BlackRock Ramps Up Hiring for Major Crypto Expansion

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, is aggressively building out its digital assets division with a wave of new hires across New York, London, and Singapore. The move underscores the firm’s intent to deepen its footprint in cryptocurrency, tokenization, and stablecoins.

Key Highlights

• Dozens of new roles posted, from associates to managing directors, covering product strategy, research, compliance, fund services, and regional execution.
• Top-tier positions offer salaries up to $350,000 and focus on crypto assets, stablecoins, and tokenization initiatives.
• Expansion follows the success of BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF and its pioneering tokenized fund on Ethereum.

Robert Mitchnick, Head of Digital Assets, recently confirmed the recruitment push, noting openings for leadership roles in New York, London, and Asia to drive the firm’s long-term crypto roadmap.

Notable postings include:

• A New York Managing Director (salary $270,000–$350,000) to spearhead cross-firm digital asset projects.
• A Singapore-based Managing Director for Asia-Pacific strategy, tasked with multi-year commercial planning, regulatory advocacy, and partnerships across banks, brokers, exchanges, and fintechs.
• Specialized roles in tokenization controls, financial crime compliance, and legal support for EMEA.

BlackRock is enforcing a hybrid model requiring at least four in-office days per week.

From ETFs to On-Chain Finance: BlackRock’s Growing Crypto Presence

The hiring surge builds directly on BlackRock’s recent milestones:

• The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), one of the most successful spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in 2024.
• Elevation of Bitcoin exposure to a core 2025 investment theme alongside short-term Treasuries and mega-cap U.S. tech.

Most notably, BlackRock has pioneered institutional on-chain finance through its BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), launched in March 2025 on Ethereum in partnership with Securitize.

BlackRock BUIDL Fund Details

• Structure: Tokenized money-market fund investing primarily in short-term U.S. Treasuries, cash, and repurchase agreements.
• Token: BUIDL (ERC-20 on Ethereum), representing shares in the fund with a stable $1.00 NAV.
• Minimum Investment: $5 million (targeted at qualified institutional buyers).
• Yield: Competitive money-market rates, paid out daily in additional tokens.
• Key Milestones:
  • Rapidly grew to over $500 million AUM within months of launch.
  • Accepted as high-quality collateral on major venues, including Binance (a first for tokenized Treasuries in institutional workflows).
  • Enables instant, 24/7 subscription/redemption and peer-to-peer transfers on-chain—features impossible in traditional funds.
• Strategic Importance: BUIDL demonstrates real-world institutional adoption of blockchain for traditional assets, bridging TradFi liquidity with DeFi infrastructure.

This tokenized fund has become a cornerstone of BlackRock’s vision for the convergence of traditional and digital finance.

Positioning for the Next Phase

The breadth of new roles—from product development and market structure to risk management and regional rollout—signals BlackRock’s intent to professionalize and scale its full crypto stack.

As the firm moves beyond headline ETF inflows into sophisticated on-chain products and global distribution, it is clearly preparing for cryptocurrency’s maturation into a mainstream asset class.