DeFi Business Development Associate / Analyst

Employment Type: Full time independent contractor

Work Model: Remote

Work Hours: US work hours

Role Overview

We are looking for a DeFi-native Business Development Associate / Analyst to serve as a strategic filter and growth engine for our ecosystem. This is not a general administrative or virtual assistant role; it is a high-stakes position for someone who understands the operational and commercial plumbing of DeFi protocols.

You will work closely with leadership to evaluate inbound partnership opportunities assess the quality of incoming deals and support negotiations with teams looking to launch tokenized assets on the network. Your primary objective is to maximize ecosystem efficiencyspecifically optimizing the ratio of capital deployed on-chain versus incentives distributed.

Key Responsibilities

Partnership Evaluation & Pipeline Management

• Rigorously vet inbound DeFi partnership opportunities to ensure they align with network growth goals.

• Manage the BD pipeline ensuring high-priority opportunities are prioritized and moved through the funnel efficiently.

• Assess the strategic value of protocols and startups looking to integrate or launch on the network.

Analytical Support & Negotiation

• Analyze proposed incentive structures and ecosystem partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability.

• Support negotiations with founders and protocol teams to secure favorable terms for the ecosystem.

• Use data-driven insights to evaluate the potential ROI of capital deployment on-chain.

Ecosystem Research

• Conduct deep-dive research into lending/borrowing protocols Real World Assets (RWAs) and tokenized ecosystems.

• Stay ahead of emerging DeFi trends and identify blue ocean opportunities for the network.

• Synthesize complex on-chain business models into actionable commercial recommendations.

What Were Looking For (Mandatory)

• Deep DeFi Fluency: You arent just a retail user; you understand token incentives liquidity mining and the mechanics of lending/borrowing protocols from a builders perspective.

• Crypto-Native Experience: Previous experience working within a DeFi protocol crypto-native VC or ecosystem growth team.

• Commercial Acumen: The ability to look at a partnership and determine if it actually makes sense for the networks bottom line.

• Hyper-Responsiveness: You thrive in a fast-moving 24/7 market environment and are comfortable with flexible hours to close deals.

• High Ownership: You are an independent operator who can drive projects forward with minimal supervision in an ambiguous startup environment.

Critical Success Factors

• Proven Track Record: You can point to specific DeFi projects or ecosystem initiatives you have supported or analyzed.

• Analytical Thinking: You can break down a protocols revenue model and incentive structure with ease.

• Communication: You can hold your own in technical and commercial conversations with Web3 founders and protocol architects.

Note to Applicants: This role requires immediate responsiveness and significant prior experience in the crypto space. Generalists or those without direct DeFi operational experience will not be considered.

Required Experience:

IC