Backend Software Engineer — Rust & Real-Time Crypto Trading

As a Backend Software Engineer at a crypto trading startup, you build the infrastructure behind real-time trading platforms. You work on risk engines, live market data coordination, distributed state systems, and high-performance APIs where millisecond-level response times matter. You join a small team with direct access to founders and senior engineers, taking significant ownership of the systems you build.

What you'll do

• Build and maintain risk and liquidation engines that support capital efficiency in volatile markets
• Process live market data and coordinate time-sensitive actions across trading venues
• Develop reliable backend services for real-time, high-throughput trading workflows
• Design and implement blockchain state machines supporting trading, settlement, and risk operations
• Maintain consistent state across asynchronous processes using voting, consensus, and coordination mechanisms
• Address concurrency, reliability, and performance challenges across distributed services
• Build high-performance REST and WebSocket APIs with millisecond-level response times
• Manage WebSocket streams and other real-time data workflows
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks
• Collaborate with a small engineering team to deliver and improve production systems

What you bring

• 2-4 years of relevant backend software engineering experience
• Meaningful, hands-on production Rust experience
• Asynchronous programming experience with Tokio or directly comparable Rust-based systems
• Experience building real-time, high-throughput backend services
• Experience with low-latency or trading systems
• Experience with multiple database types, such as relational, time-series, or key-value databases
• Meaningful startup experience
• Relevant experience in fintech, crypto, trading, high-frequency trading, or blockchain
• Demonstrable interest in trading and financial markets
• Meaningful personal technical projects, particularly in Rust or C
• Strong backend and systems-engineering fundamentals
• Willingness to work onsite in New York City five days per week
• Work authorization as a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder (visa sponsorship is not available)

Nice to have

• Direct ownership of production Rust services
• Experience with distributed state consistency and coordination
• REST and WebSocket API development
• Measurable improvements to system latency, throughput, or reliability
• Personal Rust or C projects demonstrating technical depth
• Experience delivering critical infrastructure within a small startup team

What we offer

• Base salary of $185,000-$300,000 annually, based on qualifications and experience
• Competitive equity package with grant details and vesting terms to be discussed during the hiring process
• Full-time, direct-hire position
• Onsite work in New York City, five days per week