Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Optimum is building the world's first data acceleration network for any blockchain. They are seeking a Senior Data Scientist focused on blockchain protocols and market structure to lead empirical research that informs their networking products and analytics strategy.
Responsibilities
- Own empirical research into MEV, block building, orderflow, validator/proposer behavior, latency-sensitive execution, and related market-structure dynamics
- Work with on-chain, mempool, relay, validator, and network-level datasets, including sources such as Xatu, to identify actionable patterns and quantify opportunity areas
- Translate open-ended research questions into rigorous analysis, clear conclusions, and product-relevant recommendations
- Work in an atomic, hypothesis-driven style: formulate clear hypotheses, define verifiable tests, evaluate evidence rigorously, and translate findings into actionable decisions
- Design and evaluate experiments, measurements, and causal analyses for latency-sensitive blockchain systems
- Build analytical frameworks that distinguish signal from noise in complex, high-variance environments
- Develop predictive, statistical, and simulation-based models that answer concrete product, research, and strategy questions
- Document assumptions, limitations, methodology, and results to a high standard
- Partner closely with Product, Economics, Research, and Engineering to turn blockchain research into product direction and strategic insight
- Help define which signals matter, how they should be measured, and how they could become customer-facing product primitives
- Work with Engineering on data pipelines, evaluation tooling, and production-ready research infrastructure
- Communicate complex methodology and market-structure insights clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
Skills
- 5+ years of experience in quantitative research, empirical blockchain research, data science, or a similarly analytical role, ideally in crypto, market structure, distributed systems, or latency-sensitive environments
- Strong statistical background and experimental rigor: You are comfortable designing and interpreting experiments (A/B testing, causal inference, quasi-experiments, diff-in-diff, instrumental variables, etc.) and can judge the strength of the evidence
- Strong blockchain research expertise: You have experience with Ethereum or another major L1/L2 ecosystem, with hands-on experience conducting empirical on-chain research. You have direct familiarity with topics such as MEV, block building, orderflow, validator/proposer dynamics, transaction propagation, and blockchain market structure
- Experience building predictive and analytical models: This includes regression, classification, time-series analysis, and modern machine learning techniques where appropriate
- Fluency in Python and SQL: Experience working in modern analytical data platforms such as BigQuery, Snowflake, or equivalent
- A product mindset: You can frame ambiguous questions, select rigorous methodologies, and translate research into actionable product and strategic insights
- High autonomy and ownership: You're comfortable defining your own research agenda, communicating complex findings clearly, and operating effectively in a fast-moving, high-ambiguity environment
- Prior work in a research organization, protocol team, crypto trading firm, MEV/searcher team, or infrastructure company
- Familiarity with networking concepts, latency measurement, distributed/decentralized systems, or systems where millisecond differences carry economic weight
- Experience working in an early-stage company where you had to define the problem before solving it
Benefits
- Competitive compensation, equity, and flexibility.
- Flexible time off.
- Fully remote - work from wherever you do your best thinking.
Company Overview
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