Defines organizational async strategy for smart contracts: enterprise async Web3 application standards, cross-team concurrent blockchain interaction governance, async maturity model for DeFi systems. Makes strategic decisions on async infrastructure for blockchain applications.
Roles · Smart Contract Developer · Principal
What a Principal } should know
25 core skills, 72 in total. Expectations per skill, and what changes at the next level.
This page lists what a Principal } is expected to know and do, skill by skill. Core skills are the ones a manager and peers assess in a review cycle; the rest count only in self-assessment. Main areas: Programming Fundamentals, Testing & QA, Security.
Core skills for a Principal
Grouped by area. The label on the right is the expected depth: Awareness, Working, Advanced or Expert.
Programming Fundamentals · 2
Defines organizational strategy for type safety in smart contract development — makes strategic decisions on formal verification tooling, type-safe upgrade patterns, and cross-chain type compatibility standards. Mentors lead developers on type-driven contract security and shapes technical vision for type-safe DeFi protocol engineering.
Testing & QA · 5
Defines organizational QA strategy for multi-chain DeFi ecosystems spanning protocol development, security auditing, and governance processes. Shapes quality engineering culture integrating formal verification, fuzzing, and economic invariant testing at protocol design stage. Introduces platform solutions for automated cross-chain integration testing and continuous security monitoring of deployed protocol interactions.
Defines organizational QA strategy. Shapes quality engineering culture. Introduces platform solutions for testing.
Defines organizational QA strategy. Shapes quality engineering culture. Introduces platform solutions for testing.
Defines organizational QA strategy. Shapes quality engineering culture. Introduces platform solutions for testing.
Defines organizational QA strategy for smart contracts: enterprise formal verification standards, cross-team audit testing governance, quality engineering frameworks for on-chain protocol security. Implements platform-wide testing solutions for contract deployment safety.
Security · 4
Defines the organizational strategy for dependency security across all blockchain and Web3 product lines, shaping SCA architecture for Solidity, Rust, and Move ecosystems. Drives adoption of SBOM standards tailored to smart contract auditing requirements and on-chain verification workflows. Coordinates cross-protocol vulnerability response for critical dependency issues affecting the broader DeFi ecosystem. Represents the organization in blockchain security working groups and contributes to industry standards for smart contract supply chain integrity and dependency transparency.
Defines enterprise smart contract security strategy spanning protocol design, audit standards, and on-chain incident response capabilities. Shapes security architecture for DeFi ecosystems integrating formal verification, economic modeling, and continuous monitoring. Coordinates blockchain security compliance and represents the organization in Web3 security communities and standards bodies.
Defines enterprise smart contract secure coding strategy spanning protocol development, security audit standards, and on-chain incident response. Shapes security architecture for DeFi ecosystems integrating formal verification, economic simulation, and adversarial testing methodologies. Represents the organization in Web3 security standards bodies and blockchain security communities.
Defines organizational threat modeling strategy for blockchain and Web3 security across all protocols and chains. Shapes industry-wide smart contract security standards through formal threat taxonomies and risk frameworks. Establishes cross-organizational threat intelligence sharing for DeFi ecosystem risks. Drives evolution of threat modeling methodologies for novel attack surfaces (ZK circuits, cross-chain bridges, MEV).
Blockchain & Web3 · 14
Defines organizational cryptographic strategy for smart contract platforms: ZK-proof system roadmap, cross-chain signature standards, and privacy framework evolution. Shapes enterprise vision for cryptographic innovation in decentralized applications.
Defines organizational smart contract strategy: protocol design patterns, cross-chain interoperability standards, and security frameworks. Evaluates emerging EVM alternatives and ZK-proof integration approaches. Shapes enterprise blockchain development vision.
Researches impact of new consensus mechanisms on smart contract security models. Publishes consensus assumption analyses for DeFi and shapes industry guidelines for multi-chain deployment.
Defines organizational cross-chain smart contract strategy: interoperability standards, multi-chain contract deployment frameworks, and security certification processes. Shapes enterprise vision for cross-chain DeFi and protocol composability.
Defines enterprise DeFi protocol strategy. Researches novel DeFi mechanisms: intent-based trading, hook architectures (Uniswap V4). Shapes industry security standards.
Defines organizational Ethereum smart contract strategy: protocol standardization, cross-L2 deployment frameworks, and DeFi composability patterns. Shapes enterprise vision for Ethereum-native product development and contributes to EIP governance.
Defines organizational NFT smart contract strategy: token standard innovation, cross-chain composability frameworks, and programmable royalty architectures. Shapes enterprise vision for next-gen digital asset protocols and contributes to standard governance.
Defines enterprise-wide smart contract security architecture and risk management frameworks. Designs zero-trust patterns for DeFi protocols and cross-chain bridges. Establishes formal verification methodologies and contributes to blockchain security standards bodies.
Defines enterprise testing strategy for smart contracts. Researches automated test generation and formal verification automation. Publishes testing methodology and contributes to testing tools.
Defines enterprise Solidity strategy spanning DeFi, NFT, and governance protocols. Designs reusable contract libraries and cross-protocol composability patterns. Establishes formal verification and audit methodologies as organizational standards. Influences Solidity language evolution through EIP contributions.
Defines enterprise tokenomics vision spanning DeFi, GameFi, and DAO governance ecosystems. Designs cross-chain token bridging economics and multi-protocol incentive alignment. Establishes organizational frameworks for economic modeling, token audits, and regulatory compliance strategies.
Defines organizational blockchain strategy. Designs cross-chain solutions. Establishes security frameworks.
Defines enterprise wallet infrastructure vision including account abstraction (ERC-4337), MPC wallets, and institutional custody integration. Designs cross-chain wallet abstraction layers and universal transaction signing frameworks. Influences wallet standards through EIP contributions and ecosystem partnerships.
Defines enterprise Web3 frontend vision spanning DeFi, NFT marketplaces, and DAO governance dashboards. Designs reusable Web3 component libraries with chain-agnostic contract interaction patterns. Establishes organizational standards for Web3 accessibility, performance, and progressive enhancement across all dApp products.
Additional skills
Not assessed by the team, but part of the self-assessment and the development plan.
} in the open competency matrix: 72 skills across 5 levels. The matrix is free for individuals and stays free.