Full-Time
Senior Product Manager
Blockchain & Protocol
Posted on 9/17/2025
PIP Labs
1-10 employees
Develops Layer 1 programmable IP protocol
Compensation Overview
$200k - $260k/yr
San Francisco, CA, USA
Hybrid
Hybrid position requiring some in-office presence.
 Product (1) |
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- Hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field from a top university.
- 5+ years of product management experience in infrastructure or platform products, with at least 2+ years in blockchain (L1/L2, smart contracts).
- Deep technical fluency in blockchain, cryptography, and smart contract standards.
- Proven ability to lead complex, technical, cross-functional initiatives from strategy through execution.
- Exceptional communicator, able to engage effectively with executives, engineering leadership, design, ecosystem partners, and the open-source community.
- Highly self-driven, with a passion for blockchain technology and accelerating ecosystem adoption.
- Define and own the roadmap and execution plan of blockchain, protocol & infra roadmap across consensus, execution, smart contract, and developer surfaces.
- Ship cryptographic and protocol features and releases (e.g., DKG, ZK integrations, rollup, scaling solutions).
- Improve security, upgradeability, performance, decentralization of the core infrastructure.
- Lead both internal and external cross-functional communication with researchers, engineers, ecosystem partners, and open-source communities.
- Align Story with external roadmaps (Ethereum, Cosmos, Rollup, DA/storage trends).
- Hands-on experience in the Ethereum or Cosmos ecosystems.
- Prior work on L1/L2 protocols, smart contract platforms, or infrastructure services.
PIP Labs built Story Protocol, a Layer 1 blockchain that acts as an open, programmable repository for intellectual property. Creators register works on-chain as Programmable IP, tokenizing ownership and provenance so licenses, royalties, and collaborations can be managed by smart contracts. It enables an ecosystem of third-party apps for licensing, royalty distribution, and co-creation built on top of the protocol, focusing on decentralized IP management and AI model use cases. The goal is to reduce friction in IP licensing and monetization in the digital era by providing a foundational layer for creators and developers, supported by significant funding from investors like a16z.
Company Size
1-10
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$134M
Headquarters
Palo Alto, California
Founded
N/A
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Poseidon AI data platform addresses $80 trillion IP asset class bottleneck for autonomous AI workflows.
- Open-sourced L1 consensus client enables developer ecosystem growth and decentralized node participation.
- Story Foundation's February 2026 IP tokenomics framework establishes creator royalty automation at scale.
What critics are saying
- March 2026 layoffs (10-15% staff) signal operational distress amid AI pivot and engineering velocity loss.
- US Copyright Office February 2026 ruling deems on-chain IP registration non-binding, nullifying enforcement mechanism.
- OpenAI's direct publisher licensing deals bypass blockchain middlemen, commoditizing programmable IP revenue model.
What makes PIP Labs unique
- Story Protocol tokenizes IP into programmable digital assets on Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure.
- Founders' combined expertise spans AI (DeepMind), creator platforms (Radish $440M exit), and blockchain engineering.
- Strategic partnerships with Stability AI and Futureverse integrate AI-generated content rights and metaverse IP ecosystems.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Company News
Futureverse, a AI and metaverse technology company, has signed a memorandum of understanding to do an intellectual property deal with Web3 firm PIP Labs, the core contributor to Story.This strategic partnership will focus on integrating Futureverse’s technology and extensive IP portfolio along with The Root Network to Story. Story, is a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain designed to tokenize intellectual property into programmable digital assets, pioneering new ways for creators and brands to register, manage, and commercialize digital assets on-chain.The Root Network is purpose-built to deliver on the promise of interoperability for IP assets wherever they are created, enhancing the value of owners and collectors.Intellectual property has traditionally been managed through fragmented, centralized systems that limit the ability of IP holders and creators to fully control, license, and monetize their work. As digital content continues to expand, ensuring that IP ownership remains transparent, enforceable, and interoperable across multiple platforms is increasingly important. This partnership addresses these challenges by leveraging blockchain technology to create a decentralized, programmable framework for IP, fostering a more open and creator-centric digital economy.Through this collaboration, Futureverse and PIP Labs, Story’s initial core contributor, will work together to onboard, grow, and monetize Futureverse’s extensive IP portfolio within Story’s blockchain ecosystem. Futureverse, through Readyverse Studios, holds exclusive licenses for blockbuster IPs such as Ready Player One/Two. The partnership will also explore the integration of Story-powered applications into Futureverse’s The Readyverse platform, enhancing interoperability across metaverse experiences, games, and applications
PIP Labs has secured $80 million in a Series B funding round co-led by 16z Crypto and Polychain Capital to support Story Protocol, a layer-1 blockchain intellectual property tokenization.