Founding CTO (Web3)

<p>We are partnering with a <strong>venture-backed, early-stage technology company</strong> building a <strong>programmable loyalty and rewards operating system</strong> for global consumer brands. The platform enables brands to launch <strong>white-label fan engagement and monetisation experiences</strong>—including predictions, quests, digital drops, auctions, and ticketing—without gambling mechanics.</p> <p>At its core, the platform combines <strong>consumer-grade applications</strong> with a <strong>tokenised exchange and settlement layer</strong>, enabling branded tokens to be issued, traded, and distributed at scale. Initial verticals are in global sports and entertainment, with expansion planned into additional IP-driven markets.</p> <p>The company is now seeking a <strong>Founding CTO</strong> to lead the architecture and build-out of its <strong>protocol, exchange infrastructure, and engineering organisation</strong> from day one.</p> <p>As Founding CTO, you will be responsible for <strong>designing, building, and scaling the full technical stack</strong>, with a particular focus on the <strong>exchange and protocol layer</strong>. You will oversee smart contract development, liquidity and market mechanics, wallet infrastructure, and the integration between on-chain systems and high-scale consumer products.</p> <p>This is a hands-on leadership role suited to a senior Web3 technologist who has <strong>shipped production protocols</strong> and wants full ownership of technical strategy in a greenfield environment.</p> <h3><strong>Responsibilities</strong></h3> <ul> <li><strong>Exchange &amp; protocol architecture</strong></li> <ul> <li>Design and deploy a hybrid AMM / orderbook-based exchange for branded tokens</li> <li>Build liquidity pools, routing logic, and market-making infrastructure</li> <li>Define token economics, liquidity incentives, and trading mechanics</li> </ul> <li><strong>Smart contracts</strong></li> <ul> <li>Develop, test, and deploy core protocol contracts, including:</li> <ul> <li>Token standards</li> <li>Liquidity pools and staking</li> <li>Rewards distribution and governance</li> </ul> <li>Lead audit processes and ensure a strong on-chain security posture</li> </ul> <li><strong>Wallet &amp; settlement infrastructure</strong></li> <ul> <li>Implement abstracted wallet solutions (e.g. smart accounts, MPC)</li> <li>Integrate fiat on/off-ramps and external custody providers where required</li> </ul> <li><strong>Platform integration</strong></li> <ul> <li>Oversee architecture connecting the protocol layer to:</li> <ul> <li>Engagement mechanics (predictions, quests, missions)</li> <li>Rewards and commerce systems (drops, auctions, ticketing, merchandise)</li> <li>Analytics and reporting dashboards</li> </ul> </ul> <li><strong>Consumer products</strong></li> <ul> <li>Guide development of mobile (iOS/Android) and web applications delivered under partner branding</li> </ul> <li><strong>Leadership &amp; strategy</strong></li> <ul> <li>Hire, lead, and scale the engineering team across protocol, backend, and product</li> <li>Set engineering standards, development workflows, and technical roadmap</li> <li>Make strategic build-vs-buy decisions and select vendors and tooling</li> </ul> </ul> <h3><strong>Qualifications</strong></h3> <ul> <li>5+ years building blockchain or crypto infrastructure</li> <li>Proven experience shipping at least one <strong>protocol or exchange to mainnet</strong></li> <li>Deep understanding of DeFi mechanics (AMMs, liquidity mining, tokenomics)</li> <li>Strong production smart contract experience with a clean audit track record</li> <li>Experience working with L2s, rollups, or app-chains</li> <li>Familiarity with consumer-facing systems and real-time platforms</li> <li>Comfortable operating in early-stage, resource-constrained environments</li> <li>Able to balance protocol purity with product and user experience needs</li> <li>Strong communicator across technical and non-technical stakeholders</li> </ul> <h3><strong>Technical environment</strong></h3> <ul> <li><strong>Smart contracts:</strong> Solidity (advanced), Foundry / Hardhat, formal verification fundamentals</li> <li><strong>Languages:</strong> TypeScript/JavaScript, Rust or Go, Python</li> <li><strong>Infrastructure:</strong> RPC operations, indexers/subgraphs, GCP, Docker/Kubernetes</li> <li><strong>Security:</strong> Audit coordination, attack vector mitigation (reentrancy, flash loans, oracle risk), monitoring and incident response</li> <li><strong>Product stack exposure:</strong> React Native or Flutter, PostgreSQL, Redis, event streaming (useful for protocol-to-product integration)</li> </ul>