Backend platforms • Real-time systems • Privacy-preserving infrastructure • Applied cryptography
I am a software engineer and researcher based in Dublin, Ireland, working at the intersection of backend engineering, secure systems, blockchain privacy, and applied cryptography.
My work focuses on turning complex research and systems problems into maintainable software: backend platforms, real-time collaboration systems, developer tools, privacy-preserving workflows, and production-grade infrastructure.
Currently, I work as a Research Software Engineer at the ADAPT Centre, Trinity College Dublin, where I build privacy-first digital infrastructure and applied cryptography systems.
- Designing secure backend systems and developer-facing tools for privacy-preserving applications
- Building real-time collaboration and analytics workflows with React, TypeScript, Firebase, WebSockets, and Python
- Researching blockchain privacy, Zero-Knowledge Proofs, Zcash, XRP Ledger, PKI, and secure data handling
- Translating research, legal, privacy, and stakeholder requirements into production-grade software
| Project | Focus | Engineering Signal |
|---|---|---|
| InvizCrypt | Secure collaborative LaTeX platform | Built E2EE, Firebase-backed project storage, WebAssembly PDF compilation, and encrypted Yjs collaboration |
| ZKP-Based Privacy Framework on Zcash | Privacy-preserving voting | Designed anonymous and verifiable voting workflows with Zcash shielded addresses and zk-SNARKs |
| Zcash Developer Tools | Open-source blockchain tooling | Built RPC wrappers and block explorer utilities for local network testing and transaction analysis |
| Blockchain-Native PKI | Secure identity infrastructure | Mapped X.509 certificates to NFTs on the XRP Ledger with encrypted communication workflows |
| Proof-of-Work++ | Consensus research | Proposed and evaluated an energy-efficient Proof-of-Work variant for academic publication |
Backend & Platforms
Python, Django REST Framework, Flask, Node.js, REST APIs, Microservices, PostgreSQL, Data Pipelines, API Design
Frontend & Product
React, TypeScript, JavaScript, Vite, CodeMirror, PDF.js, Responsive Web Applications, Developer UX
Distributed & Real-time Systems
WebSockets, Yjs, Real-time Collaboration, Event-driven Workflows, Relay Services, Monitoring
Infrastructure & Cloud
Docker, Linux, AWS, GCP, Firebase Auth/Firestore/Storage, CI/CD, Deployment Automation, Cloud Run
Security & Privacy
Secure Data Handling, Access Control, End-to-End Encryption, AES-GCM, RSA-OAEP, PKI, Zero-Knowledge Proofs, Key Management
Languages
Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, C/C++, Rust familiar, Go familiar, Solidity familiar
-
PoW++: An Energy Efficient Proof-of-Work Variant
V. Agarwal, H. Vardhan, A. Kumar and H. Tewari. 7th International Conference on Blockchain Computing and Applications, Oct 2025. Accepted. -
A Blockchain-Native PKI: Secure X.509 Certificate Management on the XRP Ledger
H. Vardhan, P. Hiranayachatri, A. Lele and H. Tewari. IEEE International Conference on Distributed Ledger Technologies, Nov 2025. Accepted.
- Portfolio: harsha0609.github.io
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/harsha-vardhan-946b6515a
- Email: hv2595@gmail.com