Legal - Summer Internship - New York 2026

Since being founded in 2018, Copper has been building the standard for institutional digital asset infrastructure with a focus on custody, collateral management, and prime services.

Led by Amar Kuchinad, Copper's Global CEO, the firm provides a comprehensive suite of custody, trading and settlement solutions that reduce counterparty risk and bring greater capital and operational efficiency to digital asset markets. At the heart of Copper's offering is Multi-Party Computation (MPC) technology – the gold standard in secure custody. Copper's multi-award winning custody system is unique in that it can be connected to centralised exchanges, DeFi applications and even staking pools without the assets leaving the custody.

Built on top of this state-of-the-art custody, ClearLoop is the first solution in the market that overcomes a growing industry challenge; counterparty risk with exchanges. This solution underpins a full prime services offering, connecting global exchanges, and enabling customers to trade and settle directly from the safety of their MPC-secured wallets. By reducing settlement time for transfers to a few milliseconds (without blockchain network dependency) and offering enhanced security measures, ClearLoop is rapidly reshaping the way asset managers trade and manage capital.

In addition to industry-leading security certifications, Copper has one of the strongest insurance coverages in the industry from an A+ rated insurer, positioning the firm as the partner of choice for institutions seeking to safeguard their assets.

Why an internship at Copper?

"At Copper, the summer internship is a gateway into blockchain technology and the finance industry. During these two months, you'll tackle real challenges, receive genuine mentorship, and make a meaningful impact from day one."

— Marketing Intern

"Copper is a great place to work, it's like traditional finance but with the fast paced, exciting buzz that the crypto markets bring.

I learnt so much during my internship at copper, your voice really feels heard and you really feel like you are making a difference. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is looking to kickstart a career in fintech."

— Finance Intern

Department environment

The Copper legal team is a collaborative and high energy group of smart, driven and intellectually curious lawyers and paralegals. We take our work but not ourselves incredibly seriously, tackling novel issues and supporting the business with focus, precision, and relentless good humour. We know and support each other deeply as professionals and humans.

We proudly hold a range of passports and qualifications and speak as many languages as we have team members - diversity on all levels is deeply valued

Role Purpose

Copper is seeking a Legal Intern for Summer 2026 to join our New York office. This position is ideal for a third-year law student (3L) with a strong interest in financial services, financial regulation, digital assets, blockchain technology, and emerging finance.

The intern will work closely with the Head of Legal, Americas and Senior Counsel, gaining unique and valuable hands-on experience in a fast-paced, innovative environment, and a chance to be on the forefront of institutional adoption of digital assets.

Key Responsibilities of the role

• Conduct legal research and analysis on U.S. legal and regulatory frameworks, rules, and industry best practices for governing digital asset offerings for institutional customers, including those issued by the SEC, FINRA, the OCC, NYDFS, and other relevant agencies.
• Assist in drafting and reviewing regulatory submissions, legal correspondence, third-party service provider and client agreements, as well as compliance documentation.
• Support the legal team in advising on custody of digital assets, collateral management, staking, tokenization, as well as traditional and decentralized finance (TradFi/DeFi) structures.
• Monitor and summarize regulatory, market, and product developments in digital asset markets and traditional financial services.
• Collaborate on solving novel legal questions related to emerging technologies and innovative financial product offerings.
• Participate in internal meetings and provide input on risk management, compliance strategies, and governance.

Your experience, skills and knowledge

Essential

• Currently enrolled as a third-year law student at an accredited U.S. law school, preferably at a New York law school.
• Strong academic record and demonstrated interest in financial services, financial regulation, securities, and digital assets.
• Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to work well as part of a team alongside lawyers and non-lawyers from around the world.
• Prior experience or coursework in U.S. financial regulation, financial services, blockchain technology, and comparative law is a plus.

Why Copper?

At Copper, we keep innovation, openness, and curiosity at the centre of everything we do. Here, bold ideas get the spotlight, learning is constant, and diversity shapes our team from the ground up.

Jump into a fast-moving, dynamic team that loves a challenge and knows how to have fun along the way. Collaboration is just as important as results—you'll be surrounded by smart, driven colleagues in London and across our APAC, Switzerland, UAE, and US offices.

Hybrid working model – we believe in the value of bringing people together and at the same time we embrace the adaptability of flexibly working.

Diversity and inclusion matter to us – they're woven into Copper life. From employee-led groups like Women at Copper to a committee focused on community and wellbeing, you'll have a network that supports you from day one. Everyone voice matters.

If you're looking to ramp up your career, or keen to do something new in your field, with us, you'll keep moving forward.

Ready to make your mark, keep growing, and join a supportive, dynamic team? Copper's the place.

The interview process at Copper

Our interview process is designed to be thoughtful, efficient, and engaging. While specific steps may vary slightly depending on the role, the typical journey includes:

• Application and questions (this is the current stage you are at)

• Initial Screening A brief conversation with our Talent Acquisition team to explore your background, motivations, and alignment with the role.

• Assessment day A conversation focused on team dynamics, collaboration style, and presentation regarding technical questions. This may be with cross-functional peers or leadership.

We understand you may use AI to support with your answers to the questions or assessment preparation, but we would ask you to try and make the commentary as individual and authentic as possible, we want the answers to come straight from you!

Additional steps may be added based on the role's complexity or seniority. We aim to keep the process transparent and respectful of your time.

About the internship

Successful candidates will spend 8 weeks working with our Legal team in the summer months. In this time you will gain:

• Exposure to cutting-edge legal issues in digital assets and financial regulatory innovation.
• Direct mentorship from former regulators and other senior legal professionals.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial work environment.

Some more information about the opportunity:

• $30 per hour
• Start date and end date - Monday 15th June until Friday 7th August 2026
• Opportunity to learn from experienced professionals
• Fantastic working environment
• 5 days on-site, 9am until 6pm
• Application deadline – Friday 13th February 2026
• Intern Assessment Day – Thursday 19th March 2026

Benefits

• Attend professional development sessions designed for a global network of interns, helping you build essential skills
• Take part in a structured internship programme offering exposure to multiple projects and areas within Copper, with bespoke objectives tailored to your personal learning goals

In return for everything you can bring to Copper, we can offer you an exciting, challenging role in a fast-growing and dynamic business, with career opportunities and welcoming working environment.

If you think you have everything we're looking for and more, then we'd love you to apply for the opportunity.

Copper is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and equal opportunities in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. So, bring us your experience, perspectives, and skills. It is in our differences that we will continue to grow and ensure Copper is transforming how institutional investors engage with digital assets. Copper is a Disability Confident Employer, please let us know if you have a disability. If you require us to provide any assistance during the recruitment process, then we would ask you to highlight this to us and we will be happy to accommodate.