John Kiefner is a former student who studied Information Systems-Blockchain (major) & Computer Science (minor) at the University of Arkansas. Last fall, he accepted a position as a Treasury Analyst for Digital Assets at Coinbase. As part of BCoE’s EPIC Blockstar series, we had a conversation with John to understand what motivated him to take a job at a company in the crypto space. John elaborated on what efforts and interests played an important role in his journey. He also briefly shared his experiences with some challenges and roadblocks along the way.
John mentions that he has been interested in the blockchain space since his high school days and that he always had a goal to work in the blockchain space. He emphasized that his interest in blockchain played a major role in his path to success. He points out to fact that there are only a few opportunities where a new technology can be shaped and that blockchain is one such technology. John emphasized how fast evolving and changing the blockchain space is. From his experience, he says that it is not very easy to keep up with all the blockchain news out there. He recommends that we choose what interests us most and continue to read those related new articles and updates. He mentioned that mediums like Twitter and Discord can also be a good place to start by following discussions.
Being in the Treasury Analyst role at Coinbase allows him to work with the Crypto Product and Engineering teams to determine appropriate wallet setup and digital assets flows. He manages digital assets flows between hot and cold wallets, as well as transitioning assets from digital asset rewards program from self-hosted wallets to Cloud wallets. This role also requires forecasting liquidity and inventory needs for crypto operations, and especially maintaining adequate reserves for payment of gas fees. And finally, he works on identifying and maintaining strong working relationships with key internal business partners and ensure partnership to achieve corporate objectives. Some of the challenges that John mentions are transitioning into working full time in the blockchain space and a learning curve understanding new things. Working with a company like Coinbase with a new way of work and culture is another learning he points out. He encourages students who are interested in blockchain space to look for jobs and work in the space that aligns with their interests.
It was also important that Coinbase’s mission to increase economic freedom in the world aligned with his ideas and goals. He believes that everyone deserves access to financial services that can help empower them to create a better life for themselves and their families. If the world economy ran on a common set of standards that could not be manipulated by any company or country, the world would be a more fair and free place, and human progress would accelerate. He says that the key to any successful career is alignment of personal goals and mission to that of the firm you are looking to work for, and this was the strategy he used to look for jobs in the blockchain space.
Article by: Srividya Yellepeddi, Graduate Assistant
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