various cryptocurrencies and claims to be the latest in the world in terms of trading volume. It was founded by Changpeng Zhao, a former head of Tradebook futures development at Bloomberg.
Binance is currently advertising over 350 jobs globally, including numerous developers and data science roles, and openings for institutional sales managers in London and elsewhere.
3. Prometheum
Prometheum is a bit more niche and is blockchain rather than Bitcoin. Based in New York, it's building, 'the first compliant ecosystem for blockchain securities.' It currently has five roles open, including a head of business development, based in New York City.
4. Blockchain.com
Blockchain.com markets itself as the "easiest and most powerful crypto wallet." It also runs a crypto exchange and says it's "rebuilding finance from the bottom up." It currently has around 40 open roles, many of which can based "anywhere." They include opportunities for the sorts of low latency developers more commonly found in high frequency trading firms, data scientists, data analysts, quant developers, traders and even someone to work in M&A.
5. BlockFi
BlockFi is a 'crypto management platform' that offers crypto trading, pays interest on cryptocurrencies and offers loans with crytpo as collateral. It's doing some big hiring and has around 100 job openings for globally, of which around half are remote, including for a head of trading in Singapore and a sales trader in New York.
6. Bitfinex
Bitfinex is a Hong Kong based crypto exchange that also happens to be hiring globally. Again, many of its roles are remote. It currently has 15 roles, one of which is for a recruiter - so there may be more hiring in future.
7. Bottlepay
Bottlepay is a payments platform rather than an exchange. It allows for payments in both conventional currencies and bitcoin and is mostly interesting because it's sponsored by Alan Howard of Brevan Howard. It currently only has four jobs, all of which are remote but watch this space.
8. Grayscale Investments
Grayscale Investments is a crypto asset manager based in Stamford Connecticut. It's currently advertising 15 roles, including for engineers and ETF professionals.
9. Anchorage Digital
Anchorage describes itself as 'the First Federally Chartered Digital Asset Bank. It currently has around 50 job openings globally, including for traders, engineers, and risk and compliance professionals.
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Photo by Dmitry Demidko on Unsplash
Coinbase has done some crazy hiring, and plans to continue