Dez Calimese
Blockchain Developer
📍 New York, NY
4+ years in blockchain engineering and founding roles at early-stage companies. Designs and builds production-grade DeFi infrastructure across EVM chains. Work spans ERC4626 vault architectures, multi-chain AI agent systems, perpetual futures trading on Hyperliquid, and multi-chain transaction infrastructure using threshold cryptography. Deep experience in smart contract security, full-stack development, and taking products from zero to one.
Work Preferences
Desired role
Founding Engineer
Work type
Remote
Location
Anywhere
Salary
USD 125 – 200
Skills
Work Experience
Founding Engineer
Omo Protocol
Nov 2023 — Nov 2025
Architected ERC4626 standardized vaults using Solidity and Foundry. Built a trading platform for spot and perpetual futures on Hyperliquid. Developed a multi-chain transactions plugin for ElizaOS leveraging Lit Protocol's Programmable Key Pairs and threshold cryptography. Developed Python scripts using Coinbase MPC Wallets for AI agent DeFi strategies. Authored Rust integrations using Nucleus SDK for Hyperliquid AI agents. Implemented Tenderly's Virtual Testnet framework, achieving 50% increase in testing efficiency. Helped secure over $1M in pre-seed funding.
Lead Blockchain Developer
Bricks Exchange
Nov 2022 — Nov 2024
Led a team of four frontend developers as principal UI/UX engineer. Onboarded and trained three junior developers, resulting in 25% faster delivery timelines. Collaborated cross-functionally with backend, smart contract, and security teams. Developed frontend using Next.js, React Native, TypeScript, Wagmi, Viem, and TailwindCSS. Leveraged agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) with ClickUp for project management.
Chief Technology Officer
Minting Melodies
Aug 2022 — Feb 2023
Provided technology leadership for smart contract development, landing pages, and internal infrastructure to empower artists creating NFT collections. Automated 80% of royalty distribution via smart contracts. Established test automation pipelines and contributed high-quality code while staying current with emerging blockchain protocols.
Education
Cardinal McCarrick High School
HS Diploma