Hunter Horsley (헌터 홀슬리), chief executive of Bitwise, suggested that tech workers facing AI-driven restructuring should look to the cryptocurrency industry.

On May 16, blockchain outlet BeInCrypto reported that Horsley stressed the current turbulent market environment could be an opportunity for capable engineers.

Horsley said the crypto industry needs practical tech talent strong at solving problems. He said tasks such as financial freedom, accessibility and reducing intermediary structures still remain, and he viewed them as core issues for crypto to solve. He also compared joining the crypto industry now to joining OpenAI before it became mainstream.

He did not hide the industry’s weaknesses. Fraud, unfinished projects and superficial headlines are common, but he said those flaws leave problems that still need to be built and fixed. Horsley said, "Big Tech is moving in a direction where it no longer needs a lot of people. But crypto needs you," adding, "The crypto industry needs talented, professional and practical people."

The remarks come as AI-driven job anxiety spreads across Silicon Valley. Investors and founders see automation reshaping the labour market, widening asset gaps and shaking the direction of careers. Menlo Ventures partner Didi Das described the recent mood in San Francisco by saying, "The mood in SF right now is close to a frenzy." He said about 10,000 employees at some companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI and Nvidia have reached asset levels well above $20 million over the past 5 years, while the rest of the labour market is being affected by AI-focused restructuring.

Changes are also emerging in the hiring market. While crypto companies cut staff, major traditional financial firms such as JPMorgan, BlackRock and Citi have recently posted crypto-related roles, including positions with base pay of up to $300,000. Demand is rising for hybrid talent that can handle both an understanding of blockchain and compliance with traditional financial regulation. Paul Frzybylski (폴 프르지빌스키), global head of digital and tokenised asset products at JPMorgan Asset Management, said of the trend, "In the end, it is a matter of overlap between domains."

AI cost structures were also cited as a factor pressuring the labour market. An Axios report in April said that at some companies the cost of AI agents has begun to exceed labour costs. Uber's chief technology officer was reported to have exhausted the 2026 AI budget early on token costs, and a Nvidia executive said computing spending had surpassed the employee budget.

Tron founder Justin Sun (저스틴 선) voiced a similar view. He said, "In the AI era, speed matters," and stressed that "you have to move while the opportunity is still open." He added, "While we are still young and still have a chance to do something, let's just push forward."

The key question is whether the crypto industry can create enough jobs and projects to absorb departing tech talent. Depending on what services and infrastructure are built over the next year, whether tech workers reshaped by AI move into crypto is expected to vary.