APAC Business Development

Gauntlet leads the field in quantitative research and optimization of DeFi economics. We manage market risk, optimize growth, and ensure economic safety for protocols facilitating most spot trading, borrowing, and lending activity across all of DeFi, protecting and optimizing the largest protocols and networks in the industry. As of September 2024, Gauntlet manages risk and incentives covering over $46 billion in customer TVL.

Gauntlet continually publishes cutting-edge research that informs our risk models, alerts, and analysis, and is among the most cited institution — including academic institutions — in terms of peer-reviewed papers addressing DeFi as a subject. We’re a Series B company with around 75 employees, operating remote-first with a home base in New York City.

Gauntlet’s mission is to drive adoption and understanding in the financial systems of the future. Building with decentralized systems creates novel challenges for mechanism designers, smart contract developers, and end-users of financial products, which are not seen in traditional software development and investing contexts. Gauntlet is dedicated to enhancing our industry’s understanding of this new domain, and revealing how to navigate the true bleeding edge of 21st-century financial innovation safelyto safely navigate the true bleeding edge of 21st-century financial innovation.

Our extremely passionate team works tirelessly to bridge the gap for data-driven insights and analytical research in collateralized blockchain protocols. We strive to maintain an atmosphere that fosters innovation and new ideas through collaboration, research, and deep discussion to meet our customer's needs to grow and manage incentives better!

We are looking for self-starters and mission-driven individuals as Gauntlet seeks to expand its reach and presence in the APAC markets primarily via our TVL-based products (Aera and Morpho Vaults), with a secondary focus on Risk Optimization (Jupiter, Compound) and Restaking (Eigenlayer).

The APAC lead will develop a comprehensive go-to-market plan and work closely with the Business Development team to secure high-net-worth individuals, capital providers/funds, exchanges, wallets, DeFi protocols, and others to deposit into Gauntlet’s TVL-based products. The ideal candidate has a deep network across China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Japan, with a focus on other regions in the future.

We have a strong preference for candidates who are local to major APAC countries and can serve as Gauntlet’s representative at relevant meetings, industry events, or other events. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their ability to deliver on the role responsibilities before joining the team. Ideal candidates have likely led APAC initiatives for large L1s or DeFi protocols in the past or have experience securing large amounts of capital seeking on-chain yield opportunities.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive go to market plan tailored to the APAC region.
• Serve as the first point of contact for APAC-based prospects.
• Introduce and close existing or new APAC-based capital providers (VCs, prop shops, wallets, exchanges, institutions, etc.) to the Gauntlet and Aera product suites. Introduce and close existing or new DeFi protocols (Lending, Perpetuals, L1/L2, Staking) to the Gauntlet and Aera product suites.
• Identify unique opportunities for Gauntlet and Aera to capitalize on APAC market dynamics.
• Leverage existing network to drive capital to Gauntlet’s TVL-based products and services.
• Collaborate with internal teams to (1) define or prioritize product features in accordance with prospects’ needs and (2) ensure successful partnership launches/activationsEvangelize Gauntlet in the APAC region; regularly engaging with high-value prospects, customers, and communities.
• Maintain a pulse on the market; you should be able to identify emerging trends within Gauntlet’s TAM as well as the broader crypto market.
• Meet or exceed revenue and/or TVL targets for the APAC region through strategic initiatives and customer acquisition.

• 5+ years of experience in business development/sales, finance, or institutional capital
• 2-3+ years of experience working with blockchain technology and/or DeFiDemonstrated understanding of DeFi and crypto overall; particularly EVM ecosystems
• Ability to operate autonomously and self-motivated across multiple time zones; Gauntlet is a US-based company, so interaction windows are limited regularly on a regular basis.
• Deep understanding of how on chain yield generation works and how that relates to macroeconomic trends.
• Demonstrated experience structuring and negotiating initial partnership agreements.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Finance teams to ensure successful partnerships.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to prioritize.
• Native or fluent proficiency in one or more of the major APAC region languages (e.g., Mandarin, Korean, Cantonese, or otherwise).

• You have done this type of work before.
• You have an existing network of potential capital providers to that you can feed into Gauntlet and Aera products.
• You have a crypto/DeFi native network.
• You have a quantitative background and can conduct light analyses on behalf of prospects to help close deals.
• You’re already familiar with other on chain yield products and how they position themselves to off chain audiences.

• Remote first - work from anywhere in the APAC with VPN access
• Regular in-person company retreats
• Benefits provided through our passthrough vendor Deel, commensurate to the region
• Laptop, monitor, keyboard and mouse setup provided
• $1,000 WFH stipend
• Monthly reimbursement for home internet, phone, and cellular data
• Unlimited vacation
• Opportunity for incentive compensation

Please note at this time our hiring is reserved for potential employees who are able to work within the contiguous United States and Canada. Should you need alternative accommodations, please note that in your application.

The national pay range for this role is $130,000 - $150,000 base plus additional On Target Earnings potential by level and equity in the company. Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for a company of our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide. Individual pay rate decisions are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skill set, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.  

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