Research Scientist • Senior

Who you are

You have significant academic and applied experience in economics, particularly in the context of permissionless blockchains — your expertise allows you to design mechanisms that optimize for decentralization and economic security. You are familiar with transaction ordering, staking, and consensus mechanisms, and you understand the intricacies of existing blockchain solutions. Your analytical skills enable you to evaluate various design options critically, ensuring that the decentralized network runs smoothly and securely.

You thrive in collaborative environments and enjoy working closely with engineering teams to test and implement your designs — your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly is essential for success in this role. You are passionate about decentralized technology and are motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a project that aims to scale safely to hundreds of millions of users. You are proactive in identifying potential security threats and centralization risks, and you take pride in your ability to devise effective solutions.

What you'll do

In this role, you will design and evaluate mechanisms that optimize for economic security, decentralization, performance, compatibility with existing infrastructure, and ease of use. You will collaborate with engineers to test various mechanisms, drawing on your extensive knowledge of existing blockchain systems. Your work will involve analyzing transaction ordering and staking protocols, ensuring that they align with Monad's goals for decentralization and security. You will also be responsible for evaluating the performance of different mechanisms and making recommendations for improvements.

Your contributions will be vital to the success of Monad, as you help the team navigate the challenges of scaling a decentralized network. You will play a key role in shaping the future of the platform, ensuring that it remains robust and secure as it grows. You will also have the opportunity to mentor junior researchers and contribute to the overall research strategy of the organization.

What we offer

Category Labs provides a world-class benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage. We offer unlimited paid time off, a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching, and a monthly wellness benefit. Our team is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment where your contributions can make a significant impact. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't match every requirement, as we value diverse perspectives and backgrounds.