Head of Blockchain Security

CoinDesk is the most trusted media, events, indices and data company for the global crypto economy. Since 2013, CoinDesk Media has led the story of the future of money and investing, illuminating the transformation in society and culture that comes with it. Our award-winning team of journalists delivers news and unparalleled insights that bring transparency, comprehension and context. CoinDesk Events gathers the global crypto, blockchain and Web3 communities at annual events such as Consensus, the world’s largest and longest-running crypto festival. CoinDesk Indices offers expertise in digital asset indices, data and research to educate and empower investors. For more information on CoinDesk media and events, please visit [] and for breaking headlines, data and indices visit [] In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. For more information on Bullish, please visit . CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. Reports to: Chief Information Security Officer About the Role We are looking for an exceptional Head of Blockchain Security to own and elevate the end-to-end security posture of our blockchain infrastructure, custody systems, and smart contract protocols. In this role, you will operate as both a high-impact technical authority and a strategic partner to internal teams, protocol founders, and external security partners. You will design scalable security frameworks, lead complex audits across multi-chain environments, and engineer rapid-response mechanisms to protect assets in high-stakes environments. We operate lean, move fast, and value high emotional intelligence alongside deep technical rigor. This role is based in NYC and will be required to work onsite at our office a minimum of 4 days per week. Responsibilities: Smart Contract Audit & Engineering: Lead deep-dive architectural reviews and security audits of smart contracts (Solidity, Rust, Move), focusing on protocol-level vulnerabilities. Oversee external third-party audits for high-complexity releases. Risk Advisory & Stakeholder Alignment: Produce clear, prioritized technical risk reports. Serve as the primary security advisor to protocol founders, engineering leads, and executive leadership, translating complex risks into actionable decisions. Toolchain & Automation Architecture: Build, deploy, and maintain robust blockchain monitoring, alerting, and automated detection systems across major ecosystems. Emergency Response & Crisis Readiness: Design and operate automated emergency exit workflows to protect protocol assets under adverse market or security conditions. Facilitate cross-industry incident response tabletop exercises. Custody, Treasury & Supply Chain Assurance: Conduct rigorous technical assessments of external institutional custody systems, internal treasury controls, and third-party vendor infrastructure. Scalable Operations: Build repeatable security frameworks and processes that enable our security program to scale seamlessly alongside aggressive organizational growth. Experience & Qualifications: Experience: 7+ years in cyber security, with 5+ years dedicated specifically to blockchain and smart contract security Technical Depth: Hands-on experience assessing smart contracts written in Solidity, Rust, and/or Move. Strong background in C/C++, Linux, and cloud native architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP). Security Discipline: Proven background in senior-level penetration testing, application security, offensive security methodologies, design reviews, and threat modeling (OWASP Top 10, SANS CWE 25) . Encryption & Network Infrastructure: Deep expertise in applied cryptography (PKI, algorithms, encryption at rest/in transit) and network/protocol fundamentals (IP, DNS, HTTP, SSL/TLS) Multi-Chain Ecosystem Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of institutional custody infrastructure and major DeFi protocols across Ethereum, Solana, Stacks, and Sui. High EQ & Communication: Ability to articulate critical risks concisely to technical teams and non-technical stakeholders alike. Outstanding self-management and operational autonomy across global time zones. Preferred: Offensive security certifications (OSCP, OSWE, OSCE) or related credentials. Track record of public security research, published vulnerability papers, or presentations at major industry conferences. Bullish US LLC & CoinDesk Inc. are committed to offering competitive compensation and benefits. The anticipated base salary for this position is $260,000 - $275,000 + discretionary annual target bonus + performance incentives/benefits. Offered salary will be reflective of job related knowledge, skills and commensurate experience. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY In an effort to attract, retain, develop and promote the most qualified individuals, CoinDesk is committed to treating all applicants and employees in a nondiscriminatory manner with respect to the terms and conditions of employment, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status/service, physical or mental disability, or any other classification protected by applicable law. This mandate governs all aspects of employment, including recruitment, selection, promotion, training, education, social and recreation programs, compensation, discipline, termination and access to benefits. ACCOMMODATION CoinDesk is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application process, please send an e-mail to and let us know the nature of your request.