Newton Poudel

Senior Software Engineer | Blockchain Infrastructure | Zero-Knowledge Systems

Kathmandu, Nepal | hinewton25@gmail.com | https://www.linkedin.com/in/newton-poudel-247431197/ | github.com/lilixac

Professional Summary

Senior Software Engineer with 5+ years of expertise in blockchain infrastructure, zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), and distributed systems. Proven track record architecting validity rollups, implementing IBC protocol for cross-chain interoperability, and developing high-value DeFi protocols ($200M+ TVL). Deep expertise in Rust, Golang, and Solidity with extensive experience in Ethereum, Solana, and Cosmos ecosystems. Seeking senior engineering roles in blockchain infrastructure, L2 scaling solutions, or zero-knowledge systems.

Technical Skills

Programming Languages:	Rust (Advanced), Golang (Advanced), Solidity (Advanced), Python (Intermediate), Java (Intermediate), Bash/Shell Scripting
Blockchain Platforms:	Ethereum (EVM), Solana, Cosmos SDK/Tendermint, ICON, Celestia (Data Availability)
Zero-Knowledge Systems:	SP1 (Succinct Processor 1), RISC Zero, zkVMs, Validity Rollups, zk-SNARKs/STARKs, Proof Generation & Verification
Smart Contracts:	Solidity (ERC-20, ERC-721, DeFi protocols), EVM Assembly, Cross-chain Messaging, Verifiable Bridging
Interoperability:	IBC Protocol (Inter-Blockchain Communication), BTP (Blockchain Transmission Protocol), Cross-chain Bridges, Relayers
Infrastructure & DevOps:	Docker, Kubernetes (k9s), CI/CD, Prometheus, Grafana, Redis, Message Queues (RabbitMQ/Apache Kafka), SQL/NoSQL Databases
Testing & Security:	E2E Testing, Integration Testing, Smart Contract Auditing, Formal Verification, Fuzzing, Test-driven Development
Developer Tools:	Git/GitHub, Foundry, Hardhat, Truffle, Cargo, Protocol Buffers, gRPC, REST APIs

Professional Experience

Senior Software Engineer July 2024 – Present

Twine Labs, Wilmington, DE (Remote)

Architected and implemented zero-knowledge validity rollup (L2) settling state on Ethereum and Solana with Celestia as data availability layer, achieving cross-chain state synchronization
Led R&D initiatives for Ethereum consensus client prover using zero-knowledge proofs, enabling light client verification of full consensus in zkVM environments
Engineered core zk-prover applications in Rust: block prover, Ethereum state prover, and transaction prover, optimizing proof generation latency by 40%
Developed comprehensive end-to-end testing framework for full L2 rollup stack, validating cross-chain state consistency, proof generation pipelines, and settlement logic across heterogeneous chains
Principal architect of EVM smart contracts for settlement verification and trust-minimized bridging.
Built internal monitoring infrastructure for real-time tracking of L2 health, proof generation metrics, and cross-chain message propagation

Technologies: Rust, SP1, RISC Zero, Solidity, Celestia, Docker, Prometheus, Grafana

Blockchain Developer January 2023 – June 2024

Venture23 Inc, Sheridan, WY (Remote)

Spearheaded implementation of IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) Protocol for ICON Blockchain, enabling interoperability with 100+ Cosmos-based chains
Developed production-grade IBC relayer in Golang and corresponding CosmWasm smart contracts, processing cross-chain transfers with 99.9% uptime
Led production support and incident response for mission-critical infrastructure including IBC, ICON Bridge, BTP (Blockchain Transmission Protocol), Balanced DeFi, and xCall messaging service
Conducted security audits and formal verification of cross-chain messaging contracts, identifying and patching critical vulnerabilities pre-deployment

Technologies: Golang, Cosmos SDK, IBC Protocol, Java, CosmWasm, gRPC, Protocol Buffers

Blockchain Developer December 2020 – December 2022

iBriz LLC, Oakland, CA (Remote)

Architected and deployed algorithmic money market protocol (lending/borrowing) on ICON blockchain, achieving $200M+ peak Total Value Locked (TVL) and 5,000+ active users
Designed and implemented cross-chain asset bridge supporting Ethereum, BSC, and ICON, facilitating $50M+ in cumulative bridge volume
Authored CDP-based stablecoin smart contract (algorithmic stablecoin) with $10M+ circulating supply, integrated into 4 major DeFi protocols for trading and collateralization
Built data aggregation and analytics platform for real-time money market statistics, processing 10,000+ daily data points for risk monitoring and user dashboards
Developed Token Score Factory: no-code smart contract deployment platform enabling non-technical users to launch ERC-20/IRC-2 tokens, resulting in 200+ deployed contracts

Technologies: Python, Solidity (Ethereum), Java (ICON), SQL, Redis, Docker, DeFi Protocols

Blockchain Developer Intern May 2019 – November 2020

Techflow Space, Kathmandu, Nepal

Created Open Dev ICON : comprehensive token library and developer toolkit (OpenZeppelin equivalent), reducing smart contract development time by 60% for 500+ developers
Authored technical documentation and 15+ developer tutorials, driving 10,000+ monthly views and improving developer onboarding conversion by 45%
Engineered Python SDK for ICON blockchain interactions, abstracting complex RPC calls and transaction signing; adopted by 3 enterprise teams and 20+ indie developers

Technologies: Python, ICON Blockchain, Technical Writing, SDK Development

Education

Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering November 2017 – April 2022

Kathmandu Engineering College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Relevant Coursework: Distributed Systems, Data Structures & Algorithms, Database Management, Computer Networks

High School Diploma, Science Major (Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry) June 2015 – March 2017

St. Xavier's College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Key Achievements & Metrics

Architected systems securing $200M+ in Total Value Locked (TVL) across DeFi protocols
Enabled cross-chain interoperability for 100+ blockchain networks via IBC protocol implementation
Designed stablecoin with $10M+ circulating supply, actively traded on decentralized exchanges
Reduced proof generation latency by 40% through optimization of zk-prover algorithms
Built developer tools adopted by 500+ engineers, reducing development time by 60%

Professional Links

GitHub: github.com/lilixac | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/newton-poudel-247431197/