Microsoft has taken a bold step towards integrating blockchain and cryptocurrencies in its business structure. The company recently posted a new job opening for a "Director of Business Development - Cryptocurrencies" on its career website. It's just another confirmation that blockchain technology is here to stay.
The role is integrated into Microsoft's AI and Emerging Technologies business development team, which is the company's spearhead division for disruptive new technologies. The team essentially looks to emerging technologies, adapting them to existing Microsoft infrastructure (updating or building it from scratch as needed) and onboarding them as new revenue sources.
"In this role, you will work closely with senior members of the Business Development organization to create data-driven strategies that will impact both short- and long-term engineering plans and product ideas to win in strategic markets. In addition, you will identify, assess, and structure complex partnerships and acquisitions."
Microsoft is looking for a Director with "an understanding of Web 3.0" and with "1+ years of experience in crypto, with working knowledge of tech and protocols surrounding DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, and Web 3.0." The company is keen on how impactful it expects the new iteration of the world wide web to be on its business model.
The Windows developer is looking for someone who can "develop the vision, strategy, and roadmap for Microsoft's web 3.0 partnership model including infrastructure and APIs". As such, the new Director role must work across Microsoft's Product, Finance, Marketing, Legal and other divisions while advising on key technology and product roadmap development.
These aren't superfluous connections by any measure and go to show how Web 3.0 is going to be built into the backbone of tech companies going forward. Microsoft describing the role as having "potential for high impact and direct exec level visibility" only reinforces this idea. Web 3.0 and its associated technologies will be slowly built into existing corporations - perhaps slightly slower after Meta's recent 20% stock value crash. Microsoft, however, knows its future too lies in "The Metaverse" and in how that technology can be leveraged to bring people and communities closer together in more varied ways.
