Heliax

Heliax is a public goods lab which was built on years of pioneering experience across distributed systems, programming language theory, and zero-knowledge cryptography. All our work is open-source. Examples of some of our projects are Namada, a sovereign proof-of-stake blockchain; Juvix, an experimental programming language; and Taiga, a framework for generalized shielded state transitions. We are currently actively hiring for a number of positions, most notably Senior Rust Engineers, Senior Full Stack Engineers, and a Protocol Security Lead. For the Senior Rust Engineer position, we are looking for experienced Rust developers that are interested in applying novel research to create high-quality open-source technology and solve outstanding problems in the blockchain space. You'll be working on distributed ledger technology implemented in Rust, all the way up and down the stack from the P2P layer to consensus algorithms, smart contract systems, proof-of-stake incentive mechanisms, privacy-enhancing cryptographic components, and on-chain governance procedures. For the Senior Full Stack Engineer position, we are looking for either web developers with experience using TypeScript and other modern web frameworks or software developers who have experience with Rust. Some representative examples of features you’ll be working on in this role are: adding support for Ledger hardware wallet connectivity, support for generation and use of file-based keys, generation of shielded transactions using cryptographic libraries, display of any digital asset (including NFTs) and associated transaction history, and on-chain management of staking and governance. It's a plus if you've previously worked with WebAssembly. For the Protocol Security Lead, you'll be responsible for breaking protocols both in theory and practice in and outside the company, and assembling a team to help them do so. You'll receive a high degree of latitude and autonomy to prioritize tasks and search for the weakest links in complex systems in order to break them. The rough structure could be compared to Google Project Zero, but with a focus on cryptographic protocols & implementations instead of web technology writ large. The ideal candidate would have a background in cryptographic protocol design (e.g. Signal protocol, Noise protocol, TLS), distributed systems protocol design (e.g. Raft, PBFT, replicated SQL) and a penchant for quickly understanding and finding both design & implementation mistakes in unfamiliar systems. You might also have experience in systems hacking, capture-the-flag competitions, penetration testing, or similar activities. Experience in mechanism design, game theory, or cryptoeconomic design is a bonus but not a requirement. Heliax is a remote-first team, currently composed of cross-disciplinary members located around the world. All of our work is open-source. Our work culture is characterized by open-allocation, where team members have a high degree of freedom and autonomy in choosing when to work, what to work on, and whom to work with. We have other openings as well, which can be seen at https://heliax.dev/jobs#all-jobs. If interested, email jobs+hn@heliax.dev or apply from the link above and reference HN in your application.