Opal Graham is a Blockchain Security Engineer at Coinbase and a former mathematics professor. ^[1] She holds a PhD in Mathematics with a specialization in projective and hyperbolic geometry, and she applies her academic background in formal logic to the field of smart contract security. ^{[2] [1]}​

Education

Opal Graham earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Pure Mathematics from Florida State University, completing the program between 2014 and 2020. She previously completed a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at the University of North Florida from 2012 to 2014. ^[2]

Career

Graham's professional life consists of two distinct phases: a career in academic mathematics followed by a transition into the blockchain technology industry. ^{[2] [3]}​

Academia

Prior to her work in blockchain security, Graham was an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of North Georgia (UNG).

During her time in academia, Graham's teaching responsibilities covered a range of undergraduate mathematics courses. In the Fall 2021 semester, she taught:

• Calculus I: A foundational course for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, covering limits, derivatives, and integrals.
• Introduction to Mathematical Proof: A course designed to develop students' abilities in logical reasoning and the construction of rigorous mathematical arguments.
• Math Models: An applied mathematics course where students learn to build and analyze mathematical models of real-world phenomena.. ^[3]

Transition to Blockchain Security

Graham transitioned from her professorial role in academia to a new career path in blockchain security sometime after the Fall 2021 academic semester. This move represented a shift from theoretical mathematics to the applied technological field of Web3. The motivation for this career change was her interest in applying her deep background in formal logic to the practical challenge of making smart contracts more secure. Smart contracts, which are self-executing programs on a blockchain, depend on precise logical operations, making them a suitable domain for the application of formal methods and rigorous logical analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities.

As of early 2026, Graham is a Blockchain Security Engineer at Coinbase. In this role, her work focuses on analyzing and strengthening the security of smart contracts and decentralized applications. She utilizes her expertise in logic to audit code, identify potential flaws, and contribute to the overall security and reliability of blockchain-based systems. ^{[2] [1] [3]}