Easy Apply
Easy Apply
Lead technical strategy for Solana staking at Coinbase, optimizing validator performance and driving cross-product integration while mentoring engineers.
Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.” learn more about working at Coinbase.
At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world. Staking is central to that mission — it enables anyone to participate in securing blockchain networks and earn rewards for doing so. Coinbase operates one of the largest Solana staking operations in the world, managing a validator fleet that represents approximately 9.25% of all staked SOL. We are committed to delivering industry-leading, risk-adjusted yield with world-class security, compliance, and reliability.
The RoleWe are looking for a Staff Software Engineer to serve as Coinbase's Solana Staking Protocol CTO — the definitive technical authority on all things Solana staking across the company. This is not a typical engineering role. You will combine deep Solana protocol mastery with strategic technical leadership to shape Coinbase's Solana staking trajectory for years to come. You will own the technical strategy across validator operations, staking integrations, and protocol evolution — partnering directly with engineering leadership, product teams, and external ecosystem players including the Solana Foundation. You will represent Coinbase on the world stage as a recognized Solana expert, speaking at conferences, engaging with the validator community, and influencing protocol direction. Internally, you will be the go-to expert for any Solana staking technical decision, from runtime-level optimizations to cross-product integration strategy.
What You'll Do- Define Solana Staking Strategy: Own and drive Coinbase's multi-year technical strategy for Solana staking across validator performance, protocol participation, and product integration. Connect engineering decisions to business outcomes including yield optimization, cost efficiency, and customer growth.
- Maximize Validator Performance: Lead the engineering effort to achieve industry-leading APY through validator optimization — including vote accuracy, block production, MEV strategies, commission tuning, and stake distribution. Build systems and tooling that give Coinbase a durable performance edge.
- Own Protocol Expertise: Serve as Coinbase's foremost authority on the Solana runtime, consensus mechanism, staking economics, and validator client landscape (Agave, Firedancer, etc.). Evaluate protocol upgrades (e.g., SIMD proposals), assess risks, and proactively position Coinbase for changes before they land.
- Drive Cross-Product Integration: Partner with Retail Staking and Institutional Staking product and engineering teams to architect scalable staking integrations across Coinbase's product surface area. Ensure Solana staking is deeply embedded and differentiated in every Coinbase staking product.
- Build External Presence & Influence: Represent Coinbase in the Solana ecosystem. Maintain deep relationships with the Solana Foundation, core development teams, other major validators, and ecosystem partners. Speak at major conferences (Breakpoint, etc.) and contribute to protocol governance. Be Coinbase's voice on Solana staking.
- Lead Technical Execution: Write production code. Design and build critical infrastructure for validator operations, monitoring, automation, and reliability. Set the technical bar for the team — code reviews, architecture decisions, incident response.
- Expand Beyond Staking: Serve as a technical advisor on non-staking Solana initiatives where deep protocol knowledge is required (e.g., Solana tax infrastructure, token programs, new Solana-based products).
- Mentor and Scale the Team: Elevate a team of strong engineers (IC4-IC5) through mentorship, architectural guidance, and raising the bar on Solana-specific domain expertise. Define what great Solana engineering looks like at Coinbase.
- Deep Solana Protocol Expertise: You have extensive, hands-on experience with Solana's architecture — Eg: the runtime, validator mechanics, staking economics, consensus (Tower BFT), turbine, Gulf Stream, and the validator client ecosystem. You understand Solana at the source-code level, not just the API level.
- Technical Authority & Execution: You are a strong IC7-caliber engineer. You design and build complex distributed systems. You write production code in Rust and/or Go. You have deep experience with infrastructure at scale — bare metal, cloud, networking, observability.
- Strategic Vision: You can define year-long technical strategies and connect them to business goals. You break down ambiguous, large-scope problems into executable plans with measurable milestones. You think in terms of competitive advantage, not just engineering correctness.
- Ecosystem Presence & Influence: You are a known figure in the Solana ecosystem. You have existing relationships with the Solana Foundation, core contributor teams, and major validators. You have a track record of public speaking, community engagement, or protocol governance participation.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: You partner effectively with product, business, and executive stakeholders. You translate complex protocol dynamics into business-relevant terms for non-technical audiences. You drive alignment across multiple teams and functions.
- Passion for Solana: This isn't a role for a generalist who happens to know some Solana. You are genuinely passionate about the Solana ecosystem, follow protocol developments closely, and have a strong thesis on where Solana staking is headed.
- Demonstrates the ability to responsibly use generative AI tools and copilots (e.g., LibreChat, Gemini, Glean) in daily workflows, continuously learn as tools evolve, and apply human-in-the-loop practices to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in efficiency, cost, and quality.
- Core contributor to Solana validator clients (Agave, Firedancer) or significant Solana ecosystem projects.
- Experience operating in highly regulated industries or security-first cultures.
- Background in financial services, fintech, or crypto custody.
- Track record of publishing technical content (blog posts, research, conference talks) on Solana or Blockchain in general
- Experience with Solana's evolving staking landscape — liquid staking, stake pools, restaking protocols.
- Familiarity with other PoS protocol staking operations (Ethereum, Cosmos ecosystem) for comparative perspective.
Job ID# P76265
Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus):
$218,025—$256,500 USD
- Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 4 applications per 30-day period.
- Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
- US Applicants: View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
- Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
- Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.
- AI Disclosure: Coinbase is piloting an AI tool based on machine learning technologies to conduct initial screening interviews to qualified applicants. The tool simulates realistic interview scenarios and engages in dynamic conversation. Coinbase is also piloting an AI interview intelligence platform to transcribe and summarize interview notes, allowing our interviewers to fully focus on you as the candidate. Coinbase will not use AI to make decisions impacting employment.
Similar Jobs at Coinbase
.png)
Artificial Intelligence • Blockchain • Fintech • Financial Services • Cryptocurrency • NFT • Web3
Serve as second-in-command for Coinbase Derivatives' Market Regulation Department, leading day-to-day regulatory compliance, managing exams and audits, advising on CFTC Core Principles, reviewing surveillance escalations and enforcement actions, and coordinating cross-functional regulatory workstreams to ensure the DCM meets obligations and resolves findings timely.
Top Skills:
Generative AiMachine Learning
Artificial Intelligence • Blockchain • Fintech • Financial Services • Cryptocurrency • NFT • Web3
Own product strategy and delivery for chat, voice, and proactive support surfaces to maximize automation rates and CSAT. Build AI-integrated capabilities with ML/LLM teams and vendors, partner with Engineering, CX Operations, Data Science, and Compliance on platforms (Amazon Connect, Sprinklr, Salesforce), drive build-vs-buy decisions, and execute cross-functional delivery to optimize customer and agent experiences.
Top Skills:
Amazon ConnectGenerative AiLlmMachine LearningSalesforceSprinklr
Artificial Intelligence • Blockchain • Fintech • Financial Services • Cryptocurrency • NFT • Web3
Manage Coinbase's defense in securities class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Lead pleadings, discovery, motions, expert work, settlement negotiations, and outside counsel. Advise senior leadership and the board on litigation risk, monitor corporate law developments, and manage D&O insurance relationships.
Top Skills:
Generative Ai
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
