Financial Crime Compliance Manager at Ethena Labs

About Ethena Labs

Ethena Labs is shaping the next wave of decentralized finance by building the core infrastructure for modern, crypto-native financial systems. Our flagship product, USDe, is a synthetic dollar protocol built on Ethereum that uses a delta-neutral hedging strategy to maintain stability — creating a scalable, censorship-resistant digital dollar.

Building on that foundation, sUSDe delivers crypto-native yields sourced from derivatives funding rates, offering a transparent and accessible savings vehicle independent of traditional banking systems.

To expand institutional adoption, we’ve partnered with Securitize and BlackRock’s BUIDL fund to introduce USDtb — a regulated, asset-backed stablecoin that bridges traditional finance with the on-chain economy. For financial institutions, iUSDe adds compliance-ready access to Ethena’s yield mechanisms, enabling participation in DeFi through a secure, familiar interface.

Our most ambitious project, Converge, is a hybrid blockchain built jointly with Securitize. Designed as the primary issuance layer for tokenized assets, it connects DeFi innovation with the compliance, liquidity, and infrastructure needs of CeFi and TradFi players.

Through these initiatives, Ethena Labs is building the foundation of an open, efficient, and interconnected global financial system — one that merges the best of blockchain technology with the reliability of traditional finance.

The Role

The FinCrime Compliance Manager will play a critical role in safeguarding Ethena’s operations across all products — including USDe, sUSDe, USDtb, and future launches. Reporting to the Head of Compliance, you’ll work closely with our Legal, Product, and Operations teams to build and execute a world-class financial crime prevention framework.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll manage day-to-day investigations, sanctions reviews, and enhanced due diligence (EDD) processes, while developing the internal policies and playbooks that allow Ethena to scale responsibly. You’ll also serve as the key contact for partners, auditors, and regulators on all financial crime matters.

We’re looking for someone analytical, detail-driven, and adaptable — a professional who can balance the fast-paced reality of a crypto-native business with the rigor demanded by global compliance standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Ethena’s financial crime operations, including investigations, sanctions reviews, and high-risk case management across all products.

• Design and implement enhanced due diligence (EDD) processes for institutional and B2B2C partners.

• Build and refine sanctions monitoring and blacklist frameworks, ensuring automation and consistency across systems.

• Oversee the daily investigations and monitoring queues, maintaining quality, accuracy, and efficiency.

• Develop and maintain policies and procedures covering AML, CFT, sanctions, and EDD — adapting them as regulations evolve across MiCA, BVI, Cayman, and other jurisdictions.

• Collaborate with Product, Legal, and Operations to embed compliance controls into new products and features.

• Act as the main liaison for law enforcement, auditors, and regulators on financial crime matters.

• Train and mentor teams across the business — helping non-compliance staff understand risk exposure and best practices in crypto financial crime prevention.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Proven experience leading financial crime or AML investigations, preferably within crypto or fintech.

• Hands-on expertise with blockchain analytics tools such as TRM Labs, Chainalysis, or Elliptic.

• Solid understanding of AML/CFT, KYC/KYB, and sanctions frameworks, and ability to apply them across multi-jurisdictional structures (EU MiCA, BVI AML, Cayman foundation, U.S. MSB).

• Experience designing and managing EDD programs for complex entities — including DAOs, offshore funds, and institutional LPs.

• Strong knowledge of building, maintaining, and auditing financial crime compliance programs (policies, procedures, playbooks).

• Experience with audit readiness, including preparing for external AML/FinCrime audits and implementing remediation plans.

• Technically fluent — able to understand Ethena’s mint/redeem, staking, and off-exchange settlement mechanics and integrate compliance tooling effectively.

Why Ethena Labs

• Join a crypto-native, forward-thinking company redefining decentralized finance.

• Work alongside an innovative and mission-driven team that values creativity, precision, and speed.

• Enjoy a remote-friendly, flexible environment with opportunities for growth and continuous learning.

• Contribute to products that bridge the gap between DeFi and traditional finance.

• If you believe in separating the dollar from the state — we want to hear from you.