Institutional BD – DeFi Lending (8823F8D)

Referment is partnering with a fast-growing, institutional lending platform operating at the intersection of traditional finance and digital assets. This is a standout opportunity for a senior business development professional to play a pivotal role in scaling an institutional platform during a key phase of growth.

This is a high-impact, senior individual contributor role for a "hunter" who is deeply embedded in the New York institutional finance ecosystem and thrives on relationship-led origination and deal sourcing.

The Opportunity

This is not a retail, high-volume, or inbound sales role. It is not a strategy, operations, or advisory position. This is a pure new business origination role focused on finding borrowers who need capital and structuring lending deals with them.

• You will act as the primary external face of the platform in New York, embedded in the institutional community, attending industry events, meeting senior decision-makers, and originating new borrower relationships
• You'll own the full lifecycle of business development, working on fewer, larger, more complex transactions with typical deal sizes of $25m-$100m+
• This is a hands-on role for a dedicated individual contributor who wants to drive deal flow personally rather than managing a team
  
  

What You'll Be Doing

• Originating new institutional borrower relationships across hedge funds, trading firms, prime brokerage, asset managers, banks, credit funds, and family offices
• Owning the end-to-end business development process: sourcing, progressing, structuring lending conversations, and closing
• Acting as a senior relationship manager to borrowers post-close
• Representing the platform at industry events, conferences, and in-market meetings
• Collaborating closely with credit, capital markets, and leadership teams
• Feeding real-time market insight back into product and growth strategy
  
  

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years' experience in institutional business development, relationship management, or capital markets, specifically in a hands-on origination or loan coverage role
• Direct experience in institutional lending, credit, or structured finance (e.g., securitization, corporate lending, warehouse facilities) is essential. This role requires a focus on finding borrowers and structuring deals, rather than fund distribution or capital raising from LPs
• Currently working at a blockchain, DeFi, or crypto-native firm in an institutional capacity. This is essential, as candidates must bridge TradFi and crypto
• A professional background in traditional finance (TradFi), with experience in structured finance at a top-tier investment bank being highly regarded
• Well-networked in the NYC institutional finance community, with a proven track record of personally originating and closing large-ticket, low-volume transactions
• Experience engaging with BTC miners or BTC treasury firms is a significant plus
• Based in New York City or the immediate surrounding area (e.g., New Jersey) to facilitate frequent in-person meetings and community engagement
  
  

What Is The Ideal Experience

• Currently working at a crypto-native firm (e.g., exchange, lending platform, DeFi protocol) in an institutional sales or BD capacity, with a prior background in traditional finance lending or structured products. Someone who can speak fluently to both TradFi and crypto counterparties.
• This role is not a fit if:
• Your experience is primarily in capital sourcing, fund distribution, or raising money from LPs
• Your experience is primarily in SaaS or technology platform sales
• Your background is in operations, strategy, or advisory rather than direct origination
• Your focus is on account management of an existing portfolio rather than new business development
  
  

Working Arrangement & Compensation

• Remote-first culture with optional access to a shared New York office space
• No mandated in-office days, autonomy and trust are core to the culture
• Competitive base salary plus meaningful performance upside (OTE typically in the 50-100% range, depending on performance)
  
  

This is a great opportunity to join a high growth company at a really exciting stage of their growth. Apply now to ensure that you are considered for the role.

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