Caladan – Poland IT recruitment of Software Development Tech Leads for a leading proprietary investment fund from Singapore

Nikoloz Khotcholava

Last updated on December 16, 2025 | 12 min read

Introduction

Caladan, a Singapore-headquartered proprietary investment fund active in crypto trading and market making, plans to scale its engineering operations in Poland to support global trading systems. The firm processes over $50 billion in annual crypto transactions across 65+ exchanges and 1000 assets, which increased demand for experienced Tech Leads fluent in distributed systems, low-latency backend work, and security-sensitive infrastructure.

Internal hiring stalled for months because leadership experience combined with crypto expertise was rare, and cross-border coordination further slowed reviews. Caladan engaged DevsData LLC to run a focused, multi-stage recruitment across senior software leadership, plus critical DevOps and security roles in Poland. Using calibrated technical screening and asynchronous collaboration through Slack, Google Meet recordings, and shared coding assessments, the process reduced average decision time by about 40%, enabling faster shortlist approvals and offer rollouts.

Client overview

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Singapore, Caladan is a proprietary investment firm and market maker active in cryptocurrency and digital assets. The company focuses on stabilizing volatile crypto markets through active market making and the use of blockchain-based trading infrastructure.

Key areas of specialization include:

• Market-making services that improve trading efficiency on international exchanges.
• Structured financial products designed for institutional partners.
• Validator operations supporting the reliability and security of decentralized networks.
• Early-stage investments in blockchain infrastructure and analytics.

The firm oversees more than $50 billion in annual crypto transactions, with operations spanning over 65 exchanges and a wide range of digital assets. Caladan maintains a global presence and continues to expand in Europe, where its Poland engineering hub strengthens technical capacity and supports the long-term development of its trading platforms.

Project scope and objectives

Caladan brought in DevsData LLC to accelerate the creation of a senior engineering hub in Poland. The assignment required external recruitment after internal efforts stalled, leaving key gaps in backend technical leadership and platform security. DevOps coverage also needed to be rebuilt to stabilize automation and deployments. The mandate focused on securing leaders who could reinforce trading infrastructure while meeting strict compliance and operational demands.

Multiple technical disciplines were encompassed within the recruitment scope, including software development, DevOps implementation, cybersecurity protocols, and technical leadership roles. Candidates with proven expertise in low-latency trading systems, distributed service architectures, and comprehensive API security frameworks were prioritized.

The technology stack was centered on Go and Python as primary languages, while select high-performance backend modules were powered by Rust. AWS cloud services orchestrated through Kubernetes formed the infrastructure foundation, with seamless deployment processes enabled by Docker containerization. Terraform handled infrastructure automation, Prometheus and Grafana provided monitoring solutions, and secure credential management was maintained through Vault.

Each candidate’s ability to integrate effectively within this technical environment was validated through the screening process. Shortlisted engineers were ensured to possess the necessary skills and adaptability to contribute meaningfully from their first day.

Objectives centered on shortening the hiring cycle, raising candidate quality, and reducing the burden on managers. Caladan asked for shortlists in under a week to speed each hiring cycle. Insufficient data to verify the average number of profiles per shortlist. The project recorded 48 shortlisted candidates across all cycles. The actual placements were distributed across two years, aligning with shifts in project scope and technical demand. At the same time, the project aimed to establish a pipeline of pre-qualified professionals in Poland, creating long-term capacity to support the company’s European expansion and ongoing work in crypto trading infrastructure.

Challenges and constraints

Building Caladan’s Poland engineering hub was demanding because the firm needed senior specialists in blockchain infrastructure while trading activity continued to grow. Internal searches had stalled, creating delays that required precise screening and faster coordination. The key challenges and DevsData LLC’s responses are summarized below:

These constraints required a recruitment process that combined technical rigor with structured coordination, enabling Caladan to stay on schedule and expand its European hub without adding strain on internal teams.

Strategic recruitment approach

To meet the client’s technical and time demands, DevsData LLC concentrated its efforts in Central and Eastern Europe, choosing Poland as the main base due to its proven developer standards. HackerRank places the country in the global top five for coding proficiency, with strong results in mainstream languages and in algorithmic problem-solving. The region offered deep experience in distributed systems and a strong FinTech pipeline, which aligned with Caladan’s trading stack and security needs. Select EU clusters were added where prior placements and academic ties consistently produced engineers suited to low-latency backends and production-scale operations.

Sourcing combined our proprietary database of 65000 pre-screened candidates with targeted outreach in engineering communities. We also activated referral loops through previously placed specialists and alumni channels tied to financial technology programs, such as the SGH Warsaw School of Economics elective “FinTech and Commerce Startups with Mastercard” within the CEMS MIM program. Open-source reviews focused on work aligned to the client stack, with emphasis on Go and Python; Rust was considered for modules where Caladan used it in production. This approach prioritized verifiable contributions over resume keywords and kept the pipeline aligned to trading infrastructure needs.

Screening mirrored real workloads. Candidates solved coding tasks that stressed concurrency and API stability under load. For DevOps and security paths, practical work covered Terraform configurations and Vault usage, with separate checks for encryption handling. Structured interviews assessed decision speed, leadership readiness, and ability to operate across time zones using async tools.

“Our assessment design had to pressure-test both speed and caution at once. Candidates faced tasks that revealed how they think under constraints common to crypto trading. Only those who showed consistent judgment and hands-on fluency progressed.” – L. Avagyan, Recruitment Specialist at DevsData LLC

Results and impact

During a two-year partnership, DevsData LLC secured 17 senior hires across leadership, backend, DevOps, and cybersecurity. Hiring cycle times were reduced to less than half of what Caladan had previously experienced, with role-ready shortlists delivered in under a week. Nearly four out of five finalists accepted offers.

Key outcomes included:

• Delivery of role-ready shortlists within days, accelerating the start of each hiring cycle.
• 17 senior hires were successfully placed over two years, covering leadership, backend, DevOps, and cybersecurity roles.
• Candidate acceptance rates remained high, reducing the risk of repeated interview rounds.
• More than 130 vetted specialists were added to a long-term pipeline for future needs in Poland and the wider EU.
• Managerial workload during hiring waves decreased as DevsData LLC handled sourcing, screening, and scheduling.
• Regional hires in Poland reduced dependence on Singapore-based teams and extended time zone coverage.

Together, these results stabilized delivery, strengthened technical capacity, and gave Caladan the ability to expand in Europe with confidence. The client regarded the engagement as efficient and sustainable, with benefits extending well beyond immediate staffing.

Conclusion

Caladan confronted rising pressure as transaction volumes expanded and key project deadlines drew closer. Internal hiring had stalled, leaving vacancies in engineering and security roles that were critical to sustaining low-latency trading systems. This created both business risk and technical strain for a company processing billions across international markets.

DevsData LLC responded with a region-focused search in Poland, supported by a recruitment process calibrated to the client’s technology stack and security requirements. Over two years, 17 senior specialists were hired. Hiring cycles were cut to less than half of previous attempts, and role-ready shortlists were delivered in days. Backend hires strengthened the stability of trading systems and enabled smoother handling of heavier transaction volumes. Security and DevOps Specialists improved reliability during incidents and gave Caladan greater operational confidence. In addition, more than 130 vetted candidates were added to a pipeline, ensuring the client had a ready resource for future hiring rounds. These outcomes gave Caladan a reliable foundation for European growth and steadier performance in global trading operations.

Organizations seeking Senior Engineers, DevOps Professionals, or Cybersecurity Specialists in Poland and other European hubs can depend on DevsData LLC for a recruitment model built on accuracy and speed. To learn more, contact us at general@devsdata.com or visit www.devsdata.com.