Director of Business Development, Europe

Blockstream https://blockstream.com/ was founded in 2014 by Dr. Adam Back https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Back and a group of fellow cryptographers and engineers passionate about Bitcoin and its potential to change the future of finance. We have become a market leader in Bitcoin security and Layer-2 technologies. Our products are designed to make financial systems more efficient, secure, and robust. Blockstream is seeking a high-impact Director of Business Development to lead our expansion across EMEA. This role is designed for a senior leader who can navigate complex institutional networks, rebuild our regional footprint, and scale a high-performing team. You will bridge the worlds of Bitcoin-native infrastructure and traditional financial services, serving as our primary enterprise operator in Europe. This role carries significant leadership weight as you will be responsible for filling a critical coverage gap, managing existing regional talent, and recruiting a new cohort of junior BDRs to accelerate our market penetration. What You’ll Be Doing (Responsibilities): - Build & Lead: Take immediate ownership of the European market, replacing previous coverage and scaling the team through the recruitment and mentorship of junior BDRs. - Strategic Hunting: Proactively identify, qualify, and close new enterprise partnerships within European financial hubs, targeting Tier-1 banks, asset managers, and digital asset firms. - Regional Strategy: Spearhead the development and execution of Blockstream's GTM strategy tailored specifically to the European regulatory and institutional landscape. - Network Orchestration: Leverage a deep existing network to drive joint initiatives with executive stakeholders, navigating complex sales cycles from initial outreach to final agreement. - Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with our Solutions Architects and global commercial teams to ensure technical alignment and translate regional market intelligence into product requirements. - Deal Execution: Manage the end-to-end negotiation process for MOUs, LOIs, and partnership agreements, ensuring terms align with Blockstream’s long-term Bitcoin-native vision. - Market Presence: Act as the primary face of Blockstream at major European industry events and conferences to cultivate strategic opportunities. What We Look For In You (Required Qualifications): - Senior Industry Experience: 15+ years of experience in business development, specifically targeting sell-side capital markets or institutional digital assets. - Hunter Mentality: A proven track record of aggressive pipeline generation and networking within European financial ecosystems. - Leadership Pedigree: Experience operating at a Director or Managing Director level within a large European investment bank, bulge bracket consultancy, or a leading digital asset firm. - Team Building: Demonstrated ability to recruit, lead, and develop high-performing BDR/BDM teams. - Deep Domain Expertise: Significant experience in digital assets. - Institutional Empathy: Ability to deconstruct the workflows of institutional clients to identify how Blockstream’s Layer-2 and security technologies solve their core pain points. - Communication: Exceptional English communication skills (additional European languages are a significant plus). Nice To Haves (Preferred Qualifications): - Advanced degrees or professional certifications (e.g., MBA, CFA, CAIA). - Direct exposure to institutional trading workflows, collateral management, and settlement processes. - Experience with managed account platforms (MAPs) or turnkey asset management platforms (TAMPs). - Strong technical understanding of Bitcoin-native infrastructure, including Liquid, Lightning, and tokenization.