Platform Architect

Job DescriptionJob DescriptionBlockstream was founded in 2014 by Dr. Adam Back and a group of fellow cryptographers and engineers who are passionate about Bitcoin and its potential to change the world. Today, Blockstream is the leading Bitcoin company, providing cutting-edge infrastructure solutions for enterprises, institutions, and individual Bitcoin users. We develop industry-leading Bitcoin self-custody solutions, Bitcoin-based financial products, second-layer scaling technologies, and enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure.Blockstream is seeking a Platform Architect to define and evolve the architectural foundation of our core platforms. This role is responsible for end-to-end system design, ensuring scalability, reliability, security, and developer efficiency across Blockstream’s infrastructure and product ecosystem.You will work closely with engineering, security, product, and leadership to design distributed systems that support high-value financial use cases, while upholding Bitcoin’s core principles of decentralization and trust minimization. What You’ll Be Doing (Responsibilities):Own the architecture and technical vision for Blockstream’s platform and shared servicesDesign scalable, secure, and fault-tolerant distributed systems supporting Bitcoin, Layer-2, and enterprise productsDefine platform standards for APIs, data models, service boundaries, and infrastructure patternsPartner with engineering teams to guide implementation, review designs, and resolve complex technical challengesCollaborate with Security and Infrastructure teams to ensure defense-in-depth, key management, and operational resilienceEvaluate and introduce new technologies while balancing innovation with operational maturityEnsure platform designs support regulatory, enterprise, and institutional requirements without compromising decentralization principlesDocument architectural decisions, tradeoffs, and long-term technical roadmapsMentor senior engineers and help raise the overall architectural rigor across teamsWhat We Look For in You (Required Qualifications):5+ years of experience designing and operating large-scale platforms or infrastructure systems6-8 years of development experience building production-grade backend with strong security boundaries, authentication, authorization, key management, as well as designing APIs, data models, and distributed services that run reliably at scale.Proven experience as a Platform Architect, Principal Engineer, or Senior Systems ArchitectDeep understanding of distributed systems, including consensus, fault tolerance, replication, and networkingStrong experience with cloud and/or hybrid infrastructure (AWS, GCP, bare metal, Kubernetes, Terraform, etc.)Expertise in security-critical systems, including authentication, authorization, cryptography, and key managementExperience designing high-availability systems for financial or mission-critical applicationsStrong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholdersComfort working in a remote, globally distributed teamNice to Have (Preferred Qualifications):Hands-on experience with Bitcoin, Lightning, Liquid, or blockchain infrastructureExperience contributing to open-source projectsFamiliarity with HSMs, secure enclaves, or hardware-backed key storageBackground in fintech, capital markets, or institutional financial systemsExperience balancing enterprise requirements with decentralized architecturesStay Safe from Job Scams All official Blockstream communication will come from an @blockstream.com email address. We will never ask you to share sensitive information or purchase equipment during the hiring process. If in doubt, contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Learn more about avoiding job scams here.