Protocol Engineer (contract)

DescriptionTitle:Protocol EngineerLocation: Iselin, NJDuration: 12 monthsWork Engagement: W2Work Schedule: Hybrid 3 days in office/2 days remoteBenefits on offer for this contract position: Health Insurance, Life insurance, 401K and Voluntary BenefitsSummary:In this contingent resource assignment, you may: Consult on or participate in moderately complex initiatives and deliverables within Specialty Software Engineering and contribute to large-scale planning related to Specialty Software Engineering deliverables. Review and analyze moderately complex Specialty Software Engineering challenges that require an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. Contribute to the resolution of moderately complex issues and consult with others to meet Specialty Software Engineering deliverables while leveraging solid understanding of the function, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements. Collaborate with client personnel in Specialty Software Engineering. Required Qualifications: Specialty Software Engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work or consulting experience, training, military experience, education.Key Responsibilities: Core Protocol Development: Architect and build a custom blockchain application using Go, Cosmos SDK, and CometBFT (Tendermint) Cryptographic Implementation: Implement and optimize privacy-preserving primitives, specifically Pedersen Commitments and Bulletproofs (Range Proofs), ensuring no trusted setup is required Consensus Customization: Engineer custom ABCI++ extensions (specifically PrepareProposal and Vote Extensions) to implement an on-chain Multi-Party Computation (MPC) mixing network State Machine Design: Design a custom KVStore state machine that manages homomorphic encrypted balances (Elliptic Curve points) instead of plaintext integers Performance Engineering: Optimize cryptographic operations (scalar multiplication, point addition) for low latency and high throughput in a distributed environment Auditing Infrastructure: Build secure off-chain query layers and "view key" mechanisms that allow for granular, permissioned regulatory auditing Key Requirements: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Blockchain Core: Deep experience with Cosmos SDK and CometBFT. Comfort building custom modules and modifying consensus logic, not just deploying smart contracts Pedersen Commitments (Homomorphic encryption properties) Zero-Knowledge Proofs (specifically Bulletproofs or Sigma protocols) Math-to-Code: Demonstrated ability to read academic whitepapers/preprints and translate mathematical specifications into functioning code Experience with MPC (Multi-Party Computation) or Verifiable Secret Sharing (VSS) schemes Familiarity with the Ristretto255 curve or libraries like gnark-crypto Background in FinTech, payment systems, or high-frequency trading platforms Understanding of the Account Model vs. UTXO Model trade-offs in privacy-preserving ledgers When applying, mention the word CANDYSHOP to show you read the job post completely.