Crypto Discord Mods: Complete Hiring and Training Guide
You need the right crypto Discord moderators to manage your servers, but how do you know if you hired the best ones? Learn more here.
If you use Discord as your community's go-to spot, you must have people keeping things and FUDs in check.
Why Discord?
Discord is the most popular platform for cryptocurrency projects and communities to chat with followers—not even a debate here.
If you are a founder, you can't sit in front of Discord all day talking to everyone.
So, you need crypto Discord moderators, not ordinary Discord moderators. Having them is essential to cultivating a friendly, positive, welcoming, and peaceful environment—especially during the bear market.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about recruiting, training, and working with crypto Discord mods to ensure your communities are cared for while you work on the greater things.
What Does a High-Performing Crypto Discord Moderator Do Day to Day?
A crypto Discord moderator (or mod) serves several important functions:
- Providing Support and Answering Questions: No token holders want to be left in the dark. A mod is responsible for helping fellow community members by answering any questions they may have about the project, features, or community.
- Chat Management: Proactively managing conversations in the server to ensure they remain on-topic and constructive. This includes resolving conflicts between members and de-escalating heated debates.
- Remove Spam and Scams: Keeping the community safe by promptly removing spam messages and banning bad actors or scammers. Although there are automation tools like MEE6 and Dyno for dealing with this, nothing beats a real human when it comes to detecting much more sophisticated scams.
- Maintaining A Positive Vibe: There are times you need to deal with negativity before it spreads out of control. Your mods can enforce the server rules and guidelines to maintain a positive environment through warnings or remove those who won't cooperate.
- Amplification and Promotions: One post is not enough to help your community members to remember. Your moderators can constantly remind your community about community events, contests, AMAs, and other initiatives to increase attendance rate.
- Collecting Feedback and Suggestions: You need a summary of your community voice, and it's impossible to read every message to summarize the collective thoughts to improve your community experience.
The best crypto Discord mods actively engage in the community and provide a human touch in cultivating the server's culture. They help decentralize the workload for admins and keep the community vibrant.
Where to Find Top Crypto Discord Moderators?
When your community is ready to start expanding the mod team, where should you look?
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Here are some of the top sources for finding crypto Discord mods:
#1: Web3 Agencies
A growing number of crypto agencies and firms specialize in providing experienced Web3 community managers and moderators. They maintain a roster of qualified candidates who have moderated crypto communities across Discord, Telegram, Reddit, Twitter, and more.
The benefit of using a crypto community agency is they handle the hiring and vetting process for you. This allows you to onboard experienced moderators much faster than interviewing candidates yourself.
Of course, this more convenient option comes at a cost. Agency moderators tend to be more expensive than independent contractors. But for Discord servers that need active 24/7 coverage, the added cost may be worth it.
#2: Referrals from Crypto Friends and Colleagues
Don't underestimate asking people in your professional crypto network for moderator referrals. Especially if there are Discord admins you have an existing rapport with. They likely know some solid moderators open to new opportunities.
The referral route helps find candidates that come pre-vetted by someone you trust. And because they'll already be familiar with the crypto space, there's less of a learning curve getting them up to speed.
#3: Recruit Passionate Community Members
Look within your existing Discord community first before expanding the search outside. There may already be members who are very active, knowledgeable, and eager to contribute more, which you could potentially hire.
Promoting from within ensures your new mods already understand your project's culture and values. Appreciated community members may even volunteer their time or work for lower pay.
Note: This is arguably the top choice because I was hired through this method in 2017!
#4: Ask your Friends and Family (The ones that are familiar with crypto)
If you have close friends or family members interested in crypto, consider recruiting them as mods. While they may lack prior moderating experience, they likely share your vision and motivations for the community.
Start them off by moderating low-risk channels to provide a trial period. But their personal connection to you may inspire them to go the extra mile.
How Crypto Discord Mods Differ from Non-Crypto Ones
While standard moderation skills transfer between any online community, some unique factors set crypto mods apart:
#1: They Understand Crypto Terms and Concepts
Discord mods in the crypto space need to be fluent in industry terminology and topics like:
- Blockchain mechanics (mining, staking, nodes, etc.)
- Cryptocurrency vocabulary (wallets, keys, gas, fiat ramps, etc.)
- Major blockchain networks and cryptocurrencies
- Popular crypto exchanges, platforms, and protocols
- Emerging crypto trends and news events
- Common scams and exploits
- Trusted sources for crypto-related pieces of information
This baseline knowledge is key for them to communicate with members and answer project-specific questions effectively.
#2: They're Vigilant Against Crypto Scams
Unfortunately, the crypto arena is rife with scammers running phishing campaigns, fake celebrity endorsements, impersonation profiles, malware links, and other malicious attempts.
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Skilled crypto moderators stay alert to detect and shut down scams before members get duped quickly. They know the common tactics scammers use and how to protect users.
#3: They Know How to Use and Read On-Chain Analytics
Understanding how to leverage on-chain data provides valuable intel for community engagement. Savvy crypto mods utilize block explorer tools like Etherscan and analytics platforms like Dune to stay on top of blockchain activity.
Checking wallet balances, development activity, transaction histories, and other on-chain signals gives mods informed talking points when interacting with the community.
#4: They Practice Solid Crypto Security
Moderators serve as an example to the community when it comes to security best practices. They religiously use hardware wallets, enable 2FA everywhere, and never share private keys or recovery phrases.
Crypto mods should also advise users to avoid blindly clicking links as they could be phishing attempts. Caution around security ultimately protects the whole community.
#5: They're Aware of the Importance of 24/7 Coverage
The cryptocurrency market is a 24/7 global operation that never sleeps.Moderators should have strong regional and timezone coverage to properly monitor a crypto Discord.
Ideally, your team has moderators spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and other major crypto hubs able to provide active around-the-clock coverage.
How to Train Your Crypto Discord Mods
Once you assemble a mod squad, they'll need proper onboarding and training to excel in their role.
Here are 5 key training areas to cover with new crypto Discord mods:
#1: Communication Guidelines
Set clear expectations around how mods should communicate in the Discord channels, including:
- Desired tone, language use, emoji usage
- Etiquette for welcoming and assisting new members
- Constructively addressing repetitive questions
- Redirecting off-topic conversations
- Deescalating conflicts and disagreements between members
- Knowing when to loop in admin roles
Having well-defined communication guidelines provides consistency across all your mods.
#2: Common Crypto Scams and Threats
Provide an overview of current crypto scams reported across social media channels:
- Fake celebrity endorsements using deep fakes or Photoshop
- Profile impersonation of admins, mods, or founders
- Malware hidden in links or attachments
- Phishing attempts often disguised as promotions or giveaways
- Bogus tech support services preying on newbies
Knowing these warning signs will help mods recognize and remove scams faster to protect users.
#3: Internal Team Authentication Methods
Moderators need to verify admins or other mods are who they claim to be. Cover security protocols like:
- Requiring video call verification before assigning admin powers
- Mandating strong, unique passwords and 2FA for moderator accounts
- Using a secret channel or passphrase known only to current staff
- Being cautious of any unusual behavior or instructions
Following authentication best practices prevents infiltration or impersonation.
#4: Basic On-Chain Analysis Tailored to Your Web3 Project
Having a grasp of on-chain data or even the knowledge of using the right Web3 marketing tools give moderators information to engage members, such as:
- How to check smart contract addresses on Etherscan or BSCScan for legitimacy
- Reading wallet balances and transactions to spot large holders a.k.a. “whales”
- Noting developer activity on GitHub repositories for clues
- Monitoring social sentiment using tools like LunarCrush
On-chain signals provide talking points to start meaningful discussions.
#5: Optimizing Discord and Telegram
- Give mods a tutorial on making the most of Discord features including channel organization, threads, tagging, notifications, adding bots/extensions, permissions, etc.
- Share tips for searching message history.
- Compare the nuances between moderating Discord and Telegram communities.
Pro tips will help new mods fully utilize both platforms when engaging members.
What is the Cost to Hire Crypto Discord Mods?
Like any specialized role, what you pay to hire crypto Discord mods covers a wide range.
Here are typical monthly costs:
- Part-time moderators ($500 - $1,000 per month) - Best suited for smaller servers, new projects, and more limited hours.
- Full-time dedicated mods ($2,000 - $4,000 per month) - Require more availability and responsibility better justified at a higher salary.
- Agency moderator packages ($5,000+) - Agencies bundle project moderation and community management for a premium price. Packages split time across Discord, Telegram, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook groups, etc.
Personal Experience: I started from $500 to $2,250, then to $5,000. So, if you are hiring, $500 - $1,000 is the best ballpark for crypto mods.
Crypto Job List Data: Discord Mod Salary in 2023 (Updated Daily)
It's important to consider that salary expectations rise for mods who speak multiple languages or provide regional coverage of high-demand time zones like Asia.
Moderators interested in crypto's long-term potential may ultimately accept lower compensation if passionately invested in the project's mission. Leveraging volunteer community members can provide more affordable moderation.
Top 3 Key Skills for Discord Moderators to Develop
Beyond the specialized crypto knowledge required, talented Discord mods should focus on developing general skills that translate to any online community:
#1: Conflict Resolution Skills and Emotional Intelligence
Moderators must demonstrate patience, empathy, and social perceptiveness when interacting with community members of diverse backgrounds. Often, a kind ear is the best solution when tensions rise.
Detach from emotions because sometimes disagreements can happen between members. Effective mods learn techniques to diffuse arguments and unite opposed parties to find common ground.
#2: Clear Communication with FAQs and Technical Troubleshooting
Effective crypto moderators must have a strong grasp of the project's technology and ecosystem to explain complex concepts to community members clearly.
For example, if moderating a Discord for a DEX, the moderator should be an active user who understands the platform's unique features, mechanics, and nuances. This allows them to provide knowledgeable guidance when members need help or encounter issues.
Moderators serve as experts and teachers for the community - fielding all manner of questions, unblocking confusion, and guiding members to helpful resources. Patience and communication skills are critical to address each query.
The ideal moderators come equipped with project-specific expertise to lend community members a hand whenever needed. Their seasoned insight and assistance provide huge value to the Discord ecosystem.
#3: Self-Restraint Around Token Price and Other Sensitive Topics
An essential skill for crypto moderators is exercising self-restraint in discussing certain sensitive subjects publicly, especially token pricing and speculation.
While interest in a project's potential value is understandable, moderators should avoid sharing personal price predictions or opinions, reacting to price swings, or debating holders on what's best for the token price.
Anything said related to valuation risks being taken out of context or misconstrued by community members. Moderators should steer discussions to focus on the project's technology, roadmap, community, and real-world use cases instead.
The same restraint should apply to trading or gambling, heated sociopolitical topics that can fracture community cohesion. Moderators must refrain from contributing their personal views and redirect off-topic conversations to constructive grounds.
Exercising self-control ensures moderators present a consistently professional public image and keep community spaces positive. They encourage collaborative discussions that help move the project forward together.