Developer Showcase Series: Nithin Pankaj, Senior Software Engineer, Walmart

Back to our Developer Showcase Series to learn what developers in the real world are doing with Hyperledger technologies. Next up is Nithin Pankaj, a Senior Software Engineer at Walmart. 

Give a bit of background on what you’re working on and how you got into blockchain.

I am an Engineer at Walmart, where I lead an exceptional engineering team that works to build and maintain the Walmart Blockchain Platform (WBP). This in-house, multi-protocol Blockchain as a Service solution supports a range of decentralized applications backed by distributed ledger technology. 

My primary responsibility is the design and architecture of the platform, with a core emphasis on platform reliability and developer experience. Across Walmart, our guiding principle is to enable development teams to concentrate on their business cases while ensuring their network’s resilience and offering features that enhance their experience in building solutions on our platform. I have been primarily focused on shaping the architecture and design principles of WBP. From requirement analysis to solution design and implementation, I’ve led initiatives such as optimizing network deployments, rolling out support for additional protocols, introducing new platform capabilities, and improving telemetry to measure everything that matters. Our team's efforts have led to significant reductions in network deployment times, improved transactional data processing, and enhanced alert mechanisms, ultimately delivering a seamless and reliable platform experience.

I view software engineering as a collaborative effort rather than individual heroics. Therefore, another aspect that keeps me engaged is my close collaboration with our platform users. This has enabled us to iterate on improved versions of the platform and onboard numerous solutions. The reward always lies in translating deeply engineered concepts like DLT and decentralization into intuitive, business-oriented solutions that inspire confidence and encourage adoption. 

My journey into blockchain began with a fascination for Hyperledger frameworks, and joining Walmart has only deepened my engagement with this technology. Just when you think you've got some hang of it, blockchain presents new challenges. As an architect, it's my passion to tackle these challenges head-on. Looking back, I’m humbled to contribute to this platform and collaborate with senior architects and peers who share a vision of resilient, scalable, and robust systems. It's a journey of continuous learning, and I hope to inspire future engineers to approach this field with the same curiosity and dedication that drives me daily.

How are you involved in the Hyperledger community?

Open source is core to what we build here, and several open source projects maintained by Hyperledger form the backbone of our Platform work, which motivates me to contribute to the community efforts whenever possible. I’m an active maintainer of the Fabric Connector Lab Project and a committer to the Ethereum Connector. I also participated as a mentor in the recently concluded Hyperledger mentorship program cycle. I aim to give back by making valuable contributions to acknowledge the excellent work the community has shared with the public.

What developments are you most excited about?

One of the most exciting developments in the Hyperledger ecosystem that I am eagerly following is the strong emphasis on interoperability. Hyperledger Foundation is making strides towards ensuring seamless interaction between different blockchain platforms, which is a critical requirement for a very broad-based blockchain adoption. Alongside this, the ongoing enhancements to Hyperledger Fabric and emerging use cases in Fintech space like CBDCs and tokenized securities are also noteworthy.

How can others get involved?

Hyperledger has an active and welcoming community. I believe that anyone passionate about getting involved should have no difficulty. You are encouraged to join online and in-person meetups or to experiment with the frameworks if you’re interested in code contributions. Hyperledger’s mentorship programs are also an excellent opportunity to collaborate with other bright minds in the community. Get involved!

What is the best piece of developer advice you’ve ever received?

I had the opportunity to attend a tech conference where Bjarne Stroustrup was one of the speakers. Towards the end, he mentioned, “we can surely do better than we do today.” Such profound advice from a master craftsman indeed.

What technology could you not live without?

It’s hard to choose one, since everything is “technically technology.” But for now, I’d give a fraction of extra weightage to the Internet.

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For those in area, join a session on Hyperledger: Redefining Authenticity & Sustainability through Data & Decentralization with a panel featuring experts from Google, Myntra, DigiYatra, Samsung, NCPI, and Walmart on June 29 at 9:30 am IST at the Walmart Global Tech India office in Bengaluru.