I still remember the look on my client’s face—head of talent at a London fintech—when I asked about their crypto hiring plans back in 2018. “Crypto? Our legal team won’t touch it with a bargepole.” Fast forward to today, and I just got off a call with that same company. Now that the UK gives green light to clearer regulations around digital assets, they’re scouting for a Digital Assets Compliance Lead.
Why the U-turn?
Because the UK gives green light to crypto ETNs.
Yes, you read that right. For the first time, the London Stock Exchange is now allowing trading of crypto-backed Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) for professional investors. That’s a big signal—not just to markets, but to hiring managers, compliance officers, and yes, crypto recruiters like me.
It’s the kind of shift that opens up floodgates—capital, credibility, and careers.
Let’s break down what this means on the ground.
Institutions Are (Finally) Getting Off the Sidelines
When you’ve been recruiting in crypto for a while, you start to notice patterns. One of the biggest has been the hesitancy from institutional players. They’ve loved talking about blockchain at conferences, but when it came to hiring… radio silence.
But now? Different story.
ETNs make crypto digestible for the traditional finance crowd. These are structured financial products, fully regulated, and backed by real assets. The fact that the UK gives green light to these instruments says: “We’re open for institutional crypto business—no tinfoil hats required.”
Already seeing ripple effects.
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Hedge funds in Mayfair pinging for blockchain analysts.
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Asset managers asking for “tokenisation specialists.”
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And boutique trading desks? Suddenly needing compliance officers fluent in crypto acronyms.
It’s not a stampede (yet), but it’s more than a trickle.
ETNs vs ETFs: Why It Matters
Quick primer—ETNs (Exchange Traded Notes) and ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) sound similar, but they’re not twins. ETFs hold actual assets (like Bitcoin), while ETNs are more like debt notes from a bank, tracking the price of crypto without holding it directly.
So why does it matter that the UK gives green light to ETNs first?
Because it’s the safer option for regulators. And a safer option means less risk for firms dipping their toes in. They can get crypto exposure on their books without needing to hire a cold wallet custodian or rewrite their risk framework.
For recruiters like me, this nuance is gold.
It tells me that we’re going to see hiring around:
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Crypto strategy teams in TradFi institutions
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Risk managers who understand crypto volatility
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Product owners launching new ETN-based instruments
It’s the foot in the door. And you know what happens once that door’s ajar…
Compliance Just Got a Lot More Interesting
Let me be honest—compliance roles used to be a hard sell. Necessary, but not sexy.
Now? The crypto twist has given it serious edge.
With ETNs hitting the London Stock Exchange, firms need talent who can navigate the FCA, understand MiCA (yes, even if it’s EU-based), and decode crypto risk. I recently placed a compliance lead who used to work at a top-tier bank—he moved to a Web3 infrastructure firm. Why? “It’s where all the action is,” he told me.
This new regulatory clarity (even if imperfect) means hiring managers are no longer scared to dip into the crypto pool.
And trust me, when compliance gets moving, the rest of the org isn’t far behind.
New Products = New Talent War
With the UK giving green light to crypto ETNs, product teams across finance and fintech are dusting off those “tokenisation” decks they parked in 2021.
We’re seeing job briefs come through that didn’t exist six months ago:
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“Build our digital asset strategy from scratch”
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“Launch the UK’s first regulated ETH ETN”
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“Help us shape the future of crypto-backed products in Europe”
It’s exciting. But it’s also chaotic.
Startups now find themselves competing with traditional financial heavyweights for crypto-native product managers, marketers, and quants. And guess what? The big guys come with budget, benefits, and brand trust.
If you’re a crypto-native builder? Now is the time to charge what you’re worth.
If you’re hiring? You’d better move fast, or someone else will snap up the talent you’ve been “keeping warm.”
So, What’s Next?
This move isn’t just about financial products—it’s about validation. It’s one more step towards making digital assets part of the mainstream investment landscape.
The UK giving green light to crypto ETNs isn’t a headline—it’s a hiring signal.
I’ve seen this movie before:
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2017: ICO boom = frontend dev frenzy
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2020: DeFi summer = solidity engineer shortage
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2021: NFT mania = every brand wanted a community manager
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2024? ETNs + regulatory maturity = crypto meets TradFi hiring explosion
And just like those past moments, the firms who move first, who adapt fast, who understand where this is going—they’re the ones who win.
If you’re an institutional player still on the fence, consider this your sign. The UK’s message is clear: digital assets aren’t going away.
If you’re a crypto-native professional, sharpen that CV—because the calls are coming.
And if you’re a recruiter like me?
It’s time to get busy.
