Gabo Esquivel - Sr. Web3 EngineerWeb3 Experience

AMEX & Mobile Neobank (Pre-2017)

My journey in Fintech began in Apr 2010 when I joined American Express (AMEX) as UI Engineer, helping with migration from DoJo to jQuery and development of credit cards system for the main site. In 2015 I was hired as Lead Architect to build the first mobile neobank in Costa Rica—a fully compliant platform created to modernize financial services. It taught me the complexities of banking infrastructure, regulation, and mobile-first UX. But working within a traditional financial system made one thing clear: we needed a new architecture for value on the internet. That was when I shifted my focus to Open Banking and soon after Bitcoin and blockchain technology.

Entering Web3: Knowledge ICO (2017)

In 2017, I took the leap into Web3 through the Knowledge.io ICO—one of the earliest attempts to tokenize human knowledge. I led full-stack development for a gamified Q&A platform, a token rewards dashboard, and a knowledge graph to surface expertise. It was my entry point into wallet-based authentication, token systems, and decentralized identity.

EOS Era (2018–2020)

From 2018 to 2020, I immersed myself in the EOS ecosystem, drawn by its performance and developer experience. At EOS Costa Rica, I participated in the EOS Mainnet launch, managed infrastructure for EOSIO-based validators, and delivered custom blockchain development services.

I architected a custom private blockchain for Grant Thornton Labs, enabling efficient intercompany transactions and automated tax logic using a USD-pegged stablecoin. The solution included immutable audit trails via IPFS and public proof publication. It was an early attempt at bridging enterprise processes with blockchain transparency.

During this time, I also developed EOS Rate, a community-driven rating tool for EOS Block Producers that became widely used in the ecosystem. I actively contributed to local blockchain adoption through workshops, meetups, and ecosystem evangelism.

Between 2019 and 2021, I worked on Emanate: A Web3-powered music platform, where I maintained the streaming service and artist revenue distribution backend, and Sense Chat: A secure messaging app with integrated wallet and token incentive mechanics for community engagement.

DEFI: Bitcash Bank (2020)

Later in 2020, I joined Bitcash Bank, a crypto-native banking experiment focused on expanding financial access. I worked across the stack—developing token dashboards, backend services, and a UI for managing balances and transactions. It was a real-world exploration of decentralized finance, grounded in practical product development. I helped build a consumer-grade EOS wallet with WebAuthN key management and smooth onboarding, aiming to make it usable for all users. Additionally, I contributed to the development of a P2P system and overcollateralized crypto stablecoins for each country using a simple single AMM, enhancing the platform's financial offerings.

I also built ChainGraph, a high-performance blockchain data indexer that enabled fast and reliable querying of EOS transaction data. This work deepened my understanding of blockchain data structures, indexing strategies, and real-time data streaming.

Back to EVM: NFT Marketplaces (2021)

In 2021, I returned to the EVM ecosystem, just before NFTs went mainstream. I worked on two marketplaces experimenting with tokenized assets.

At RareMint, I helped build a platform for minting NFTs backed by real-world collectibles. I led contract integration, metadata workflows, and the marketplace UI. Supported the initial auctions on Polygon.

At ZTX, I delivered the Web3 interface for a gaming-backed NFT platform—focusing on wallet connection, minting flows, and marketplace search. Speed, modularity, and creator-centric economics were key design principles.

Bitlauncher: Onchain AI Capital (2022)

In late 2022, I joined BitLauncher, a decentralized launch platform for AI startups raising capital through batch token auctions. The protocol is a fork of the widely-used Gnosis Auction contracts, adapted for fair price discovery through sealed-bid batch auctions.

I led development of the frontend and wallet flows, integrating bidding mechanisms, auction status tracking, and real-time updates into a seamless user experience. My work ensured that participants could interact with the platform securely and transparently.

Derivatives: Opyn Options (2023)

In parallel to BitLauncher, I worked closely with the Opyn team to help set up their testnet private beta frontend, integrating the protocol into early-stage interfaces and configuring the environment for internal user testing.

Beyond integration, I contributed to custom frontend components and UI/UX prototypes for trading interfaces, vault positions, margin mechanics, and option flows. I also experimented with AI assistant to support user onboarding.

This period deepened my understanding of financial primitives onchain—especially around composability, capital efficiency, and risk-managed exposure.