Meet Andrew, Software Engineer
at BlockTech

Engineering the core with Andrew Hayman
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Meet Andrew Hayman, a software engineering team lead at BlockTech. With a background in engineering physics and post-quantum cryptography, Andrew is no stranger to solving complex problems. His career began in his native Canada, building cutting-edge tech to prepare for the dawn of quantum computing. But when the time came for a new chapter, he and his wife chose the Netherlands for its vibrant cities, work opportunities, and famously bike-friendly culture. “Biking to and from work is still and will always be a daily highlight,” he says, smiling.

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It didn’t take long for Andrew to find his next challenge—one that combined technical depth with business urgency. “I started reading more about the trading industry and became very interested in the fast pace, the engineering challenges, and the talent it attracts,” he explains. When he discovered BlockTech, something just clicked. Nine months in, both Amsterdam and BlockTech have exceeded his expectations.

“The biggest challenge is rolling out features quickly without compromising on quality. Often, there’s a tradeoff: you either move fast or you build robust systems. Here, we aim for both.”

What it means to build at the heart of trading

Andrew leads BlockTech’s mid-office team, a group whose work touches almost every corner of the company’s systems. Their mission? To ensure every trade and transaction is accounted for—not just for bookkeeping, but to provide accurate, real-time information on positions, enabling better trading decisions. “This sits right at the core of what we do as a trading company,” Andrew explains. “If you don’t know what your position is, you can’t trade responsibly.”

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From scaling systems to handle new currencies and exchanges, to building a global position system that accelerates trade propagation across platforms, the work is technical, fast-paced, and high-stakes. “Day to day, my work is a blend of hands-on engineering in Python and SQL, architectural design in collaboration with other teams, and incident response—ensuring the system is always robust and performant.”

“My colleagues are sharp, collaborative, and full of energy. In technical design sessions, people are genuinely open to new ideas and engage with thoughtful feedback. You rarely leave a discussion without having learned something new and with a better solution than you had going in.”

Why programming at BlockTech is never just about code

What makes the engineering work at BlockTech so exciting is its immediate connection to business outcomes. Andrew’s team doesn’t just ship code—they shape the systems that keep traders informed and ready to act. That connection requires more than just technical skill.


“The most interesting part of the job is the blend of engineering and business understanding,” Andrew says. “It’s not enough to only know the code on your team. You need to understand how your work affects trading and other teams. The better you understand the business problems, the better your engineering solutions will be. ”It’s a philosophy that runs deep at BlockTech. Engineers don’t work in silos—they engage across departments, think critically about the market, and adapt systems that need to run flawlessly around the clock. With crypto markets open 24/7, downtime isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a missed opportunity.


“The biggest challenge is rolling out features quickly without compromising on quality,” Andrew explains. “Often, there’s a tradeoff: you either move fast or you build robust systems. Here, we aim for both.”
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A culture built on trust, energy, and ownership

Walk through the office or join a technical design discussion at BlockTech, and you’ll feel it—momentum. “The environment is vibrant. Everyone is excited to be working on challenging problems together,” Andrew says. “There’s a lot of responsibility from day one. You’re trusted to own the full lifecycle—from design to production.”

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That sense of ownership is backed by a strong culture of support. Teams are collaborative and quick to help one another, and mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn, not reasons to assign blame.

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It’s a mindset that elevates the work and sharpens the team. “My colleagues are sharp, collaborative, and full of energy. In technical design sessions, people are genuinely open to new ideas and engage with thoughtful feedback. You rarely leave a discussion without having learned something new, and with a better solution than you had going in.”

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Outside the engineering trenches, the team stays active and connected with sports, classes, and regular events. It’s a workplace that moves fast, but never forgets to celebrate the ride. And as crypto markets continue to evolve, so will the systems Andrew and his team build—designed to scale, adapt, and perform. Just like the people behind them.

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