Zaki Manian is a prominent software engineer, entrepreneur, and contributor in the blockchain industry, best known for his foundational work within the Cosmos ecosystem, particularly in leading the development of the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. He is the co-founder of the blockchain infrastructure and advisory firm iqlusion and Sommelier Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol. ^{[1] [2]}​

Education

Zaki Manian earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology of Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied from 2000 to 2005. He completed his secondary education at Pinewood High School between 1996 and 2000. ^[4]

Career

Zaki Manian’s career began outside the blockchain sector, with early work in scientific instrumentation and systems engineering. From 2009 to 2017, he held engineering roles at ReaMetrix, where he served as a technical lead on imaging and instrumentation platforms involving real-time data acquisition, control systems, and analytical software. During this period, he also worked in broader software and technical operations roles, gaining experience across product development and system deployment.

His transition into blockchain began in 2014 with the founding of SKUChain, an enterprise-focused project that explored the use of cryptographic ledger technology for supply-chain verification. Around this time, Manian became involved in open-source cryptocurrency development and contributed to projects including Bitcoin, Zcash, Ethereum, and Tendermint, while independently developing expertise in cryptography and distributed systems. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

In 2017, Manian co-founded both the Trusted IoT Alliance, an open-source foundation focused on trusted Internet of Things infrastructure, and iqlusion, a company providing advisory, infrastructure, and validator services for blockchain networks, including Cosmos. Through iqlusion, he supported the development of validator tooling and security-related projects, including open-source hardware security initiatives. He later co-founded Sommelier Protocol in 2021, which focuses on automated strategies for decentralized finance participants.

Manian has been closely associated with the Cosmos ecosystem since its early stages. He contributed to validator tooling, helped launch early public testnets, and supported the development of the validator ecosystem. Between 2018 and 2021, he worked with Tendermint (All in Bits), serving as Director of Tendermint Labs and later Director of Research, where his work centered on network reliability and interoperability, including efforts related to the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. After leaving All in Bits in 2020, he participated in community-led coordination to continue IBC development with other ecosystem organizations. ^{[3] [4]}