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KAIROS
On-chain interest rate swap protocol (Ethereum + Base)
Last verified August 15, 2026 · Updated daily
What KAIROS is building
Interest rate swaps are the most widely traded derivative on earth, with a notional market of $500 trillion in traditional finance. They serve one foundational function: letting lenders offer fixed rates by hedging their floating-rate exposure. Without them, long-duration fixed-rate lending is too risky to write. DeFi, despite surpassing $40 billion in outstanding loan balances, has no equivalent infrastructure. Almost every DeFi loan still runs on a variable rate because no one has built the hedging primitive that makes fixed-rate lending viable at duration. Kairos builds that primitive. The protocol is permissionless and non-custodial: anyone can create a swap market by setting the underlying rate, tenor, collateral, and oracle parameters. Liquidity providers can allocate to either the fixed-rate or floating-rate side of a market based on their directional view. Markets are constructed around any yield or interest rate, on-chain or off: Aave borrow rates, Morpho lending yields, ETH staking yields, RWA benchmarks, or SOFR. The protocol launched live on Base during beta, generating over $300M in notional volume before the mainnet launch.
Why this matters
DeFi's lending infrastructure is stuck in a structural limitation that has constrained its applicability to institutions and long-duration borrowers since the beginning. Variable rates work for short-term crypto leverage. They break down for anything that looks like real credit: real estate financing, business lending, structured credit products, or any duration beyond a few weeks. The absence of interest rate swaps is not an inconvenience. It is the reason DeFi has not become a serious competitor to traditional credit markets. Kairos is building the missing primitive. Alliance co-founder Imran Khan's quote is unusually direct: 'Kairos is solving one of the most important unsolved problems in DeFi, without interest rate swaps, there is no real credit market. This is the layer that unlocks everything else.' 6th Man Ventures, the lead investor, has a portfolio built around DeFi infrastructure and derivatives infrastructure. Lattice Fund backs early-stage crypto protocol infrastructure specifically. The cap table tells you this is a sophisticated bet on DeFi credit infrastructure, not a speculative token play. The whitepaper published the same day as the funding announcement shows the technical work is done and the team is moving fast toward mainnet.
Open roles at KAIROS
2 positions we're tracking. Roles are re-checked daily and removed when filled.
Hiring outlook
Very High. One role live right now: Solidity Developer, fully remote, $175K-$225K + 0.5-1.5% equity + token grant. Additional roles highly probable post-mainnet launch.
Working at KAIROS
KAIROS is On-chain interest rate swap protocol (Ethereum + Base), founded in and now <50 people. What this means for you: broad remit, direct access to founders, and equity that still means something if the company works out.
San Francisco, CA, USA is where most KAIROS positions are located.
Frequently asked questions
How many jobs does KAIROS have open?
We're tracking 2 active openings at KAIROS (verified March 2026).
Does KAIROS hire remotely?
Currently, KAIROS only has in-office roles in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What roles is KAIROS hiring for?
KAIROS is hiring across Engineering, Product. The most recent opening is Solidity Developer.
How do I apply for a job at KAIROS?
Click through to apply, or see our detailed guide on landing a job at KAIROS.
Where is KAIROS based?
KAIROS is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA.
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