Overview
We’re hiring a Protocol Engineer to design, implement, and operate the core software of the Moca Chain—focusing on reliability, performance, and the identity-specific features of our L1.
You’ll work on client/runtime components, networking, cross-chain identity flows, and ZK integrations that enable private verification at scale.
You’ll partner with protocol researchers, ZK engineers, and infra/DevOps to run testnets, ship upgrades, and launch features like zkTLS proofs, verifiable credential issuance/verification, and our identity oracle.
Responsibilities
Build features in the node/client: execution/runtime, mempool, sync, and networking
Implement identity-centric primitives (credential issuance/verification hooks, precompiles/syscalls as needed)
Optimize state I/O, snapshots, pruning, and fast/warp sync; improve RPC throughput and p95 latency
Integrate zero-knowledge proof verification in-protocol (e.g., verifier circuits, precompiles)
Support zkTLS proof ingestion and verification for web-origin attestations
Contribute to the chain-agnostic identity oracle: message formats, replay/order protection, finality handling
Build/maintain light-client/optimistic verification paths or integrate with ecosystem standards (e.g., IBC/ICS, L1L2 messengers) as appropriate
Design robust relayer and operator tooling with clear incentives and observability
Engineer decentralized data storage integration for reusable, privacy-preserved credentials
Tune RocksDB/LevelDB (or equivalent) and state commitment schemes for high throughput identity verification
Stand up and operate public/private testnets; plan releases and canary rollouts
Add metrics/logs/traces; build dashboards and alerts; respond to incidents and write clear postmortems
Expand test coverage: unit/integration, fuzzing, and differential tests across client versions
Requirements
Strong systems engineering in Go or Rust (or similar); solid concurrency/async, profiling, and performance tuning skills
Experience building backend or protocol-adjacent infrastructure that runs in production
Practical familiarity with blockchain client internals (any of: EVM/WASM runtime, Cosmos SDK/Substrate modules, or rollup nodes)
Comfortable with Web3 interfaces and ops: RPCs (JSON-RPC/gRPC), node configuration, validator/sequencer operations, snapshots/state sync
Sound engineering practices: testing, code reviews, CI/CD, reproducible builds, and clear documentation
Security mindset: input validation, DoS/eclipse awareness, rate-limiting, key management basics
Nice-to-haves
Zero-knowledge integration experience (using/verifying proofs, e.g., PLONK/Groth16/FRI) or prior work on verifier precompiles
Exposure to identity/credentials standards (VCs/VPs), replay protection, nonce/sequence management, and capability/permissions models
Cross-chain experience: light clients, optimistic/validity bridges, IBC/XCM, or L1L2 messaging
Database/storage tuning in high-throughput chains; experience with state growth and archive modes
Contributions to open-source blockchain clients or identity/zk tooling
The Perks of Joining Animoca Brands
A vibrant and diverse workplace: multicultural environment with colleagues from many nationalities
Incentives in the Web3 space: be part of the future and align your success with project growth
Direct impact and flat structure: your ideas are heard and implemented quickly
Comfortable and creative atmosphere: relaxed and productive work environment
Opportunities across the ecosystem: collaborate with subsidiary brands within the Animoca Brands network
Comprehensive benefits package: medical, life, and transportation allowances
Personal Information Collection Statement
Personal data provided by the Job Applicant will be used strictly in accordance with the Employer's Personal Data Policies, a copy of which will be provided immediately upon request.
All classified data will be treated confidentially within the Human Resources & Administration Department.
Personal data of unsuccessful applicants may be retained for up to 3 months.
Seniority level
Not Applicable
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Information Technology
Industries: Technology, Information and Internet
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