What Is a Crypto Trader (Discretionary / OTC)?
Definition, skills, pay and live demand — every figure from the board. Updated 2026-09-16.
Traders at exchanges, OTC desks, funds and market makers execute and manage positions across spot and derivatives markets, run OTC flow for institutional counterparties, and manage the risk of a book that trades around the clock. The role ranges from discretionary trading to execution and desk operations, and is distinct from quant research although the two overlap at many firms.
Live demand right now
ChainJobs currently lists 49 live roles whose title matches this role, 3 of them posted in the last seven days, and 5 (10%) remote. By function they fall mostly into Trading & Quant 46 · Engineering 1 · Community 1. Every count comes from the employer's own careers page, re-verified daily.
What it pays
Fewer than five live matching roles currently publish a USD annual band, so we do not quote a median for this function — we never estimate pay. The salary explorer shows every published band board-wide.
Who is hiring for it
| Company | Live roles |
|---|---|
| Wintermute | 8 |
| Flow Traders | 8 |
| Eclipse Trading | 5 |
| Anchorage Digital | 5 |
| OKX | 3 |
| Crypto.com | 3 |
| Coinhako | 2 |
| Auros | 2 |
What the role is actually called
The most common titles on live listings that match this role: Derivatives Trader 4 · Quantitative Trader 3 · Graduate Trader 3 · OTC Trader 3 · Options Trader 3 · Digital Assets Trader 3. Titles vary by company; the job titles reference ranks every common title on the board.
Skills and the path in
Markets judgement, risk discipline, and increasingly Python for analysis and execution tooling. Traditional trading experience transfers; the crypto layer is venue structure, funding and basis mechanics, and 24/7 operations. Published base bands understate compensation — variable pay is the point.
Open roles
- Junior Trader at Wormhole Foundation — $80k–100k
- Trader Relations Lead at N1 — $100k–200k
- Derivatives Trader, NYC at BitGo — $175k–215k
- Digital Assets Trader at Flow Traders — $175k–225k
- Wintermute Trader Assessment Day | October 2026 at Wintermute
- Quantitative Trader (D1 Liquidity) at OKX
Full live set: the related jobs page, or the board with the search term above. For candidates, the how to get a crypto job guide covers the process; for employers, the hiring guides cover what this market costs and how to write the listing.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Crypto Trader do?
Traders at exchanges, OTC desks, funds and market makers execute and manage positions across spot and derivatives markets, run OTC flow for institutional counterparties, and manage the risk of a book that trades around the clock. The role ranges from discretionary trading to execution and desk operations, and is distinct from quant research although the two overlap at many firms.
How much does a Crypto Trader earn in crypto?
Fewer than five live matching roles publish a USD band, so no median is quoted for this role — ChainJobs never estimates pay.
How many Crypto Trader jobs are open in crypto right now?
49 live roles on ChainJobs match this role today, 3 posted in the last seven days and 5 (10%) remote — counted from employers' own careers pages and refreshed daily.
What skills does a Crypto Trader need?
Markets judgement, risk discipline, and increasingly Python for analysis and execution tooling. Traditional trading experience transfers; the crypto layer is venue structure, funding and basis mechanics, and 24/7 operations. Published base bands understate compensation — variable pay is the point.
Browse 3,754 live roles
Every one on the employer's own careers page, re-verified daily. Open the board →
390 new this week
Roles first seen in the last seven days, newest first. See what's new →
Hiring?
Your ATS roles may already be listed — claim the page free, or feature a role. Hiring guides →
Role matching is by job title (word-boundary patterns), so counts are indicative of the role, not exhaustive. Figures computed from ChainJobs' live board on 2026-09-16; salary only from employer-published bands. How we source data →