Securing a job in the crypto industry may prove difficult for less-experienced candidates in 2025. A recent survey conducted by Dragonfly Capital revealed that only 10% of roles available are entry-level, a significant drop compared to previous years.

This trend is believed to correlate with a rise in unsuccessful crypto projects recently.

“Crypto was hard to break into; less than 10% of roles were entry-level,” Dragonfly Capital reported, based on data from 85 crypto companies collected in late 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, which included about 3,400 data points from employees and candidates.
Translation: The entry-level opportunities have drastically reduced in the current market context.

In contrast, senior and principal-level roles make up the most significant share of job openings, accounting for 37% of the positions. Engineering roles represent 67% of the total personnel involved.

Cautious Hiring Approach This Year

Despite a somewhat optimistic crypto market and positive sentiments, hiring practices have turned conservative, with a negative net hiring rate recorded in the first half of 2025.

“Early swings included strong January job growth, a February tariff shock, and massive reactive job cuts in March,” said Dragonfly.
Translation: Hiring has been highly variable and reactive.

Entry-level positions have suffered from cuts, with many encountering lower pay and diminished token compensations, partially compensated by increased equity offers.

The results are surprising given the growing attraction of crypto among younger demographics; around 34% of global crypto holders were aged 24 to 35 as of December 2024, according to Triple-A.

Kevin Gibson, from Proof of Search, remarked that these findings are consistent with his observations.

Experienced Crypto Professionals Re-entering the Job Market

“Despite the overall market positivity and the success of several projects, there have been many instances of failures post-token generation events,” Gibson shared.
Translation: The volatility and failures are creating opportunities for hiring from a more seasoned candidate pool.

This trend allows hiring firms to be selective and leverage the availability of experienced professionals. Many believe the market’s current strength will persist for at least the next six months, prompting firms to prioritize hiring senior personnel to boost project delivery.

“We have not yet returned to the recruitment landscape we saw in 2021, where entry-level candidates with minimal experience were quickly picked up,” Gibson noted.
Translation: The hiring landscape has not yet recovered to past highs.

Matt Thompson of TRB Executive Search emphasized that during market surges, crypto companies often increase hiring, yet layoffs quickly follow during downturns.

“This instability might deter students from pursuing careers in crypto, especially compared to traditional banking, where career longevity is more assured,” he stated.
Translation: The volatility could discourage new talent from entering the crypto field.