Senior Staff Software Engineer - Blockchain Platform

Coinbase, Inc.; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 254,000 - 299,000; Full time

Job summary

Coinbase is hiring a Senior Staff Software Engineer to join the Blockchain Platform team. You will define the technical vision for infrastructure that connects every Coinbase product to the broader crypto economy, and lead the wallet stack, indexing infrastructure, and asset identifier systems.

You'll drive high-availability, low-latency design across nodes, indexers, wallets, and orchestration systems for 60+ blockchains and 300+ tokens, shaping how millions of transactions execute with

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience with staff-plus level design and scaling of high-throughput transaction systems.
• Experience with one or more blockchain protocols at node or protocol level (e.g., EVM chains, Solana, Bitcoin, L2s).
• Proven track record leading large-scale, multi-team architectural initiatives for critical infrastructure at global scale.
• Experience applying AI or agent-based automation to reduce operational toil with measurable improvements.
• Responsible use of generative AI with human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and improve workflow efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the multi-quarter technical strategy for Blockchain Platform, spanning nodes, wallets, indexing, and asset lifecycle, to support new chain integrations, products and growth.
• Architect and evolve core platform infrastructure for high availability, low latency, cost efficiency, and security at global scale.
• Lead end-to-end design and rollout of large cross-team architectural initiatives with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Drive engineering standards for correctness, security, reliability, testing, and observability across all crypto asset operations.
• Own data-driven reliability improvements using observability signals to identify structural gaps and lead remediation.
• Represent Blockchain Platform in executive and cross-org forums, aligning stakeholders on strategy and securing buy-in for high-impact technical bets.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Staff-level leadership

Blockchain protocol experience

AI automation in ops

Generative AI governance

Cross-team architectural leadership

Job description

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.

We're hiring a Senior Staff Software Engineer to join the Blockchain Platform team within Platform and define the technical vision for the infrastructure that connects every Coinbase product to the broader crypto economy. This team builds and operates the nodes, indexers, wallets, and orchestration systems that power every core crypto action (send, receive, stake, bridge, wrap, and more) across 60+ blockchain networks and 300+ tokens. You'll lead the next generation of architecture for our wallet stack, indexing infrastructure, and asset identifier systems, directly shaping how millions of transactions execute with the speed, cost efficiency, and security our customers expect.

What you'll do:

• Define and drive the multi-quarter technical strategy for Blockchain Platform, spanning nodes, wallets, indexing, and asset lifecycle, to support new chain integrations, new products, and significant growth in onchain transaction volume.

• Architect and evolve core platform infrastructure, including nodes, indexers, wallet systems, and liquidity primitives, for high availability, low latency, cost efficiency, and security at global scale.

• Lead end-to-end design and rollout of large, cross-team architectural initiatives (e.g., wallet stack rearchitecture, indexing stack redesign, asset identifier system), breaking high ambiguity into clear milestones and measurable outcomes.

• Drive engineering standards for correctness, security, reliability, testing, and observability across all crypto asset operations, including transaction finality, key management, reconciliation, and failure-mode handling.

• Own data-driven reliability improvements by using observability signals (transaction success rates, node reliability, indexing latency, on-call burden) to identify structural platform gaps and lead systematic remediation.

• Represent Blockchain Platform in executive and cross-org forums, communicating tradeoffs, aligning stakeholders on strategy, and securing buy-in for high-impact technical bets in areas like Yield and Stablecoins.

Required Skills and Experience:

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including 4+ years operating at a staff-plus level designing and scaling high-throughput transaction systems requiring strong auditability, idempotency, and financial precision.

• Hands-on experience with one or more blockchain protocols at the node or protocol level (e.g., EVM chains, Solana, Bitcoin, L2s), with demonstrated depth in staking infrastructure, bridging protocols, or tokenization systems.

• Proven track record of leading large-scale, multi-team architectural initiatives from design through production at a company operating critical infrastructure at global scale.

• Experience applying AI or agent-based automation to reduce operational toil in platform or infrastructure contexts, with measurable results in efficiency or reliability gains.

• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.

*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):

$253,895—$298,700 USD

• *Application Limit: *Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month 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.