Charting a Career Path Where Curiosity, Accounting and Crypto Intersect
In today’s career rat race, how many of us can genuinely say that our career paths allow us to explore our passions? For SMU School of Accountancy (SOA) graduate Kunal Doshi, his role as a Research Analyst with Blockworks, provides him with that opportunity every day.
Building A Career in Crypto
As a Research Analyst with Blockworks, Kunal identifies blockchain protocols that could represent compelling investment opportunities for clients. “I usually start by looking for broader industry narratives that are gaining traction, such as the tokenization of real-world assets. Once a theme is identified, I break it down further to understand the different layers of the stack involved and identify the most promising companies or protocols within each segment. A key question I always try to answer is “why now”. To do that I often speak with protocol teams and their ecosystem partners to better understand their roadmap and upcoming catalysts. The goal is to surface insights that may not yet be fully reflected in the market and ultimately deliver differentiated insights or alpha to our readers.”
Kunal also looks into broader market developments in the crypto system to understand how financial infrastructure built on blockchain rails is evolving and, in some cases, beginning to rival traditional financial systems. His work as a Research Analyst with Blockworks provides investors and industry professionals with high-quality information and analytics to better understand the crypto market.
Choosing SMU and his Accountancy Degree
Yet, merely 6 years ago, Kunal had little exposure or knowledge in crypto when he first set his sights on taking up his SMU Bachelor of Accountancy degree.
Fresh out of junior college, Kunal had a general interest in pursuing a career in finance and decided on accountancy which he recognised as one of the foundational building blocks of finance. He believed that having a strong understanding of financial statements, reporting standards, and how businesses generate and record value would be useful for anyone working in finance.
SMU was a natural choice for Kunal to pursue accountancy as he had heard about SMU's strong emphasis on communication and presentation skills and that was something he wanted to develop.
It was only until his second year at SOA that his interest in cryptocurrency began.
Igniting his Passion in Crypto
Kunal's interest in crypto started when he began reading about how people were earning through crypto trading.
“Like many people entering the space for the first time, I initially started by buying a few tokens after watching YouTube videos. That obviously did not go very well, but it sparked my curiosity and made me want to understand the industry more seriously. While exploring the space further, I discovered that there were professional investment firms analyzing crypto markets in a much more structured way.”
Despite his limited knowledge of the crypto industry, Kunal took a leap of faith and went on to cold source his own internship with the crypto firm Spartan Group, where his interest in crypto truly ignited.
“During the internship I saw firsthand how professionals conduct proper fundamental analysis on crypto tokens to separate promising projects from weaker ones. It combined traditional finance concepts like valuation and market analysis with creativity and a deep understanding of emerging technology. What really drew me in was that there was never a day when I did not learn something new. The industry moves incredibly fast, and being at the intersection of finance and new technology made the work very exciting.”
After his internship, he continued to build expertise through reading research, writing his own investment pitches, and building dashboards to analyze different protocols, all while maintaining a sterling academic performance in SOA.
“In many ways I was trying to create my own path into the industry, which eventually helped me secure a full-time role after graduation. Another factor was that I wanted to do something slightly different. Traditional finance roles are extremely competitive and well established, so I thought it would be interesting to develop expertise in a fast-growing industry where the field was still relatively new. If the industry continued to grow, it would create unique opportunities for people who understood it early.”
How Accountancy and Crypto Intersect Seamlessly
Kunal soon discovered that accountancy was deeply relevant to the study of crypto, as at its core, blockchain technology functions as a public ledger. He realised that since every transaction and activity on the network is recorded and updated in real time, the data is transparent and verifiable by anyone. His training in accountancy enabled him to approach data with a healthy level of skepticism when analyzing blockchain projects. Rather than taking metrics at face value, he found himself trying to understand how these numbers are generated and whether they truly reflect economic activity – a skill which serves him well today.
“When analyzing blockchain companies or protocols, a big part of my job involves verifying metrics such as revenues, transaction volumes, and user activity. Because these activities happen onchain, I can independently validate many of these claims using blockchain data. In some ways, it resembles an audit function, except that the verification can be done much faster and with access to the entire transaction history.
Ultimately, the analytical mindset developed through accountancy helps me dig deeper into the numbers and assess whether a project’s claims are supported by the underlying onchain data. That analysis feeds directly into the investment case for whether a protocol is truly creating value.”
Putting his Soft Skills from SMU to Practice
Analyses aside, Kunal’s current role also involves communicating his analyses to his team, supervisors or even members of the public, across various cultures and international borders. While for the most part he is based in Singapore and works remotely, he is regularly invited to Blockworks’ international events where its global team will gather for various activities to build team dynamics.
“I have had the chance to meet many of my colleagues in person. We recently had a company offsite in Costa Rica, and I also met several teammates when Blockworks hosted a conference in New York. My colleagues come from all over the world and each person brings unique experiences and perspectives. It really broadens your mindset, and it is pretty special to feel like you have a second home in many major cities around the world.
During my recent trip to the US, I also had the opportunity to moderate a panel on prediction markets, which is an area I am personally very passionate about. I was able to speak alongside some of the top builders and thought leaders in that space in front of a large audience of institutional participants. It was a really rewarding experience, especially considering that I graduated only two years ago. I am very grateful for the trust my colleagues place in me to represent the company in those settings.”
Looking back, he is deeply appreciative of his learning experience at SMU which prepared him well to speak on the international stage.
“The [SMU] interactive environment allows you to ask questions, challenge ideas, and clarify concepts in real time, which made the learning experience much more engaging. In my current role, I often speak on podcasts, moderate panels, and explain investment ideas publicly, so being able to communicate clearly and hold your ground in discussions is extremely valuable.
Accountancy a Field of Boundless Opportunities
"In many ways, your degree is really just the starting point. What ultimately shapes your career path is a combination of factors such as the electives you choose, the skills you develop outside the classroom, and the internships or experiences you pursue during university.”
Kunal firmly believes that by staying curious and actively exploring opportunities, an accountancy degree can open many different doors rather than close them. “Many of my friends who studied accountancy have gone on to work in a wide variety of fields. Some are in technology roles at large banks, others are working in actuarial analysis, investment banking, consulting, asset management, or tech sales, and some have even started their own companies. This is on top of the traditional paths such as tax, advisory, and audit that are specifically designed for accounting trained professionals.”
After all, it was that same curiosity that drove him to carve out a unique career pathway which allows him to pursue his passion in crypto and apply the skills he learnt in SOA.
“What started as curiosity eventually turned into genuine passion. Even today, about four years after that internship, I still feel like I am learning something new every day. I often joke with my friends that even if I was not paid, I would probably still spend my time doing what I do now every day.”
About Blockworks
Blockworks is a data and research company focused on the digital asset industry which aims to provide investors and industry professionals with high-quality information and analytics to better understand the crypto market. It sits at the intersection of data, research, and advisory, helping both investors and crypto companies navigate a rapidly evolving digital asset market.
It offers the following services:
- A data platform, which provides comprehensive dashboards that offer investors granular insights into companies and protocols built on blockchain, helping them analyze areas such as network activity, revenue, and ecosystem growth.
- Institutional-grade research, including deep dives on crypto tokens and crypto-related equities, which evaluate business models, token economics, and long-term market potential.
- An advisory arm that works with blockchain companies on areas like investor relations, governance, and risk management.