EthCC 2026: Cannes recap
Great to be back on the Riviera. The proximity to DAS in NYC clearly split attendance, a lot of US folks opted for one over the other, and in a few cases, DAS won.
What I'm seeing:
Companies changing: M&A in staking/restaking is accelerating. Protocols are consolidating or shrinking. Foundations and infrastructure-only plays are struggling.
The data backs this: crypto M&A hit 267 deals worth $8.6B in 2025, and consolidation is expected to intensify in 2026. The restaking narrative peaked but sustainable revenue models didn't follow.
What's working: Payments, stablecoin infrastructure, and consumer products that generate revenue and scale.
@raincards raised $250M Series C at $1.95B valuation. @KASTxyz raised $80M Series A at $600M. Real businesses with real cash flows.
The VC thesis: Bigger cheques into revenue-generating products. Less appetite for seed rounds into copycat B2B plays. Higher focus on new niches and genuine consumer capture.
The bar for Series A has moved, ARR expectations set, clear traction, institutional readiness.
The narrative shift: Away from "amazing tech" and toward "how does this protocol produce revenue and scale as a business?"
Bottom line: The filter is on. If you're building with real unit economics and a path to revenue, capital is there. If you're still leading with technology and tokenomics, it's going to be a long year.
S/o Good Mate for best caps ☕
I am working with a ton of start ups, protocols, and institutional partners in the web3 world.
One thing almost all of them have in common is that they want to hire cracked rust engineers.
If you consider yourself a connoisseur in the art of rust, I’d really like to speak with you. We have a lot of opportunities for you @Blocksource_co
Seeing a big push for Designers (especially Product Designers) lately.
Anyone else noticing this? Feels like teams are spinning up new verticals to adapt to market shifts and need people who can quickly translate complex engineering into user experiences.
The pressure to perform is about to 10x.
Not because your job is at risk tomorrow, but because you're now being compared to something that doesn’t sleep, *rarely* misses and outputs 24/7.
I don't think AI will replace entire workforces overnight, and imo its not going to be as bad as some on the TL are speculating. But I do think it's going to expose anyone who's been coasting.
The bar is about to rise fast.
Very unfortunate to hear about the layoffs at some big web3 projects in the last few weeks.
If you, or any friends/ex-colleagues have been affected, please reach out.
We are working with a ton of exciting teams who are growing in 2026. Always happy to chew the fat and speak about opportunities!
#hiring #recruiting #crypto #web3
@Blocksource_co
Very strong start to 2026 with @Blocksource_co
We’re working with multiple Web3 teams and hiring across Engineering, Marketing, Product, Growth & Ops
If you’re looking for your next role or want support scaling your team - DM @AlexBlocksource@zachlhaas or myself 🤝
After 5+ years recruiting in web3, one trend stands out.
As technology accelerates and teams can ship faster, storytelling and positioning appear to be playing a bigger role in how founders and organisations differentiate.
I don’t see that easing any time soon.
I’m hearing more clients say they don’t need to expand headcount where they previously would have, as AI fills the gap.
Staying current with AI tools is becoming less optional and more about career longevity.
The people who remain valuable are the ones who can do the same work faster and at greater scale.
Looking for a creative, all-round marketer with proven DeFi/DEX experience - will be joining a v high calibre team.
You’ll own strategy & bring bold ideas to drive growth, users, and brand.
Need someone who’s done this before in a DeFi org & wants full autonomy.
US based, hmu.
Hiring a Technical CMO (US-based) for an early-stage, VC-backed infra project.
🟣 Product-led. GTM-savvy. Loves shipping.
🟣 Infra-native with a feel for positioning and early traction.
Ideal for someone who’s worked on complex infrastructure or technical platforms and wants to help shape narrative, strategy, and traction from the start.
Hiring for 3 mission-driven early-stage teams:
🟣 Wallet Infra → Head of BD
Looking for connectors. DeFi-native. Extensive network of EVM/SVM projects, wallets, dApps etc.
🟣 Technical EVM L1 → CMO
Need a confident/bold strategist with verified Web2 & Web3 experience.
🟣 User-focused Protocol → Head of AI
Hands-on ML lead to shape the AI engine from the ground up.
DMs open if you’re a fit.
Looking for a mid level BD person to join one of our BTC L2 clients.
Someone familiar with DeFi that is high energy and ready to help drive TVL and connect with Dapps.
If you this is you, or you know someone, reach out in DMs!!
@Block_Source_ #recruitment#BTC