Jakub Dzikowski

Show more 2022 - nowBlockchain lead engineer at Gala

TypeScript, Node.js, Hyperledger Fabric, NestJS, PostgreSQL, Docker

The core infrastructure of GalaChain is a Hyperledger Fabric network with tens of millions of blocks, complemented by supporting services and an SDK for building blockchain applications. I am responsible for designing and implementing core features and the SDK, supporting the production environment, planning GalaChain's roadmap, and co-leading a remote team of up to ten people across multiple time zones.

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When I joined as Blockchain Lead Engineer, the team consisted of four members, and we had a basic chaincode implementation along with a local development environment based on virtual machines. Over the months, I led initiatives to improve our stack, integrate best engineering practices (including testing and CI), maintain and extend the chaincode, and implement key features and services. I also spearheaded the creation of a custom framework for developing chaincodes. These efforts culminated in our production launch in October 2022.

In 2023, the focus shifted to maturing the stack and shaping the technical future of GalaChain. Key achievements included enhancing system resilience, introducing automatic configuration discovery, implementing a generic REST API, and adding signature-based authorization. By January 2024, we open-sourced our SDK and launched a public testnet prototype, which matured by the end of 2024.

Key contributions

• Framework and SDK: Designed and implemented a framework for building chaincodes, featuring a caching layer, decorator-based API definition, signature-based authorization, and a Fablo-powered local development environment. The SDK is open source.
• REST API service: Developed a REST API service for chaincode access. Designed and implemented a custom GRPC connection pool, automatic discovery of chaincode methods, and OpenAPI documentation generation based on chaincode definitions.
• Chaincode deployment service: Designed and implemented the initial version of a service to manage chaincode deployment on the testnet for external developers.
• Chain Browser: Designed and implemented a service to replicate the world state of the Hyperledger Fabric network, providing a read model accessible via a GraphQL API.
• Block Stream: Developed a library for streaming blocks and transactions from the Hyperledger Fabric network as RxJS Observables.

Leadership and impact

I've played a key role in designing features, components, and processes for GalaChain, from shaping Hyperledger Fabric network topology to crafting client applications, chaincode business logic, and CI pipelines. Often, I take on the core challenges of a problem, delivering the architecture and initial implementations and delegating the finer details and edge cases.

While development remains my passion, managing a small team has given me the "gravity" needed to design impactful solutions and think at a broader scale. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned at Gala is finding the balance between code quality and business needs—delivering quickly while keeping tech debt under control and ensuring solid code in a fast-moving startup environment.

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Show more 2019 - 2022Blockchain engineer at SoftwareMill

TypeScript, Node.js, Hyperledger Fabric, Bash, Docker, ReactJS

Contributed to multiple short-term consulting projects focused on Hyperledger Fabric, delivering MVPs and PoC implementations. Co-developed Fablo, a tool designed to simplify the setup of local Hyperledger Fabric networks for development. Authored several blog posts addressing common challenges developers face when working with Hyperledger Fabric.

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This role marked a pivotal shift in my career towards blockchain technologies at SoftwareMill. As part of a team that balanced R&D with client-oriented projects, I engaged in implementing PoC solutions and enhancing blockchain technologies. A notable achievement was co-creating Fablo, which became part of Hyperledger Labs.

I also created the Hyperledger Fabric Cheat Sheet and authored a series of posts on concurrent smart contracts and MVCC conflicts (part 1, part 2, part 3) and state consistency (finality vs availability) in Hyperledger Fabric. Additionally, in 2022 our team won a Hyperledger Fabric hackathon organized by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (UKNF).

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Show more 2016 - 2019Senior Scala full stack engineer at SoftwareMill

Scala, JavaScript, AngularJS, PostgreSQL

Developed a Scala/AngularJS web platform for an agricultural supply chain company. This was my first fully remote position, where I learned the power of small iterative steps and maintaining a sustainable development pace. The project involved direct client communication and adapting to their business needs.

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Working directly with busy business stakeholders taught me valuable lessons about client communication and project management. I learned to insist on regular meetings, adapt to client constraints, and maintain clear communication channels. These experiences are detailed in my article Lessons learned from 3 years in a single project. (I also wrote about monad transformers, test fixtures, and other things, in English, and Polish).

The project demonstrated that consistent routine and small, iterative improvements are more valuable than sporadic bursts of late-night coding. I trully believe that this approach delivers steady progress, keeps technical debt under control, and prevents people from burning out.

SoftwareMill's mature engineering culture, with its emphasis on CI/CD, clean code, and choosing the right tools for the job, significantly shaped my development practices. The exposure to functional programming through Scala, while maintaining a pragmatic approach, transformed my perspective on writing code. The company's strong knowledge-sharing culture provided an excellent environment for professional growth. That time I was also learning a lot about the importance of communication and collaboration in remote work.

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