Wincent, a Gibraltar-headquartered crypto hedge fund, is set to expand its team by over 50 this year following a strong start to 2025, during which the firm has delivered year-to-date returns of 11%, according to a report by Financial News citing people familiar with the matter.
The expansion will see Wincent increase its headcount from approximately 130 to over 180 by year-end, with planned hires spanning traders, quantitative researchers, software engineers, and developers.
Founded in 2017 by Slovakian brothers Matus and Michal Kopf, Wincent began as a manual crypto trading operation run from the founders’ living room. The duo later pivoted to automation and systematic trading strategies, laying the foundation for the firm’s current institutional offering.
Matus Kopf, a former professional poker player, and Michal Kopf, who entered crypto markets after a stint in sports betting, built proprietary trading tools that helped Wincent scale operations during the crypto market’s earlier boom cycles. Today, the fund is led by CEO Samuel Hapak, formerly of fintech developer Vacuumlabs.
The hiring push comes as digital assets continue to rally.Â
Bitcoin, the largest cryptoasset by market capitalisation, has gained nearly 20% since the beginning of the year, touching an all-time high of $111,000 on 22 May. The broader crypto market has added roughly $300bn in value since January, despite heightened volatility triggered by US tariff announcements in early April.
That volatility, while detrimental to some, has provided opportunities for directional and quantitative crypto funds. US-based Tephra Digital posted a 15% return in April, helping narrow its year-to-date losses to 4%, while Pythagoras Investments’ Alpha Long Biased strategy gained 16% over the same period.
