20 Crypto Recruiters for Hiring Web3 Talent
Meet the leading recruiters & headhunters in the crypto industry who specialize in Web3 talent. These experts are known for sourcing the best professionals for your blockchain projects. ↓
The Web3 ecosystem has seen explosive growth, driven by an ever-expanding demand for blockchain and cryptocurrency talent. The individuals behind this talent boom are seasoned recruiters who specialize in sourcing top-tier professionals for crypto startups, DeFi projects, and emerging blockchain enterprises. These recruiters play a crucial role in bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and exceptional talent, fostering innovation, and scaling blockchain projects globally.
Below is an updated and ranked list of the most influential crypto recruiters, selected for their significant contributions to the Web3 talent landscape.
- Rob Paone
- Kevin Gibson
- Emily Landon
- Juliet Kasko
- Neil Dundon
- Zeth Couceiro
- Paul Owen
- Harrison Wright
- Aaron Hayhurst
- Sam Wellalage
- Savvina Drougouti
- Dominic Rohde
- Pablo Sojo
- Miriam Mendez
- Zhanna Manzyk
- Craig Oliver
- Anders Christiansen
- Ginnette Harvey
- Josh Craven
- Owen Healy
Below we provide more detailed profiles of each recruiter.
Rob Paone
Nationality: American
Rob is the founder and CEO of Proof of Talent, a New York-based crypto recruitment firm established in 2019. Known by the moniker “Crypto Bobby” in the community, Paone leverages his industry credibility and social media presence to connect elite blockchain talent with high-impact companies.
His firm specializes in placing engineers, product managers, and executives into top crypto startups and enterprises (clients include Gemini, OpenSea, Messari). Rob’s influence comes from being both a seasoned recruiter and a crypto content creator, giving him deep reach into the Web3 talent pool.
- LinkedIn: Rob Paone
- X (Twitter): @crypto_bobby
Kevin Gibson
Nationality: Australian
Kevin is the founder of Proof of Search, an Australia-based blockchain recruitment firm he started in 2020. With prior experience as a tech recruiting executive, Kevin created PoS to offer “discrete and confidential” headhunting for the blockchain industry.
He has since become a go-to recruiter for APAC-region crypto projects and finance/DeFi startups, helping them hire senior engineers and product leaders. Gibson is active on social media where he shares job openings and industry hiring stats, and he was a featured guest on the Talent Talk Asia podcast discussing blockchain recruitment.
His influence is notable in bridging the gap between traditional finance talent and crypto – he frequently sources candidates from banking and fintech into Web3 roles.
- LinkedIn: Kevin Gibson
- X (Twitter): @ProofofSearch
Emily Landon
Nationality: American
Emily is the CEO of The Crypto Recruiters, a woman-founded Web3 recruiting firm she started in 2020. She brands herself “The Crypto Recruiter” and has already made over 340 successful placements in blockchain and Web3 roles.
Emily works with 100+ startups (CoinTelegraph, MetaMask, etc.) to fill engineering, marketing, compliance, and leadership positions, and her team boasts a talent pool of 150k+ candidates. Featured by Business Insider and CoinDesk, Landon has built a large following (50k+ on LinkedIn) by sharing crypto career advice and no-nonsense hiring insights.
- LinkedIn: Emily Landon
- X (Twitter): @EmilyCryptoJobs
Juliet Kasko
Nationality: Singaporian
Juliet is the founder of Global CxO, an executive search and advisory firm focused on blockchain and emerging tech talent since 2012.
Based in Singapore/Abu Dhabi, she has become a trusted recruiter for C-suite and VP roles in the Web3 and fintech space, especially across the Asia-Pacific region. Juliet is known for her bespoke approach to aligning candidate qualifications with company culture, which has led to long-term executive placements at major blockchain companies.
An INSEAD-educated career coach and leadership advisor, Kasko’s influence comes from over a decade of global recruiting experience bridging Western and APAC crypto markets.
- LinkedIn: Juliet Kasko
- X (Twitter): @GlobalCxO
Neil Dundon
Nationality: Australian
In the world of Web3 recruitment, transparency is key. There’s no room for fluff—just real insights and genuine advice to help you find the right fit.
Neil is the founder of Crypto Recruit, the world’s first dedicated blockchain recruiting agency, launched in Sydney in 2017. A self-proclaimed pioneer of Web3 recruitment (he’s been headhunting in crypto since early 2016), Dundon leads a global team that covers everything from executive hires to engineers across DeFi, GameFi, NFTs, and Layer1/Layer2 projects.
He is valued for his “hard truths, real insights, no fluff” approach on social media, which has earned him 48k+ LinkedIn followers and a reputation for honest market advice. Neil’s firm has a combined 30+ years of recruitment experience in tech, lending strong credibility in matching crypto talent with the right roles.
- LinkedIn: Neil Dundon
Zeth Couceiro
Nationality: British
Zeth is co-founder of Plexus, one of the first recruitment firms to specialize in Web3 and cryptocurrency (founded 2017). Under Zeth’s leadership, Plexus grew from a 5-person startup to a 40-strong global team with offices in London and Miami.
The firm is known for an efficient two-week sprint model to deliver top candidates and its huge LinkedIn community of Web3 professionals. Couceiro has placed smart contract engineers, blockchain developers, marketing leads and more for clients like Tezos, Filecoin Foundation, dYdX, and other leading projects.
His prominence comes from championing transparent, speedy hiring processes and openly sharing Plexus’ lessons and growth in the evolving crypto job market.
- LinkedIn: Zeth Couceiro
Paul Owen
Nationality: British
Paul is the CEO and founder of RecruitBlock, a boutique crypto recruitment agency he established in 2018. With over 20 years of experience in scaling startups and high-growth companies, Paul entered the blockchain space in 2017 and has since placed talent at giants like Binance, OKX, Gnosis, and more.
RB under Owen’s guidance offers both contingent and retained searches, and even hosts community meetups to engage blockchain professionals. Paul’s effectiveness lies in his finance background (he’s a Fellow Chartered Accountant) combined with crypto enthusiasm, giving him unique insight into both operational and technical hiring needs.
He is active on LinkedIn sharing crypto hiring market analysis and has become a recognized name for building strong teams in emerging crypto markets.
- LinkedIn: Paul Owen
- X (Twitter): @blockchainpaulo
Harrison Wright
Nationality: American
Harrison is the founder of The Blockchain Recruiter, a specialist consultancy for blockchain, crypto, and Web3 talent. A recruiting veteran with 15+ years in tech staffing, Harrison launched his own firm and quickly became a leading headhunter in the space.
He offers personalized recruitment services for startups and VCs, and also hosts The Blockchain Startup Show podcast, where he interviews Web3 founders about team-building. Wright is highly visible on X and LinkedIn, often authoring articles and a book on hiring for blockchain. Clients praise him as “far and away the best headhunter” they’ve worked with, highlighting his professionalism and deep network.
- LinkedIn: Harrison Wright
- X (Twitter): @harrison_BCR
Aaron Hayhurst
Nationality: British
Aaron “Azza” is a prominent Web3 recruiter and content creator, often dubbed the “OG Web3 Recruiter”. He spent 6+ years placing blockchain and DeFi talent at firms like Spectrum Search and Savant Recruitment, before founding Web3 Insights: Talent in 2024.
Aaron also hosts the Web3 Insights podcast and runs a talent Discord, positioning himself at the nexus of community building and recruiting. Known for his energetic presence on Twitter and LinkedIn, Hayhurst shares practical hiring tips (e.g. how to spot anonymous developer talent) and industry commentary. His influence comes from being an early mover in crypto recruiting, helping dozens of Web3 companies hire key team members worldwide.
- LinkedIn: Aaron Hayhurst
- X (Twitter): @Blockchain_Azza
Sam Wellalage
Nationality: British
Sam is the founder and executive search lead at WorkInCrypto Global, a crypto recruitment agency he launched in 2019. Based in London, Sam specializes in senior and leadership hires ($100k+ salaries) for the crypto industry, often filling roles like CTOs, Heads of Trading, and VPs of Engineering.
He acts as a strategic talent partner to top exchanges, DeFi platforms, and metaverse startups – OKX and others rely on his services for critical hires. Wellalage is active on X, where he dispenses quick bites of hiring wisdom (e.g. how “once-in-a-lifetime” job offers can happen in crypto) and posts about recent successful placements. His combination of sports-like energy (he’s a former pro athlete) and recruitment savvy has made him one of the most visible crypto headhunters globally.
- LinkedIn: Sam Wellalage
- X (Twitter): @WellalageSam
Savvina Drougouti
Nationality: Bulgarian/Greek
Savvina is the founder of Talents Lab, a boutique headhunting firm focused on “hiring the world’s top 1% talent” in Web3 and blockchain. Based in Bulgaria (with Greek roots), she has over 5 years of hands-on experience sourcing elite engineers, product leaders, and growth hackers for crypto startups.
Savvina prides herself on personally vetting candidates and building lean teams “0 to 1” for emerging tech companies. She is active on LinkedIn and the DEV community, where she publishes tips on crypto resumes and hiring. By combining a global reach with a white-glove approach, Drougouti has become a trusted recruiter for European blockchain projects and a vocal advocate for women in tech (sharing her journey as a female founder in Web3 recruitment).
- LinkedIn: Savvina Drougouti
Dominic Rohde
Nationality: German
Dominic is a freelance Web3 talent advisor currently based in the UAE, known for his precision hiring in frontier tech. He formerly served as Head of Recruitment at DAO Maker and Head of Talent at crypto startups, and has placed dozens of engineers and executives across Europe and the Middle East.
Dominic’s “battle-tested” tactics in crypto recruiting – from detecting fake profiles to multi-tier skills assessments – have been featured in industry blogs. He shares frank insights on LinkedIn about blockchain engineer salaries and hiring processes, amassing a following for his transparency. On X, he often mentors job seekers on navigating the chaotic crypto job market.
Rohde’s influence stems from bridging corporate HR rigor with the flexibility needed in Web3 hiring, making him a go-to recruiter for several DeFi and metaverse startups.
- LinkedIn: Dominic Rohde
- X (Twitter): @allesdom
Pablo Sojo
Nationality: Argentine
Pablo is an HR leader and crypto recruiter who has spearheaded talent acquisition for multiple blockchain companies. Over the past 5 years in the crypto/Web3 space, Pablo has hired 400+ employees across engineering, marketing, and operations roles while building companies from scratch.
He served as HR Director at HRBaires, helping international startups set up tech teams in Latin America, and has consulted for exchanges and Web3 gaming firms on their LATAM hiring strategy. Sojo’s effectiveness lies in his ability to tap into emerging markets for talent; he’s helped Silicon Valley crypto firms find skilled developers in Argentina, Colombia, and beyond.
He actively shares job openings and hiring advice on LinkedIn (in both English and Spanish), making him a well-known recruiter in the Spanish-speaking crypto community.
- LinkedIn: Pablo Sojo
Miriam Mendez
Nationality: Spanish
Miriam is the founder and lead recruiter of Fishing HR, a talent firm serving both Web2 and Web3 companies in Europe. With a background in coding and HR, Miriam specializes in technical recruiting for blockchain startups, understanding the needs of developers and engineers firsthand.
She is an outspoken advocate for diversity in crypto – for example, she has written about “Closing the Gender Gap in Web3 hiring” on her Twitter. Based in Spain, Mendez has successfully placed senior developers, product managers, and even community leads into fast-growing DeFi and NFT ventures. Her influence comes from combining traditional HR rigor with crypto-native knowledge, and she often mentors newcomers through online content and workshops.
- LinkedIn: Miriam Mendez
- X (Twitter): @MendezRecruiter
Zhanna Manzyk
Nationality: Ukrainian
Zhanna is the CEO and co-founder of Jaya Talent, a global Web3 recruiting agency with hubs in Dubai, Kyiv, and Bangalore. Under Zhanna’s leadership, Jaya Talent has become known for hiring leadership teams for tier-1 crypto startups and advising blockchain companies on scaling HR.
Manzyk herself is recognized as a thought leader in Web3 recruitment and HR – she was recently highlighted as a pioneer blending mindfulness with fast-paced crypto hiring. With a background in corporate HR, she pivoted to entrepreneurship and now helps projects secure top talent in areas like tokenomics, exchange operations, and crypto marketing.
Zhanna is active on LinkedIn and Instagram, where she shares behind-the-scenes looks at building a recruitment business and advocates for mental health in the crypto workplace.
- LinkedIn: Zhanna Manzyk
- X (Twitter): @zhannamanzyk
- IG: manzykzhanna
Craig Oliver
Nationality: British
Craig is the founder and CEO of Spectrum Search, a leading Web3 recruitment agency he started in 2018. Based in the UK, Craig has built Spectrum Search into a go-to firm for both technical (engineers, auditors) and non-technical (product, marketing, community) hires in blockchain gaming, DeFi, and crypto infrastructure.
His agency has successfully placed talent at major crypto companies like Binance, Hedera and others. With over 130k followers on LinkedIn, Oliver is highly visible, often sharing industry hiring trends and even hosting Web3 career podcasts. He’s recognized for strategically helping startups “cultivate growth-oriented teams” that scale the broader blockchain ecosystem.
- LinkedIn: Craig Oliver
Anders Christiansen
Nationality: British
Anders is the founder of Priority Crypto, a specialized blockchain recruiting division he launched in 2019 under Priority Recruitment. Based in the UK, Anders has a decade+ of recruitment experience and has pivoted to focus on global headhunting for Web3 startups and enterprises.
He is a “trusted advisor to leaders at tier-1 firms like OKX”, helping fill their critical roles. Under his leadership, Priority Crypto emphasizes quality over quantity, conducting tailored executive searches and offering advisory services to crypto clients. Anders is active on X, sharing success stories and hiring insights.
His hands-on approach and industry connections make him one of the more influential recruiters in the European crypto scene.
- LinkedIn: Anders Christiansen
- X (Twitter): @AndersPriority
Ginnette Harvey
Nationality: British
Ginnette is the co-founder of BlocHaus, a specialist recruitment firm for blockchain and Web3 talent. A veteran of the staffing industry since 2006, Ginnette has been named one of SIA’s Top 100 Staffing Leaders and previously led an international recruiting firm.
In 2021 she turned her focus to crypto, launching BlocHaus to connect global brands with the best blockchain professionals. Ginnette is also passionate about elevating women in the Web3 workforce, often championing female talent and recruiters (she even founded a separate firm, Harper & Gray, focusing on DEI). On X and LinkedIn, she shares insights on topics like hiring for crypto startups vs. enterprises, and the importance of culture fit in Web3.
Her long-standing recruitment expertise and public presence make her a highly respected voice in crypto talent acquisition.
- LinkedIn: Ginnette Harvey
- X (Twitter): @ginnetteharvey
Josh Craven
Nationality: British
Josh is a crypto recruiter who founded Digital Asset Talent, a boutique headhunting agency for the digital asset sector. After the 2021 market downturn, Josh pivoted from crypto investing to recruiting and built teams from the ground up for some of the biggest names in crypto and blockchain.
He has made crucial executive placements (e.g. CFOs, Heads of Sales, Compliance Leads) for firms in the exchange, trading, and Web3 infrastructure space. Currently, he also leads talent acquisition at Ondo Finance (a DeFi startup), keeping him plugged into the latest industry needs. Craven often shares market analysis in newsletters and on LinkedIn – he’s been quoted on why exchanges pay top dollar for certain roles.
His credibility comes from blending in-house experience with running his own crypto-focused recruiting service.
- LinkedIn: Josh Craven
Owen Healy
Nationality: Irish
Owen is an independent blockchain recruiter from Ireland who has carved out a niche in scaling Web3 startups. He founded Owen Healy Blockchain Talent in 2023 to offer boutique recruitment services, sloganed “Scaling Web3, One Hire at a Time”.
Owen has personally placed over 90 people from 30+ countries into blockchain projects ranging from Layer-1 protocols to crypto consultancies. He’s known for his personalized touch – clients note he provides detailed candidate evaluations and even salary benchmarking help. A regular speaker at crypto conferences (he was featured at ETH Belgrade) and in media interviews, Healy has built a reputation for recognizing hidden gem talent that others overlook.
He’s approachable on LinkedIn, where he actively engages with both candidates and founders.
- LinkedIn: Owen Healy
Sum Up
These distinguished recruiters have played a pivotal role in reshaping the Web3 space by sourcing top-tier talent, fostering digital innovation, and driving expansion into emerging blockchain and cryptocurrency markets. However, working directly with these experts can be difficult due to high demand and premium costs.
A valuable alternative is partnering with EchoGlobal, leveraging our vast industry knowledge and extensive global network to quickly connect you with the right Web3 talent to accelerate your growth.
Note: We’ve dedicated significant time and effort to creating and verifying this curated list of top professionals. However, if you believe a correction or addition is needed, feel free to reach out. We’ll gladly review and update the page.
Lou Reverchuk