About Hack VC

Hack VC is a fast-growing web3 venture capital firm. We focus on early-stage investments in crypto infrastructure and networks. We are a tight-knit team that believes in autonomy, transparency, and fundamentals. In addition to our investment work, we run hack.summit(), one of the largest global conferences and communities for blockchain programmers (130k+ attendees from 150+ countries to date), and hack.labs(), our in-house tech platform for institutional grade network participation through which we provide liquidity, stake, make open-source contributions, and more.

Role and Responsibilities

We are looking for a Research Partner with strong technical foundations in cryptography, privacy technologies, AI, and distributed systems to join Hack VC's investment team. In this role, you would:

Screen and diligence early-stage investment opportunities across privacy (ZK, FHE, MPC, TEEs), AI x crypto, and advanced distributed systems.
Conduct technical research and analysis on emerging cryptographic primitives and their applications.
Build relationships with technical founders and researchers in privacy, AI, and infrastructure communities.
Prepare technical investment memos and present analyses at investment committee meetings.
Support portfolio companies with technical product feedback, architecture reviews, and hiring.
Contribute to the firm's research output through blog posts, papers, and open-source contributions.
Develop expertise across multiple technical domains to evaluate diverse investment opportunities.
Attend academic conferences, hackathons, and technical community events to source deals and build relationships.

Requirements

Required Experience

1-3+ years of technical experience in crypto, with exposure to at least two of: privacy technologies (ZK, FHE, MPC, etc.), AI/ML systems, distributed systems, or cryptography.
Engineering, product, or research experience at a crypto startup, protocol, or relevant research lab.
Ability to read and understand technical whitepapers and code.
Demonstrated passion for crypto through side projects, open-source contributions, or active community participation.

Preferred Experience

Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in computer science, cryptography, mathematics, or related field.
Research experience or publications in relevant technical areas.
Full-stack engineering background with ability to evaluate both protocol and application-layer implementations.
Familiarity with multiple blockchain ecosystems and their technical tradeoffs.
Experience with AI model training, inference infrastructure, or decentralized AI systems.
Active presence in technical crypto communities (GitHub, research forums, technical Twitter, etc.).
Prior experience in venture capital, angel investing, or startup due diligence.

Character Archetypes

While not obligatory, in the past we’ve found the following kinds of people to be strong fits. Ideally you identify with more than one:

Deep technical expertise in crypto infrastructure - the type of person who can read a consensus mechanism whitepaper, spot the trade-offs, and explain it to founders and partners alike. Often has engineering, research, or protocol design experience.
Exceptional network depth within the crypto builder community. The person who founders call first, who's known at every major conference, and who can make warm intros that actually matter. Strong relationship capital combined with good judgment.
Brings structured thinking and analytical rigor to ambiguous problems. Excels at building frameworks, running tight processes, and doing the deep financial and market analysis that derisk investments. The person who ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

About the Role

Competitive salary and carried interest.
401(k) and health, dental and vision benefits.
Travel with the team for crypto conferences around the world to meet founders in the wild, build relationships, organize events, etc.
We’re a flat org. You will work directly with the partners, our research team and hack.labs().

Expected salary range: $150,000 to $200,000 plus potential for carried interest

This expected salary range reflects the good faith salary range for this role and is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. Specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on factors such as education, experience, qualifications, market conditions, business needs and more.

Hack VC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital or partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic predisposition, veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, a sex offense or stalking, or any other class or status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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