Twitter Hires Crypto Engineering Lead To Expand Blockchain Applications

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Blockchain technology expert, Tess Rinearson, will lead Twitter’s Crypto Engineering team to expand blockchain applications on the platform.

Last week, Twitter announced that crypto veteran Tess Rinearson would join the company as Crypto Engineering Lead, a new position the company opened within its broader plan to include blockchain technology and related products on its platform.

Rinearson has a long history of developing blockchain technologies. She has moved to Twitter from the Swiss Interchain Foundation, where she was a Council Member. She was previously VP of Engineering for Interchain GmbH, where she led the engineering teams responsible for core infrastructure used by many of the top blockchain networks, including Cosmos.

Her responsibilities included Tendermint Core, a popular proof-of-stake consensus algorithm, and the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol, a leading interoperability protocol.

“I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined Twitter, to lead a new team focused on crypto, blockchains, and other decentralized technologies—including and going beyond cryptocurrencies,” she writes. “First, we’ll be exploring how we can support the growing interest among creators to use decentralized apps to manage virtual goods and currencies, and to support their work and communities.”

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined Twitter, to lead a new team focused on crypto, blockchains, and other decentralized technologies—including and going beyond cryptocurrencies.✨ pic.twitter.com/HaP0k5hUOq
— Tess Rinearson (@_tessr) November 10, 2021

Rinearson will work with Twitter Product Manager Esther Crawford to develop a range of new blockchain features, including new payment options, NFT display tools, and Twitter’s Bluesky decentralization protocol project.

“Blockchain and crypto are unlocking new possibilities that align with many of our big product bets, including creator monetization and new forms of self-expression,” wrote a company spokesperson over email. “It’s time for Twitter to explore that technology in earnest, and Tess — who has led engineering teams at Interchain, Tendermint, Interstellar and Chain—has the experience to lead that charge.”

Blockchain technology expert, Tess Rinearson, will lead Twitter’s Crypto Engineering team, to expand blockchain applications on the platform.

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Twitter is already testing various crypto-related initiatives, including payments for Ticketed Spaces, tipping creators with Bitcoin, and NFT display options that authenticate the legitimate owner of the digital assets linking them back to the ownership ledger.