Senior Cryptography Engineer at Coinbase - Remote USA — Columbus
Traveler-Friendly Insight
This role is listed as remote-first within the USA, which is an important caveat for international digital nomads — Coinbase's headquarters and salary range are US-based, strongly implying US residency or work authorization is required. The salary range ($186K–$218K USD) is not explicitly restricted by state, but regulatory compliance responsibilities and the nature of Tier-0 security infrastructure suggest you'll need reliable, low-latency connectivity and a secure working environment at all times.
Timezone & Schedule: No explicit timezone requirement is listed, but cross-functional collaboration with Security, Product, and Policy teams at a US-headquartered company implies significant overlap with US business hours (PT/ET). Async-friendliness is moderate at best. Additionally, quarterly in-person "surges" require travel to Coinbase offices — budget for this if living outside major US hubs.
Salary vs. nomad cost of living (context only — US employment assumed):
- Lisbon, Portugal: ~$2,500–$3,500/mo comfortable — this salary would be exceptional, but EU/Portugal work authorization may conflict with US employment terms.
- Bangkok, Thailand: ~$1,500–$2,500/mo — financially ideal, but again, US employment status limits legal options.
- Mexico City, Mexico: ~$2,000–$3,000/mo — closer timezone, but same legal caveat applies.
Bottom line: this role is best suited to US-based remote workers rather than location-independent internationals.
Headquarters: Remote - USA
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.
Senior Software Engineer, Core Cryptography
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Core Cryptography team within Security, you'll act as a primary execution anchor for our most critical regulatory and cryptographic initiatives. This team is the deep-expertise center for Coinbase's Tier-0 cryptographic infrastructure, including the foundational Multi-Party Computation (MPC) engine which secures 99% of assets under custody. You'll lead the development of highly sensitive, high-availability services that directly protect customer assets and ensure global regulatory compliance.
What you'll do:
- Own the design, implementation, and end-to-end integration of critical cryptographic infrastructure, including services required for global regulatory compliance
- Lead infrastructure setup, continuous deployment, and observability strategies to proactively resolve production incidents and ensure catastrophe recovery
- Drive complex integration challenges, implementing secure and resilient infrastructure in a high-stakes, zero-trust environment
- Shape engineering quality as a technical mentor, promoting rigorous code reviews, comprehensive design documents, and best practices across the team
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders across Security, Product, and Policy to drive flawless execution
Required Skills and Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in software engineering with demonstrated success building highly available, distributed systems
- Experience with applied cryptography, Key Management Systems (KMS), or Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), with understanding of how to safely operate within security-critical environments (Multi-Party Computation experience strongly preferred)
- Extensive programming experience in systems languages such as Golang, Java, C++, or Rust, with ability to operate in a Golang-heavy environment
- Proven track record operating Tier-0 or highly critical infrastructure where system resilience, observability, and security are absolute prerequisites, including experience configuring cloud infrastructure as code across multiple isolated environments
- Demonstrated experience managing complex projects end-to-end, removing technical blockers, navigating regulatory requirements, and mentoring team members
- 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)).
Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus): $186,065 — $218,900 USD
- 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.
To apply: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/coinbase-senior-software-engineer-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this role fully remote or does it require going into an office?
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Is Multi-Party Computation (MPC) experience required to apply?
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Are there any application restrictions for this role?
