About Tokka Labs
Tokka Labs is a proprietary trading firm specializing in digital assets within the blockchain space. Founded in 2022 and based in Singapore we are pioneers in digital asset trading focusing on close collaboration rigorous research and cutting-edge technology. As experienced market makers for top protocols on popular blockchains we enhance market efficiency by identifying and arbitraging mis-pricings while providing liquidity in the blockchain ecosystem. We are committed to innovation and excellence in the fast-paced world of decentralized finance (DeFi) on-chain and cross-chain trading.
Role Overview
We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled algorithm researcher to join our core research this role you will design analyze and optimize algorithms that power our systems such as pathfinding resource allocation and arbitrage detection across complex dynamic environments. The ideal candidate holds a relevant PhD and loves deep problem-solving mathematical modeling and turning theory into high-performance real-world solutions.
Key Responsibilities
- Research and develop novel algorithms for DeFi trading such as:
- Efficient and adaptive pathfinding in large or dynamic graphs representing on-chain and/or cross-chain environments.
- Real-time arbitrage detection in market-like environments.
- Optimized resource allocation under various real-world constraints such time gas-cost slippage protocol capacity.
- Analyze algorithmic trade-offs in performance scalability accuracy and complexity.
- Work with large-scale on-chain/off-chain datasets from blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana to validate models and refine strategies.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to prototype and productionize algorithmic solutions.
- Benchmark test and iterate on algorithms using real-world and simulated data.
- Stay up-to-date with advancements in graph theory combinatorial optimization AI planning and OR.
- Contribute to technical strategy around architecture tooling and algorithm selection.
- Participate in research papers contribute to open-source projects and stay ahead of emerging DeFi trends and technologies.
Qualifications
- PhD in Computer Science Operations Research Applied Mathematics or a related field.
- Strong foundation in algorithms and data structures with a focus on graph algorithms (e.g. Dijkstra A* flow networks)
- Proven experience designing and analyzing algorithms beyond textbook implementations.
- Proficiency in a programming language suitable for research and prototyping (e.g. Python or Rust).
- Ability to model and solve real-world decision problems under uncertainty and constraints.
- Strong communication skills to articulate complex ideas and work collaboratively in a fast-paced interdisciplinary team.
Preferred Skills
- 2 years of working experience in fintech cryptocurrency trading or DeFi research (academic or industry).
- Familiarity with blockchain technologies DeFi and on-chain data analytics tools.
- Knowledge of smart contract development (Solidity) and simulation environments.
- Contributions to open-source blockchain or graph-related projects.
What We Offer
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology in a dynamic innovative environment.
- Competitive compensation package.
- Collaborative culture with a focus on research and professional growth.
- Flexible work arrangements and support for relocation to Singapore if needed.