Shuai: Binance’s Proactive Systems Builder
Main Takeaways
A senior backend developer for Binance who has worked across varied projects and business units, Shuai shares his learning takeaways and growth journey over the past three years.
At Binance, Shuai has upheld security principles in everything he does and maintains a hardcore work ethic.
Taking pride and ownership in his work, impact and purpose in the world is the secret to thriving in his career as a backend developer in the crypto industry.
Originally from China, Shuai moved overseas to pursue his studies in electrical engineering. Today, he lives with his family in a vibrant metropolitan city in the Northern hemisphere, where he has established a sense of belonging and roots. While his technical expertise may define his professional identity, Shuai is also passionate about music — he plays the violin in his spare time — and enjoys exploring nature with his kids and dog.
Shuai’s career trajectory has evolved and transformed over time. Initially majoring in electrical engineering, Shuai found himself shifting gears to software engineering as he found more opportunities as a developer. Luckily, there is a lot of overlap in skillset with his original field of expertise, and soon he found himself in the world of Web2 development. This shift laid a strong foundation for his eventual entry into the cryptocurrency space, where his skills in developing scalable, high-performance systems would become critical.
The First Foray into Cryptocurrency and Binance
Shuai's introduction to crypto began in 2012 when he became interested in cryptocurrency mining, investing and decentralized finance. Nearly a decade later, in 2021, Shuai’s career in the Web3 space officially began. Shuai followed a colleague's footsteps in applying for a backend developer opening with Binance. He got accepted and he has been happy working as a Binancian for three years now.
Transitioning from Web2 to Web3 wasn’t as daunting as it might seem. Shuai joined as a Senior Backend Developer for Binance Card, a specific product that happened to rely on more traditional backend development technologies using plain-text coding languages like Java rather than blockchain-specific languages like Rust or Solidity. Regardless, over the years with Binance, Shuai slowly but surely mastered Web3 development skills.
From Binance Card to Binance Compliance
At Binance, Shuai initially worked on issuing crypto-backed payment cards, ensuring seamless transactions for users. This role involved collaborating with major financial payment providers. Binance Card was a great project to start Shuai’s career with the blockchain ecosystem. It ticked several checkboxes in terms of honing Shuai’s technical skills development, as well as exposing him to a full-cycle experience of product launch, growth and expansion.
“What is more, Binance Card fulfilled Binance core vision to increase the freedom of money globally, as well as mission, to provide the core infrastructure services for crypto,” added Shuai. “Working for Binance Card from the conception, to launch, to conclusion was truly a dream come true. As a backend developer, I felt like I grew in leaps and bounds just in two short years.”
When the Binance Card project wrapped in 2023, Shuai was shifted to the Compliance team, where he focused on enhancing Binance’s adherence to global financial regulations. As a backend developer, he was tasked with building features and systems to ensure that Binance’s operations as a cryptocurrency exchange align with regulatory standards, covering everything from user verification to anti-money laundering protocols.
Currently, Shuai collaborates with his team in maintaining compliance check engines, which scan for potential risks, such as politically exposed persons (PEPs) or users with suspicious transaction patterns. This robust system of checks manages vast amounts of user data with precision and security. Shuai’s team ensures that everyone in the Binance ecosystem is compliant with the latest regulatory requirements and standards.
A Commitment to Security and Hardcore Attitude
For Shuai, security is more than just a buzzword—it's a daily commitment. As a senior backend developer, he ensures that security is a top priority in every line of code he writes. This involves implementing best practices like encryption, access controls, and regular audits in collaboration with Binance’s security team. Shuai also maintains strict personal work protocols, using secure networks and trustworthy systems to access Binance’s infrastructure.
Binance has a reputation for being fast-paced and demanding, often described as “hardcore” in its expectations. Shuai embraces this ethos wholeheartedly. His dedication is evident in his long hours and willingness to tackle complex issues, especially during critical times.
For instance, there was a time earlier this year when a major database upgrade had to be executed in real time with zero downtime — an extremely challenging task in the tech world. Zero downtime means the developers have to solve all issues that may arise in real time as soon as possible with no room for any delay. Shuai worked tirelessly with his team on the database version upgrade to ensure that the transition was seamless without interruption. Besides Binance Card, this project was one of the most memorable achievements for Shuai.
Outside work, Shuai delights in life’s simple pleasures such as walking his dog in the park.
“Binance is not just a 9-5 job for me,” explains Shuai. “At Binance we are encouraged to take ownership of our projects, to structure each day around delivering goals and solving problems. If there is a critical bug that needs to be fixed, the team will work around the clock to solve it as we are focused on providing the best service for our users, and we care about the system that we designed and the product that we created.”
Shuai keeps a proactive and positive mindset when encountering setbacks. [“Each bug is an intriguing puzzle that needs to be solved, like peeling an onion layer by layer to identify the root cause.”] → quote. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by setbacks, he breaks down problems into smaller manageable pieces and tackles them one by one.
A Relentless Innovator with a Growth Mindset
For Shuai, working at Binance has been a significant leap forward in both technical expertise and personal growth. He enjoys the sense of ownership that comes with his role and appreciates the opportunity to work in an environment that promotes problem-solving, innovation, and continuous learning.
At Binance, developers are encouraged to collaborate with each other and therefore improve their skill set and knowledge. Every time there is a new system that needs to be built, everyone from top management to new joiners put their heads together to brainstorm, everyone is encouraged to share their ideas, opinions and viewpoints. Afterwards there will be an internal review system to consider all these inputs, before the team comes up with a new concrete design plan to execute.
“In my free time I also continuously read blogs, books, and watch training videos explaining scientific papers and experiments related to technology and innovation,” Shuai adds. “One content creator I recommend is sentdex. He does quite a bit of introductory content on machine learning and has done a dozen of interesting projects like developing games around self-driving AI cars. He is able to break down difficult technical concepts in an engaging manner, both his storytelling and technical skills are superior.”
In the next five years, he hopes to deepen his expertise in backend development and contribute to industry-leading projects in the blockchain space while maintaining a balance with his family life. Shuai is grateful for the remote working culture at Binance that gives him a more flexible schedule to take care of his kids while having freedom and responsibility in his daily work to innovate and problem solve.
Advice for Aspiring Tech Professionals at Binance
To anyone considering a role in Binance’s Tech team, Shuai offers simple yet powerful advice: prioritize collaboration, communicate frequently and have a clear vision. The crypto industry’s rapid evolution requires a balance of structured planning and flexibility. Shuai also emphasizes the importance of efficient project management, time management, and open-mindedness in tackling complex challenges.
If you are interested in applying your technical curiosity and expertise to build the future of finance alongside creative and hardcore talent like Shuai, check out our open roles here.