Culture, Agency, and Proof of Work: Lessons from Bitcoin Employers in 2025
Findings from Bitvocation’s 2025 Bitcoin Employer Survey
Our Annual Bitcoin Job Market Report is packed with quantitative data. To dig deeper into the human side, we also conducted an employer survey at the end of 2025, gathering qualitative insights. Founders and hiring managers from Bitcoin companies like Lightning Ventures, Wave Space, Bitcoin Treasuries Media, and Fedi shared their views and challenges with hiring in 2025, including key traits they value most in new hires.
Before diving in, an important caveat: this data is anecdotal. Our sample was small (fewer than 20 participants) and deeply Bitcoin-native. Builders have no time to fill in surveys 🙂 so this is not a statistically representative snapshot of the entire Bitcoin job market.
That said, the repetition of themes was striking — and offered a clear signal for anyone who wants to build a career in Bitcoin.
The Hiring Climate: More Applicants, Higher Standards
Whether hiring felt “easy” or “hard” in 2025 depended entirely on the role.
Several employers reported being flooded with applicants. At the same time, truly specialized roles remained difficult to fill. Rust developers, Bitcoin Core engineers, and Lightning Network experts continued to be scarce. High-signal talent in these areas was still the bottleneck.
Beyond engineering, there was a growing shortage of Bitcoin-native non-technical professionals. Employers repeatedly pointed to the need for marketers, growth leads, and operators who could translate deeply technical concepts into clear narratives — without diluting them or slipping into “crypto” language.
Being good at marketing isn’t enough. Being fluent in Bitcoin culture matters.
The Core Requirement: Agency
If one word dominated the 2025 survey responses, it was agency.
Not experience.
Not years in the industry.
Agency.
Employers consistently said they were not looking for people who waited for instructions. They were looking for people who took ownership — especially in early-stage environments where clarity was limited and playbooks rarely existed.
“I am missing agency — people actually being interested in what they work on and being motivated.”
Team Lead, Bitcoin Tech Startup
In Bitcoin startups, agency showed up as:
a can-do attitude
a tinkering mentality
the willingness to figure things out without perfect specs
and the ability to ship in imperfect conditions
At Bitvocation, we see agency closely tied to findability. Candidates with agency don’t just apply for jobs — they focus on becoming visible nodes in the network. They build relationships, show up at conferences, contribute publicly, and make it easier for opportunities to find them.
Agency isn’t a personality trait. It’s a behavior - and it can be intentionally adopted.
Proof of Work Is the Real Resume
One message came through clearly in 2025: the generic CV matters less and less.
What employers trust is Proof of Work.
That includes open-source contributions, grassroots initiatives, public writing or speaking, and any tangible signal that shows real understanding of Bitcoin — not just familiarity.
“Treat your CV as a base only… be visible and known enough to be suggested for a particular job; do your Proof of Work.”
Şelale, Bitcoin Filmfest
The strongest candidates are those who can demonstrate how their existing professional wins solve real problems for Bitcoin companies today.
Self-custody, continuous learning, and skin in the game frequently carried more weight than traditional credentials.
AI: Literacy Without Laziness
AI played an increasingly visible role in 2025. Many companies automated routine tasks, while others introduced new AI-adjacent roles.
AI literacy became expected.
AI dependency did not.
“I can teach a good dev without AI skills how to use AI within a week. Teaching a bad dev with AI skills how to write good code will take ages.”
Lead Developer, Bitcoin Startup
Several employers warned explicitly against using AI to outsource personality — especially in cover letters and applications. In an industry that values agency and authenticity, generic AI-generated applications are often seen as a red flag.
AI works best as a multiplier of thinking, not a replacement for it.
The Bitcoin-Native Lifestyle
For many companies, working in Bitcoin in 2025 meant living in Bitcoin — not necessarily being paid fully in BTC, but being an experienced user of Bitcoin and its technology, and actively immersed in the Bitcoin community.
Cultural and ethos alignment are often non-negotiable, especially for leadership or community-facing roles.
What 2025 Taught Us Going Into 2026
Looking back, most employers described 2025 as a year of selective growth. Expansion was expected — but standards were rising.
“Bitcoin changes fast. Always be networking and planning for your next job.”
Ed Juline, Bitcoin Treasuries Media
In practice, agency often showed up long before a job offer — through visibility, proof of work, and being an active node in the Bitcoin network.
The candidates who stood out in 2025 were those who combined professional competence with Bitcoin ethos — and who demonstrated, through action, that they had the agency to help build the future of money and take ownership of their own careers.
This article expands on the data and methodology behind our 2025 Annual Bitcoin Job Market Report. View the full report here.