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Senior Backend Engineer, US Exchange

PolymarketPolymarket·Blockchain / Cryptocurrency

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~7 min

Ashby

Posted

118 days

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About the role

About Polymarket

Polymarket is the world’s largest prediction market platform. We enable individuals to express views on real-world events by trading on outcomes across politics, economics, sports, culture, and current affairs. Built as a peer-to-peer marketplace with no centralized “house,” Polymarket aggregates diverse opinions into transparent, market-based probabilities that reflect collective expectations about the future.

We’re growing fast: both in volume ($21B traded in 2025) and in adoption as an alternative news source. Our ambition is to become a ubiquitous beacon of truth in global media, powered by fast, reliable, and deeply technical market infrastructure.

About the role

Polymarket is looking for a backend engineer to help build and scale the core exchange infrastructure that powers our markets. This role is focused on high-performance, low-latency backend systems that must be correct, fast, and resilient under real-world trading load.

You’ll be a core individual contributor working with other senior engineers to design, implement, and optimize the systems that sit at the heart of Polymarket’s exchange. This is a high-ownership role with minimal bureaucracy and a strong bias toward execution.

What you’ll do

We’re looking for an experienced backend engineer who enjoys working close to the metal and solving hard distributed systems problems.

  • Build the exchange backend: Design and implement scalable, low-latency backend services that power Polymarket’s exchange, using C/C++ or other performance-oriented systems languages (Go, Rust, Java).

  • Optimize for performance & scale: Profile, tune, and debug systems with a focus on latency, throughput, memory usage, and correctness in production.

  • Design distributed systems: Build and operate robust APIs, data pipelines, and event-driven systems using messaging and streaming platforms (Kafka, Pulsar, RabbitMQ).

  • Own reliability & operations: Reinforce security, availability, performance, and scalability across backend systems, and participate in diagnosing and resolving production issues.

  • Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with engineers across product, infra, and data to ensure tight integration between the exchange and the broader platform.

  • Contribute to code quality: Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and architectural decisions to maintain a high bar for engineering excellence.

What we’re looking for

  • 4–7+ years of professional backend development experience, with strong proficiency in C/C++ (preferred) or another systems language (Go, Rust, Java).

  • Solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, concurrency, memory management, and experience building low-latency, high-throughput systems.

  • Comfortable working on complex systems end-to-end, debugging production issues on Linux, and taking responsibility for correctness and performance.

  • (Plus) Experience in trading systems, HFT, gaming, telecom, or other latency-sensitive domains

  • (Plus) Production experience with Kafka, Pulsar, or similar streaming platforms at scale

  • (Plus) Familiarity with gRPC, Protobuf, ZeroMQ, or similar technologies

  • (Plus) Experience deploying systems in cloud environments (AWS/GCP) and using containers

Benefits

  • Competitive salary & equity

  • Unlimited PTO

  • Full Health, Vision, & Dental coverage

  • 401k match

  • Hardware setup — new MacBook Pro, big display, & accessories

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Aplyr's read

Polymarket is a cutting-edge decentralized prediction market platform where tech-savvy professionals thrive in a fast-paced, blockchain-driven environment.

Synthesized from recent postings & public sources

What's promising

  • Polymarket offers a unique platform for trading on real-world event outcomes using cryptocurrency.
  • The company is expanding rapidly, with diverse roles across engineering, marketing, and compliance.
  • Polymarket's innovative use of blockchain technology attracts top talent in the cryptocurrency space.

What to watch

  • Regulatory challenges pose significant risks to Polymarket's operations and growth.
  • The volatile nature of cryptocurrency markets can impact user engagement and revenue.
  • Limited public information about Polymarket's financial health and long-term sustainability.

Why Polymarket

  • Polymarket's decentralized platform enables users to engage in prediction markets using blockchain.
  • The company focuses on real-world event outcomes, differentiating it from traditional financial markets.
  • Polymarket's recruitment spans diverse roles, reflecting a comprehensive approach to market expansion.

Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?

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About Polymarket

Polymarket is a decentralized prediction market platform that allows users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events using cryptocurrency.

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