General Counsel

Sei Labs

General Counsel managing all legal, regulatory, and compliance functions for Sei Development Foundation. Providing strategic counsel and building legal infrastructure in a crypto-native environment.

Posted 4/11/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the foundation’s chief legal advisor, providing counsel on corporate governance, entity structuring, and strategic transactions
Advise the Executive Director and leadership team on legal risk across all business activities, including partnerships, grants, incubations, and token operations
Oversee the foundation’s corporate entity structure across multiple jurisdictions and ensure ongoing compliance with formation documents and governance requirements
Draft, review, and negotiate key agreements including partnership deals, token grant agreements, service agreements, and vendor contracts
Own and maintain the foundation’s compliance program, including AML/KYC, sanctions (OFAC), and insider trading policies
Monitor and advise on evolving regulatory frameworks across the US, EU, Asia, and emerging markets as they relate to digital assets, DeFi, and blockchain infrastructure
Manage regulatory relationships and represent the foundation in engagements with regulators and policymakers where appropriate
Ensure compliance with securities laws and token distribution regulations across all applicable jurisdictions
Oversee compliance infrastructure for exchange listings, custodian relationships, and on/off-ramp partnerships
Provide legal guidance on tokenomics, token distributions, vesting structures, and treasury management activities
Advise on legal implications of on-chain governance, protocol upgrades, and ecosystem incentive programs
Structure and review token grant agreements and restricted token arrangements for partners, contributors, and ecosystem participants
Evaluate legal risks related to RWA tokenization, DeFi integrations, and new product launches
Build and manage the internal legal function, hiring additional legal and compliance team members as needed
Select, manage, and coordinate outside counsel across jurisdictions for specialized matters (litigation, IP, tax, regulatory)
Establish legal processes, templates, and playbooks that enable the team to move fast while managing risk
Oversee the foundation’s IP portfolio, including trademarks, open-source licensing, and contributor agreements
Advise on employment and contractor matters across a globally distributed, EOR-structured workforce

Requirements

What you’ll need

J.D. from a top-tier law school and active bar membership in at least one US jurisdiction
10+ years of legal experience, with significant time spent on digital assets, fintech, or blockchain-related matters
Deep knowledge of US securities law, commodities regulation, AML/sanctions frameworks, and their application to digital assets
Experience advising on token launches, token grant structures, and crypto-native corporate governance
Track record of building legal and compliance functions at a high-growth startup or foundation
Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets across multiple jurisdictions
Ability to operate with high autonomy, make judgment calls under ambiguity, and move at startup speed
Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to translate complex legal concepts for non-legal stakeholders.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

corporate governanceentity structuringstrategic transactionslegal risk managementcompliance program managementAML/KYCsecurities lawtokenomicscontract negotiationdigital assets

Soft Skills

autonomyjudgment under ambiguitycommunicationteam managementlegal translation for stakeholders

Certifications

J.D.active bar membership