DeFi Quant Trader Intern (Credit)

Keyrock; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 17,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Accommodation provided

Global team

Job summary

Keyrock is offering a six-month paid internship in Brussels with potential London-onboarding to work in our Credit Desk DeFi Quant Trader unit.

You will collaborate with quant traders and credit strategists to build risk models, automate yield harvesting, and analyze on-chain data across DeFi lending protocols.

Qualifications

• Strong code-first foundation in Python and SQL with Git proficiency.
• Quantitative background in Math, Physics, CS, Finance, or Engineering.
• Hands-on experience with decentralized lending protocols or DeFi primitives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine quantitative risk models for DeFi credit platforms.
• Build Python-based tools to analyze yield curves and liquidity pool depth.
• Query on-chain telemetry and protocol data to generate actionable risk insights.
• Perform quantitative forensics and stress testing on lending primitives.

Skills

Python

SQL

Git

DeFi knowledge

Education

Quantitative field degree (Math/CS/Engineering/Finance)

Tools

Solidity basics

Foundry

Rust

Job description

Since 2017, Keyrock has been a change-maker in digital assets. We're a global, remote-first team of 200+ people across 40+ nationalities, with hubs in Brussels, London, Paris and New York. We provide liquidity across 80+ centralized and decentralized exchanges - a position cemented by our Series C, led by SC Ventures. Today we run a full spectrum of capital markets businesses across centralized and on-chain venues: market making, high-frequency trading, options, OTC, DeFi trading desks, advisory, and asset management. We're building toward the agentic investment banking capabilities for the era of digital finance. A proprietary agentic layer runs the mechanics of the market, so our people can focus on the work code cannot do: the deal, the relationship, and the judgement. We're not just envisioning the future of finance - we're building it.

About The Internship Program

Our internship programme gives early-career talent the opportunity to build practical skills, contribute to meaningful projects and learn alongside experienced colleagues in digital finance. Typically lasting six months and based in our Brussels office (London possible), each internship includes hands-on experience, clear learning goals and dedicated guidance and regular feedback. We look for curiosity, relevant foundational skills, deep, active interest and passion for digital assets and the potential to grow exponentially with us – you don’t need to arrive with all the answers. Where performance, business needs and available opportunities align, an internship may lead to a permanent role, though this is not guaranteed.

Selection Process

• Interview with Talent Acquisition representative
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Recruitment Challenge

The role

About Credit Desk

In our Credit & On-Chain Liquidity team, we design, deploy, and manage capital across decentralized lending protocols, yield strategies, and credit facilities. Operating at the intersection of quantitative finance and smart contract risk, the Credit Desk is responsible for optimizing yield, evaluating counterparty and protocol risk, and deploying programmatic credit solutions across digital asset markets. As a Credit Desk DeFi Quant Trader Intern, you will work directly with quant traders and credit strategists to build quantitative risk models, automate yield harvesting, analyze on-chain liquidity pools, and evaluate DeFi protocol mechanics.

Key Responsibilities of a DeFi Quant Trader intern in this unit

• On-Chain Risk & Credit Modeling: Develop and refine quantitative risk models to assess protocol health, collateralization ratios, liquidation risks, and smart contract vulnerability exposure across DeFi credit platforms.
• Yield Optimization & Execution: Build Python-based tools and algorithmic models to analyze real-time yield curves, liquidity pool depth, and funding rate arbitrage across lending and borrowing protocols.
• Data Analytics & Telemetry: Query on-chain telemetry, EVM event logs, and DEX/lending protocol data using SQL, Subgraphs, and Python to generate actionable insights for credit positioning and risk allocation.
• Protocol Due Diligence & Forensics: Perform quantitative forensics and stress testing on emerging lending primitives, liquid staking protocols, and structured credit products prior to capital deployment.

Who You Are/Key Requirements

• Technical & Quantitative Skills: Strong code-first foundation in Python and SQL (with Git proficiency) for handling on-chain or EVM event data. Understanding of smart contract mechanics and DeFi primitive math (e.g., automated market makers, lending pool utilization curves, liquidation thresholds).
• Quantitative & Trading Mindset: Rigorous background in a quantitative field (Math, Physics, CS, Finance, or Engineering) with a systematic/trading mindset. Ability to model yield dynamics, credit risk, backtesting strategies, and protocol insolvency scenarios.
• DeFi \"Skin in the Game\": Hands-on experience interacting with decentralized lending protocols (e.g., Aave, Morpho, Compound, Maker/Endgame), yield aggregators, or credit markets.
• Nice-to-Haves: Familiarity with Rust, Solidity, Foundry, or specialized credit risk models and backtesting frameworks.

Our offer

• A 6 month paid internship at world-renowned digital assets company with accommodation provided for entirety or part of it
• The opportunity to learn about digital assets and blockchain from a 30,000 ft view of the entire ecosystem
• Working from one of Brussels newest, nicest and most advanced office spaces
• A global, collaborative and tech-driven environment.
• Autonomy & Impact - our flat structure means you can contribute your ideas from day one and help shape the foundation that will power Keyrock’s future business.
• Culture of Excellence - we value nimbleness, drive for success, owner mentality and collaboration.
• Opportunity to leave your mark and start your career in one of the most reputable companies in the digital assets world
• We are envisioning for the internship to be based pre-dominantly in Brussels. It is possible for a selected candidate to be based in London, UK, provided at least 1-2 months onboarding period would be spent in Brussels together with the rest of the interns cohort.

Our recruitment philosophy

We value self-awareness and powerful communication skills in our recruitment process. We seek fiercely passionate people who understand themselves and their career goals. We're after those with the right skills and a conscious choice to join our field. The perfect fit? A crypto enthusiast who’s driven, collaborative, acts with ownership and delivers solid, scalable outcomes.

As an employer we are committed to building a positive and collaborative work environment. We welcome employees of all backgrounds, and hire, reward and promote entirely based on merit and performance.

Due to the nature of our business and external requirements, we perform background checks on all potential employees, passing which is a prerequisite to join Keyrock.

https://keyrock.com/careers/