Protocol Researcher

Subspace Network is building a radically decentralized, next-generation blockchain which allows developers to easily run Web3 apps at Internet scale. Subspace is based on original research funded by the US National Science Foundation and plans to launch its Network later this year. Subspace Labs is an early-stage, venture-backed startup with a remote-first, globally distributed team. To learn more, visit our website and read the technical whitepaper.

We are seeking a Protocol Researcher to join our rapidly growing team of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency enthusiasts and engineers. As a Protocol Research you will be responsible for formally analyzing the security claims of the Subspace Network. Your goal is to formally prove these claims or suggest improvement to the protocol as needed to support them. This shall result in a series of formal specifications and peer-reviewed papers.

As a Protocol Researcher you will:

• Analyze and validate our solutions to some of the hardest problems in the blockchain space, as they relate to Nakamoto consensus, decentralized storage, decoupled execution, crypto-economic incentives, and the scaling trilemma


• Research and propose solutions to open problems or unsubstantiated claims


• Develop a series of formal specifications that codify and clarify our solutions


• Collaborate directly with our protocol engineering team to ensure that specifications are clearly understood and implemented correctly


• Iterate findings into research papers suitable for peer-reviewed publication


• Work directly with our university partners, academic advisors, and third party engineering security partners on formal security analyses and audits


• Present research finding at industry events and university conferences


• Distribute and discuss results in our open-source online research forum

Position Requirements

• A PhD in Computer Science, Cryptography or a related field


• A strong record of peer-reviewed publications in cryptography, distributed systems, or peer-to-peer network, as they relate to blockchain protocols


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to collaborate across our protocol and research teams


• A passion for decentralized, peer-to-peer systems and Web3 technologies

Bonus Experience:

• Experience as a professor, post-doctoral researcher, or industry researcher


• Experience analyzing the security claims of novel layer-one blockchains


• Experience deploying and evaluating large-scale distributed systems


• Experience with the Rust programming language and Substrate framework

What We Offer:

• Work remotely from anywhere in the world, with a talented team of globally distributed individuals 


• A competitive salary with generous equity and token grants


• A unique opportunity to shape the future of the Subspace Network and play a critical role in building the world’s most scalable blockchain


• Company-sponsored team offsites in various locations around the world