I’ll never forget the time a brilliant DeFi founder ghosted me halfway through hiring their first Head of Compliance. “We’re decentralised,” they said. “Regulation doesn’t apply to us.” That was before the GENIUS Act advances made it clear—compliance is no longer optional in Web3.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I’ve lost count of how many crypto firms are now scrambling to hire ex-SEC staffers, policy wonks, and legal minds fluent in blockchain lingo.
Why the sudden pivot? Three words: GENIUS Act Advances.
If you haven’t been following the GENIUS Act (short for Government Empowerment for National Innovation and Ubiquitous Safeguards), it’s the latest U.S. push to create a clearer regulatory framework for digital assets. And now that it’s picking up momentum in Congress, the Web3 job market is shifting fast—especially for regulatory and compliance talent.
Let’s unpack what this means for those of us in the crypto hiring trenches.
Regulation Is No Longer the Enemy
For years, crypto lived by the motto: “Ask forgiveness, not permission.” But the GENIUS Act Advances are flipping that script.
We’re seeing serious efforts to define which tokens are securities, how DAOs should be treated, and what proper disclosure looks like. Sure, not everything in the Act is perfect—there’s plenty of debate—but it’s a step toward certainty.
From a hiring perspective? This has changed everything.
Just this month, I helped a Layer 1 protocol hire a Head of Policy who previously worked in Washington. Three other clients asked for “someone who understands D.C.” in the same week. A year ago, those roles didn’t even exist in their org charts.
The Rise of the “RegFi” Professional
Let’s talk about the new hot job title: RegFi Specialist.
That’s my shorthand for folks who live at the intersection of regulation and decentralised finance. Think lawyers who can read Solidity contracts. Or ex-trade surveillance pros now diving into on-chain forensics.
The GENIUS Act Advances have made these hybrid roles a top priority. It’s no longer just about staying compliant—it’s about building with compliance in mind from day one.
One candidate I placed used to write internal memos at the CFTC. Now she’s designing governance frameworks for a DAO with $2B TVL. That’s the talent migration happening right now.
But here’s the rub: there’s a supply crunch. Everyone wants the same 50 people.
From Nice-to-Have to Need-to-Hire
Before the GENIUS Act Advances started gaining traction, hiring a compliance lead was often seen as a box-ticking exercise. Something you did after raising your Series B—or worse, after getting that first SEC letter.
Now? It’s becoming the first hire post-funding.
Just last quarter, one of our clients paused their senior engineering search to focus instead on filling a Policy Lead position. Why? Their investors flagged the GENIUS Act during due diligence. They didn’t want exposure to a protocol without a clear compliance roadmap.
If you’re building anything remotely touching DeFi, stablecoins, or tokenisation? You’ll need someone who can speak both legal and technical. And those candidates? They’re getting snapped up—fast.
What’s Actually Working (and What’s Not)
Here’s what I’m seeing on the front lines:
✅ What’s working:
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Hiring from think tanks, policy research groups, and government bodies.
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Offering flexible work and DAO-style token packages to attract traditional legal talent.
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Framing regulatory hires as product partners, not just risk mitigators.
❌ What’s not working:
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Treating compliance as a side gig for your COO.
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Assuming generalist lawyers can “figure it out” as you scale.
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Waiting until a regulator comes knocking before building the function.
One founder told me, “I didn’t think we needed a compliance lead until we lost a $10M partnership because the other side asked for our risk disclosures.”
That’s the kind of wake-up call nobody wants.
Hire Smart, Stay Ahead
The GENIUS Act Advances are more than just a policy headline. They’re reshaping how crypto companies build—and who they hire to stay ahead.
And while some founders still bristle at the idea of regulation, the smarter ones are leaning in. They know this isn’t about slowing down innovation. It’s about futureproofing it.
So if you’re hiring in Web3 and you haven’t started looking at your regulatory bench, now’s the time. Because trust me, the best talent? They’re already getting offers.
And if you need a hand finding them, well… you know where to find me.
