Crypto BDs: What Companies Really Look For

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Crypto Business Development: What Companies Really Look For

Most articles about BD in crypto are written by people who’ve never done it. This one isn’t.

After working in BD for exchanges like BitMart and BingX and protocols like dYdX, here’s what I actually learned about what companies want and what the job looks like in practice.

Volume is everything

Forget the buzzwords in the job description. Whether you’re at a CEX or a DEX, everything comes back to one question: how much volume are you bringing?

New users matter. Partnerships matter. But if trading volume isn’t moving, none of that saves you. BD in crypto is a results game and volume is the scoreboard. If you can’t move it directly or indirectly, you’ll struggle to prove your value no matter how strong your network looks on paper.

CEX and DEX are not the same job

This distinction matters more than most people realize, and most job descriptions completely ignore it.

At a CEX, the job is blunt: bring volume. You’re onboarding market makers, chasing institutional clients, and running campaigns to drive trading activity. The KPIs are clear. You either deliver or you don’t. The relationships that matter here are with traders, funds, and liquidity providers not communities.

At a DEX it’s different. Volume still matters, but you get there differently. You’re more of a connector than a closer. You spend your time building relationships with protocols, DAOs, and ecosystem players. Community strategies actually move the needle here something CEXs rarely care about. If you can activate a community that consistently drives usage, that’s real value at a DEX.

You probably won’t have a budget

At a CEX you’ll usually have a budget, but it depends heavily on your region. If you’re covering a high-priority market you’ll have more to work with. Smaller or emerging markets get less. Either way, you’re expected to make it work.

At a DEX there’s usually no budget at all. No sponsored events, no paid placements, no partnership dinners. What you have is your time, your network, and LinkedIn.

Yes, LinkedIn. Crypto runs on Twitter and Telegram, but a huge chunk of actual BD work happens on LinkedIn cold outreach, warm intros, conference follow-ups. It’s not glamorous but it works, especially when you have nothing to spend. The best DEX BD people are resourceful by necessity and figure out how to close deals without spending a dollar.

What companies are really hiring for

When you cut through the vague job descriptions, it comes down to a few things.

A network that actually converts. Not just knowing people in crypto but knowing people who trade, run funds, or control liquidity. If your network can move numbers, you’re valuable. If it can’t, the size of it doesn’t matter.

The ability to build from scratch. No pipeline handed to you, no SDR feeding you leads. You identify partners, do the outreach across three platforms, follow up in DMs, and close it yourself. If you need structure to function this will be painful.

Community instincts, particularly for DEXs. Can you find the right communities, engage without sounding like a marketing bot, and turn that into protocol activity? It’s hard to teach and easy to spot.

Deep connections with KOLs. This one is underrated but companies care a lot about it. Not just knowing influencers, but having real relationships with KOLs who can actually drive volume. Someone who can bring in a KOL to run a trading competition, amplify a launch, or push engagement at the right moment is extremely valuable. The closer you are to KOLs who have an audience that trades, the more leverage you have as a BD person.

A track record with real numbers. One concrete example of moving volume beats five vague bullet points on a resume every single time.

How to stand out

Lead with numbers. “Grew trading volume by X” is worth more than “managed strategic partnerships.” Be specific about whether your experience is CEX or DEX companies notice when candidates don’t understand the difference. And if you’ve delivered results with no budget, say that clearly. It’s a signal that you can actually operate in the real conditions of this industry.

If you’re looking for where to find these roles, Bloockberg Jobs lists crypto and Web3 positions from companies that actually understand what BD requires. And if you want to stay on top of new openings and industry news, the Bloockberg newsletter is worth subscribing to.

The bottom line

There’s nowhere to hide in crypto BD. Either the volume is up or it isn’t. But for someone with the right network, the hustle to work without a safety net, and a real understanding of how CEX and DEX dynamics differ it’s one of the most impactful roles in the space.

Know your numbers and never underestimate how much real work happens over a LinkedIn DM.