Mahsa Doorfard
Sales and Marketing Manager at coinIX
Mahsa, your career journey spans widely, from educational programs to blockchain research, and now you are conducting Web3 investments. Could you tell us what drew you into the blockchain space in the first place?
My journey into blockchain and Web3 began in 2019, initially through cryptocurrency trading driven mainly by speculation and short-term profit. However, in the early months of the COVID-19 lockdown, I started diving deeper into the underlying technology itself. I realised that blockchain extends far beyond cryptocurrencies and, in fact, has the potential to reshape multiple industries by enabling greater transparency and efficiency.
That realisation changed my trajectory completely — I became deeply interested in space and decided to align my career with it. I started by creating educational content to help others understand blockchain, which later led me to become a Marketing Manager for a DeFi protocol, where I gained hands-on expertise in the space.
Eventually, in January 2023, I moved to coinIX, a Hamburg-based blockchain venture capital firm providing broader access to digital assets through publicly listed shares.
Over the course of this journey, you’ve come to wear quite a few hats, haven’t you? Working at coinIX, cooperating with the Hanseatic Blockchain Institute, supporting women in fintech — with so many responsibilities, what does your day-to-day work look like? How do you balance it all?
Currently, I dedicate the majority of my time to coinIX, where I work at the intersection of marketing, investments, and ecosystem building. As Marketing Manager, I stay closely aligned with developments across our portfolio companies and drive joint initiatives. Maintaining relationships with wealth managers, banks, and family offices is also part of that.
In parallel with that, a key part of my role is external representation, so I regularly attend major blockchain conferences, speak on panels, and position coinIX within the broader Web3 ecosystem. It helps our brand to become more visible and draw new deals through personal connections with promising projects.
As for my work at the Hanseatic Blockchain Institute, it’s mostly focused on education and community building. For example, we organise events and webinars, introduce emerging projects, and aim to further grow the blockchain ecosystem in Hamburg.
I’m also actively involved in communities like SheFi and Women in VC. These initiatives provide a strong collaborative environment, and I find their educational content and weekly discussions on crypto topics highly engaging. Access to career opportunities that these platforms offer is also very beneficial to women interested in this sector.
Something I find important to note here is that all of these roles actually reinforce each other. My work with investors informs my perspective on projects, while my involvement in communities and education keeps me close to emerging trends and talent in the space.
Sure, balancing all of this is not easy, but with good prioritisation, it is more than possible.
It certainly is interesting how interconnected roles in this space can be! Since you mentioned your involvement with SheFi and Global Women in VC — what role do you think such communities play in onboarding more women into Web3?
There is no doubt that such initiatives are extremely important for women today. They create a supportive environment where every woman can make connections and grow as a professional.
For example, SheFi offers a platform featuring high-quality educational content curated by experts. But what makes it really powerful is the community that allows you to ask questions and share experiences, learning from each other.
Another key advantage of such communities, to my mind, is early, hands-on exposure. SheFi members often get early access to new crypto products before they’re publicly released — that kind of experience significantly boosts the learning curve.
While I don’t think these platforms will ever replace traditional education, in a fast-moving space like Web3, they often prove very effective. I genuinely recommend such programs to any woman looking to start her crypto journey, as they make it more accessible and less intimidating.
That is inspiring to hear. I’m sure more women would feel encouraged to join up if they had confirmation that such communities actually work and help. Now, to switch tracks a bit: given your deep experience in venture space, what would you say separates successful projects from struggling ones in today’s Web3?
From what I’ve seen in person, the strongest projects tend to be extremely clear on the problem they’re solving. They are not building just because of the Web3 hype — they actually look at where decentralisation can offer real value. In contrast, struggling projects often force a token or blockchain systems onto something that doesn’t need them.
Another important factor to consider is team quality, because the best of them move fast and iterate based on user feedback. They can balance vision with pragmatism, as they understand that a good product is not enough if it does not connect properly to its target audience and their needs.
Strong projects also make the effort to build proper alignment between their users, investors, and the protocol. They know that retention and long-term trust require more than just product offering. On the other hand, projects that treat their communities purely as a growth hack tend to struggle with maintaining that trust.
From a technical perspective, many projects also fail at token design and incentives. Companies need to think about real token utility and value accrual. If they rely on short-term hype or unsustainable yield mechanisms, such projects are likely to collapse quickly once market conditions shift.
Finally, the Web3 environment moves extremely fast, so adaptability is key. To survive, projects need to be able to keep pace with regulatory shifts, market cycles, and technological changes without losing their core vision.
Thank you, that is a really helpful perspective for anyone building their own projects. Given your personal experiences in Web3 and venture space, what do you think are the biggest barriers women face today? Do you see anything improving?
As I see it, the barriers are layered, and they reinforce each other. I would say that access to networks is probably the most fundamental one. Venture capital and early-stage Web3 still operate heavily on warm introductions and tight-knit circles, so if you’re not already a part of those networks, it’s extremely hard to get inside.
Another clear gap is capital access. Female founders still receive a disproportionately small share of VC funding, and in Web3, where many investments are relationship-driven and happen quickly, this imbalance can be even more pronounced.
I’d also point out that education used to be a major barrier, but that’s an area where things are getting better today. Women-oriented platforms and communities, as already mentioned, have made it much easier to gain knowledge. And as a result, more women are now entering this space with strong technical and strategic understanding.
But even with all that said, confidence and visibility still play a crucial but underrated role. Web3 can be a very loud and fast-moving environment, and it tends to reward those who feel comfortable putting themselves in the spotlight publicly. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about Crypto Twitter, conferences, or investment discussions — the point stands equally. I’ve seen many talented women in this space, but if they don’t really stand out, it means receiving fewer opportunities to prove themselves.
However, I’m glad that things are improving and that we’re building strong, global communities and support systems. Initiatives like that can really help women access education, jobs, and capital, which makes a real difference.
There’s still a long way to go, but the momentum is clearly building.
It’s good to know that we’re moving in the right direction! To wrap up, what advice would you give to a woman who’s considering entering Web3 or venture today? Especially if she has a non-technical or non-traditional background, where should she start?
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you need to “catch up” on everything first. You don’t. Even if you come from a non-technical background, this space rewards curiosity and consistency much more than perfect credentials.
I would suggest starting with structured learning so that you can build a solid mental model. Participating in education programs is the best choice here since they usually combine education elements with community support and networking. You can learn alongside others and build a base of contacts at the same time.
Another important thing is to move quickly from theory to practice. Don’t stay in “learning mode” for too long. Set up a wallet, interact with a few protocols, test products, and observe how different ecosystems work — build up practical experience. Even small actions give you a much deeper understanding than passive reading.
It’s also a good idea to pick a lane early, but don’t overthink it. Web3 has strong demand for skills in any number of fields: marketing, community management, business development, research, and operations. Choose one area that works for you, go deep, and build visible proof of work.
Also, make sure you really plug yourself into the ecosystem — don’t hesitate to join communities, attend events, and engage in discussions. Above all, be visible and be consistent. Share what you learn and don’t wait until you feel “ready” to contribute.
In Web3, opportunities often come to those who are actively participating, not just observing.
