d2Dreamer · portfolio

Joseph Hughes

Senior Full Stack Engineer · SaaS Builder · Sim Racer

Leeds, UK · Currently open to remote roles.

About

Serial builder with 10+ years shipping across Web3, SaaS, and consumer apps. Former CTO and Tech Lead across multiple startups, with a track record from early DeFi infrastructure through to modern AI-native platforms.

Outside of building, I'm a sim racer and a long-time gamer, with the same obsession with shaving off the last tenth that I bring to shipping product.

  • Full-stack product engineering (React, Next.js, Node.js, TypeScript, Python)
  • AI-native platforms and real-time integrations
  • Web3 / smart contracts (Solidity on Base, Move on Aptos, DeFi)
  • Cloud & serverless infrastructure (AWS: Lambda, DynamoDB, Amplify, EC2)
  • Founder-level product, growth and SEO

Current Projects

InvestInsightLive

Founder & CTO

Social portfolio tracker unifying Web3, stocks, and property assets in one place.

Tech: React, TypeScript, AWS serverless (Lambda, DynamoDB, Cognito, S3, SES, CloudFront, Amplify)

UKAgenciesLive

Founder & Developer

The go-to directory for finding UK agencies, with SEO-driven traffic and a growing subscriber base.

Tech: Next.js, TypeScript, AWS (Lambda, DynamoDB, Cognito, SES), Stripe

TM-HubLive

Founder & Developer

Community analytics platform for Trackmania, tracking player and campaign stats across the ecosystem.

Tech: Next.js, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Nadeo API, AWS (EC2, Amplify)

JustMeOrNahLive

Founder & Developer

Discord loyalty checker for the eDating community.

Tech: TypeScript, Discord API

GankAILive

Founder & Developer

AI-powered live coaching overlay for Dota 2.

Tech: TypeScript, React, Node.js, Valve Game State Integration

Experience

Founder & CTO · InvestInsightCurrent

Remote

  • Building a social portfolio tracker unifying Web3, stocks, ETFs and property in one place.
  • AWS serverless stack: Lambda, DynamoDB, Cognito, S3, SES, CloudFront, Amplify.
  • React/TypeScript frontend with social features, AI insights and dividend tracking.

Founder & Developer · UKAgenciesCurrent

Remote

  • Built the UK agency directory with SEO-driven traffic and a growing subscriber base.
  • Next.js static site with a serverless backend and Stripe subscription billing.

Tech Lead · Modelz / Alpaca Network

Remote

  • Built the first decentralised exchange for AI models on Base, end-to-end.
  • Permissionless tokenisation, IMO bonding curves, and revenue sharing for open-source AI.

CTO & Co-Founder · TowneSquare

Remote

  • CTO of the Aptos-native Web3 social superapp, built in Move.
  • Led engineering on the CRED on-chain social graph: 130k+ MAU, largest on Aptos at launch.
  • Shipped the mobile superapp and won multiple hackathons during the build.

CTO · Strike

Remote

  • Promoted from Chief Blockchain Officer to CTO.
  • Designed the smart contracts managing all financial transactions for a Web3 football tokenisation platform.

Founder · Crypos

Remote

  • Pioneered collaborative masternode collateral funding with automatic reward reinvestment.
  • Grew to host tens of thousands of masternodes; sold the platform on.

Skills

Languages: TypeScript / JavaScript · Python · Solidity · Move (Aptos) · C++ · SQL

Frontend: React · Next.js · Vue.js · Vite · React Native · Framer Motion

Backend: Node.js · Express · REST APIs · Serverless (AWS Lambda) · PostgreSQL · DynamoDB · MongoDB

Web3: Smart contracts (Base, Aptos) · Ethers.js / Web3.js · DeFi protocols · NFT marketplaces · Tokenisation

AI & Realtime: LLM integration · AI coaching engines · Valve Game State Integration · Real-time data pipelines

Cloud & DevOps: AWS (Lambda, DynamoDB, Cognito, S3, SES, CloudFront, Amplify, EC2) · GitHub Actions · Nginx · PM2 · Linux

Past Projects: Web3

Alpaca Network

Tech Lead

Tech Lead on Modelz.io, built end-to-end: the first decentralised exchange for AI models on Base, enabling permissionless tokenisation, IMO bonding curves, and revenue sharing for open-source AI.

Modelz.io

Strike

CTO

Web3 football club tokenisation platform.

TowneSquare

CTO

CTO of the Aptos-native Web3 social superapp. Led engineering on the CRED on-chain social graph (130k+ MAU, largest on Aptos at launch), the mobile superapp, and won multiple hackathons during the build.

CRED

Decentratech

Portfolio of Web3 dApps across multiple chains.

Mining Central

Founder

Cloud cryptocurrency mining platform, removing the hardware barrier to entry for everyday miners.

Decadent Blockchain Solutions

Founder

Web3 mobile gaming on the WAXP network, built on EOS.

NextColony

Developer

Developer on an NFT space strategy game built on the STEEM blockchain.

Crypos

Founder

Pioneered collaborative masternode collateral funding with automatic reward reinvestment. Grew to host tens of thousands of masternodes, sold to a Ukrainian team, and contributed early groundwork to what proof-of-stake pooling became.

SippyCupTrading

Subscription platform delivering premium crypto investment insights to members.

UseHODL

Cryptocurrency blog and content platform.

Personal trading bots

Personal Binance trading bots built in Python.

Past Projects: Web2

ElbowSpace

Digital platform and tooling suite built for Student Unions across the UK.

TriTech

Suicide Prevention UK website, built pro bono for charity.

CSGORoyale

CS:GO skin gambling platform with roulette.

CSGO-Pixels

CS:GO skin gambling platform with roulette, coinflip and jackpot.

CSGOBucks

CS:GO skin gambling platform with roulette and jackpot.

Education, Certifications & Awards

  • Diploma of Higher Education, Computer Science · Leeds Trinity University
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, Computer Science · Runshaw College
  • AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner · Amazon Web Services
  • Social Media Chief Technology Officer of the Year 2024 · CEO Monthly

Contact