Staff Software Engineer, Solana Staking Protocol

<div class="content-intro"><p>Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coinbase.com/?utm_campaign=mt_o_m_w_m_m__coi_0_jd-onchain&amp;utm_source=coinbase">Coinbase</a>, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coinbase.com/careers">learn more about working at Coinbase</a>.</p></div><h2><strong>The Mission</strong></h2> <p>At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world. Staking is central to that mission — it enables anyone to participate in securing blockchain networks and earn rewards for doing so. Coinbase operates one of the largest Solana staking operations in the world, managing a validator fleet that represents approximately 9.25% of all staked SOL. We are committed to delivering industry-leading, risk-adjusted yield with world-class security, compliance, and reliability.</p> <h2><strong>The Role</strong></h2> <p>We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer to serve as Coinbase's&nbsp;<strong>Solana Staking Protocol CTO</strong> — the definitive technical authority on all things Solana staking across the company.&nbsp;This is not a typical engineering role. You will combine deep Solana protocol mastery with strategic technical leadership to shape Coinbase's Solana staking trajectory for years to come. You will own the technical strategy across validator operations, staking integrations, and protocol evolution — partnering directly with engineering leadership, product teams, and external ecosystem players including the Solana Foundation.&nbsp; You will represent Coinbase on the world stage as a recognized Solana expert, speaking at conferences, engaging with the validator community, and influencing protocol direction. Internally, you will be the go-to expert for any Solana staking technical decision, from runtime-level optimizations to cross-product integration strategy.</p> <h2><strong>What You'll Do</strong></h2> <ul> <li><strong>Define Solana Staking Strategy:</strong> Own and drive Coinbase's multi-year technical strategy for Solana staking across validator performance, protocol participation, and product integration. Connect engineering decisions to business outcomes including yield optimization, cost efficiency, and customer growth.</li> <li><strong>Maximize Validator Performance:</strong> Lead the engineering effort to achieve industry-leading APY through validator optimization — including vote accuracy, block production, MEV strategies, commission tuning, and stake distribution. Build systems and tooling that give Coinbase a durable performance edge.</li> <li><strong>Own Protocol Expertise:</strong> Serve as Coinbase's foremost authority on the Solana runtime, consensus mechanism, staking economics, and validator client landscape (Agave, Firedancer, etc.). Evaluate protocol upgrades (e.g., SIMD proposals), assess risks, and proactively position Coinbase for changes before they land.</li> <li><strong>Drive Cross-Product Integration:</strong> Partner with Retail Staking and Institutional Staking product and engineering teams to architect scalable staking integrations across Coinbase's product surface area. Ensure Solana staking is deeply embedded and differentiated in every Coinbase staking product.</li> <li><strong>Build External Presence &amp; Influence:</strong> Represent Coinbase in the Solana ecosystem. Maintain deep relationships with the Solana Foundation, core development teams, other major validators, and ecosystem partners. Speak at major conferences (Breakpoint, etc.) and contribute to protocol governance. Be Coinbase's voice on Solana staking.</li> <li><strong>Lead Technical Execution:</strong> Write production code. Design and build critical infrastructure for validator operations, monitoring, automation, and reliability. Set the technical bar for the team — code reviews, architecture decisions, incident response.</li> <li><strong>Expand Beyond Staking:</strong> Serve as a technical advisor on non-staking Solana initiatives where deep protocol knowledge is required (e.g., Solana tax infrastructure, token programs, new Solana-based pr