--- title: 'Head of Japan at Monad Foundation' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-japan-monad-foundation-japan-nc2m89qp65j5' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-15' --- # Head of Japan at Monad Foundation - **Company:** Monad Foundation - **Location:** Japan - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-06-19 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/monad.foundation/64b15075-270b-4e07-91a7-52a90f590da0 ## Job description The Monad Foundation is a team of dedicated ecosystem and community builders who are on a mission to massively grow the impact of decentralized tech. We believe that the [Monad](https://monad.xyz/) blockchain--the performant and parallel EVM Layer 1--will help decentralized apps eat the world. ## The Role The Monad Foundation is looking for a Head of Japan to win large institutional business and establish Monad as credible financial infrastructure in one of the world's most important capital markets. This is, first and foremost, an institutional business development role. Japan is a high-value but demanding market: serious adoption follows local credibility, regulated channels, and trusted relationships. Your primary mandate is to identify, structure, and close institutional deals with Japan's leading financial institutions, enterprises, and infrastructure providers across payments, stablecoins, tokenization/RWA, and capital markets. Alongside that, you will own Monad's brand presence in Japan — building the foundation's reputation, relationships, and mindshare with the institutions, regulators, and ecosystem partners who shape the market. You will be Monad Foundation's senior representative in the country and the owner of its Japan strategy end to end. ## What You Will Do Win institutional business (primary mandate) - Own institutional business development for Japan: identify, negotiate, and close strategic deals that put real activity, flows, and assets on Monad, across megabanks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, exchanges, and large enterprises. - Build and structure commercial partnerships in Monad's priority pillars: stablecoin issuance and payments, tokenization and RWAs, on-chain settlement, and institutional capital markets use cases. - Develop senior relationships with the institutions that matter most in Japan and convert them into concrete launches with clear owners, timelines, and usage paths. - Help build the prerequisites for serious BD to scale: regulated pathways for stablecoins on Monad, exchange relationships, and the local credibility that institutional counterparties require before they commit. - Run deals with commercial discipline — clear milestones, real product launches, and a usage path beyond announcements and vanity partnerships. Establish Monad's brand and presence (secondary mandate) - Own Monad's overall go-to-market and positioning in Japan, building the foundation's reputation as credible, long-term financial infrastructure rather than just another blockchain. - Build and nurture relationships with key regional stakeholders — exchanges, enterprises, ecosystem builders, media, and regulatory bodies, to expand Monad's standing and mindshare. - Represent Monad Foundation at the senior level with institutions, partners, and the local industry, and serve as the trusted face of Monad Foundation in the market. - Stay ahead of Japan's evolving regulatory landscape (FSA, JVCEA, and related bodies) and translate it into high-impact opportunities and a clear-eyed view of what is and isn't possible. ## Who You Are - 8+ years of business development experience, including 4+ years in blockchain, digital assets, or Web3 with a track record of closing large, complex institutional deals. - Deep understanding of the Japanese market and extensive experience engaging and selling to Japan's largest financial institutions and enterprises. - A robust, senior network across Japanese banks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, enterprises, and Web3 players and the ability to open doors at decision-maker level. - Strong command of how Web3 maps to institutional strategy — why an institution would issue a stablecoin, tokenize an asset, or move settlement on-chain, and where the real commercial value sits. - Sharp read on where major Japanese corporates and regulators are heading on digital assets, and the foresight to position Monad early. - A self-starter who owns initiatives from first conversation to closed deal and live launch. - Native-level fluency in Japanese and professional fluency in English (written and verbal). ## Nice to Have - Deep connectivity into Japanese exchanges and an understanding of the listing landscape. - Considerable expertise and relationships with Japanese regulators and industry bodies. - Experience guiding market entry for Web3 startups, including strategic guidance, local insight, and connectivity. - Strong understanding of and connectivity into Japanese financial and tech media. - Entrepreneurial experience across the startup lifecycle, including fundraising, product launches, and operations. - Solid technical understanding of blockchains and the EVM. Location - This role is based in Japan (Tokyo). ## Why Work with Us - Challenging problems. You’ll tackle deeply complex and technically demanding problems, with autonomy and impact. - Endless Opportunity for Impact. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standard is ubiquitous, but existing EVM-compatible chains are slow and bandwidth-constrained. Monad’s core innovations offer developers and founders the best of both worlds (portability and performance) and are a game-changer to power global on-chain finance. - The right team. You’ll be part of a world class team, who are exceptional and highly-motivated. - Culture. We’re a lean team working together to achieve very ambitious goals. We are united in our culture of collaboration, low ego, and high-quality output. - Strong Ecosystem. The broader Monad ecosystem has attracted support from leading investors, builders and long-term contributors. ## About Monad Foundation ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Monad Foundation is an independent organization dedicated to supporting the development, adoption, and growth of the Monad blockchain protocol, a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain. - **Entity Type**: Private (Foundation/DAO structure) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, United States - **Founded**: 2022 - **Founders**: Not publicly available (the Monad protocol was built by a team including Keone Hon, James Hunsaker, and others, but the Foundation’s specific founders are not listed) ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Blockchain infrastructure, Layer 1 protocol, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Web3 - **Target customers**: Developers building on the Monad protocol, validators, institutional DeFi participants, and end-users of decentralized applications (dApps) on the Monad ecosystem. - **Mission or purpose statement**: To support the growth of the Monad protocol through developer support, ecosystem initiatives, and decentralization efforts, ultimately fostering the adoption of a high-performance, EVM-compatible blockchain. [monad.foundation](https://www.monad.foundation/) ## Products & Services - **[Monad Protocol]**: A high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain designed to address scalability challenges while maintaining compatibility with Ethereum-based smart contracts and tools. It is now live on mainnet. - **[Developer Documentation & Support]**: Comprehensive documentation, developer tooling, and grants to support builders in deploying and scaling dApps on the Monad network. - **[Ecosystem Initiatives]**: Programs to foster the growth of the Monad ecosystem, including marketing, advisory services, and community-building efforts. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (the Foundation is a non-profit entity; the Monad protocol’s token value is determined by the market, but no specific valuation for the Foundation is disclosed). - **Key Metric**: **Total Funding**: Not disclosed for the Foundation itself; however, the Monad protocol’s development team raised significant funding (e.g., a $225M round led by Paradigm in 2024). The Foundation is independently funded. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: The Monad protocol has backing from Paradigm, one of the largest crypto venture capital firms. The Foundation partners with various validators, DeFi protocols, and infrastructure providers in the Monad ecosystem. - **Growth Signals**: - **Mainnet Launch**: Monad Mainnet is live as of 2025, marking a major milestone. [monad.foundation](https://www.monad.foundation/) - **Headcount**: Approximately 200 employees, indicating a scaling organization. [web3vacancy.com](https://web3vacancy.com/companies/monad-foundation) - **Active Hiring**: 22+ open roles across business development, research, marketing, and leadership positions, including roles in New York, South Korea, and remote. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/monad.foundation) ## Competitive Advantages - **EVM Compatibility**: Full compatibility with Ethereum’s Virtual Machine (EVM) allows developers to deploy existing Ethereum smart contracts and tools on Monad with minimal changes, reducing friction for adoption. - **High Performance**: The Monad protocol is designed to achieve high transaction throughput and low latency, rivaling non-EVM chains while retaining Ethereum’s developer ecosystem. - **Strong Backing**: Backed by Paradigm, a top-tier crypto VC, providing credibility, resources, and network effects. - **Independent Foundation Structure**: The Monad Foundation operates as an independent entity focused solely on ecosystem growth and decentralization, separate from the protocol’s core development team, which can foster trust and long-term sustainability. ## Strategic Focus - **Ecosystem Expansion**: Scaling the Monad ecosystem by attracting developers, DeFi protocols, and institutional partners. - **Decentralization**: Promoting validator-led governance and reducing central points of control over the network. - **Institutional Adoption**: Targeting traditional financial institutions and large-scale DeFi participants with roles like Business Development Lead, Financial Institutions and Tokenization Lead. [eco-jobs.monad.xyz](https://eco-jobs.monad.xyz/) - **Global Reach**: Expanding into key markets such as South Korea (Head of Korea role) and the US (New York). [eco-jobs.monad.xyz](https://eco-jobs.monad.xyz/) ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: The Foundation operates at the cutting edge of blockchain technology, offering a mission-driven environment focused on building the future of decentralized finance and infrastructure. - **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: Many roles are listed as remote, with some requiring presence in New York, NY, USA, or South Korea. The organization supports a flexible work model. [eco-jobs.monad.xyz](https://eco-jobs.monad.xyz/) - **Compensation**: Competitive compensation packages, with roles like Senior Researcher (Mechanism Design and Systems) and Quantitative Researcher offering USD 180k–250k/year plus equity. [eco-jobs.monad.xyz](https://eco-jobs.monad.xyz/) - **Engineering Culture**: Emphasis on research and engineering excellence, with dedicated roles for mechanism design and systems research, indicating a strong technical culture. - **Growth Trajectory**: With a live mainnet, 200 employees, and active hiring across multiple senior and director-level positions, the Foundation is in a high-growth phase, offering significant career development opportunities. ## Sources 1. [monad.foundation](https://www.monad.foundation/) 2. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/monad.foundation) 3. [eco-jobs.monad.xyz](https://eco-jobs.monad.xyz/) 4. [web3vacancy.com](https://web3vacancy.com/companies/monad-foundation) 5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/monad-network) ## Other roles at Monad Foundation - [Director of Business Development, Financial Institutions](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-business-development-financial-institutions-monad-foundation-new-9agmkknn25aj) — New York, NY - [Head of Korea](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-korea-monad-foundation-south-korea-pse6z2tnbs7p) — South Korea - [Quantitative Researcher](https://feeny.ai/job/quantitative-researcher-monad-foundation-remote-50s56sn052jz) - [Head of DeFi](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-defi-monad-foundation-remote-wq9rv606b98c) - [DeFi Growth Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/defi-growth-lead-monad-foundation-remote-zfwf7x1ft0cn)