Job Title: Protocol Engineer
Location: Midtown New York City — In-person Mon–Thu, optional remote Friday
Employment Type: Full-time
Seniority Level: Senior
Compensation: $120,000 – $300,000 + equity

Job Summary

We are seeking a Protocol Engineer to join a core blockchain engineering team building next-generation Web3 payments infrastructure. This role sits at the intersection of smart contracts, cross-chain systems, and DeFi, focused on designing secure, scalable, and efficient onchain protocols that enable high-volume transactions across multiple networks.

You will take ownership of protocol design and implementation, working closely with backend and product teams to deliver production-grade blockchain systems.

Key Responsibilities

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  Design, develop, and deploy secure smart contracts and protocol components across multiple blockchain networks
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  Architect blockchain-based payment and settlement systems in collaboration with backend and product teams
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  Write highly efficient, well-tested, and production-ready smart contract code
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  Research and evaluate emerging blockchain technologies, L1/L2 networks, and protocol designs
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  Contribute to cross-chain communication and interoperability solutions
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  Support incident response, debugging, and resolution of onchain production issues
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  Ensure protocols meet high standards of security, scalability, and performance

Required Skills & Experience

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  Proven experience building and deploying production smart contracts (Ethereum and/or L2 ecosystems)
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  Strong proficiency in Solidity (primary), with Rust or Move as a plus
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  Deep understanding of DeFi protocols, token standards (ERC-20/721/1155), and blockchain architecture
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  Experience with cross-chain communication patterns and interoperability solutions
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  Strong security mindset with awareness of smart contract vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies
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  Experience working in production blockchain environments

Nice to Have

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  Experience with high-scale DeFi or payment protocols
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  Exposure to protocol-level engineering or infrastructure design
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  Experience working in fast-paced Web3 or startup environments
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  Contributions to open-source blockchain projects

What We Offer

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  High-impact role shaping foundational Web3 payment infrastructure
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  Competitive compensation with equity upside
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  Opportunity to work on complex multi-chain systems at scale
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  Close collaboration with experienced blockchain and product teams