CTO / Security Lead - Co-Founder

About the role

p> strong>BYTE Protocol /strong> is the per-byte data settlement layer for the agentic economy, built /p> p> on Arbitrum. Publishers stake PPB tokens, broadcast data feeds, and earn USDC per /p> p> KB. AI agents pay per kilobyte via MCP or x402. Quality is enforced entirely /p> p> on-chain through a Proof-of-Quality Score (PQS) - computed from disputes, /p> p> retention, and freshness - with progressive slashing for bad actors /p> p> (5%→10%→25%+suspension→100%+ban) and up to 70% take rate for top-tier publishers. /p> p> br> /p> p> No arbitration committee. No trusted intermediary. The protocol enforces it. /p> p> br> /p> p> strong>BYTEDev Inc. /strong> is the Delaware C-Corp behind the protocol. We are pre-mainnet and /p> p> pre-funding, with 20 contracts live on Arbitrum Sepolia, 533 tests passing, and /p> p> agents already settling on testnet. /p> p> br> /p> p> --- /p> p> strong>The Role /strong> /p> p> br> /p> p> The protocol is built. What comes next is the hardest part: getting it to mainnet /p> p> safely. /p> p> br> /p> p> This is a co-founder role. You will own the path from working testnet to audited, /p> p> production-grade protocol - leading the external security audit, hardening the /p> p> contracts, and shaping the technical roadmap from here forward. You ll work /p> p> directly with the founder, have real ownership in the company, and be the technical /p> p> voice to auditors, investors, and the builder community. /p> p> br> /p> p> --- /p> p> strong>What You ll Own /strong> /p> p> br> /p> p> - Lead the external security audit end-to-end - firm selection (Trail of Bits, /p> p> OpenZeppelin, Spearbit, or your recommendation), scope definition, remediation, and /p> p> sign-off /p> p> - Identify and close attack vectors the existing test suite doesn t cover - /p> p> reentrancy, flash loan manipulation, MEV, oracle gaming, access control edge cases /p> p> - Architect v0.6+ contracts alongside the founder - commit-reveal PQS, validator /p> p> tiering, governance activation /p> p> - Design and maintain a robust security architecture across the full stack: /p> p> on-chain contracts, Rust indexer, TypeScript agent tooling, and x402 gateway /p> p> - Drive strategic IT and infrastructure decisions as the protocol scales toward /p> p> mainnet and beyond /p> p> - Oversee technical execution, manage high-stakes timelines, and contribute to the /p> p> protocol s long-term roadmap from both a technical and business perspective /p> p> br> /p> p> --- /p> p> strong>What s Already Built /strong> /p> p> br> /p> p> You are not walking into a whitepaper. You are walking into a working protocol: /p> p> br> /p> p> - 20 Solidity contracts: PPBToken, DataStream, ReputationEngine (v0.5), /p> p> PQSVerifier, OracleConsensus, ValidatorRegistry, ArbitrationController, /p> p> DividendPool, BurnEngine, and more /p> p> - Rust indexer + libp2p relay network, fully synced on Arbitrum Sepolia /p> p> - TypeScript autonomous validator agent (open-source, live on npm) /p> p> - MCP server - byte-mcp-server@0.3.0, 13 tools, agent-native /p> p> - x402 payment gateway /p> p> - Next.js marketplace UI (Mercat) /p> p> - Pre-audit baseline: Slither clean, Mythril clean across 8 core contracts /p> p> br> /p> p> --- /p> p> strong>Qualifications /strong> /p> p> br> /p> p> Required: /p> p> - Deep Solidity security expertise - you have found bugs in production contracts, /p> p> not just written them /p> p> - Hands-on experience coordinating or participating in formal smart contract audits /p> p> - Strong software architecture fundamentals - able to design and scale complex, /p> p> distributed systems /p> p> - Proficiency in blockchain-specific security: EVM attack vectors, economic /p> p> exploits, cross-contract risk /p> p> - Experience with Ethereum or Layer 2 solutions, ideally Arbitrum /p> p> - Comfortable reading and writing Rust and TypeScript - the off-chain stack is not /p> p> optional here /p> p> - Strong project management instincts - you can own a timeline, identify risk /p> p> early, and ship under pressure /p> p> - Excellent critical thinking and communication skills - you ll be the technical /p> p> voice to auditors, investors, and external partners /p> p> br> /p> p> strong>Strongly preferred: /strong> /p> p> - Prior experience at a security firm (Trail of Bits, Spearbit, Code4rena, /p> p> Sherlock) or a DeFi protocol that shipped to mainnet /p> p> - Opinions on mechanism design - slashing schedules, commit-reveal schemes, stake /p> p> economics /p> p> - Familiarity with web3, agent-driven ecosystems, or AI infrastructure /p> p> - Background in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent technical field /p> p> br> /p> p> --- /p> p> strong>Why Now /strong> /p> p> br> /p> p> The x402 Foundation (Coinbase, Cloudflare, Google, Visa, Anthropic, Vercel) /p> p> standardized agent payment rails in 2025. MCP is the universal agent tool /p> p> interface. BYTE was designed for both from day one. The market is forming now - the /p> p> window

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