Cryptography and Systems Researcher

About the role

Position: Senior Researcher / Scientist br> br> ul> li> Location: Miami, FL strongly preferred /li> li> Project: Char Network br> br> /li> /ul> strong>About Char Network br> br> /strong>Char Network is a proof-of-stake application coordination protocol built on Bitcoin. By anchoring data into Bitcoin through cryptographic proofs and economic guarantees, Char powers the next generation of Bitcoin layer twos and applications. br> br>We re a small, sharp, and adventurous team led by Bitcoin developer Jeremy Rubin, pushing the limits of what Bitcoin can be. Our work blends deep protocol expertise with a hacker s creativity to unlock new capabilities for Bitcoin at scale. br> br>We keep things collaborative, fast-moving, and fun-where every contribution counts and every voice matters. Joining Char means working at the frontier of Bitcoin R&D and infrastructure. br> br> strong>About the Role br> br> /strong>This role sits at the intersection of research and engineering. You ll invent, formalize, and validate the core protocols that make Char Network work-from Byzantine fault tolerant consensus to staking incentive mechanisms to cryptographic proof systems. br> br>Your focus is on the cryptographic foundations that make Char s protocol secure and efficient: designing and analyzing commitment schemes, aggregation protocols, proof systems, and fork-free coordination mechanisms. You ll work closely with the core protocol team to turn research into hardened, shipping software by building simulations, prototypes, and security specifications that guide implementation. br> br>This is not a pure theory role, you ll write code. br> br> strong>What You ll Do br> br> /strong> ul> li>Design and analyze cryptographic schemes: BLS proof-of-stake commitments, signature aggregation protocols, hash-based accumulator designs, and zero-knowledge proof systems for Bitcoin anchoring /li> li>Formalize consensus protocols for protocol security: fork-free properties, Byzantine fault tolerance guarantees, and commitment finality, with rigorous threat modeling and adversarial analysis /li> li>Develop and validate cryptographic implementations: work with the protocol team to guide BLS Purify integration, verify protocol specifications against implementation, and conduct security reviews /li> li>Build simulations and prototypes in Rust or C++ to validate cryptographic protocol designs under adversarial conditions: analyze safety/liveness properties and attack resilience /li> li>Conduct formal cryptographic security analysis: threat modeling, game-theoretic attack analysis, and stress-testing through simulation and fuzzing to identify vulnerabilities before shipping br> br> /li> /ul> strong>What We re Looking For br> br> /strong> strong>Must-Haves br> br> /strong> ul> li>Deep expertise in applied cryptography: signature schemes, commitment schemes, zero-knowledge proofs, or cryptographic protocol design /li> li>Expert-level understanding of distributed systems theory: BFT consensus, fork-free protocols, Byzantine fault tolerance, and formal safety/liveness analysis /li> li>Strong programming skills in Rust or C++ (or equivalent systems languages) /li> li>Experience designing, analyzing, or breaking adversarial cryptographic protocols or consensus systems /li> li>Ability to move between theory and practice: formal reasoning, mathematical modeling, and implementation /li> li>Exceptional communication skills-you can explain complex cryptographic ideas clearly to both researchers and engineers br> br> /li> /ul> strong>Nice-to-Haves br> br> /strong> ul> li>PhD or equivalent research experience in cryptography, distributed systems, or a related field /li> li>Prior contributions to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other consensus-critical software /li> li>Experience with formal verification, model checking, or advanced testing frameworks /li> li>Published papers, technical reports, or BIPs in cryptography or distributed systems /li> li>Understanding of Bitcoin primitives: taproot, timelocks, covenant designs, transaction scripting /li> li>Experience with game-theoretic analysis or mechanism design (helpful for understanding protocol incentives) /li> li>Strong open-source collaboration background br> br> /li> /ul> strong>Reading Materials br> br> /strong> strong>Char Network br> br> /strong> ul> li>MIT Bitcoin Expo Presentation (April 2026) /li> li>Ember Consensus Paper /li> li>Purify in purify-cpp br> br> /li> /ul> strong>BitVM br> br> /strong> ul> li>BitVM Whitepaper + BitVM2 Whitepaper /li> li>BitVM High-Level Explainer /li> /ul>

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