Founding Engineer

About Unto Labs

Unto Labs is a team of low-level engineers building the next generation of blockchain technology. We push distributed systems to the physical limits of modern hardware.

About the role

We're seeking a Founding Blockchain Engineer to take on the toughest challenges in distributed systems and high-performance computing. You'll be responsible for designing and building key parts of our Layer 1 blockchain, focusing on getting the best performance from commodity servers. As a member of our fast-paced team, you'll work on the entire modern blockchain stack, including core cryptography, consensus, distributed systems, and performance issues.

Responsibilities

• Build and test high-performance sub-systems from scratch in C, focusing on cryptographic operations, consensus mechanisms, and networking protocols

• Design systems for robust process isolation

• Implement advanced error correction and data recovery mechanisms

• Create comprehensive benchmarking suites and performance testing frameworks

Qualifications

Technical Requirements

• Deep expertise in systems programming languages (C, C++, Rust) with a focus on performance optimization

• Experience and understanding of modern CPU architectures, memory hierarchies, and low-level optimization techniques

• Understanding of distributed systems and consensus algorithms

• Expertise in high-performance networking and protocol design

Cultural Requirements

• Crave ownership and seek to make a lasting impact

• Thrive in ambiguous environments and can create structure from chaos

• Proactively seek opportunities beyond your initial scope

• Strong bias for action and ability to move fast

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work closely with technical teams

• Excited about being one of the first employees at a fast-growing startup

• Willing to be based in San Francisco

Why join us?

• Be at the forefront of blockchain technology, working on next-generation performance optimization

• Work with a team of experts from leading high-frequency trading and blockchain companies

• Shape the architecture of a system designed to process millions of transactions per second

• Access to cutting-edge hardware and development tools

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary ($180k-$250k+ USD)

• Significant equity and upside potential

• Flexible work environment

• Unlimited vacation policy

• Health insurance

• Hardware and development tool allowance

• Conference and learning budget