It wasn’t just a bull run for prices last year. Careers in crypto outstripped price action in 2021, as crypto job searches soared by 395% in the United States alone, according to LinkedIn.
Crucially, the crypto industry outpaced the wider tech industry, which also saw remarkable development, almost doubling its number of job listings. However, at 98% growth, the tech industry dwindles in comparison to crypto jobs, which gained by a whopping 395%.
Furthermore, no industry was safe from “crypto-ization” in 2021. The LinkedIn News post offered valuable insight into crypto influencing other industries:
While most of the job postings were in software and finance, other industries are also seeing a rise in demand for crypto talent. These include professional services like accounting and consulting, as well as the staffing and computer hardware sectors.
For 2022, the growth trend looks set to continue. The biggest exchanges in crypto are brimming with job posts; Coinbase has over 250 openings, Kraken over 300, and the world’s most active exchange, Binance, lists more than 600 job posts.
For Bitcoiners and Bitcoin (BTC) maximalists, there is a new resource — Bitcoiner jobs. A service dedicated to helping connect Bitcoiners with Bitcoin-only companies, it now offers almost 100 Satoshi-approved careers.
For those who are unable to switch jobs into crypto, a wider HR trend is crypto remuneration. The mayors of New York and Miami announced that they would take a portion of their pay in BTC in 2021, while seven NFL players have chosen crypto over cash salaries to date.
Related: 3x NBA champion Andre Iguodala becomes the latest athlete to receive salary in crypto
Nonetheless, while the crypto career switch appears to be gaining traction, the LinkedIn audience is not convinced. Most comments on the LinkedIn post were from bewildered onlookers wondering why crypto has value, and one aggrieved copywriter remonstrated the industry’s scammy nature.
Plus, given that Bitcoin price action has yet to impress in 2022, the crypto industry may struggle to sustain such high human resources growth levels.
In the 2018 bear market, several cryptocurrency companies laid off staff. In sum, BTC activity needs to pick up to continue to support job creation.