Senior Software Engineer, Solana Staking Protocol

Ready to be pushed beyond what you think you’re capable of?

At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world. It’s a massive, ambitious opportunity that demands the best of us, every day, as we build the emerging onchain platform — and with it, the future global financial system.

To achieve our mission, we’re seeking a very specific candidate. We want someone who is passionate about our mission and who believes in the power of crypto and blockchain technology to update the financial system. We want someone who is eager to leave their mark on the world, who relishes the pressure and privilege of working with high caliber colleagues, and who actively seeks feedback to keep leveling up.

We want someone who will run towards, not away from, solving the company’s hardest problems.

Our work culture is intense and isn’t for everyone. But if you want to build the future alongside others who excel in their disciplines and expect the same from you, there’s no better place to be.

While many roles at Coinbase are remote-first, we are not remote-only. In-person participation is required throughout the year. Team and company-wide offsites are held multiple times annually to foster collaboration, connection, and alignment. Attendance is expected and fully supported.

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.

We are looking for a Senior 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.

• 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, Fire dancer, 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…