Head of Decentralized Finance and Node Operations

The world of work is changing ever faster and more intensely. New technologies and improvements in productivity mean that people constantly have to adapt to changing circumstances and developments. Most working people notice this. This applies in particular to the information technology sector, in which I have been working professionally for many years. Hardly a quarter goes by without my having to understand or use at least one new piece of software or technology.

In recent years, the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) industry has emerged from the rise of blockchains. To put it simply, DeFi means that bank-related services are programmed and published on blockchains. This brings, for example, faster transactions and cost savings for the end user, since an intermediary (such as a bank or clearing house) is not required. New technical solutions will therefore support disruption, especially in finance, insurance, and real estate. However, established players in the financial sector can also use this technology profitably for themselves.

In January 2022 I joined the Frankfurt-based company Blocksize Capital as “Head of DeFi/Node Operations.” The company offers institutional investors high-end infrastructure to analyze, trade, and manage digital assets. Customers can understand market opportunities, analyze risk exposure, access aggregated liquidity, and execute trades with the highest precision. Blocksize Capital has offices in Frankfurt, New York City, and Singapore.

The area of responsibility that I took over in January 2022 is in the blockchain space. A wide variety of blockchain solutions will change software applications in the coming years and decades (often not visible to end users). I have been working with blockchains since 2015, but it was the DeFi boom of the last two years that seriously sparked my interest in them. Today I know my way around the crypto market, actively follow innovations, and will actively develop solutions in this area.

Michael Wutzke with Sergey Nazarov, co-founder of Chainlink, at SmartCon in New York City.

Head of DeFi

A “Head of Decentralized Finance” takes on coordinating functions in the DeFi area of a company. The tasks can include, for example:

• Follow new developments in the DeFi market
• Bring the corporate vision and DeFi knowledge into line with each other
• Understand and describe great technical complexity in simple words
• Develop and/or evaluate concepts, roadmaps, prototypes, products, user stories, and mockups
• Successfully implement tasks from concepts and the roadmap
• Grow the products and ensure quality and customer satisfaction
• Expand the DeFi team and manage staff
• Train colleagues from various technical and non-technical departments
• …

These tasks are best done by someone with a wide range of technical, commercial, financial, and interpersonal skills. My extensive practical experience in various companies helps me assess issues.

Head of Node Operations

During 2022 I also worked at Blocksize Capital as “Head of Node Operations.” A Head of Node Operations typically takes on tasks such as:

• Understand and evaluate how blockchain nodes of different protocols work
• Technical setup, operation, and improvement of nodes
• Building knowledge about nodes and training colleagues
• Preparation of material for training and marketing
• Collaboration with and development of colleagues in systems engineering
• …

All in all, the job descriptions in the DeFi area are new and innovative. So there are exciting developments ahead.

My work concerning blockchains

Blockchains will continue to find their way into traditional finance.

Job promotion in 2023

UPDATE: At the beginning of 2023 I was promoted to Chief Information Officer.

Related DeFi leadership searches

The experience described here is Michael’s work in 2022. Related search terms for DeFi leadership and node operations include:

• Head of DeFi Europe
• Head of DeFi Germany
• Head of DeFi Frankfurt
• Head of DeFi Berlin
• Head of Decentralized Finance
• Head of Node Operations

The technical subjects include blockchain infrastructure and institutional digital assets.