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From: Steve Lee <steven.j.lee@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:24:46 -0700
Message-ID: <CABu3BAeQ0=RkzB7k_aODNDT7-8rO440aQ8XR+MRdCVCOmWEHEA@mail.gmail.com>
To: Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000e2844a05fa1acc56"
Subject: [bitcoin-dev] Spiral is Hiring Bitcoin Wizards
Precedence: list

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Note: I checked with the moderators prior to posting this as normally job
postings to this list would be frowned upon. I felt like it was appropriate
in this case since (a) Spiral is 100% non-commercial FOSS bitcoin (b) many
on this list would either be interested in this opportunity or know people
who would be.


Spiral is hiring bitcoin =E2=80=9Cwizards,=E2=80=9D though we will settle f=
or bitcoin
mages, sorcerers and sorceresses, witches, warlocks, and druids.

About Spiral
Spiral is the first free and open-source, internal, non-profit bitcoin
organization within a major tech company. We contribute to bitcoin by
writing code, funding projects and individuals, educating, entertaining,
and testing the limits of what a tiny team can do to impact the future of
money. Although many see bitcoin only as digital gold, via the Lightning
Network, Spiral envisions bitcoin fulfilling its promise and potential as
the global standard for peer-to-peer payments.

To date, Spiral=E2=80=99s full-time engineering team has focused exclusivel=
y on
developing LDK, a kit that simplifies how developers add the Lightning
Network to apps and wallets. This year, we plan to build an R&D team within
Spiral that will focus on improving bitcoin=E2=80=99s security, decentraliz=
ation,
privacy, scaling, and expressivity beyond LDK. The projects might include
applying novel cryptography, developing existing protocol proposals, and
creating new innovative protocol proposals. The possibilities aren=E2=80=99=
t
endless, per se, but they are numerous.

Job Responsibilities
* Identify and drive forward multiple projects in collaboration with the
Spiral team and the greater bitcoin development community.
* Develop a project plan for each active project.
* For a given project, do whatever it takes to make progress toward the
goal, including:
   * Building prototypes
   * Writing tests
   * Developing production code
   * Developing performance benchmarks
   * Creating simulations
   * Being thoughtful about how to gain consensus on changes
   * Recruiting other FOSS devs to help
   * Writing bitcoin-dev email posts
   * Participating in podcasts and speaking at conferences
* Regularly review bitcoin-dev and lightning-dev email lists, relevant
=E2=80=9Cwizards=E2=80=9D channels, Bitcoin Optech, relevant research paper=
s, and R&D from
other cryptocurrency projects. When possible, engage and provide
constructive feedback.
* Propose new protocol designs building on what others have done or wholly
new ideas.

Qualifications
Applicants should have a deep technical understanding of bitcoin and be
comfortable engaging on bitcoin topics and on bitcoin channels such as
bitcoin-dev or lightning-dev email lists, local bitdevs, or in a =E2=80=9Cw=
izards=E2=80=9D
channel such as IRC #bitcoin-wizards.

Applicants should also know which projects they=E2=80=99d like to work on. =
At a
minimum, they should be able to identify three projects worth your time,
why they benefit bitcoin, and how your involvement would improve them.

Finally, strong people skills are a must. Many projects will require
attaining developer consensus, including the bitcoin consensus protocol,
bitcoin p2p policy, and the LN protocol. To successfully navigate this
requires more than just coding talent. Applicants should be ego-free,
willing to detach themselves from a particular proposal, and be prepared to
conclude a proposal if something learned has made it untenable. Applicants
should also seek collaborators and co-authors, be patient yet persistent,
and incorporate peer feedback. We undeniably expect a lot from whoever
fills these roles. But there=E2=80=99s no other job like them in bitcoin or
elsewhere.

Example Projects
Here is a list of project examples Spiral would find valuable. Again, we
expect candidates to drive the process of which projects they will work on,
so this list is merely a tool to help a candidate calibrate the scope and
depth of future projects.

Scaling innovation
* New methods to share UTXOs among users as trustless and efficiently as
possible
* Lightning efficiency innovation
* Cross-input signature aggregation

Security innovation
* BIP324
* Mining pool decentralization
* Threshold signatures for LN
* Mempool/bitcoin p2p security for L2
* Evaluate security risks to bitcoin stemming from MEV, tokens,
stablecoins, etc and provide recommendations

Privacy innovation
* Applied ZKP for LN gossip to hide UTXO funding

Bitcoin expressivity innovation
* Bitcoin script opcode innovation, tradeoff evaluation, and driving (CTV,
CSFS, TLUV, OP_VAULT, etc.)

The Position
This full-time role includes full-time worker benefits. Spiral supports you
working anywhere, but you need a home base in a country whose talent pool
Block can legally hire from. If you=E2=80=99re not sure whether we can hire=
 from
where you live, just reach out and ask. We=E2=80=99ll check.

How to Apply
Sound good? Not too confused? Great. You=E2=80=99ve cleared the first hurdl=
e. Shoot
us an email with the top 3 project ideas you want to work on along with
supporting evidence that you=E2=80=99ll successfully complete them: apply@s=
piral.xyz

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Note: I checked with the moderators prior to posting =
this as normally job postings to this list would be frowned upon. I felt li=
ke it was appropriate in this case since (a) Spiral is 100% non-commercial =
FOSS bitcoin (b) many on this list would either be interested in this oppor=
tunity or know people who would be.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div=
>Spiral is hiring bitcoin =E2=80=9Cwizards,=E2=80=9D though we will settle =
for bitcoin mages, sorcerers and sorceresses, witches, warlocks, and druids=
.<br><br>About Spiral<br>Spiral is the first free and open-source, internal=
, non-profit bitcoin organization within a major tech company. We contribut=
e to bitcoin by writing code, funding projects and individuals, educating, =
entertaining, and testing the limits of what a tiny team can do to impact t=
he future of money. Although many see bitcoin only as digital gold, via the=
 Lightning Network, Spiral envisions bitcoin fulfilling its promise and pot=
ential as the global standard for peer-to-peer payments.<br><br>To date, Sp=
iral=E2=80=99s full-time engineering team has focused exclusively on develo=
ping LDK, a kit that simplifies how developers add the Lightning Network to=
 apps and wallets. This year, we plan to build an R&amp;D team within Spira=
l that will focus on improving bitcoin=E2=80=99s security, decentralization=
, privacy, scaling, and expressivity beyond LDK. The projects might include=
 applying novel cryptography, developing existing protocol proposals, and c=
reating new innovative protocol proposals. The possibilities aren=E2=80=99t=
 endless, per se, but they are numerous.<br><br>Job Responsibilities<br>* I=
dentify and drive forward multiple projects in collaboration with the Spira=
l team and the greater bitcoin development community.<br>* Develop a projec=
t plan for each active project.<br>* For a given project, do whatever it ta=
kes to make progress toward the goal, including:</div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0* B=
uilding prototypes<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=C2=A0Writing tests<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=
=C2=A0Developing production code<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=C2=A0Developing performa=
nce benchmarks<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=C2=A0Creating simulations<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0=
*=C2=A0Being thoughtful about how to gain consensus on changes<br>=C2=A0 =
=C2=A0*=C2=A0Recruiting other FOSS devs to help<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=C2=A0Writ=
ing bitcoin-dev email posts<br>=C2=A0 =C2=A0*=C2=A0Participating in podcast=
s and speaking at conferences<br>* Regularly review bitcoin-dev and lightni=
ng-dev email lists, relevant =E2=80=9Cwizards=E2=80=9D channels, Bitcoin Op=
tech, relevant research papers, and R&amp;D from other cryptocurrency proje=
cts. When possible, engage and provide constructive feedback.<br>* Propose =
new protocol designs building on what others have done or wholly new ideas.=
<br><br>Qualifications<br>Applicants should have a deep technical understan=
ding of bitcoin and be comfortable engaging on bitcoin topics and on bitcoi=
n channels such as bitcoin-dev or lightning-dev email lists, local bitdevs,=
 or in a =E2=80=9Cwizards=E2=80=9D channel such as IRC #bitcoin-wizards.<br=
><br>Applicants should also know which projects they=E2=80=99d like to work=
 on. At a minimum, they should be able to identify three projects worth you=
r time, why they benefit bitcoin, and how your involvement would improve th=
em.<br><br>Finally, strong people skills are a must. Many projects will req=
uire attaining developer consensus, including the bitcoin consensus protoco=
l, bitcoin p2p policy, and the LN protocol. To successfully navigate this r=
equires more than just coding talent. Applicants should be ego-free, willin=
g to detach themselves from a particular proposal, and be prepared to concl=
ude a proposal if something learned has made it untenable. Applicants shoul=
d also seek collaborators and co-authors, be patient yet persistent, and in=
corporate peer feedback. We undeniably expect a lot from whoever fills thes=
e roles. But there=E2=80=99s no other job like them in bitcoin or elsewhere=
.<br><br>Example Projects<br>Here is a list of project examples Spiral woul=
d find valuable. Again, we expect candidates to drive the process of which =
projects they will work on, so this list is merely a tool to help a candida=
te calibrate the scope and depth of future projects.<br><br>Scaling innovat=
ion<br>* New methods to share UTXOs among users as trustless and efficientl=
y as possible<br>* Lightning efficiency innovation<br>* Cross-input signatu=
re aggregation<br><br></div><div>Security innovation<br>* BIP324<br>* Minin=
g pool decentralization<br>* Threshold signatures for LN<br>* Mempool/bitco=
in p2p security for L2<br>* Evaluate security risks to bitcoin stemming fro=
m MEV, tokens, stablecoins, etc and provide recommendations<br><br></div><d=
iv>Privacy innovation<br>* Applied ZKP for LN gossip to hide UTXO funding<b=
r><br>Bitcoin expressivity innovation<br>* Bitcoin script opcode innovation=
, tradeoff evaluation, and driving (CTV, CSFS, TLUV, OP_VAULT, etc.)<br><br=
></div><div>The Position<br>This full-time role includes full-time worker b=
enefits. Spiral supports you working anywhere, but you need a home base in =
a country whose talent pool Block can legally hire from. If you=E2=80=99re =
not sure whether we can hire from where you live, just reach out and ask. W=
e=E2=80=99ll check.<br><br>How to Apply<br>Sound good? Not too confused? Gr=
eat. You=E2=80=99ve cleared the first hurdle. Shoot us an email with the to=
p 3 project ideas you want to work on along with supporting evidence that y=
ou=E2=80=99ll successfully complete them: <a href=3D"mailto:apply@spiral.xy=
z">apply@spiral.xyz</a><br></div><div><br></div></div>

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