Crypto Hiring Roundup: Tech Execs Switch to Web3

Samsung’s former chief strategy officer and electronics president made the switch to crypto, startup Astra Protocol announced this week. 

Astra, a decentralized Web3 compliance and KYC firm, brought in Young Sohn as an advisor. No stranger to disruptive technology, Sohn said he is excited to be at the forefront of the next major moves in the space. Compliance, he said, is going to be the key to moving crypto forward. 

“What we are currently witnessing is a paradigm shift, where emerging technologies have the impact to transform our everyday lives,” Sohn said in a statement Thursday. “However, market headwinds and rapidly evolving business landscapes are stifling adoption.”

Also making a move from big tech to a startup is Trip Hawkins, a former Apple executive and founder of Electronic Arts, the company behind soccer video game “FIFA.” Hawkins has joined Games for a Living, a Barcelona-based startup, as co-founder and strategy chief. 

In 2020, Games for a Living secured a little over $1.2 million in its pre-seed round. 

“Regardless of the recent birthing pains, blockchain as a technology holds a lot of potential, enabling enhanced experiences, verifiable proof of ownership and asset trading, as well as creating new opportunities for social interaction and innovative business models,” Hawkins said in a press release. 

Traditional firms are also looking to tap into crypto talent, with two major names adding digital asset skills to their list of requirements on dozens of job postings. BNY Mellon and JPMorgan both have their eye on those with crypto experience. 

In one new job posting, BNY Mellon says it needs a product specialist who can round out its digital asset offerings. The bank is also hiring a “digital cash product architect.” 

JPMorgan has more than a dozen openings on its Onyx blockchain team. Onyx, launched in 2020, specializes in wholesale payment transactions.

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