BlackRock ramps up global crypto hiring with senior roles across three continents
BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager, is quietly but decisively deepening its push into digital assets by opening a wave of new crypto-focused positions across the United States, Europe and Asia. Fresh listings on the firm’s careers portal show a coordinated hiring drive for leadership and specialist roles dedicated to cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and tokenization.
The expansion is being led by Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s global head of digital assets. In a recent hiring announcement on LinkedIn, he highlighted that the company is actively looking for multiple senior figures to strengthen its digital asset division and steer key initiatives in the space. The announced roles sit at different levels of seniority, from associates to managing directors, reflecting an effort to build out a complete organizational structure rather than simply making a few headline hires.
According to the job descriptions, the open positions are spread across several strategic hubs: multiple cities in the United States, as well as offices in Singapore, England and Ireland. The geographic spread underscores BlackRock’s intention to run its crypto and tokenization agenda as a global franchise, embedded in both Western and Asian financial centers.
The vacancies cover a range of responsibilities but share a clear focus on digital asset innovation. Successful candidates will be expected to work on projects involving crypto assets, fiat-backed stablecoins and onchain tokenization of traditional financial instruments. These initiatives are positioned as cross-functional, involving close collaboration with teams responsible for portfolio management, risk, technology, compliance and product development.
Associate-level roles typically require in the range of three to six years of professional experience, according to the listings. BlackRock is targeting individuals with a blend of capital markets expertise and hands-on understanding of blockchain technologies and crypto markets. More senior leadership roles, including director and managing director positions, call for more than 12 years of experience, with a track record in steering complex, multi-stakeholder projects within financial services.
One of the flagship openings is a Managing Director role based in New York. The position comes with a stated salary range of 270,000 to 350,000 dollars, not including potential bonuses and equity-based compensation. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing and overseeing the execution of several large-scale digital asset initiatives across the entire firm, serving as a central coordinator between business, technology and control functions.
In terms of work model, BlackRock maintains its hybrid office policy for these crypto-related roles. Employees are expected to spend at least four days a week in the office, with one day working remotely. For candidates coming from fully remote crypto-native firms, this highlights that BlackRock treats its digital asset activities as integrated with its broader asset management operations, rather than as a separate or experimental side project.
The new hiring push comes as BlackRock has already cemented itself as a leading player in institutional crypto products. The company is currently the largest issuer of both Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds. These spot ETFs have significantly broadened regulated access to the two largest digital assets for pension funds, wealth managers, family offices and retail investors using traditional brokerage accounts.
Beyond ETFs, BlackRock has been exploring tokenization as a core pillar of its digital strategy. Last year, it launched the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund on Ethereum, which is widely cited as the firm’s first tokenized fund on a public blockchain. The new recruitment round specifically references work on tokenization, suggesting that BlackRock intends to move beyond pilot projects toward more scalable, production-grade offerings.
The emphasis on stablecoins in the job descriptions also signals where BlackRock sees near-term opportunity. Stable-value digital tokens are increasingly used as settlement assets, collateral and liquidity tools in the crypto ecosystem. For a firm managing trillions of dollars, understanding how stablecoins intersect with money markets, short-term credit and cash management is becoming strategically important. New leadership hires are likely to be tasked with translating this infrastructure into products suitable for institutional clients operating within stringent regulatory frameworks.
This hiring wave reflects a broader shift in how large financial institutions view crypto. While market cycles bring volatility to token prices and trading volumes, the underlying infrastructure—blockchains, smart contracts and token standards—is increasingly being treated as a new layer for issuing and transferring financial assets. BlackRock’s move to expand its digital assets team at senior levels indicates that it views this trend as structural, not transient.
For professionals in finance, technology and crypto, these roles hint at how the job market is evolving. Traditional investment firms are no longer seeking “pure” crypto evangelists alone; they want candidates who can bridge classic asset management disciplines—like risk modeling, product structuring and regulatory compliance—with up-to-date knowledge of onchain technologies and digital asset markets. Experience in things like DeFi, custody models, wallet infrastructure, blockchain analytics or token economics can be a differentiator, but only when paired with an understanding of institutional risk and governance standards.
BlackRock’s regional spread of openings is also revealing. The presence of roles in Singapore suggests the firm is aligning with Asia’s growing significance as a crypto and fintech hub, especially in areas like tokenized assets and digital payments. Positions in England and Ireland connect digital asset innovation with Europe’s maturing regulatory framework for crypto and tokenized instruments. Meanwhile, the United States remains the core market for both ETF distribution and large institutional client relationships, justifying the concentration of senior leadership roles in New York.
From a strategic standpoint, expanding a digital assets team across multiple time zones can help BlackRock support institutional clients that trade or allocate capital around the clock. Crypto markets operate 24/7, unlike traditional securities exchanges, so risk management, operations and technology need to be calibrated to that reality. Leadership roles described as “cross-functional” are likely to involve building processes and tools that allow the firm to monitor exposures, flows and market conditions continuously, while staying compliant with local regulations.
The focus on tokenization in these roles may be especially consequential over the medium term. Tokenization involves representing claims on real-world assets—such as money market funds, government bonds or real estate—on a blockchain, potentially enabling faster settlement, instant collateralization and more granular ownership. For an asset manager like BlackRock, tokenization could influence everything from product design and distribution to collateral management and treasury operations. The new hires will likely explore how to bring tokenized assets into mainstream portfolios without compromising on liquidity, transparency or regulatory obligations.
For candidates considering applying to such positions, the postings provide indirect guidance on what skill sets are most valued. Beyond years of experience, the roles emphasize leadership, the ability to drive large-scale initiatives, and comfort operating at the intersection of business and technology. Familiarity with digital asset regulation, experience working with regulators or compliance teams, and an understanding of institutional-grade custody and security practices are likely to be viewed as key assets.
BlackRock’s digital expansion also has implications for the broader crypto ecosystem. Institutional adoption by firms of this scale can influence market structure, product standards and risk practices across the industry. As more large players hire specialized teams and launch regulated products, pressure may grow on smaller or less regulated firms to professionalize their operations and reporting. Conversely, BlackRock’s engagement with crypto-native technologies could bring new liquidity, legitimacy and infrastructure to areas such as tokenized funds and onchain capital markets.
Finally, the fact that these roles range from associate to managing director shows that BlackRock is not just adding a single “head of crypto” as a symbolic gesture. Instead, it appears to be building a layered organization capable of designing, launching and operating digital asset products at scale. As this team grows, it is likely to shape not only how BlackRock approaches crypto and tokenization, but also how traditional finance and digital assets converge over the coming years.