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Resume (Quick Overview)

Looking for:
  • Senior Engineer (Rust, Backend, Distributed Systems, Payments & Crypto Infrastructure)
  • Engineering Manager / Technical Lead (Platform, Fintech, Distributed Systems, Developer Infrastructure)

Professional Summary

Senior engineer, engineering leader, and entrepreneur specializing in distributed financial systems, payments infrastructure, blockchain-based platforms, and high-performance execution systems.

Over 15+ years, I have built and delivered production systems across enterprise platforms and decentralized networks, including real-time execution engines, cross-chain settlement infrastructure, stablecoin-based payment systems, developer platforms, and enterprise integration systems.

Recent work includes high-performance trading and routing infrastructure evaluating 1000+ execution paths per second, liquidity ingestion pipelines, and protocol design for programmable money and stablecoin payments on dedicated rollup infrastructure.

I focus on correctness, reliability, and system design under real-world constraints, including transaction processing, distributed coordination, secure APIs, cloud infrastructure, DevOps operations, and execution across fragmented liquidity and payment networks.

I have led engineering teams across the US, India, Africa, and fully remote environments, including teams of up to 20+ engineers and larger enterprise delivery organizations. Leadership experience includes recruiting, mentoring, performance management, Agile processes, engineering standards, partner success, and cross-functional execution.

Over the past decade, I have worked primarily with early-stage startups and emerging blockchain protocols, operating in highly ambiguous environments and driving projects from concept through production. I have founded multiple initiatives including EAVE (Polkadot parachain) and Global Enterprise Solutions.

Payments & Transaction Infrastructure

  • Designed and operated systems processing on-chain transactions across blockchain networks (Harmony, Loyyal, Eco)
  • Built infrastructure supporting transaction validation, execution, and settlement across distributed systems
  • Integrated enterprise systems (EFI) with traditional payment rails, including credit card processing via SAP integrations
  • Designed stablecoin-based payment systems and explored real-time payment orchestration across blockchain and off-chain systems
  • Developed execution pipelines ensuring correctness, consistency, and reliability of financial transactions under real-world conditions

Security & Reliability

  • Designed and implemented secure API layers with authentication and authorization (AuthN/AuthZ) for enterprise and blockchain systems
  • Built permissioned API access models for corporate users (Loyyal) and developer platforms (Harmony)
  • Implemented secure transaction processing with strong integrity and validation guarantees
  • Experience with encryption, key management, and secure handling of financial and user data
  • Designed systems with a security-first mindset, including API protection, access control, and operational monitoring

Cloud & DevOps

  • Deployed and operated distributed backend systems across AWS and IBM Cloud (BlueMix)
  • Built and managed CI/CD pipelines using Terraform for infrastructure provisioning and deployment
  • Operated high-availability systems with 24/7 monitoring using PagerDuty and DataDog
  • Scaled blockchain infrastructure:
    • Harmony: 300+ nodes deployed, 600+ external validators supported
    • Loyyal: private Ethereum (Geth) networks for enterprise deployments
  • Managed production systems using MongoDB Atlas and AWS services
  • Designed systems for reliability, uptime, and operational resilience

Engineering Leadership

  • Led distributed engineering teams across the US, India, Africa (Kenya), and fully remote environments
  • Owned hiring and recruiting for backend, frontend, DevOps, and blockchain engineering roles
  • Conducted performance management including reviews, goal setting, and career development
  • Implemented Agile processes, engineering standards, and team operating practices
  • Built engineering cultures focused on ownership, delivery, and continuous improvement

Selected Systems

  • DeFi Arbitrager (Rust)
    Built low-latency execution system evaluating 1000+ routes/sec using live liquidity ingestion (Tycho / Substreams), performing pricing, profitability evaluation, and execution path construction across multiple venues.

  • Liquidity Mapping + Execution Layer
    Designed unified abstraction layer for liquidity discovery, normalization, and routing across fragmented DeFi protocols.

  • Cross-Chain Execution + Settlement
    Built systems for cross-chain routing and settlement, including batch execution across multiple environments.

  • Intent-Based Execution Systems
    Developed architecture for intent-based routing and settlement, including ERC-6909 resource management.

Key Achievements

  • Built end-to-end execution pipeline: ingestion → mapping → pricing → execution
  • Designed real-time routing and arbitrage infrastructure
  • Developed transaction execution and settlement systems
  • Delivered production systems across blockchain and payments infrastructure
  • Led engineering teams up to 20+ developers

Experience (Summary)

Founder / Research Engineer — Jincubator (2018–Present)
Built execution infrastructure, routing systems, stablecoin research, and cross-chain settlement pipelines.

Engineering Manager / Senior Protocol Engineer — Eco (2023–2025)
Led team building L3 rollup infrastructure, stablecoin platform, and payment execution systems.

Ecosystem Architect — Harmony (2019–2020)
Scaled team 6→20, launched mainnet and developer platform.

CTO — Loyyal (2016–2018)
Built blockchain-based payment and enterprise infrastructure.

Detailed Experience & Projects

Below are selected systems, achievements, and roles highlighting experience across trading infrastructure, payment systems, blockchain protocols, and distributed platforms.

Projects / Work History

Below are links to projects I have designed and built or contributed to.

Founder / Research Engineer

johnwhitton: July 2018 - Present, Silicon Valley

  • jincubator.com (2025): High Performance Solving Infrastructure including

    • Solver: Route evaluation (over 1000 routes per second) using live streaming data (built on Tycho) with its own liquidity mapping layer, profitability calculator, and execution engine.
    • Solving Prototyping: CowSwap, UniswapX and 1inch
    • DeFi: Lending Markets, Leverage Tokens, UniswapV4, NoLiquidity Solving, IntentSwaps, Velora Integration
    • Liquidity Management: ERC-6909 Resource Management built on the compact

  • isolab.gg: Trustless bridge research using zero knowledge proofs including cryptographic primitives, consensus layer and zero knowledge implementations

  • hiddenstate.xyz: 1.country implementation inspired by ENS with web2 DNS and SMTP integration

  • modulo: non-custodial wallet and SMS-based crypto wallet

  • kanga.finance: DEX implementation and Harmony hackathon winner ($30k)

  • eave.network: Polkadot DeFi parachain

  • em∆sset (github):

    • Designed stablecoin payment platform integrating with banking systems
    • Built gRPC API layer and mobile integrations

  • WASDEX: decentralized regulated digital securities platform

  • Shell Protocol: early prototype of stablecoin meta-layer

  • Project X: Layer 1 blockchain whitepaper

  • Pocketh: mobile stablecoin payments platform for restaurants

Work History

Engineering Manager - Senior Protocol Engineer

Eco: Aug 2023 - Jan 2025, Silicon Valley

  • Led a team of 8 engineers
  • Built L3 rollup and stablecoin payment platform
  • Developed intent-based cross-chain execution
  • Managed bend.eco (stablecoin payments)
  • Deployed AWS + MongoDB Atlas infrastructure
  • Implemented CI/CD pipelines with Terraform
  • Used PagerDuty and DataDog for monitoring and escalation
  • Recruited engineers and managed performance reviews

Ecosystem Architect

Harmony: August 2019 - May 2020

  • Hired and mentored 10+ engineers (team 6 → 20)
  • Launched mainnet, token swap, and staking
  • Deployed 300+ nodes and supported 600+ validators
  • Implemented monitoring and DevOps systems
  • Owned APIs, SDKs, and developer tooling
  • Led partner success and developer adoption

Chief Technology Officer

loyyal: July 2016 - Jun 2018

  • Led team of 7 engineers across US and Africa
  • Built enterprise blockchain payment systems
  • Deployed private Ethereum + IBM Cloud infrastructure
  • Built Dubai Points mobile application
  • Managed enterprise integrations (IBM, Deloitte, Emirates, CIBC)

Founder / Engineering Manager

Enterprise Software and Consulting: 1986 - 2016

  • Managed 100+ initiatives and teams of up to 50 engineers
  • Built SOA platforms integrating SAP, Salesforce, and external systems
  • Integrated SAP with credit card processing systems
  • Founded and scaled consulting firm to $800k revenue

Whitepapers and Design Documents

Codebases

Education

Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland