Securing a role in the crypto sector has proven to be a significant challenge for less-experienced candidates this year, with recent surveys from Dragonfly Capital revealing that only 10% of positions are entry-level.

Crypto recruitment leaders suggest that this could be a result of numerous failed projects in the crypto landscape.

“Crypto was hard to break into; less than 10% of roles were entry-level,” noted Dragonfly Capital in a report published Thursday, which is based on data from 85 crypto companies collected in late 2024 and Q1 2025, complemented by around 3,400 employee and candidate insights.

In stark contrast, senior and principal roles made up the majority of positions at 37%, while engineering roles dominated, accounting for approximately 67% of the overall workforce.

Cautious Hiring in the Crypto Sector This Year

Despite an optimistic outlook for the crypto market and an upswing in investor sentiment, hiring practices in the industry have turned “cautious.” According to Dragonfly, net hiring has entered the negative territory in the first half of 2025.

“Early swings included strong job growth in January, a tariff shock in February, and significant layoffs in March,” reported Dragonfly.

Entry-level roles have faced the brunt of reductions, with lower salaries and diminished token benefits, which were somewhat compensated by higher equity.

The situation may be unexpected, especially noting that as of December 2024, about 34% of global crypto holders were between 24 and 35 years old, according to a Triple-A report.

Kevin Gibson, of Proof of Search, remarked that the survey findings resonate with his personal observations.

Senior Professionals Re-entering the Job Market

“Despite overall market positivity and successful projects, many initiatives have faltered post-token generation events,” Gibson conveyed.

This has led to an influx of experienced individuals back into the job market, thus providing firms a choice from a wider array of seasoned candidates.

Gibson also indicated that with a significant market stability expected to last at least another six months, organizations are concentrating on hiring senior talent to expedite project completion.

“We have not yet returned to the recruitment landscape we saw in 2021, where entry-level candidates with minimal experience were rapidly hired,” he added.

Matt Thompson of TRB Executive Search emphasized that during favorable conditions, crypto companies typically increase hiring, but layoffs follow during downturns.

“Such volatility may dissuade younger applicants from pursuing a career in crypto, especially when compared to traditional banking, where job security appears more stable.”