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staff writer
Walk into any Web3 conference or browser Telegram group, and it’s just the same buzzwords: decentralization, community, tokenomics, interoperability.
Yet when the discussion shifts to tangible outcomes, about who’s actually closing deals, onboarding partners, or creating real revenue in this space? Crickets.
There’s a quiet crisis in Web3 that no one talks about enough: a lack of strong business development (BD) talent.
Not just networkers or Discord mods who know how to farm hype, but true operators who understand the building of sustainable partnerships, unlocking of distribution channels, and driving meaningful revenue.
Not necessarily the kind of BD people who’ve shipped results in other sectors and can translate that playbook to crypto’s sophisticated frontier, but also someone who can use the latest technology to their advantage.
BD in Web3: More Vibes Than Value
Most business development in Web3 still feels like performance art. Projects “partnering” with each other for co-marketing or swapping logos on their landing pages, a move that hardly moves the needle.
As a result, the sector continues to have an overabundance of announcements, more technical analysis reports than assessment of long-term fundamentals, and therefore an underwhelming revenue/adoption.
The default mode has become the chasing of short-term boosts, a token pump, a spike in DAUs, or an airdrop frenzy, without building long-term economic engines.
Part of the problem is cultural. Web3 has historically attracted more technologists and ideologues than commercially minded builders. Engineers and community builders are critical, but BD is treated like an afterthought, or worse, a “growth hack.”
This here will be the reality: If teams fail to figure out the right distribution deals, speak to enterprises, or monetize the product, you don’t have a business. You have a project, and most projects die a slow, painful death.
Meet Stepan Sergeev
One standout example of a great Web3 BD is Stepan Sergeev, a business development leader who’s built a reputation for bridging the gap between crypto-native innovation and traditional business value.
Sergeev has worked across multiple verticals, ranging from venture capital to DeFi infrastructure and L1 ecosystems, and has consistently shown a deep understanding of how to position emerging technologies for real-world adoption.
“Web3 is full of visionaries, but someone has to close the loop between idea and implementation,” Sergeev notes. “You don’t just sell a roadmap—you build trust, create mechanisms of accountability, and prove value early.”
His approach is grounded not in speculative hype but in creating what he calls “durable alignment,” a model for structuring deals that make sense for all sides, even in bear markets.
“Hype fades fast,” Sergeev adds. “What lasts is a partner who understands your priorities, has skin in the game, and can execute with you when things get hard.”
As Web3 matures, the projects that thrive won’t just be the most technically novel or ideologically pure—they’ll be the ones that understand business, too. And they’ll likely have someone like Sergeev behind the scenes, getting the hard work done.
The Missing Middle
There’s a massive talent gap in the middle layer of Web3 companies. Yes, the founding teams may be brilliant and could end up building something interesting.
But after launch, who’s going out to get customers, close partnerships, or integrate with real-world systems? Too often, they will treat that essential, significant step as an afterthought.
Good BDs know how to translate technical products into business outcomes, and they also understand customer pain points, map out go-to-market channels, and design win-win partnerships. These skills are prevalent in the entertainment sector but are especially rare in crypto. And yet, they’re the difference between a protocol with a cult following and one with enterprise integrations, paying customers, and sustainable cash flows.
Projects Are Struggling and It Shows
Let’s be honest: Token prices sometimes mask the truth, but when you pop the hood, many teams are therein bleeding capital. Their revenues, which might not even exist at that point, don’t cover costs or substantiate a stable runway.
Their users, which is sad to say, have turned into mercenaries, hopping from one airdrop to the next. And their “partnerships” are more about social signaling than actual distribution or product synergy.
This is not just a bear market problem. It’s a business model problem.
Too many Web3 startups are optimized for speculative value, not actual value creation. They are built for crypto-native users, not mainstream use cases. They confuse community size with customer value. Most of the time, they ask the wrong questions instead of the right ones, like: Who will pay for this? Why? And what makes this solution 10x better than the Web2 alternative?
Real Businesses Will Be the Survivors
The next generation of Web3 winners won’t be the loudest projects but the quiet ones with revenue, unit economics, and real distribution. The ones that are boring by crypto standards — but would make any SaaS investor nod with approval.
These are the teams building for B2B use cases in fintech, identity, or supply chains. Or the ones creating crypto rails for existing commerce. Or infrastructure plays that power other apps and take a fee. They’re thinking like businesses, not hype machines.
And they’re hiring differently. Instead of chasing influencers or vibe curators, they’re bringing on BDs with sales backgrounds, partnership experience, and strategic thinking. People who know how to map stakeholders, run demos, negotiate contracts, and build pipelines. This is what winning looks like in Web3 business development.
What Good BD Looks Like in Web3
Actual Web3 business development isn’t about tweeting “Let’s collaborate”, that has been said a little too much. Identify untapped markets, understand the value chain, and execute on deals that move metrics. So, will it help a DeFi protocol get institutional adoption? Or onboarding real-world businesses onto a payment layer. Or striking the right integrations to improve LTV, reduce CAC, and build stickiness.
It requires cross-functional fluency. A Web3 BD must understand the product, the community, the tokenomics, and the market. They also need to package that knowledge into clear value propositions for external partners. They need storytelling skills, sure. But they also need commercial acumen and follow-through.
The best ones are bridge-builders. They speak the language of Web2 execs and Web3 devs. They think in terms of KPIs, not just memes. And they’re obsessed with making deals that create value on both sides. PR headlines are crucial, but it’s not like you’ll use an empty business to back them up.
The Opportunity for Builders
This is the inflection point. The teams that invest in real business development and business models will pull ahead. Others will fade, no matter how big their Discord gets. You can’t code an economy off vibes alone, and the takeaway is simple: don’t just hire the BD who’s loudest on Twitter. Look for operators who’ve sold before, negotiated before, and shipped before. People who ask uncomfortable questions, care about retention, and know how to make money (even in a down market).
And for talent, this is your opening. If you come from enterprise sales, fintech, marketplaces, or SaaS, and you’ve got an appetite for crypto chaos, Web3 needs you.
Not to write threads. To design a brand that drives revenue.
Final Thoughts
To build more business in Web3, treat business development as a core function, not as a nice-to-have department.
In a few years, when the hype cycle resets again, the only ones left standing will be those with revenue, retention, and results. And behind those winners, you’ll find a great BD.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
