Michael Wutzke ⚡️ Helping to build the digital rails of tomorrow
Menu

Head of Node Operations for blockchain nodes, remote across Europe

I am Michael Wutzke from Frankfurt, and I have run blockchain nodes of my own since 2015. As Head of Decentralized Finance and Node Operations at a Frankfurt fintech I took over blockchain nodes in several data centers, built the node operations team and moved the setup to a new cloud with failover. I take on permanent positions as Head of Node Operations, remote for the most part, with on-site days in Frankfurt Rhine-Main. Book a 30-minute video call. We look at your task, and you find out whether I can help.

Set up a video call Connect via LinkedIn
Portrait of Michael Wutzke, Head of Node Operations in Europe
Michael Wutzke, Head of Node Operations in Europe

What I bring to your node operations

  • Operations experience

    I design node infrastructure and challenge setups with a single point of failure. The users of my nodes were smart contracts and the traders on decentralized exchanges who depend on their prices.

  • Hands-on servers

    I managed the node servers myself. I have installed servers, switches, firewalls and backup systems in data centers in Germany and the United States.

  • Failover

    I moved a node infrastructure from Azure to another cloud provider and set up a second site that takes over when the first one fails.

  • Three clouds

    I am a certified AWS Solutions Architect Associate and have run AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Together with the hardware I installed in data centers, that covers cloud and bare metal.

  • Team and documentation

    I took over the internal documentation of an oracle price data network and built the node operations team around it. My training authorization from IHK Frankfurt covers system integration.

  • Operator community

    Finance Loop, which I co-founded, has worked with Chainlink, the oracle network my nodes served. The Frankfurt community has more than 4,000 members.

  • From the management seat

    I ran a company funded by venture capital as its managing director. When a node fails at night, I report to your management what happened and what it costs.

What a Head of Node Operations does

A Head of Node Operations runs a company’s blockchain nodes and the team behind them: validators, RPC nodes or oracle nodes, in the cloud and on bare metal. Job ads ask for node fleets that are deployed and monitored across several cloud providers and bare metal servers, with alerts and incident response. My own job description adds two more: evaluating how the nodes of different protocols work, and training colleagues.

From January 2022 I held this job at a Frankfurt fintech, a node operator in the Chainlink oracle network with nodes for protocols such as Ethereum and Avalanche.

A runbook outline for a node fleet with failover

This is how I would structure the runbook of a node fleet. It draws on the takeover and the cloud migration at that fintech.

PartWhat it holds
InventoryEach node with its protocol, its role, its data center or cloud, and the person responsible
Setup documentationHow each node is set up, started, updated and recovered
MonitoringLog evaluation and a notification when a node falls behind or fails, in place before the first change
PerformanceResponse times and sync state per node, measured before and after tuning
Second siteA failover site in another cloud or data center, tested with a planned switch
MigrationMoves in steps, with the old site as fallback until the new one carries the load
On-call and trainingWho answers which alert, and how a new colleague learns the setup

In 2022 I took over the operation together with the internal documentation, so the documentation row is where I would start in your company too.

My node work, newest first

  • Since April 2026: AI harnesses across the full stack, for infrastructure, code and data, in a client’s platform transformation.
  • 2022 to November 2024: at a Frankfurt fintech, Head of Decentralized Finance and Node Operations from January 2022, then Chief Information Officer. I took over the nodes in several data centers, built the node operations team and later moved the infrastructure from Azure to another cloud with failover. As CIO I coordinated the infrastructure team with development, product and sales.
  • 2018 to 2021: AWS infrastructure for an insurance platform at Policen Direkt, in the regions Frankfurt and London.
  • Since 2015: Bitcoin miners and blockchain nodes of my own. I still run nodes today.
  • Earlier: a community platform on load-balanced servers I set up myself, and servers, switches and firewalls I installed in data centers.

Profile at a glance

RoleHead of Node Operations, blockchain node operator, infrastructure lead
EngagementPermanent, remote for the most part, on-site days in Frankfurt Rhine-Main; interim
LocationFrankfurt, Germany; remote for companies across Europe
NodesChainlink oracle nodes; Ethereum and Avalanche; blockchain nodes of my own since 2015
CloudAWS Solutions Architect Associate, AWS since 2018; Azure and Google Cloud until November 2024
ServersDebian and Ubuntu since 2007, Docker since 2019, hardware in data centers in Germany and the United States
LanguagesGerman, English

Who I am

I am Michael Wutzke. I have worked in IT and media for more than twenty years, and servers were part of it early: in 1996 I did service work on HP, Sun and Oracle systems for banks. I build software with Claude and Codex and am interested in open-source AI models that a company runs on its own servers.

How we get in touch

  1. Message or call

    Write to me on LinkedIn or book a 30-minute video call. Tell me which chains you run and where.

  2. Video call

    We talk about your node fleet, your on-call setup and the engagement: permanent, freelance or interim, remote with on-site days.

  3. Infrastructure talk

    Your infrastructure lead and I go through your setup and my node migration in detail.

  4. Documents

    Career stages and the AWS certificate are on this site.

Questions companies ask

What is a blockchain node operator?

A company or person that runs the servers of a blockchain network: full nodes, validators or oracle nodes. An oracle node brings data from outside the chain, such as market prices, to smart contracts.

Node operator or validator: what is the difference?

A validator takes part in producing blocks on a proof-of-stake chain. Node operator is the wider term and also covers RPC nodes and oracle nodes, which serve data without producing blocks.

Which tools do you use?

Debian and Ubuntu servers, Docker containers and scripted infrastructure, monitoring with log evaluation and alerts, and AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. For infrastructure code I use AI harnesses as well.

Do you work remote?

Yes. I live in Frankfurt, Germany, and take on permanent positions as Head of Node Operations, remote for the most part. I travel to data centers and to your team when hardware or planning needs it.

Which engagements do you take on?

Permanent positions, remote for the most part, with on-site days in Frankfurt Rhine-Main. I also support companies as a freelancer, for example in interim engagements.

Details on the work behind this page

Your Head of Node Operations in Europe

I am Michael Wutzke from Frankfurt, and I have run blockchain nodes in several data centers and moved them to a new cloud with failover. In a 30-minute video call we talk about your node fleet and your needs, and you learn whether my experience fits your team.

Set up a video call Connect via LinkedIn
Portrait of Michael Wutzke, Head of Node Operations in Europe

Searches this page answers