- Investments in blockchain retail banking will reach $40.4B by 2031
- 36% of blockchain-related jobs were remote-based, double the global average
- Salaries in crypto startups are almost double those of banking comparable positions
Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, released a comprehensive report revealing that one-third of crypto job applicants are former employees of the banking and financial sectors.
The report delves into some major events that have driven the adoption of blockchain in traditional banking in 2023, including the launch of development initiatives aimed at decentralized technology adoption by such giants as HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, Citi Group, and others.
Blockchain in retail banking to reach $40.4B
Predictions state that the impact of blockchain in retail banking will achieve a milestone of $40.4 billion by 2031, a CAGR growth of 40.4%, with banking spending on blockchain estimated to reach $22.5 billion between 2025 and 2026.
The main section of the report is dedicated to the trends in recruitment in the blockchain industry, emphasizing that talents from the financial sector are migrating into the domain of cryptocurrencies in search of opportunities, attracted by higher salaries and innovation prospects. The result is a brain-drain from traditional banking, driving reevaluation of hiring approaches and compensation offers on the part of the latter.
The great migration of talent to crypto
The reduction in revenues by investment banks by over 50% year-over-year has resulted in layoffs, leading to a migration of talents. The reorganizations of such banks as Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and others, alone have led to over 50,000 job cuts since 2020. Another 20,000 jobs were cut by five major banks in 2023.
Crypto led shift to tech-focused jobs
The shift towards technology-focused jobs on the part of younger employees is also revealed to be a major factor, further eroding the workforce of banks. The outflow was somewhat balanced by the hi-tech industry, where companies like Coinbase, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and others hired from 20 to 200 employees.
The crypto sector led the hiring spree, with Coinbase attracting 197 talents, and Amber Group – 250. Such dynamics remain, despite the FTX crisis in 2022, which saw over 2,000 job losses in the sector.
Crypto offers higher salaries than bank sector
Regarding compensation, the report states that banks have reduced overall salaries due to remote working conditions and digitization, while the crypto industry offered competitively higher salaries for remote employees.
Junior engineers at crypto startups in London can expect to get beginning wages of around $125,000 with incentives, compared to $87,810 investment banks offer for similar positions. The difference is cardinal in the case of banks, where salaries average at $54,000, while crypto firms offer around $115,667.
Gracy Chen, Managing Director of Bitget, stated:
Bitget’s latest report sheds light on the remarkable transformation occurring in the financial job market, as crypto gains momentum and decentralization reshapes traditional banking. The data indicates a significant shift, with talents from the banking sector migrating towards cryptocurrency, drawn by the promise of higher salaries and innovation prospects.
