that one time i got hacked: a security incident breakdown
a breakdown of how a routine development task led to a major security breach, loss of money and mental peace...
KushagraSarathe
Product & Design-Focused Fullstack Engineer
hiee, thanks for visiting my website! i'm a HUMAN software developer, i write code and bugs (it happens sometimes).
6+
Years in Tech
22
Hackathon Wins
About Me
i've been writing code for almost 6 years now, with majority of my work in the Web3 space. I've won 22 hackathons across 35+ participations.
currently, I'm a founding engineer at peanut.me, a small team focused on building a global cash app.
when i'm not coding, you can find me bowling, writing poetry, or hanging out with my friends.
Experience
Dec 2024 – Present
Founding Engineer
PeanutBuilding a global payments app: sole frontend and primary full-stack engineer. Shipped the full customer-facing product, a multi-provider KYC system (verification conversion ~40% to 70%+), banking rails (SEPA, UK Faster Payments, PIX), and the native Android app via Capacitor.
Apr 2024 – Nov 2024 · Singapore, Remote
Frontend Engineer
Stealth Startup
Owned frontend architecture for a perpetual futures trading platform: built the MVP UI component set and a real-time trading interface with live charts and order management.
May 2024 – Aug 2024
Software Engineer Intern
Nethermindinterned with Nethermind, a leading web3 company, built a frontend dashboard and backend API queries for EigenLayer Restaking dashboard.
- built frontend dashboard and backend api queries for eigenlayer restaking
- integrated APIs and wrote unit tests using jest for a gaming sdk on improbable metaverse
- migrated frontend framework for starknet-by-example
Aug 2023 – Apr 2024
Frontend Engineer
Rabble LabsBuilt responsive UI and reusable components for Buidl.so, handled API integrations, auth flows, and state management, and maintained an internal tool for the ops team.
May 2023 – Sep 2023
Frontend Developer Intern
Kyte
Helped build the product's v1: converted Figma designs into reusable, responsive React components, integrated the frontend with backend services, and implemented Arcana authentication.
Dec 2020 – May 2022
Security Researcher & Bug Bounty Hunter
HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriticonducted vulnerability research and bug bounty hunting across major platforms, identifying and responsibly disclosing security flaws in web applications.
- 2 years of active bug bounty hunting and vulnerability research
- discovered and reported security vulnerabilities across multiple programs
- specialized in web and android application testing
Featured Projects
1st Place - 1inch
Non-custodial stablecoin yield engine using session keys and EIP-7702 smart accounts. Won 1st place in 1inch category at ETH Cannes 2025.
Next.jsTypeScript1inchEIP-7702
Complete frontend for an insurance platform built for the GHO ecosystem. Enables users to protect their DeFi positions with decentralized insurance.
Next.jsTypeScriptWagmiGHO