EMURGO – IT recruitment of a Web3 smart contract developer and a senior project manager.

Reviewed by

Ani Gasparyan

Last updated on August 30, 2025 | 13 min read

• EMURGO partnered with DevsData LLC to fill two highly specialized roles within a 9-week timeline.
• This case study explores how DevsData LLC’s targeted recruitment approach enabled EMURGO to accelerate its blockchain roadmap and strengthen cross-functional delivery.

As EMURGO rapidly expanded its product and infrastructure portfolio across the Web3 ecosystem, it faced an urgent need to strengthen its internal capabilities. The company was scaling several high-impact projects simultaneously, ranging from decentralized applications to backend blockchain services. It required seasoned blockchain developers and project managers who could contribute from day one.

The challenge was not only to find experienced engineers but to identify candidates who understood blockchain concepts and had direct experience working within the Cardano ecosystem. This included knowledge of Plutus for smart contract development, familiarity with stake delegation and native tokens, and practical use of Cardano’s tools, libraries, and APIs. The role also required people who could work independently, communicate clearly, and adapt to a fully remote setup.

To support this strategic growth, EMURGO partnered with DevsData LLC, a global recruitment and consulting firm known for placing elite engineers and senior tech professionals.

“The collaboration was focused on filling 2 business-critical roles: A Web3 Smart Contract Developer and a Senior Project Manager, both essential to the successful execution of EMURGO’s roadmap.”

Client overview

EMURGO is a founding entity of the Cardano blockchain, a leading proof-of-stake platform recognized for its research-driven approach and global developer community. Beyond its role in supporting adoption and tokenization, EMURGO has contributed key infrastructure to the ecosystem, including the Yoroi light wallet, developer education through EMURGO Academy, and investment in startups via EMURGO Ventures and EMURGO Africa.

It has also led enterprise initiatives in the supply chain, launched a stablecoin (USDA), and supported decentralized app development through accelerators and grants. More recently, EMURGO has been active in the growing real-world assets (RWA) sector, a strong trend in the blockchain space. This involves tokenizing physical or traditional financial assets to bring them onto the blockchain for improved accessibility, liquidity, and transparency. With an estimated annual revenue of $28.9 million and a strong online presence of over 123900 Twitter followers, EMURGO plays a pivotal role in advancing the global adoption of blockchain technology.

The company focuses on building essential blockchain infrastructure, investing in high-potential Web3 startups, and forming strategic partnerships across both emerging and established markets. Its mission is to bridge traditional finance with decentralized ecosystems by developing chain-agnostic tools that connect Web2 and Web3 platforms. EMURGO operates globally with regional offices and development centers in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, supporting blockchain projects and partnerships across multiple markets.

Project summary

EMURGO’s internal development team was scaling rapidly, and the company identified 2 critical roles necessary to maintain product velocity and organizational coherence:

Web3 Smart Contract Developer

This role required solid blockchain experience, ideally with a background in smart contract development for Cardano using Plutus, a Haskell-based programming language created specifically for writing smart contracts on the Cardano platform. The developer was expected to build and maintain smart contract infrastructure, work alongside protocol engineers, and contribute to tasks related to performance optimization and security review.

Senior Project Manager (PM)

The project required a project manager with a background in Web3 who could work effectively with remote teams, communicate clearly across technical and business roles, and apply structured project management methods in a decentralized environment. The position involved managing several products at the same time, with a focus on meeting deadlines and aligning work with broader business objectives.

EMURGO’s internal recruitment teams had limited bandwidth and found it challenging to identify candidates who met both the technical expectations and the team’s working style. The combination of blockchain-specific expertise, familiarity with Cardano, and the ability to work in a fully remote setup narrowed the pool significantly. That’s where DevsData LLC stepped in.

Challenge

This recruitment project came with a set of unique and compounded challenges:

1. Extremely niche skill sets

The Web3 space is still a relatively young domain, and finding developers with hands-on experience in smart contracts, especially those using Cardano’s functional programming paradigm (Haskell/Plutus), is exceedingly difficult. Even fewer candidates possess the practical understanding to develop secure, optimized contracts ready for production deployment.
For the Project Manager role, the challenge wasn’t just general PM capabilities. EMURGO needed someone with experience leading remote, multicultural teams across time zones and familiarity with the decentralized product development lifecycle. Standard enterprise PMs were not a fit, as they often lack experience with decentralized decision-making, asynchronous communication, and the dynamic, cross-border workflows common in blockchain projects.

2. Cross-functional demands

Both roles required a high degree of cross-functional collaboration. The Smart Contract Developer would need to work with backend developers, cryptographers, and auditors. The PM would serve as a bridge between product, engineering, design, and external stakeholders, including regulatory consultants and investors. This meant that technical expertise alone wasn’t enough, as communication, adaptability, and leadership were equally essential.

3. Urgent timelines

EMURGO’s product roadmap was highly demanding. With several Web3 launches and protocol-level upgrades on the horizon, delays in hiring could mean missed milestones. The recruitment process needed to be fast but without compromising quality, a delicate balance that few agencies are equipped to handle.

4. Global fit

EMURGO’s remote-first culture required candidates with international experience, time zone flexibility, and strong English proficiency. Many technically qualified individuals were disqualified due to poor communication skills or a lack of expertise in asynchronous, globally distributed teams.

DevsData LLC’s approach

DevsData LLC approached the hiring process with a clear, step-by-step method that reflected the specific requirements of Web3 roles:

1. Role discovery and deep consultation

Before sourcing began, DevsData LLC held in-depth discovery sessions with EMURGO’s technical leads and hiring managers. DevsData LLC sought to understand:

• What “success” would look like in each role after 90 days
• The exact tech stack and architectural decisions in use
• Team dynamics and cultural expectations
• Roadmap pressures and deadlines

This allowed DevsData LLC to create custom candidate profiles that captured the full scope of the roles, not just the technical requirements.

2. Precision sourcing via proprietary talent network

DevsData LLC leveraged its internal database of over 65000 vetted tech professionals, with advanced filters for Web3, smart contract development, and blockchain project management. Even though the required skill set was highly niche, the team was able to identify and engage suitable candidates from this network. The database also includes passive candidates, that is, high-performing professionals who are not actively searching on public platforms, and often represent the top 1% of global tech talent.

For the developer role, DevsData LLC prioritized candidates with Plutus/Haskell knowledge and experience deploying on-chain logic for real-world use cases. For the PM role, they targeted profiles with a startup and blockchain-native background, specifically those who had led DeFi, DAO, or NFT projects.

3. Rigorous technical screening

All shortlisted candidates underwent a multi-layered evaluation process tailored to the demands of each role.

For the Smart Contract Developer position, candidates completed hands-on coding assessments that focused on smart contract vulnerabilities, gas optimization, and deep familiarity with the Cardano architecture. These were followed by 90-minute live technical interviews led by blockchain engineers from DevsData LLC’s expert network to assess practical skills and problem-solving capabilities in real time.

For the Senior Project Manager role, candidates participated in scenario-based exercises that simulated real-world challenges, such as resolving conflicts within distributed teams, planning sprints in asynchronous environments, and aligning cross-functional stakeholders. These were complemented by behavioral interviews that explored leadership under pressure, communication across time zones, and remote team management strategies.

Throughout the process, DevsData LLC maintained close collaboration with EMURGO, regularly incorporating feedback and fine-tuning evaluation criteria to ensure each candidate matched both the technical requirements and the cultural expectations of the team.

4. Fast turnaround

“DevsData LLC successfully filled both roles within 9 weeks, beginning with a shortlist presented in the first 10 business days. Interviews were scheduled, coordinated, and supported by DevsData LLC to minimize internal delays.”

Results

DevsData LLC successfully placed both of the critical roles EMURGO needed within 9 weeks. The first hire was a highly skilled Smart Contract Developer with over 5 years of blockchain experience, including 2 years of direct experience working with Cardano. This candidate possesses in-depth knowledge of Plutus and functional programming, having previously contributed to security audits and deployed smart contracts to the mainnet. Importantly, they also demonstrated excellent communication skills and a strong ability to work within distributed, international teams.

The second hire was a Senior Project Manager with more than a decade of experience in software project delivery and a focused background in the Web3 space. Having led complex DeFi and NFT initiatives in the past, the candidate brought a rare combination of technical understanding and organizational leadership. Their proven ability to manage cross-functional teams across multiple time zones made them an ideal fit for EMURGO’s global operations. DevsData LLC delivered both hires within the 9-week timeframe, outpacing standard recruitment benchmarks for such highly specialized positions.

Business impact

The successful recruitment of these two key professionals supported EMURGO’s operations. The Smart Contract Developer was quickly integrated into a high-priority DeFi product initiative. Their technical contributions to the smart contract layer, particularly around performance tuning and security, accelerated the project’s development timeline and helped EMURGO avoid potential delays in their roadmap.

Meanwhile, the Senior Project Manager introduced much-needed structure to EMURGO’s product development lifecycle. Their leadership helped streamline communication across engineering, product, and design teams, enabling more consistent sprint planning and execution. With improved coordination and fewer internal bottlenecks, EMURGO experienced a noticeable increase in development velocity and team efficiency.

Beyond immediate contributions, both hires brought a strong strategic fit with EMURGO’s culture and long-term vision. Their alignment with the company’s mission to build a more decentralized and inclusive financial system has laid a solid foundation for continued growth.

Quick recap of the project

Whether you’re building decentralized applications, scaling blockchain infrastructure, or launching a new crypto venture, hiring the right talent is critical. DevsData LLC specializes in recruiting top-tier engineers, product leaders, and domain experts for highly technical and fast-moving environments, just like we did for EMURGO.

Contact the team at general@devsdata.com or visit www.devsdata.com.

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Ani Gasparyan Senior copywriter and marketer

Ani is a marketing enthusiast and content writer. With 6+ years of expertise in marketing, she succeeded in developing engaging marketing collaterals, including blog articles, social media content, and other promotional materials. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, she thrives in crafting compelling content that resonates with the target audience.

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