Business Development Lead (Protocol Partnerships)

Join Cubist as we solve the most critical infrastructure challenge in Web3: securing the protocols and bridges that power the blockchain ecosystem..

For Layer 1s, L2s, bridges, and other protocols non-custodial, scalable key management is critical. CubeSigner protects the most sensitive keys with decentralized multi-party signoff and governance policies; our Confidential Cloud Functions allow protocols to run sensitive logic verifiably but off-chain—in a “private smart contract”.

We are looking for a Business Development Lead (Protocol Partnerships) to own the commercial lifecycle for our ecosystem vertical. You will bring C2F and CubeSigner to protocol teams, helping them build features that were previously impossible on-chain.

You’ll report to the President and work directly with the builders of one of the most advanced digital asset platforms in the industry.

About the Role

This is a full-cycle role for a commercial operator who understands blockchain infrastructure. You will spearhead Cubist’s expansion into L1/L2 ecosystems, targeting Foundations, Labs, and DePIN networks.

You will act as a consultative partner to Protocol Founders, Heads of Ecosystem, and Core Devs. You will move the relationship from "governance proposal" or "grant discussion" to embedded infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

Origination: Build and manage a high-quality pipeline of L1/L2 foundations, other protocols, bridge operators, and rollup-as-a-service providers. Identify networks where Bascule (our bridge security product),C2F private smart contracts, and CubeSigner can solve latency, security, or privacy issues.

Structuring & Closing:

• Architect the Opportunity: Work with protocol teams to map how CubeSigner can secure everything from governance keys to bridges to validators.

• Solution Selling: Collaborate with Engineering to scope integrations that prove technical value.

• Close: Lead commercial negotiations for foundation grants, service agreements, and partnership incentives.

Relationship Ownership: You will own the relationship post-signature, ensuring deep integration into the protocol's developer docs and recommended tooling stack.

About You

You speak the language of protocols. You understand consensus mechanisms, slashing conditions, and the difference between a sequencer and a validator.

• Experience: 7+ years in business development or partnerships within crypto, specifically dealing with Foundations, L1s, or infrastructure.

• Network: You have direct lines to leadership at top protocols and arguably more importantly, the dev shops that build on them.

• Technical Fluency: You can confidently discuss high-level staking architectures, MPC vs. HSMs, and distinct signature schemes (eg., BLS, Ed25519).

• Closer Mentality: You don't just "do BD" for brand awareness; you drive revenue and adoption metrics.

About Cubist

Cubist is a self-custody operating system for programmable money, tokenized assets, and onchain finance across public and private blockchains. We empower global institutions like banks, payment processors, trading firms, and crypto protocols to safely automate digital asset operations using their own sensitive data and business logic. This is possible because of Cubist’s:

• Security: Keys are safeguarded using FIPS-140 certified HSMs and TEEs.

• Speed and Scale: CubeSigner signs transactions 200+x faster than MPC-based solutions, with horizontal scaling to millions of TPS.

• Programmable Policy Engine: Customers define exactly when each key can sign (e.g., “only mint if collateral > X”, “only transfer if internal KYC has passed,” etc.).

• Confidential Cloud Functions (C2F): With C2F, customers run “private smart contracts”: complex logic—such as compliance checks—that executes inside secure hardware and produces cryptographic proof of exactly what ran.

About the Cubist Team

Cubist’s founders include a former fintech COO, and cryptography and security professors from UC San Diego and Carnegie Mellon University who collectively have published more than 90 papers on computer security. Members of our team designed the cryptography underlying Ethereum and Avalanche and we’re backed by top-tier investors including Polychain, dao5, and Paxos.

Compensation & Perks

• Competitive base salary, performance-based commission, and equity package

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits

• Company-sponsored 401(k)

• Home-office stipend

• Company retreats and offsites