Y Combinator Software Engineer - Crypto Data Foundations
Summary
Engineer on Coinbase's Blockchain Data Platform team building and operating ultra-low-latency distributed systems for real-time blockchain data ingestion, indexing, and query, owning services end-to-end from design through production. Core stack: Go and/or Python with Kafka, gRPC, Redis, S3, ClickHouse, and MongoDB.
Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, 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.” learn more about working at Coinbase.
The Blockchain Data Platform team within the Platform organization builds an ultra-low-latency indexing platform that ingests, normalizes, and serves data across major blockchains, powering teams across Coinbase and external developers via the Coinbase Developer Platform. We're a small, high-impact, AI-native team taking a platform-first approach, shipping the primitives, SDKs, and tooling that make blockchain indexing as easy as building on a managed database. You'll build and operate the distributed systems at the core of this platform, owning services end-to-end from design through production.
What you'll do:
- Build and operate distributed systems for real-time blockchain data ingestion, indexing, and query, owning services end-to-end from design docs and data modeling through code, rollout, and observability.
- Own delivery of key initiatives such as new chain integrations, migrations, and backfills, driving improvements to latency, reliability, and cost.
- Partner with product and platform teams to define data contracts and contribute to SDKs and primitives that drive adoption across Coinbase and external developers.
- Execute architecture and performance improvements across the indexing stack, applying strong systems design fundamentals around partitioning, consistency, stream processing, and storage boundaries.
- Support engineering quality across the team through code reviews, testing rigor, and leveraging AI tools to ship faster and reduce operational burden.
Required Skills and Experience:
- 2+ years of software engineering experience building and operating distributed or data systems in production.
- Solid systems design fundamentals including partitioning, consistency/availability tradeoffs, stream processing, and storage/compute boundaries.
- Proficiency in a backend language such as Go and/or Python, with familiarity across technologies like Kafka, gRPC, Redis, S3, ClickHouse, or MongoDB.
- Demonstrated ability to turn ambiguous problems into clear designs and shipped solutions with measurable impact.
- Blockchain or crypto data experience is a plus, including familiarity with chain data structures, finality, reorgs, RPC nodes, or wallets.
- Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.
Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
- Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
- Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
- US Applicants: View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
- Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
- Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.
Skills
As published by greenhouse · 13 questions
Basics
First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Resume/CV, Cover Letter, Location
Short answers (1)
- Linkedin Profile URL
Pick from a list (12)
- Are you at least 18 years of age?
- Have you previously been employed by Coinbase in any capacity?
- How did you hear about this job?
- Please confirm receipt of the above linked Global Data Privacy Notice and US Arbitration Agreement.
- I understand that Coinbase may use AI tools to assist in the application and interview process.
- Which of the following best describes how you use AI tools today?
- Are you legally authorized to work in the country where this position is located?
- Will you require sponsorship for employment visa status now or in the future?
- Are you a current government official or were you a government official in the last five years (e.g., employee of a government agency or a government owned/controlled company, holder of public office or a civil service position)?
- Are you a close relative of a government official (i.e., child/step-child, spouse/partner, parent/guardian, aunt/uncle, first cousin, in-law)?
- To your knowledge, do you or a close relative currently hold a role, have a significant financial interest in, or maintain a close personal relationship with a senior leader at a company connected to Coinbase that could create an actual or perceived conflict of interest?
- To your knowledge, were you referred to this position by a senior leader or decision‑maker at a current or prospective institutional client, business partner, or vendor of Coinbase?