Unveiling the Tech Vision: Insights from Maxim K., Chief Technology Officer at CLS Global

1. What sparked your interest in technology, and how did you find your way into the crypto industry?

I first learned about Bitcoin in 2012 from another student at the MIPT (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) campus. I’ve been studying maths and cryptography, and the technology behind Bitcoin was of great interest to me. I wasn’t as interested in investment back then, however I’ve mined some Bitcoin using my student-grade PC.

During my career in software engineering and start-ups, the crypto industry was always a background interest for me. So when the owners of CLS Global first contacted me, I jumped at the opportunity!?

2 . As the Chief Technology Officer, what are the key responsibilities you oversee in driving technological innovation at CLS Global?

CLS Global is more than just trading bots. We have lots of software that facilitates our daily operations and allows each department to be as efficient as possible. My key responsibility is to provide reasonable technological solutions for any necessity we might have. I don’t do it all myself – the people in my department are great professionals, they come up with great solutions when their goals are clear and they have reasonable time for development. And my primary objective is to make their job as smooth as possible.

3. Security is a critical aspect of the crypto industry. How does your team approach cybersecurity and ensure the protection of user data and assets?

We use DevSecOps methodology, which integrates security risk management into the pipeline of every product and feature we develop.? Our systems are layered and have access management at each step, which protects the user data even when one of the layers is breached. We also conduct security audits of our software with pen-test specialists.

4. Scalability is another important factor in the crypto industry. How does your team tackle scalability challenges and ensure efficient and fast transaction processing?

Our software is modular and environment-agnostic. It is able to scale horizontally or vertically at any time should the need arise. We also work regularly on the performance of our code – there’s a backlog of engineering improvements and upgrades to which every engineer contributes.?

5. Can you share any notable technological achievements or advancements that your team has accomplished at CLS Global?

? During 2022, we’ve invested a lot of time and care in upgrades of our bot infrastructure. There were no big “Gotchas” – instead, it was the careful, steady work of our engineers on continuous improvement. We’ve implemented a lot of modern practices of cloud engineering – CI/CD pipelines, containerization, observability. As a result, we’ve reduced our cloud bill by 20% while simultaneously serving more clients; launches are now done effortlessly for both our engineers and trading managers. And the time we’ve freed up now goes to greater, more focused attention to our clients and their markets.

6. What role does artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) play in the technology infrastructure at CLS Global? Can you provide some examples of how these technologies are utilized?

AI technologies have greatly improved the efficiency of our work. We use Notion AI to help us facilitate our meetings and bureaucracy, various copilots to write and analyze the code faster. I also personally use ChatGPT-4 to brainstorm, generate ideas, and look up industry best practices. In my opinion, though, AI tools as of 2023 are still not reliable and should be used as consultants, not as actors, and their outputs must be rigorously validated.

7. As the industry evolves, what do you see as the future of technology in the crypto space, and how is CLS Global prepared to embrace these changes?

During the last years, a lot of projects emerged which try to tackle the Blockchain Trilemma and create a blockchain network that is simultaneously secure, fast, and decentralized. Some of them are close to success, however there’s no clear victor at the moment. We monitor the situation closely, and we have capabilities to develop a solution and offer our services wherever the clients would want us to.?

8. What advice do you have for aspiring technologists looking to enter the crypto industry and make a significant impact?

While the world of crypto technology is insanely complex and diverse and it would take a lifetime to study it from A to Z, it’s still computer software and hardware at its core. Solid understanding of software engineering best practices and industry standards is a must for any developer, and those who want to make a significant impact should invest heavily in studying computer science. Practice makes perfect, but your understanding of the theory behind it is crucial if you want to make really efficient and secure solutions.