Sven De Waerhert

Sven De Waerhert

Technical Lead & Architect

Antwerp, Belgium

About

Motivated technical lead with 14 years of experience spanning blockchain development, business software architecture, and hardware engineering. Recently expanded into PCB design and embedded systems, creating innovative solutions for IoT, automation, and precision control. Self-taught in computer security from a young age, with deep Linux expertise and a passion for open source development.

Working Style

I'm the team member who brings up edge cases that fly under the radar. I find common ground and recap discussions to keep things moving forward.

Sven De Waerhert

Experience

  • -

    Chief Technology Officer @mintBlue

    Antwerp, Belgium - onsite

    Built complete blockchain infrastructure platform from ground up, achieving 1200 TPS for supply chain and data transparency applications

    Key Highlights:

    • Infrastructure: Built end-to-end system from Docker Swarm orchestration to GitLab CI deployments, managing cloud VMs and achieving 1200 transactions per second
    • Zero-knowledge authentication: Implemented Web Crypto API login system where backend never sees user cryptographic keys
    • UTXO management engine: Designed parallel Bitcoin transaction processing system using pre-split UTXOs, enabling high throughput while subsidizing all customer transactions
    • Auto-generated UI system: Built TypeScript reflection engine that automatically generates forms and interfaces from business logic types
    • Event-sourced SDK: Created framework allowing developers to build applications using Bitcoin blockchain as event store, with encrypted/signed messaging
    • Technical Migration: Migrated entire system from MongoDB to PostgreSQL using Prisma
    • Built RabbitMQ-based filtering engine for routing internal events and Bitcoin transactions
    • Designed Stripe-integrated billing system with usage monitoring middleware

    Responsibilities:

    • Led technical strategy and infrastructure architecture decisions
    • Managed cloud infrastructure and deployment pipelines
    • Oversaw product development and team coordination

    Achievements:

    • Served supply chain tracking for enterprise clients and transparency reports for NGOs
    • Enabled customers to use Bitcoin applications without cryptocurrency or cryptography knowledge
    • Led product development, developer recruitment, security SOPs, and external team coordination
    • Evolved from technical contributor to full business leader over 3 years
    • Gained hands-on experience in sales calls, pitching, positioning, and strategic storytelling
  • -

    Co-founder & Developer @Ledgit

    Antwerp, Belgium - onsite

    Co-founded blockchain consultancy with 3 partners, serving as technical lead for government and corporate proof-of-concept projects

    Key Highlights:

    • Research contract: Explored blockchain use cases for Vlaams Instituut Logistiek focusing on Port of Antwerp supply chain applications
    • Legal document tracking: Built proof-of-concept for blockchain-based verification and tracking of legal contracts and loan documents
    • Technical infrastructure: Designed CI/CD pipelines and system architectures for various client proof-of-concepts

    Responsibilities:

    • Served as technical lead and systems architect for all client engagements
    • Managed infrastructure setup and deployment pipelines for multiple projects
    • Led proof-of-concept development and technical feasibility assessments

    Achievements:

    • Secured government research contract with Vlaams Instituut Logistiek
    • Established technical foundation that enabled UNISOT contract engagement
    • Built reputation as reliable blockchain technical consultant in Belgium market
  • -

    Backend Developer @UNISOT AS

    Remote - remote

    Contract backend developer building supply chain tracking platform using Node.js, MongoDB, and Redis

    Key Highlights:

    • Built REST APIs handling transaction data for supply chain verification using Node.js and Express
    • Implemented Protobuf serialization to encode business logic transitions for applications running on Bitcoin
    • Designed MongoDB collections and queries for storing supply chain event data

    Responsibilities:

    • Backend development

    Achievements:

    • Delivered working supply chain platform with transaction verification
    • Built experience with high-throughput backend systems
  • -

    Software Developer @SoftBrick

    Geldermalsen, Netherlands - onsite

    Developed workforce management software for retail and logistics sectors

    Key Highlights:

    • Modernized legacy C applications by creating web-accessible UI
    • Integrated SAML authentication

    Responsibilities:

    • Full-stack development of workforce management platform
  • -

    Freelance Developer & Systems Administrator @Independent

    Belgium - onsite

    Independent development and system administration services, including VOIP implementation and server infrastructure management

    Key Highlights:

    • Implemented complete VOIP systems for business clients
    • Set up virtualization and backup solutions for business environments
    • Specialized in Linux server administration and network security

    Responsibilities:

    • VOIP system design and implementation
    • Linux server administration and virtualization
    • Exchange server setup and maintenance
    • Network infrastructure and backup systems
    • Custom web development and system integration

Areas of Expertise

Curated collections of related knowledge areas for specific domains

Full Stack Development

End-to-end web application development with modern frameworks, databases, and deployment practices

ReactNode.jsTypeScriptPostgreSQLMongoDBPHPPrisma

Systems Architecture & Infrastructure

Linux system administration, networking, security protocols, and DevOps automation

DockerInfrastructure AutomationZFSLinuxSystems Architecture

Technical Leadership & Strategy

Leading engineering teams, mentoring developers, driving technical vision and operational practices

Technical MentoringStrategic OversightProduct Management

Certifications

Professional certifications and credentials

  • Scrum.org logo

    Professional Scrum Product Owner - Advanced (PSPO II)

    Scrum.org

    Advanced certification in Scrum Product Ownership, demonstrating mastery of product management and stakeholder collaboration in Agile environments

    ID: 896276Verify Credential
    Product ManagementStakeholder Management
  • Scrum.org logo

    Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I)

    Scrum.org

    Foundation certification in Scrum Product Ownership, covering core principles of product management in Scrum framework

    ID: 655817Verify Credential
    Product Management

Projects

  • Complete GOTO Telescope Mount System

    completedhardware

    2024 - 2025

    Designed and built complete precision telescope mount system including custom PCB controller, CNC-machined housing, motors, and harmonic drive reduction stages. Features USB-C PD power delivery and supports step/dir/enable motor control plus CAN/Modbus communication protocols.

    • Custom PCB with USB-C PD power delivery
    • Tracks any star with high precision up to 1 arcsecond
    KiCadFreeCADESP32-S3USB-C PDCAN BusStepper MotorsC++
    Documentation

  • SSH CV Server

    activesoftware

    2024

    Interactive CV accessible via SSH, Built with Go to explore rich CLI building libraries such as Bubbletea

    • Accessible via 'ssh ssh.waerhert.dev'
    GoSSH ProtocolTerminal UILinuxNetworking
    Live Demo

  • Veldvenne.LAN Community Platform

    activecommunity

    2004 - Present

    Volunteer project for local gaming community established 20+ years ago.

    • 20+ years of continuous operation
    • Full-stack event & member management solution
    React / Next.jsTypeScriptPostgreSQLTailwind CSSDockerNextAuth.js
    Live Demo

  • Virtuax.be Security Community

    completedcommunity

    2000 - 2003

    Co-founded early hacking and security research community during early high school years. Built one of the first fully manageable CMS systems with PHP and MySQL, featuring complete admin control without FTP dependencies.

    • Developed hacking tutorials and security challenges
    • Built active forum and knowledge sharing platform
    • Pioneered web-based content management without FTP
    PHPWebWiresharkInternet Protocols

Education

  • -

    Applied Informatics @Karel de Grote-Hogeschool

    Antwerp, Belgium
    Detailed Course Records (6 courses, 36 ECTS)
    Computersystemen 1 - Blended
    Jan 29, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    6 ECTS
    Databanken 1 - Blended
    Jun 23, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    7 ECTS
    Netwerken 1 - Blended
    Jun 23, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    3 ECTS
    Programmeren 1 - C - Blended
    Jun 23, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    5 ECTS
    Programmeren 1 - Java - Blended
    Sep 7, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    11 ECTS
    User interfaces 1 - Blended
    Jan 29, 2016 • Academic Year 2015-2016
    4 ECTS
  • -

    Industrial Engineering - Electronics & ICT @Hogeschool Antwerpen

    Antwerp, Belgium

    Key Courses:

    • Analog & Digital electronics
    • Networking protocols

Knowledge & Skills

Comprehensive overview of technical knowledge, skills, tools, and protocols

Strengths(3)

Systems Thinking

—

Developed through decades of troubleshooting complex distributed systems, from network infrastructure to large software projects, able to consider emergent properties and predict system interactions

Technical Mentoring

—

Led engineering teams from 3 to 6 members, coaching developers through complex challenges and breaking down technical concepts into understandable parts

Strategic Oversight

—

Natural ability to maintain focus in discussions, identify hidden risks, and catch problematic thinking patterns before they become issues. Often the voice that keeps teams on track and prevents costly mistakes

Concepts & Methodologies(10)

Internet Protocols

expert
—

Deep understanding of networking fundamentals from early security research through professional infrastructure work, mastering TCP/IP stack, routing, protocol analysis, DNS resolution, DHCP configuration

Infrastructure Automation

expert
10y

Mastered through CI/CD pipeline development at Unisot and mintBlue, creating autonomous deployment systems, Docker orchestration, and SSH-based automation for complex distributed systems

API Design & Integration

expert
12y

Extensive experience designing multilayered RESTful or RPC APIs, protobuf implementations, OpenAPI specifications, WebSocket integration, authentication patterns

Self-Directed Learning

expert
25y

Core methodology throughout career from a young age, continuously adapting to new technologies, teaching myself everything from embedded C programming to distributed architecture to PCB design. Constantly looking for new toys

Event Sourcing

advanced
—

Implemented in blockchain transaction processing systems at mintBlue, handling millions of events with CQRS pattern for immutable audit trails and state reconstruction

Systems Architecture

advanced
—

Experience designing scalable system architectures, making technology choices, and evolving systems as requirements change - learned through building production systems at mintBlue and Ledgit

Domain-Driven Design

advanced
—

Applied DDD principles to model complex real-world domains into software

Product Management

advanced
4y

Product ownership responsibilities at mintBlue, defining product vision, managing stakeholder requirements, and translating business needs into technical implementations with Scrum methodologies

Cryptography

advanced
5y

General understanding various popular cryptographic protocols, ECDSA signature generation and verification, extensive experience with Web Crypto API for client-side cryptographic operations

Security Research & Analysis

intermediate
—

Started with teenage hacking community Virtuax.be, developed through protocol analysis, penetration testing basics, and network security research using tools like Wireshark for packet-level analysis

Tools & Technologies(30)

Node.js

expert
8y

Backend development across multiple projects from Ledgit to mintBlue, building scalable APIs, microservices, and blockchain integrations with comprehensive ecosystem knowledge

TypeScript

expert
8y

Primary language for full-stack development at mintBlue, including advanced type system usage, reflection/inspection for auto-generation tools, and large-scale application architecture

GitLab CI/CD

expert
8y

Became expert during Unisot and mintBlue projects, designing complex multi-stage pipelines with automated testing, Docker image building, deployment to multiple environments, SSH-based deployment automation, and infrastructure provisioning

Linux

expert
22y

Deep system knowledge from compiling custom kernels to debugging WiFi drivers in early days, comprehensive understanding of the system for troubleshooting any issue across all projects

Docker

advanced
—

Used extensively for containerizing applications from development through production, including multi-stage builds, docker-compose orchestration, production deployment strategies, volume management, and network configuration for microservices across blockchain infrastructure

PostgreSQL

advanced
12y

Primary database for most projects, with deep experience in performance optimization, complex queries, and handling high-throughput blockchain transaction data

React / Next.js

advanced
8y

Frontend and full-stack development from Ledgit through mintBlue, building complex SPAs, console applications, and auto-generated UIs using react-json-form. Modern applications including this portfolio site leveraging SSR, static generation, and advanced routing

MongoDB

advanced
—

NoSQL database for blockchain projects at Ledgit, Unisot, and mintBlue, handling high-volume transaction data and flexible document structures for evolving schemas

Prisma

advanced
—

Modern database toolkit for TypeScript projects, providing type-safe database access and migrations for recent full-stack applications

Wireshark

advanced
—

Essential tool from early security research days, spent countless hours analyzing network protocols, debugging network issues, and understanding internet protocols at the packet level

ZFS

advanced
—

Used for innovative Veldvenne.LAN infrastructure including netbooting Windows from ZFS snapshots with COW per MAC address, and personal storage systems

OpenWrt / pfSense / iptables

advanced
—

Firewalls, advanced networking setups, including VLANs, complex network rules

Bitcoin Protocol

advanced
7y

Extensive work with Bitcoin SV for enterprise applications, including transaction construction, UTXO management, protocol-level optimizations, and large-scale blockchain data processing

Web

advanced
18y

Deep understanding from building web applications and APIs, including performance optimization, security considerations, RESTful API design at scale & Web APIs

JWT

advanced
6y

Used extensively at Ledgit, UNISOT, and mintBlue for secure API authentication, including scope-based access control and API restrictions

Tailwind CSS

advanced
5y

Primary CSS framework for the last 5 years across web projects

RabbitMQ

advanced
3y

Used at mintBlue as the core message bus to build pubsub and worker patterns, also coupled with websocket bridges and scoped delivery

PHP

intermediate
—

Started with early CMS development for Virtuax.be community, continued through SoftBrick for workforce management systems, solid foundation in server-side development

Go

intermediate
—

Recent projects including SSH CV server, motor controller experiments, and libp2p networking, appreciating the language for systems programming and performance

Python

intermediate
—

Scripting, automation, and data processing tasks across various projects, including LLM experimentation and system administration scripts

C

intermediate
—

From early learning days through SoftBrick debugging with gdb, and recent embedded development for Arduino/ESP32 projects including telescope mounts and IoT devices

PlatformIO

intermediate
3y

Advanced embedded development environment for ESP32 and other microcontrollers, used in telescope mount and motor controller projects

ESP32

intermediate
5y

Microcontroller platform for recent hardware projects including telescope mounts, motor controllers, and IoT devices with WiFi/Bluetooth capabilities

gdb

intermediate
—

Debugging tool extensively used at SoftBrick for C application troubleshooting on Linux servers, developing deep understanding of program execution and memory analysis

ExtJS

intermediate
—

Frontend framework used at SoftBrick for workforce management interfaces, dealing with complex UI components and data-heavy applications

NextAuth.js

intermediate
2y

Authentication library used for secure user management in full-stack React/Next.js applications

Redis

intermediate
3y

Used for various caching purposes in recent projects

KiCad

beginner
1y

Self-taught for hardware projects including telescope mount controller and IoT devices, focusing on schematic design and PCB layout for production-ready electronics

libp2p

beginner
1y

Recent experimentation with peer-to-peer networking protocols for decentralized applications, exploring modern approaches to distributed system communication

Protobuf

beginner
1y

Protocol buffer implementation for efficient API communication at UNISOT, handling serialization for Bitcoin and blockchain data processing