Head of Japan

Skills

About the Role

In this role you will lead institutional business development in Japan, identifying, negotiating, and closing strategic deals with megabanks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, exchanges, and large enterprises. You will build and nurture relationships with regulators and key stakeholders, establish credibility in the market, and guide launches from concept to live operation.

Requirements

• 8+ years of business development experience, including 4+ years in blockchain, digital assets, or Web3 with a track record of closing large, complex institutional deals.
• Deep understanding of the Japanese market and extensive experience engaging and selling to Japan's largest financial institutions and enterprises.
• A robust, senior network across Japanese banks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, enterprises, and Web3 players and the ability to open doors at decision-maker level.
• Strong command of how Web3 maps to institutional strategy — why an institution would issue a stablecoin, tokenize an asset, or move settlement on-chain, and where the real commercial value sits.
• Sharp read on where major Japanese corporates and regulators are heading on digital assets, and the foresight to position Monad early.
• A self-starter who owns initiatives from first conversation to closed deal and live launch.
• Native-level fluency in Japanese and professional fluency in English (written and verbal).

Responsibilities

• Own institutional business development for Japan: identify, negotiate, and close strategic deals across megabanks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, exchanges, and large enterprises.
• Build and structure commercial partnerships in Monad's priority pillars: stablecoin issuance and payments, tokenization and RWAs, on-chain settlement, and institutional capital markets use cases.
• Develop senior relationships with the institutions that matter most in Japan and convert them into concrete launches with clear owners, timelines, and usage paths.
• Help build prerequisites for serious BD to scale: regulated pathways for stablecoins on Monad, exchange relationships, and the local credibility that institutional counterparties require before they commit.
• Run deals with commercial discipline: milestones, real product launches, and a usage path beyond announcements and vanity partnerships.
• Establish Monad's overall go-to-market and positioning in Japan: build a credible, long-term financial infrastructure perception rather than just another blockchain.
• Build and nurture relationships with exchanges, enterprises, ecosystem builders, media, and regulatory bodies to expand Monad's standing and mindshare.
• Represent Monad Foundation at the senior level with institutions, partners, and the local industry, and serve as the trusted face of Monad Foundation in the market.
• Stay ahead of Japan's evolving regulatory landscape (FSA, JVCEA, and related bodies) and translate it into high-impact opportunities and a clear-eyed view of what is and isn't possible.