Applied Crypto-Economics & Mechanism Design

About Subzero Labs

Subzero Labs is building the next generation of decentralized infrastructure.

Position Overview

We are seeking an exceptional Specialist in Applied Crypto-Economics & Mechanism Design to conceptualize, design, and refine incentive mechanisms and economic frameworks for modern decentralized networks. This role uniquely bridges theoretical insight, applied economic modeling, and practical protocol engineering.

What You'll Do

• Mechanism Design & Economic Modeling: Develop and iterate incentive structures, ensuring robustness under various economic conditions, including adversarial and game-theoretic contexts.

• Protocol Specification & Improvement: Craft detailed, actionable protocol specifications. Collaborate closely with engineers to translate these into high-quality implementations and incremental improvements.

• Advanced Pseudocode & Concept Validation: Develop illustrative pseudocode or reference implementations of economic mechanisms, aiding clarity and accelerating adoption by technical stakeholders.

• Thought Leadership & Industry Engagement: Stay deeply engaged with cutting-edge research and actively contribute nuanced insights to high-level crypto-economic discussions (especially online communities such as Crypto Twitter, Research forums, and Improvement Proposals/Docs).

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Interface seamlessly with engineers, researchers, and product teams, translating complex economic concepts into practical design specifications and improvements.

• Quality & Innovation Advocate: Use AI and related tools effectively to enhance personal productivity, drive novel insights, and maintain exceptionally high standards in both theoretical rigor and practical execution.

Required Qualifications

• Proven track record in mechanism design, economic modeling, protocol design, or related fields.

• Strong intellectual presence in public discourse around crypto-economic topics, ideally demonstrated through thoughtful contributions in online discussions (Crypto Twitter, Research Forums, a Discord/TG you can point us to etc.).

• Exceptional clarity in external communication and proven ability to drive action internally through clear specifications and targeted feedback.

• Demonstrable ability to leverage advanced AI tools for increased productivity, insight generation, and maintaining high-quality standards.

• A fast learner, highly adaptable to rapidly evolving blockchain and crypto-economic landscapes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep familiarity with blockchain architectures, cryptographic primitives, and consensus mechanisms.

• Practical experience translating economic theory and incentive design into deployable blockchain products or protocol improvements.

• Solid understanding and hands-on experience with writing protocol pseudocode, specifications, or similar deliverables.

• Background in research or active engagement with blockchain communities, forums, and industry events.

• Experience with performance analysis, optimization, or applied economics in decentralized contexts.