Directionally Cofounder & Engineer
Engineering judgment for AI coding agents: runs the relevant check before an agent's next move and shows what changed.
Caroline Nyakio Maina
Rust & Blockchain Engineer · Developer Relations
I ship production Rust and on-chain infrastructure, and I turn the hard parts (ZK, cryptography, RISC-V) into things other developers can actually use.
- 5+ yrs software
- 2+ yrs Rust
- Cartesi
- Bitcoin
- 200+ devs taught
About
I'm a Rust-first blockchain and systems engineer. I've shipped Cartesi coprocessors, byte-for-byte deterministic RISC-V build pipelines, and Bitcoin-native payment services. I write production code, and I cofounded Directionally.
Somewhere along the way I realized the hardest part of this space isn't writing the code. It's that so few people can explain it. So I started making technical explainers, ZK learning notes, and videos, teaching the exact systems I build.
Both halves are real work I want to keep doing. If you're hiring a Rust or blockchain engineer, the code below is the case. If you're hiring for Developer Relations, the writing and workshops are too.
What I bring
I ship production systems
Rust services under real load, Cartesi rollups, on-chain and off-chain bridges, deterministic build tooling. Backend, protocol, and infrastructure work.
I make hard things clear
Explainers and deep-dives on ZK, cryptography, RISC-V, and rollups, written and on video, aimed at working engineers rather than beginners-only fluff. I post them on X.
I grow developer communities
12+ hands-on workshops and technical trainings. 200+ developers reached. Comfortable running sessions and teaching in person.
Selected engineering work
Cartesi Coprocessor & Deterministic Builds Rust Developer
On-chain contracts offload Linux compute to RISC-V VMs. I built the HTTP bridge (1,000+ req/s, p95 under 50ms) and byte-for-byte deterministic toolchains.
LaneLayer Blockchain Engineer
Rust backend for a Bitcoin-native payment platform, with gRPC/REST layers and agentic AI workflow integration.
Skills
Writing
I write to make advanced blockchain and cryptography work approachable for other developers.
ZK Learning
An ongoing series working through zero-knowledge proofs from the primitives up: the notes I wish existed when I started.
Why Two Safe Locks Don't Make a Super-Safe Vault
Why composing two individually secure zero-knowledge proofs can break both of them.
Espresso: Shared Sequencing and Confirmation Layers
How shared sequencing works, and what a confirmation layer actually guarantees for rollups.
Ownership Patterns in Rust
The ownership patterns that show up in real Rust codebases, and when to reach for each.
Rust and Pico 2: Your First Embedded Application
Build and flash a working embedded Rust app on the Pico 2, end to end.
Video & Workshops
I love getting developers hands-on, in workshops and on video.
@nyakiocodes
My YouTube channel: walkthroughs and explainers on Rust, blockchain, and the systems I'm building.
Workshops & Training
12+ developer workshops and technical training sessions · 200+ participants.
Let's talk
I'm looking for a role building in Rust and blockchain, doing Developer Relations, or both. If that's what you're hiring for, get in touch.