I have 3 years of B2B SaaS Sales experience — is it easy to switch to Web3 BD?

Easier than starting from a completely unrelated background. SaaS sales has transferable skills: pipeline management, outreach, negotiation, demo. However, you must fill gaps in crypto domain knowledge (3-6 months of learning) and Web3 network (6-12 months of building). A realistic timeline to land a BD role in Web3 from a SaaS background is 9-15 months if you dedicate 15-20 hours/week.

My English is intermediate (reading/writing OK, speaking weak) — can I still do Web3 BD?

Yes. 80% of Web3 BD communication is written (Telegram, email, Twitter DM). Weak speaking is acceptable if your writing is strong. I recommend investing in IELTS Writing 7.0+ or equivalent (read Cambridge Writing Task 2 samples, practice 1-2 essays/week). Speaking will improve gradually through real calls. Don't wait for "perfect English" before applying.

I've been a bank BD in Vietnam for 5 years with a current salary of 30M VND/month. Would switching to Web3 BD pay more?

Tier 2 protocol remote junior BD in Vietnam averages 60-90K USD = ~150-220M VND/year = 12-18M VND/month base + token vest. Mid-level (2-5 years exp) = 90-140K USD = 18-29M VND/month base + token vest 60-200K USD vest over 4 years. Note: 5 years of bank BD does NOT fully count towards Web3 BD experience — you'll need to go through a junior role first, about 6-12 months. After that, you can level up quickly.

Does Web3 BD require holding the token of the protocol you work for?

Not mandatory, but it is very common practice. You receive token vest according to your offer, starting after the cliff (usually 1 year). Some BD actively buy additional spot tokens to align their incentives with the protocol — this is a personal choice. Important: Do NOT insider trade with internal information — it violates laws in many jurisdictions and will permanently destroy your career.

I haven't graduated from university yet (3rd year) — can I start in Web3 BD?

Yes, especially through internships. Sky Mavis, Coin98, Holdstation, and Animoca Brands Vietnam have Web3 internship programs. Apply for part-time internships alongside your studies, then upgrade to full-time after graduation. I recommend using your 3rd and 4th year of university to build a strong portfolio (Twitter, projects, network) — this will help you leapfrog peers who are fresh graduates without Web3 experience.

What is token vest? Will I actually receive money?

Token vest means the company promises to grant you N tokens over M years in the future. Example: 100K tokens, vesting over 4 years, with a 1-year cliff. After 1 year, you "earn" 25K tokens, receiving a monthly drip of 2K over the following 36 months. If the protocol succeeds and the token has value, you receive money based on the market price at the time of vesting. If the protocol fails (token = 0), you receive 0. This is the risk-reward nature of a crypto career. Important: Do NOT count 100% of the paper value of your token allocation — only count cash + 30-50% of the paper token value when comparing offers.

Web3 BD/Sales Career VN 2026: Roadmap from Zero, Skills, Salary by Tie

Web3 BD/Sales Career VN 2026: Roadmap from Zero, Required Skills & Salary by Protocol Tier

Cập nhật: 11 tháng 5, 2026

When talking about Web3 careers, most Vietnamese people immediately think of Smart Contract Developer or Trader. However, there is one role that is less shared but has high demand and very competitive pay: BD/Sales — Business Development. BD in Web3 is not telesales-style calling to close deals. BD in Web3 is the person who forges partnerships between protocols (e.g., integrating Aave and Chainlink), brings liquidity to new DEXs, and signs deals between Layer 1 and DeFi protocols to build an ecosystem. It's a hybrid role between sales-engineering-relationship management.