What We're Building
ZK proofs are one of the most critical technologies to blockchain scaling, interoperability and privacy, but are too complex for most developers today. Succinct’s mission is to make zero knowledge proofs accessible to any developer.
SP1 is a state of the art zkVM with performance that rivals custom ZK circuits and lets developers use ZK with normal programming languages, like Rust. The Succinct Prover Network, under active development, is a hosted infrastructure layer for any application to outsource proof-generation for open-source proof systems.
Today, top teams in the space, including Celestia, Wormhole, Lido, Avail, Near, and Gnosis are using Succinct’s infrastructure to build with ZKPs. We have a track record of shipping excellent products and cutting-edge technical work in ZK and have significant revenue from our customers.
We recently announced our $55 million raise across our Seed and Series A led by Paradigm, the best investor in crypto. Our team is still small but incredibly strong, and we are looking for exceptional people who are excited to work hard on challenging and impactful problems in a fast-paced environment. Our office is located in San Francisco and we have a strong preference for candidates based there for this role, but are open to exceptional remote candidates.
The Role
Succinct is seeking an experienced and strategic General Counsel to lead all legal functions at the company. This role is ideal for someone excited about building legal infrastructure from the ground up in a fast-paced startup working at the forefront of ZK and crypto infrastructure.
You’ll work directly with the CEO to set legal strategy, own all corporate legal operations, and navigate evolving regulatory frameworks in crypto. You’ll help shape our approach to decentralization and and advise across a broad range of issues—from commercial agreements and IP to employment and compliance. As our first in-house legal hire, you’ll also work closely with external counsel and scale our legal capacity over time.
This is a high-impact, high-ownership role at the intersection of crypto, law, and emerging technology.
What you’ll do
- Serve as the primary legal advisor to Succinct’s executive team and board.
- Lead all corporate legal matters, including fundraising, entity structure, governance, and board processes.
- Design and implement the legal strategy around tokenization, decentralization, and potential foundation formation.
- Track and interpret crypto regulatory developments (in the US and globally) and advise the team accordingly.
- Draft, review, and negotiate key agreements (e.g. vendor, partnership, commercial, employment, and open source).
- Oversee IP strategy, with an emphasis on open-source licensing and contributions.
- Manage and engage with outside counsel as needed.
Qualifications
- JD from a U.S. law school and active membership in a U.S. state bar.
- 4+ years of legal experience, including in-house experience (ideally in crypto or emerging tech).
- Deep understanding of blockchain technology, decentralization, and token ecosystems.
- Experience supporting high-growth startups.
- Familiarity with employment law, IP, and data/privacy frameworks.
- Ability to work autonomously and balance risk with execution in a fast-moving environment.
- Clear and practical communicator who can translate legal nuance into actionable advice.
Nice to have
- Experience working with or advising crypto foundations or DAOs.
- Familiarity with ZK technology and cryptography.
- Prior work on regulatory or policy issues related to crypto.
Benefits
- Above-market salary and generous equity compensation
- Health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their dependents
- Lunch and dinner provided at the office
- Optional, company-paid travel to events and conferences
Even if the listed qualifications don't seem like an exact match, passionate and enthusiastic people who love to quickly learn are always welcome! Feel free to reach out or apply regardless and we would love to chat.
