# Jorge M. Soares > Network engineer, marine roboticist, patent examiner, research manager, and founder. Currently Engineering Manager for the AI Primitives team at Chainalysis, after co-founding Finisterra (acquired by Chainalysis in 2026). Source: https://jorgesoares.org/ ## Bio ### 2026 — Present Following Finisterra’s acquisition, I now lead the AI Primitives team at [Chainalysis](https://www.chainalysis.com), bringing our work on verifiable data to the intelligence platform that 1,500+ organizations rely on to fight crime and manage risk. ### 2024 — 2026 In 2024 I co-founded [Finisterra](https://finisterra.ai) with Alfonso de la Rocha and Henrique Moniz and raised $3.75M in pre-seed capital to stop AIs from making up stuff. I ran the company and worked across product, engineering, and go-to-market for [Baselight](https://baselight.ai), which fed AIs with inference-time structured data that could be traced all the way to the source, until our acquisition by Chainalysis. ### 2019 — 2024 I joined [Protocol Labs](https://protocol.ai) early on to build the research division to 30+, recruiting researchers and program managers, coordinating research across the org, and designing the funding programs that connected PL with academia and the open-source community. Later on, I contributed to P2P research, brought together the [League of Entropy](https://drand.love/loe/) consortium behind the drand public randomness service, and co-founded and co-led the ConsensusLab distributed systems research team. ### 2007 — 2023 On the side, I volunteered with [IEEE](https://www.ieee.org) across 15 roles in as many years, starting as chair of the IST Student Branch and ending as vice-chair of the European Public Policy Committee. In between, I advised the board on digital strategy and disruptive innovation, and had the coolest gig on the (living) history committee. To be continued. ### 2016 — 2018 As a patent examiner at the [EPO](https://www.epo.org), in the Netherlands, I worked at the bleeding edge of human–computer interaction, mobile computing, and AI, reviewing patent applications on everything from neural-network accelerator architectures and spatial AR systems to chemical bleaching of screen bezels and eye-tracking interfaces for fighter jets. At least one of these is a questionable idea. ### 2010 — 2016 Funded by a competitive FCT fellowship, I pursued dual PhDs jointly awarded by [EPFL](https://www.epfl.ch) and [IST-UL](https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt). My thesis looked at multi-robot chemical plume tracing across airborne and underwater environments. I got to operate in extremely constrained marine environments (go on, try moving in an underwater formation with a 300bps acoustic modem and no GPS) and lived 3 years in an ethanol mist in an alpine wind tunnel. Got really into swarm intelligence and ants. My thesis features one too many Harry Potter references. ### 2007 — 2009 Back at [IST-UL](https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt), I read for an MSc in Communication Networks Engineering with a specialisation in embedded systems. My thesis introduced a routing scheme for low-density mobile wireless sensor networks. I built a LEGO tram across the main hall, was an early tester of the SunSPOT JVM-on-bare-metal sensor platform, and served as sole teaching assistant for IST’s graduate-level Wireless Networks course. ### 2004 — 2007 My undergraduate years at [IST-UL](https://tecnico.ulisboa.pt) left me with a BSc in Communication Networks Engineering. I got my first research job at [INESC-ID](https://www.inesc-id.pt), where I implemented IR-BASE, a modular Java framework for assembling interoperable information retrieval components. Also ended up vice-chairing the student association and co-founding the computer security student group. ## Publications ### 2026 — The Finality Calculator: Analyzing and Quantifying Filecoin's Finality Guarantees *Preprint · arXiv* Guy Goren, Jorge M. Soares - DOI: [10.48550/arXiv.2603.01307](https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.01307) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2026-arxiv.pdf) ### 2023 — A Metaverse of Walled Gardens? *Talk · WIPO Conversation on Intellectual Property and the Metaverse* Jorge M. Soares ### 2022 — To the InterPlanetary File System – and Beyond! *Journal · IEEE Spectrum* Yiannis Psaras, Jorge M. Soares, David Dias - DOI: [10.1109/MSPEC.2022.9941036](https://doi.org/10.1109/MSPEC.2022.9941036) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2022-spectrum.pdf) ### 2022 — Hierarchical Consensus: A Horizontal Scaling Framework for Blockchains *Conference · DINPS* Alfonso de la Rocha, Lefteris Kokoris-Kogias, Jorge M. Soares, Marko Vukolić - DOI: [10.1109/ICDCSW56584.2022.00018](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICDCSW56584.2022.00018) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2022-dinps.pdf) ### 2016 — Towards 3-D Distributed Odor Source Localization: An Extended Graph-Based Formation Control Algorithm for Plume Tracking *Conference · IROS* Jorge M. Soares, Ali Marjovi, Jonathan Giezendanner, Anil Kodiyan, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1109/IROS.2016.7759277](https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2016.7759277) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2016-iros.pdf) ### 2016 — An Algorithm for Formation-Based Chemical Plume Tracing Using Robotic Marine Vehicles *Conference · OCEANS* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1109/OCEANS.2016.7761119](https://doi.org/10.1109/OCEANS.2016.7761119) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2016-oceans.pdf) ### 2016 — Formation-Based Odour Source Localisation Using Distributed Terrestrial and Marine Robotic Systems *Thesis · PhD Thesis, EPFL/IST* Jorge M. Soares - DOI: [10.5075/epfl-thesis-7080](https://doi.org/10.5075/epfl-thesis-7080) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2016-phd.pdf) ### 2015 — The Khepera IV Mobile Robot: Performance Evaluation, Sensory Data and Software Toolbox *Conference · ROBOT* Jorge M. Soares, Iñaki Navarro, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1007/978-3-319-27146-0_59](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27146-0_59) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2015-robot.pdf) ### 2015 — A Distributed Formation-Based Odor Source Localization Algorithm — Design, Implementation, and Wind Tunnel Evaluation *Conference · ICRA* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1109/ICRA.2015.7139436](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2015.7139436) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2015-icra.pdf) ### 2014 — A Graph-Based Formation Algorithm for Odor Plume Tracing *Conference · DARS* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1007/978-4-431-55879-8_18](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55879-8_18) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2014-dars.pdf) ### 2014 — Flexible Triangular Formation Keeping of Marine Robotic Vehicles Using Range Measurements *Conference · IFAC WC* Francisco Rego, Jorge M. Soares, António M. Pascoal, A. Pedro Aguiar, Colin Jones - DOI: [10.3182/20140824-6-ZA-1003.02435](https://doi.org/10.3182/20140824-6-ZA-1003.02435) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2014-ifac.pdf) ### 2013 — Design and Implementation of a Range-Based Formation Controller for Marine Robots *Conference · ROBOT* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1007/978-3-319-03413-3_5](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03413-3_5) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2013-robot.pdf) ### 2013 — Joint ASV/AUV Range-Based Formation Control: Theory and Experimental Results *Conference · ICRA* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Alcherio Martinoli - DOI: [10.1109/ICRA.2013.6631378](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA.2013.6631378) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2013-icra.pdf) ### 2013 — Multi-robot marine systems: development and deployment *Talk · ICRA workshop, Crossing the Reality Gap* Jorge M. Soares ### 2012 — Triangular Formation Control Using Range Measurements: An Application to Marine Robotic Vehicles *Conference · NGCUV* Jorge M. Soares, A. Pedro Aguiar, António M. Pascoal, Marco Gallieri - DOI: [10.3182/20120410-3-PT-4028.00020](https://doi.org/10.3182/20120410-3-PT-4028.00020) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2012-ngcuv.pdf) ### 2010 — Practical Issues in the Development of a Minimalistic Power Management Solution for WSNs *Journal · IJSNet* Jorge M. Soares, Bruno J. Gonçalves, Rui M. Rocha - DOI: [10.1504/IJSNet.2010.036189](https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSNet.2010.036189) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2010-ijsnet.pdf) ### 2011 — Opportunistic Data Collection in Sparse Wireless Sensor Networks *Journal · EURASIP JWCN* Jorge M. Soares, Mirko Franceschinis, Rui M. Rocha, Wansheng Zhang, Maurizio A. Spirito - DOI: [10.1155/2011/401802](https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/401802) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2011-ewcn.pdf) ### 2010 — Experimental and Analytical Performance Evaluation of a Real Opportunistic Wireless Sensor Network *Conference · FNS* Jorge M. Soares, Wansheng Zhang, Mirko Franceschinis, Maurizio A. Spirito, Rui M. Rocha - [IEEE](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5722411) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2010-fns.pdf) ### 2010 — Test-bed Implementation for Evaluating and Deploying Heterogeneous Opportunistic WSNs *Poster · NEWCOM++ Dissemination Day* Jorge M. Soares, Wansheng Zhang, Mirko Franceschinis, Maurizio A. Spirito, Rui M. Rocha ### 2009 — CHARON: Routing in Low-Density Opportunistic Wireless Sensor Networks *Conference · IFIP WD* Jorge M. Soares, Rui M. Rocha - DOI: [10.1109/WD.2009.5449666](https://doi.org/10.1109/WD.2009.5449666) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2009-wd.pdf) ### 2009 — CHARON: Convergent Hybrid-Replication Approach to Routing in Opportunistic Networks — Efficient Collection Routing for Low-Density Mobile WSNs *Thesis · MSc Dissertation, IST* Jorge M. Soares - [GEMS](http://leme.tagus.ist.utl.pt/gems/PmWiki/index.php/Research/CHARONConvergentHybridReplicationApproachToRoutingInOpportunisticNetworks) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2009-msc.pdf) ### 2009 — Power Management Extensions for Tagus-SensorNet *Conference · ICCCN* Jorge M. Soares, Bruno J. Gonçalves, Rui M. Rocha - DOI: [10.1109/ICCCN.2009.5235377](https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCCN.2009.5235377) - [PDF](https://jorgesoares.org/pdfs/2009-icccn.pdf) ## Contact - Email: mail@jorgesoares.org - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgesoares/ - GitHub: https://github.com/jsoares - ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8528-3489 - Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wU5XX-oAAAAJ