General Counsel & Head of Legal (Blockchain, Digital Assets, Payments & Financial Infrastructure)

Overview

This part-time Equity Cofounder role offers a unique opportunity to serve as General Counsel & Head of Legal for a pioneering decentralized infrastructure project. The organization is developing a sovereign Layer-0 Operating System and Layer-1 blockchain designed to unify Web2, Web3, AI systems, decentralized identity, financial infrastructure, and decentralized compute into a single composable operational environment.

The legal lead will be responsible for architecting regulatory and compliance frameworks that support advanced technologies such as post-quantum cryptography, zk-proofs, and AI-driven systems, while enabling scalable, regulated financial products and strategic partnerships. A key strategic objective is pursuing a U.S. OCC national trust bank charter to integrate traditional financial services with blockchain infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Lead regulatory strategy and compliance frameworks for Layer-1 blockchain operations, decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), tokenomics, decentralized identity, payments, and digital asset custody.
• Advise on U.S. and international regulations including SEC, CFTC, FinCEN (AML/KYC/OFAC), OCC, GDPR, and emerging crypto/fintech legislation.
• Provide legal support for the OCC national trust bank charter application and design licensing strategies (VASP, MSB, MTL, trust company) with proactive regulatory engagement.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex agreements for strategic partnerships, vendor contracts, equity/token allocations, developer programs, custody agreements, and financial services integrations.
• Establish and maintain corporate governance structures for a global network of equity cofounders and potential banking subsidiaries.
• Protect intellectual property related to blockchain execution, fully homomorphic encryption, zk-proofs, AI integration, and financial infrastructure innovations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across product development, token launches, enterprise integrations, payments platforms, and custody operations.
• Oversee dispute resolution, litigation strategy, and insurance programs.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to embed legal-by-design and compliance-by-design principles into platform and financial service offerings.
• Represent the organization in regulatory forums, industry associations, policy discussions, and engagements with banking and financial regulators.
• Contribute to whitepapers, publications, and thought leadership on blockchain governance, digital asset legal frameworks, and compliant DeFi models.
• Mentor team members on legal best practices and foster a culture of proactive compliance.

Deliverables (First 90 Days)

• Comprehensive global regulatory compliance roadmap and gap analysis covering digital assets, payments, custody, and OCC charter requirements.
• Standardized legal templates, policies, and agreements for partnerships, equity/token allocations, developer terms, platform operations, and regulated financial services.
• Legal gap analysis and risk assessment framework supporting the OCC charter application and integrated banking-blockchain model.
• Regulatory engagement strategy including regulator mapping and intellectual property protection audit for core technologies.
• Cross-functional training materials and leadership presentations on key legal priorities for token launch, mainnet rollout, and regulated financial infrastructure.

Qualifications

Required:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from a top-tier law school with active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive legal experience, including at least 4 years focused on cryptocurrency, blockchain, DeFi, Web3, fintech, payments, digital assets, or financial services law.
• Proven expertise advising on token launches, securities law compliance (Howey test, Reg D, Reg A+), digital asset regulations, payments compliance, and bank charter or trust company regulatory applications.
• Deep knowledge of digital asset taxation, data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA), payments systems, digital asset custody, AML/KYC frameworks, and intellectual property law in emerging technologies.

Preferred:

• Prior in-house General Counsel, Head of Legal, or senior legal leadership experience at a blockchain/crypto company, fintech, payments provider, or regulated financial institution.
• Direct experience with DePIN, Layer-1 protocols, enterprise blockchain adoption, OCC charter applications, or federal banking regulatory processes.
• Established network with regulators, policymakers, crypto/fintech legal specialists, or banking compliance experts.
• Publications, speaking engagements, or thought leadership in blockchain law, fintech regulation, digital assets, or payments.

Soft Skills:

• Strategic legal thinker balancing innovation with risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborative leader and effective communicator capable of working across technical, product, compliance, banking strategy, and executive teams.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to ethical practices in Web3 and regulated financial services.

Compensation & Growth Path

• This is a part-time equity and token-based cofounder position.
• Equity in the parent organization and the blockchain ecosystem, along with token allocations.
• Initial financing completed; discussions ongoing with venture capital and crypto investors for expansion and salaried compensation.
• Salaried compensation expected to begin within 3 to 5 months following node launch, token sales, or funding.

Location

• Remote position with a global team.

This role is ideal for a legal professional with deep expertise in blockchain, digital assets, and financial regulatory compliance who is ready to lead legal strategy at the intersection of decentralized infrastructure and traditional finance.