Founding Web3 Insights: Talent - Building the Future of Web3 Hiring

In a space defined by innovation, decentralization, and community, why is recruitment still stuck in Web2?

That’s the question that sparked the creation of Web3 Insights: Talent - a recruitment business born not out of theory, but out of six years of hard-earned experience building Web3 recruitment desks, teams, and partnerships across some of the most influential names in crypto.

For Aaron Hayhurst, Founder & Chief Recruiter of Web3 Insights: Talent, and Host of the Web3 Insights: Podcast, the moment of clarity came at the start of 2025.

“I had spent years building recruitment teams and Web3 desks for other agencies. Then I thought - why not build the best one in the world for myself? That was the beginning.”

What followed was the realization that traditional recruitment models simply don’t align with the needs of fast-scaling, high-context Web3 companies. Founders don’t need transactional CV-pushers - they need strategic partners who understand their world.

What Makes Us Different

Web3 Insights: Talent isn’t a copy-paste agency - it's a startup growth partner. We operate as an embedded extension of our clients, combining:

• Full-cycle recruitment (across Engineering, Product, GTM, Legal, and Ops)

• Embedded talent leadership

• Employer branding via the Web3 Insights: Podcast

• Proprietary tools like Web3 DevRadar

• Strategic onboarding & retention frameworks

Our approach is tailored for Web3. That means:

• Fixed-fee subscription pricing instead of 25% per hire

• Access to under-the-radar pseudonymous talent via DevRadar

• On-chain credibility and community ties, not just LinkedIn searches

• A podcast platform to elevate your employer brand

We don’t chase volume. We build high-impact teams - for the long run.

Aaron’s Journey: One of Web3’s First Recruiters

Aaron entered the space in 2019, after landing a client in London’s early crypto scene. He quickly saw a gap - barely any recruiters truly understood Web3. So he dove in.

Fast forward to today, Aaron has worked with clients like Binance, Trust Wallet, Seedify, Hedera Hashgraph, and Zilliqa, placing:

• Blockchain Engineers & ZK Cryptographers

• CMOs, Heads of Growth & Community

• Legal Counsels, PAs & Compliance Leads

His recruitment philosophy?

“I don’t just send CVs. I build growth roadmaps, embed myself into projects, and connect founders to the kind of talent - and visibility - they won’t find anywhere else.”

The Web3 Insights: Podcast - Media Meets Talent

Originally born during a garden leave stint, the Web3 Insights: Podcast quickly evolved into a platform to highlight the builders shaping Web3 - from C-suite leaders to protocol founders.

Unlike most crypto podcasts, it cuts through technical noise and market hype. It’s built for insight and connection - and it feeds directly into our recruitment model.

Through the Founder’s Growth Package, podcast guests and clients get:

• Featured interviews to raise brand visibility

• Access to talent within our community and listenership

• A unique media-talent hybrid experience that no other recruiter offers

It’s one of the reasons top builders now come to us - not the other way around.

DevRadar - Our Edge in a Decentralized Talent Market

Web3 DevRadar is our proprietary Discord-based talent tool. Embedded into client channels, it lets developers signal interest, showcase credentials (GitHub, DAO activity, etc.), and join a vetted talent pool.

For clients, it’s a scalable intake pipeline that reduces hiring time and cost. For us, it’s a new edge - proof that recruitment in Web3 must be network-native.

Who We Serve

We work with:

• Web3 Startups & Scaleups: Especially post-raise, building core teams

• Founder-Led Protocols: Builders who care about hiring right

• Mission-Driven Brands: In DeFi, infra, ZK, consumer crypto & more

• Clients Who Want a Strategic Partner: Not a transactional vendor

If you value precision, partnership, and presence in the space - we’re your people.

Our Culture

Internally and externally, we operate with a builder mindset:

• Remote-first, async-native

• Deeply embedded in Discord and Web3 communities

• High trust, high ownership culture

• Obsessed with quality, not vanity metrics

We want every founder and candidate who engages with us to feel seen, supported, and inspired.

Where We're Headed

In the next 3–5 years, Web3 Insights: Talent will be the No. 1 Web3 recruitment brand globally. Not just in reputation, but in results.

We’ll be:

• Powering talent at leading protocols and apps

• Scaling with VC-backed founders across ecosystems

• Bridging hiring, community, and media under one banner

We’re not just here to place talent.

We’re here to build the next generation of Web3 teams.