Profile of a Blockchain Engineer

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What is a Blockchain Engineer?

A Blockchain Engineer is an engineer who builds blockchain products, or uses blockchain technology to create new products. While the skillset of a Software Engineer and Blockchain Engineers often overlap (in fact - most Blockchain Engineers probably come from a software background) - there are some key differences, especially since Blockchain products are a critical element of Web3 and require specialized vocabulary and knowledge.

What is the typical background of a Blockchain Engineer?

In many instances, a background in Backend Engineering may be preferred, with at least several years of experience. Blockchain Engineers may also need basic knowledge of algorithms and mathematics as a base for the models they develop.

If hiring for management roles in Blockchain Engineering, hiring managers may want to pay close attention to candidates with years of experience in leading teams, the types and complexities of the technologies worked with, and experience in building long-term strategies.

What are the skills that a Blockchain Engineer needs to have?

Interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) or other industries that use blockchain: First and foremost, a Blockchain Engineer should have a major interest in blockchain, cryptocurrency DeFi, Web3, and any technology that directly impacts the blockchain. Blockchain isn’t just limited to Bitcoin - there’s a variety of applications, and the number of companies that use or want to use blockchain, are constantly growing.
Ability to work cross-functionally: The ability to work across departments such as Frontend/UX, DevOps, Smart Contracts, Blockchain engineering and Data Engineering, is essential for a Blockchain Engineer role.
Ability to be a self-starter: As Blockchain Engineering is a relatively new field, individuals in this industry will need to be self-starters - for example, pursuing new education in blockchain, or seeking out industry experts. Thankfully, online resources about blockchain, and educational courses specific to the industry are easy to find.
Problem solving: A Blockchain Engineer should have terrific problem solving skills, and the drive to work through engineering issues or blockers with new solutions.

What are some of the typical responsibilities a successful Blockchain Engineer should have?

To create chain infrastructure: A Blockchain Engineer will be responsible for figuring out how to build new blockchains, often without a roadmap for how the company has done this before. In addition to building the blockchain itself, a Blockchain Engineer may also need to understand how to create products that use the blockchain too.
A dedication to robust testing: As an interconnected platform, mistakes on the blockchain can compound once made - and lead to costly mistakes. Having dedicated testing practices in place can help eliminate some of these errors.
An interest in constant improvement: Related to testing, Blockchain Engineers will also be critical in developing new features and improvements in the blockchain, or blockchain-reliant products they build.
The ability to build in security measures: A Blockchain Engineer will also need to think through the different security measures that need to go into maintaining or building blockchain products. Site Reliability Engineers or DevOps Engineers can also be helpful in this process.

What are some of the programming languages a Blockchain Engineer should know?

Experience with JIRA, Github, Confluence are all important programming languages for a Blockchain Engineer. Blockchain Engineers may also need experience with languages like C++, Java or Python as a baseline for their work.

What are some typical job titles for a Blockchain Engineer?

Some of the roles we’re recruited for include:

Vice President of Blockchain Engineering
Engineering Manager at a Crypto company
Smart Contracts Engineer
Senior Software Engineer

View Blockchain Engineer Jobs

Security Engineer

Blockchain Engineer

Fullstack Engineer

Smart Contracts Engineer

Frontend Engineer

Backend Engineer

Site Reliability Engineer