Senior Blockchain Security Engineer, Cryptography Research

• You’ve got positive energy. You’re optimistic about the future and determined to get there. 
• You’re never tired of learning. You want to be a pro in bleeding edge tech like DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, and Web 3.0. 
• You appreciate direct communication. You’re both an active communicator and an eager listener - because let’s face it, you can’t have one without the other. You’re cool with candid feedback and see every setback as an opportunity to grow.
• You can pivot on the fly. Crypto is constantly evolving, so our priorities do, too. What you worked on last month may not be what you work on today, and that excites you. You’re not looking for a boring job.
• You have a “can do” attitude. Our teams create high-quality work on quick timelines. Owning a problem doesn’t scare you, but rather empowers you to take 100% responsibility for achieving our mission.
• You want to be part of a winning team. We’re stronger together, and you’re a person who embraces being pushed out of your comfort zone.

Security is a primary competency at Coinbase, and the Security Team keeps a watchful eye over every aspect of it. Every day, we go to battle against some of the most sophisticated attackers in the world to protect billions of dollars worth of digital assets and ensure that our customers and employees can enjoy a safe, trusted experience. As Coinbase scales globally, our team is scaling along with it, using a blend of tooling, automation, and strategic team growth to ensure that we’re well-equipped to protect the next billion users of crypto.

Blockchain Security (BlockSec) team’s mission is to Secure funds and data from protocol through wallet. Coinbase has a unique opportunity: enabling our customers to easily and securely interface with blockchains, a.k.a. digital asset networks, a.k.a. cryptocurrencies.  Blockchains are a cutting edge technology, with many unique security considerations for any entity that supports interaction with them.  Understanding those unique considerations requires deep expertise in blockchains and the ability to maintain that expertise over time.

What you’ll be doing (ie. job duties):

The mission of the BlockSec Research and Engineering team is to enable the whole blockchain security org to operate on the cutting edge of solving crypto security problems. We expect to accomplish this with a multi-pronged strategy, including identifying and analyzing risks of emerging trends in Blockchain Security, developing minimum viable products to improve Blockchain Security team’s performance, understanding new risks posed by novel crypto asset design, and ensuring we have a pipeline to apply all these learnings to designing and maintaining Coinbase backend engineering systems.

This role includes:

• Analysis of advanced cryptographic techniques like multi-party computation (MPC), zero-knowledge proofs (ZK), etc. used in the design of certain blockchain technologies, related backend systems, and new Coinbase products. Providing critical feedback on their use, help understand the risks they pose, and how to handle these risks systematically.
• Analysis of complex blockchain protocols and emerging blockchain technologies like staking, bridges, rollups, etc., especially from a cryptographic perspective. Providing a risk assessment of them, how to manage and mitigate the risks, etc.
• Staying on the cutting edge w/ Blockchain Security knowledge by identifying trends in Blockchain security using external research in the industry, new technological developments, security incidents, etc. 

What we look for in you (ie. job requirements):

• 7+ years of experience in working with advanced cryptographic techniques like multi-party computation (MPC), zero-knowledge proofs (ZK), verifiable random/delay functions (VRF, VDF), threshold techniques, etc. 
• 3+ years of experience with the blockchain ecosystem, in particular with new consensus mechanisms and emerging tech
• Willingness to research BlockSec risks and risk identification and mitigation methods to develop repeatable innovation 
• Knowledge of engineering/tooling and ability to quickly develop working prototypes  
• Ability to investigate a new topic through white papers or blog posts
• Ability to communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders in order to drive alignment
• You have an energy and self-drive for continuous learning as Crypto is a constantly and rapidly changing space
• Ability to do both long term thinking and short term planning

Nice to haves:

• An advanced degree like PhD in cryptography, mathematics, or a related field (number of years spent doing cryptography research in PhD can be counted towards the first point in the job requirements listed above)
• Publications in crypto/blockchain conferences

Notice for Colorado applicants as required by sb19-085 (8-5-20). Target annual salary for this role performed in Colorado is $206,000 + target bonus + target equity + benefits (included)

ID: G2329

Please note that for employees based in the US, Philippines, Canada or Singapore, if your role requires you to be present in a Coinbase office or if you choose to be physically present in a Coinbase office or sponsored location, you will be required to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 (as defined by applicable law).  If you receive an offer, you will receive additional information about the grounds and process for an exemption.

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Coinbase is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by applicable law. Coinbase will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.  For US applicants, you may view Pay Transparency, Employee Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law notices by clicking on their corresponding links.  Additionally, Coinbase participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.    

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