Introduction
Cronos Labs is building the consumer trading app for the next generation of retail traders. We are not building another crypto product. We are building the one-stop-shop for trading: stocks, crypto, sports outcomes, and prediction markets, all in one mobile-first app, backed and powered by the trust and infrastructure of Crypto.com.
This is not an ecosystem play. This is not a general-purpose blockchain story. This is a consumer product with a clear value prop: One balance. Every market. More buying power.
About the role
We are looking for a CTO who has built this movie before. Someone who understands the full technical stack required to build a high-performance trading venue: from blockchain infrastructure and smart contract architecture, to matching engines and mobile apps, to the regulatory and integration complexities of tokenized real-world assets. Someone who can lead a globally distributed engineering team through a major pivot and ship at velocity. Someone who will be in the trenches with us.
The CTO will be the architect of how we build. You will own the entire engineering organization: blockchain infrastructure, smart contract development, mobile (iOS/Android), web, and backend systems. You will shape the technical strategy, drive engineering culture, and be accountable for shipping a world-class trading platform.
Responsibilities:
●Define and execute the technical roadmap for the Cronos App: a mobile-first trading platform for tokenized stocks, crypto perpetuals, spot trading, and prediction markets
●Architect the hybrid CLOB + RFQ market structure that powers our trading venue, optimizing for both retail UX and market maker efficiency
●Design the protocol-level infrastructure decisions
●Own the integration architecture with Crypto.com's infrastructure
2. Lead the Engineering Organization
●Build, scale, and retain a high-performance engineering team across multiple disciplines: blockchain/protocol, smart contracts (Solidity), mobile (React Native or native iOS/Android), and backend/infrastructure
●Establish engineering culture rooted in accountability, velocity, and technical excellence
●Implement engineering processes that support "extreme velocity" while maintaining code quality and security
●Manage a globally distributed team across APAC, EU, and US time zones with overlap windows for critical syncs
3. Drive Core Technical Workstreams
4. Collaborate at the Executive Level
●Partner with product-engineering alignment
●Work with CDC engineering teams
●Present technical strategy and progress to Crypto.com executive leadership
●Build the business case for engineering investments with clear ROI articulation
Requirements:
●12+ years in engineering with at least 5 years in VP/CTO/Head of Engineering roles at high-growth companies.
●Trading systems background. You have built or led engineering teams that shipped perpetuals, spot trading, order matching, or derivatives infrastructure. You understand the mechanics of a trading venue: order books, margin systems, liquidations, risk engines.
●Blockchain/DeFi depth. You have hands-on experience with EVM-based smart contracts (Solidity), DeFi protocols, and onchain infrastructure. You understand protocol design tradeoffs, bridge security, and the nuances of token standards.
●Mobile-first consumer product experience. You have shipped mobile apps at scale, ideally in fintech, trading, or gaming contexts. You understand the realities of Android-dominant emerging markets.
●Cross-functional engineering leadership. You have managed teams spanning blockchain, backend, and mobile. You know how to align disparate technical disciplines around a unified product vision.
●Sports betting or prediction markets familiarity. You understand how sportsbooks operate (vig, odds, early exit), or have built prediction market infrastructure. You get the mental model of "exit anytime" vs. traditional binary outcomes.
Ideal candidates we are looking for
We are looking for someone who has done some version of this before:
●Built and scaled the engineering org at a crypto exchange, DeFi protocol, or trading-focused fintech
●Shipped a mobile-first trading app to millions of users internationally
●Led technical architecture for perpetuals, options, or derivatives platforms
●Operated in a company with a strong parent brand
●Navigated the intersection of onchain and offchain systems
●Built through a scrappy phase and then scaled when the opportunity proved out
Cronos Labs is a Web3 startup accelerator that focuses on Decentralized Finance and blockchain games, and on the development of the Cronos chain ecosystem. Visit cronos.org for more information about Cronos.
