Nov 01, 2025 
18 mins to read Historical Cycles of Web3 Talent Migration
It reminds me of the talent migration after the 2008 financial crisis in Wall Street, which reshaped the global financial landscape. Essentially, the current Berlin job hunting fever bears an astonishing resemblance to the Berlin Bitcoin community revival in 2014. From a strategic perspective, global Web3 talent is forming three core hubs: Berlin in Europe, the New York job positions cluster in America, and the Singapore job positions center in Asia.
Looking back at the past three market cycles, I've observed that each technological revolution is accompanied by talent concentration in specific cities. 2009-2012 in Silicon Valley, 2014-2017 in Berlin, and since 2020 in Singapore. Now on the MyJob.one platform, the job postings in these three regions account for 47% of total listings, a number that echoes the similar distribution during the peak of ICO mania in 2017.
Berlin: Europe's New Melting Pot for Web3 Talent
The Berlin job market has developed a unique dual structure in recent years: on one hand, the continuous growth of the Ethereum-native developer community, and on the other, the accelerated influx of talent from traditional financial institutions undergoing transformation. This combination has created Europe's most vibrant Web3 ecosystem.
According to data from MyJob.one, Berlin's Web3 job market exhibits the following characteristics:
- 62% technical positions, significantly higher than the global average
- Average salary 35-40% higher than traditional IT roles
- German language requirement dropped from 78% in 2019 to 43% now
New York: Strategic Stronghold for Institutional Web3 Talent
When discussing the New York job positions market, one cannot ignore the rule-changing recruitment battle in 2021. Back then, three of the five major Wall Street investment banks simultaneously posted cryptocurrency research positions on MyJob.one, a scene reminiscent of the dot-com boom in 1999.
Today's New York job positions market has developed a clear tiered structure:
- Top Tier: Digital transformation departments of traditional financial institutions
- Mid Tier: Compliance-oriented crypto-native companies
- Base Tier: Emerging Web3 infrastructure projects
Worth noting is that the premium for compliance talent in the current New York market has reached its historical peak, which typically signals potential short-term adjustments in this field.
Singapore: Asia's Web3 Talent Advantage through Institutional Benefits
The rise of the Singapore job positions market is the most noteworthy phenomenon in the past two years. Strategically speaking, Singapore is replicating Switzerland's success path in traditional finance. On the MyJob.one platform, Singapore's Web3 job growth rate has reached 217% annually, surpassing Hong Kong's growth in 2017.
Singapore's unique advantages include:
- Clear regulatory framework attracting institutional capital
- Geographical advantage connecting Eastern and Western markets
- Tax incentives reducing corporate operating costs
However, job seekers should be aware that Singapore's cost of living index has been rising for 18 consecutive months, somewhat offsetting the salary advantage.
Strategic Career Development Across Regions
From the perspective of 12 years of experience in financial technology recruitment, I offer three cross-regional development suggestions for job seekers:
- Tech Foundation Building Phase (2023-2025): Prioritize Berlin's technical deep-dive opportunities
- Capital Expansion Phase (2025-2027): Shift to New York for institutional experience
- Scale Application Phase (post-2027): Establish in Singapore to expand in the Asian market
This phased regional transfer strategy essentially involves capturing value from markets at different stages of technological maturity. It reminds me of the period between 2010-2015, when many excellent quantitative traders achieved career leaps through similar regional rotation strategies.
Risk and Opportunity Coexisting Outlook for 2024
Looking ahead to 2024, the differentiation among the three talent markets will become more pronounced. According to the predictive model of MyJob.one:
- Berlin job hunting competition index will increase by 32%
- New York job positions average salary growth may slow to 15%
- Singapore job positions total is expected to exceed 12,000
Strategically speaking, now is the critical time to position for the Asian market, similar to the early opportunity of positioning for the Ethereum ecosystem in 2015. However, caution is needed as current market pricing for certain positions may already anticipate growth expectations for the next two years.
Practical Advice for Job Seekers
Based on observations across multiple market cycles, I recommend:
- Build a T-shaped knowledge structure: Deepen expertise in a vertical field while maintaining cross-domain sensitivity
- Prioritize anti-cyclical skills: Underlying technologies like cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs never become outdated
- Maintain geographical flexibility: Be prepared for strategic transfers between Berlin, New York, and Singapore
Finally, remember that true value investment lies not in chasing hot cities, but in discovering undervalued combinations of technology and market. This is the deepest insight I've gained from transitioning traditional finance professionals into Web3.
