Distributed Systems Engineer Specializing in Protocol Optimization
9+ years building mission-critical infrastructure for power grids serving millions. Contributing to Hedera Hashgraph protocol improvements. Available for protocol engineering roles and select consulting engagements.
What I Do
I optimize distributed systems that can't afford to fail. My background is in SCADA systems for electrical utilities: infrastructure where downtime affects millions of customers. Now I'm applying that production discipline to blockchain protocols and high-performance backends.
5.6x performance improvement in Hedera's protocol buffer implementation
gRPC vs REST benchmarking across Go, Rust, and Python for Hedera workloads
HCS replay library for realistic load testing with real network timing patterns
Contributing to consensus node APIs and developer experience
Experience
AspenTech OSI (2015-2024)
Senior Software Engineer - Platform Server & Distribution Management Systems
Built and optimized mission-critical power grid control systems for utilities serving millions of customers:
- • Real-time data processing for utilities serving millions
- • High-availability distributed systems with strict reliability requirements
- • Performance optimization and database tuning
- • DevOps champion for build process modernization
Open Source Contributions
Hedera Hashgraph & Hiero Protocol (5 Merged PRs)
Contributing to Hedera's PBJ library, Hiero Consensus Node, and Hiero SDK:
- • DirectBufferedData optimization achieving 5.6x throughput improvement
- • Fixed TLS session resumption security vulnerability in Go SDK
- • Configurable network topology API for consensus nodes
- • Improved developer onboarding with testing documentation
What I Bring
Production Mindset
Systems that handle real-world load, cost what you expect, and can be maintained by your team.
Quantitative Approach
I don't guess at performance problems. I measure, benchmark, and prove improvements with data.
Security-First Engineering
Background in DevSecOps, OWASP best practices, and threat modeling. Every system I build considers security from the ground up: not as an afterthought, but as a core requirement alongside performance and reliability.
Deep Backend Expertise
Comfortable working across the backend infrastructure stack: protocol optimization, distributed systems, database tuning, and cloud architecture. This depth allows me to trace performance issues from the network layer through to application logic.
Tech Stack & Education
- BS Mathematics & Computer Science, Minor in Economics • AWS Solutions Architect Associate
Featured Projects
gRPC vs REST Performance Benchmark
Rigorous protocol performance analysis for Hedera-style financial infrastructure. Found gRPC delivers 17-18% higher throughput and 22% better tail latency at 50+ concurrent workers, but REST actually wins at low concurrency. Multi-language clients (Go, Rust, Python) isolate transport overhead from SDK costs. Includes real Hedera testnet validation showing rate limiting and network latency dominate protocol choice at the network layer.
Hiero HCS Replay Library
Go library that captures real message timing from Hedera Consensus Service topics and replays them for realistic load testing. Solves the problem that synthetic load generators miss the bursty traffic patterns that cause production failures. Zero external dependencies, 91.7% test coverage, MIT licensed. Built for the Hiero Apex Hackathon with on-chain proof of functionality.
Hedera Network Analytics Dashboard
ETL pipeline and Dune Analytics dashboard for Hedera network metrics. Built because Dune lacks native Hedera tables. Iterated from batch processing to streaming architecture, reducing memory from 8GB to 500MB and runtime from 20+ hours to minutes. Runs daily via GitHub Actions, visualizing transaction volume, type breakdown, active accounts, and fee trends.
Hedera Hashgraph & Hiero Protocol Contributions
5 merged pull requests across Hedera's PBJ library, Hiero Consensus Node, and Hiero SDK. Achieved 5.6x performance improvement in DirectBufferedData operations, fixed TLS session resumption security vulnerability in the Go SDK, improved developer experience with better error messages and testing documentation, and added configurable network topology API.
Hedera Network Monitor
Real-time monitoring tool for Hedera network health built in Go. Dual-interface design with REST API and CLI (Cobra). Tracks account balances, network metrics, and sends webhook alerts on configurable thresholds. Integrates with Hedera SDK for direct network queries.
Token Vesting Smart Contract Platform
Full-stack Web3 platform for managing time-locked token vesting schedules. Solidity contracts with 100% test coverage (52 tests), deployed and verified on Base Sepolia and Hedera Testnet. Includes Next.js dashboard for schedule management, Go backend API with PostgreSQL caching, and CLI tools via Hardhat tasks.
AWS Cloud Infrastructure Portfolio
AWS Solutions Architect Associate with hands-on implementations across 5 architectural POCs: serverless e-commerce, data analytics pipelines (Kinesis → Athena), multi-AZ reliable infrastructure, migration strategies, and disaster recovery. Includes a production backup system implementing 3-2-1-1-0 strategy with intelligent file classification and multi-tier storage (S3 Glacier, Proton Drive, air-gapped local). All projects use CloudFormation IaC and least-privilege IAM.
Ready to see all my work?
Explore Full PortfolioTechnical Writing
I write about distributed systems, blockchain protocols, and backend engineering on my Substack.
When Does gRPC Actually Beat REST? →
Benchmarking Hedera API performance across Go, Rust, and Python. gRPC wins at 50+ concurrent workers (17-18% throughput gain), but REST is faster at low concurrency.
Hedera Network Monitor →
Building a production-grade monitoring and alerting system in Go for the Hedera blockchain that tracks account balances, network health, and sends real-time alerts via webhooks.
Hedera HashGraph vs Ethereum →
Deploying the same Solidity smart contract to both networks, demonstrating Hedera's Ethereum compatibility and significantly lower transaction costs.
Building on Ethereum with Go and Next →
Documenting a token vesting smart contract system: a real business use case where companies manage billions in token releases to employees according to predetermined schedules.
Building a Hedera Network Health Dashboard →
ETL pipeline for Hedera analytics on Dune. Iterated from batch to streaming, reducing memory 16x (8GB → 500MB) and runtime from 20+ hours to minutes.
My AWS Solutions Architect Journey →
From software developer to certified cloud architect. How AWS solved infrastructure problems and the path to Solutions Architect Associate certification.
Building an Open-Source Backup System →
Automating the 3-2-1 backup rule across AWS S3 Glacier, Proton Drive, and air-gapped external drives. Open-source Python tool with environment-based config.
Want to read more?
Visit My SubstackCurrent Focus
I'm actively seeking protocol engineering roles at companies building blockchain infrastructure, distributed systems, or financial technology platforms.
I'm also available for select consulting engagements through Kaldun Technologies LLC, particularly projects involving protocol optimization, blockchain development, or high-performance backend systems.
Let's Talk
Whether you're looking to discuss protocol engineering, need help optimizing your systems, or just want to explore opportunities — I'm here to help.
Schedule a Call