Hi, I'm Valentin Drenkov.

Full-Stack Software Engineer | Java, Spring Boot, React | Blockchain Researcher

Check out my work

About Me

Software engineer building clean, reliable systems that hold up under real-world use. Work spans enterprise Spring Boot backends, modern React frontends, and PhD research in blockchain technologies. The focus is on untangling complex systems, automating repetitive work, and keeping software understandable for the engineers who maintain it. Clear documentation, thoughtful code review, and asynchronous communication help teams move quickly without creating avoidable friction.

Tech Stack

Java
Spring / Spring Boot
JavaScript / TypeScript
React
Relational Databases
MongoDB
Docker / Kubernetes
Amazon Web Services
CI/CD
Git
Maven / Gradle
Blockchain / Web3

Projects

  • CineLedger

    Cinema operations backend covering scheduling, ticketing, orders, reviews, reporting, and JWT-secured role-based access with PostgreSQL and Liquibase-backed persistence.

    Tech: Java · Spring Boot · Spring Security · PostgreSQL

    GitHub

  • Biblium

    API-first Spring Boot backend for library catalog and lending workflows with RBAC, JWT cookie authentication, CSRF protection, PostgreSQL persistence, and managed schema migrations.

    Tech: Java · Spring Boot · Spring Security · PostgreSQL

    GitHub

  • Fast React Pizza

    Ordering SPA with route-driven navigation, centralized state, live menu flows, checkout, order tracking, and geolocation assisted delivery input.

    Tech: React · React Router · Redux Toolkit · Tailwind CSS

    GitHub Live Demo

  • WorldWise

    Geospatial React app with protected routes, map interactions, visited-city workflows, and persistent client-side state for travel history and notes.

    Tech: React · React Router · React Leaflet · Context API

    GitHub Live Demo

  • Moviedux

    Movie exploration frontend with searchable catalog views, composable filters, favorites, and watchlist persistence across sessions.

    Tech: React · React Router · Vite · Vitest

    GitHub Live Demo

  • Omnifood

    Responsive marketing frontend with conversion-focused sections, sticky navigation, performance-conscious assets, and strong semantic HTML/CSS foundations.

    Tech: HTML5 · CSS3 · JavaScript

    GitHub Live Demo

Interested in some of my other projects? Follow my work on GitHub.

Experience

Zühlke Group

Software Engineer · – Present · Sofia / Remote

DXC Technology

Junior Software Developer · – · Sofia / Remote

  • Contributed to a large client’s internal systems by decomposing monolithic modules into microservices and delivering new backend features with Java 17, Tomcat 10, Oracle DB, and Bamboo CI/CD in an on-premises environment.
  • Maintained and extended a legacy Java platform built on Tomcat and JSP, refactoring existing modules and integrating new functionalities into a mature codebase.
  • Led R&D work on a proof-of-concept tool, taking it from early exploration through technical validation to an initial prototype.
  • Modernized backend services by extracting a monolithic subsystem into cloud-ready Spring Boot microservices with Java 17/21, MongoDB, Docker, AWS S3, OpenAPI, and CI/CD through Bamboo and Bitbucket.
  • Built a Spring Boot and React web application with REST API integration, PostgreSQL persistence, automated testing with JUnit and Mockito, Sonar-based quality checks, and Jenkins / GitLab CI/CD.

Scalefocus Academy

Software Engineering Intern · – · Remote

  • Built a Spring Security module with JWT authentication, CSRF protection, role-based access control, and secured API endpoints.
  • Implemented REST APIs and integrated relational persistence with JDBC and Hibernate, backed by unit and integration testing.
  • Delivered backend features in an Agile squad using Java 17, Spring Boot, Git, and build tooling while applying SOLID/OOP principles and clean exception handling.

Skills

Programming Languages

  • Java (primary)
  • JavaScript / TypeScript (secondary)
  • C / C++ / C# / Python fundamentals

Frameworks & Libraries

  • Spring & Spring Boot
  • HTML & CSS
  • React
  • Working exposure to Angular, Next.js, and Node.js

Data & Persistence

  • PostgreSQL (relational)
  • MySQL (relational)
  • Oracle (relational)
  • MongoDB (non-relational)
  • Redis (non-relational)
  • Cassandra (non-relational)

Cloud, DevOps & Tooling

  • Docker, Kubernetes, and containerized workflows
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and CI/CD automation
  • Git, Maven, and Gradle
  • SonarQube and OpenAPI / Swagger
  • AI-assisted coding workflows

Collaboration & Practices

  • Clear documentation and asynchronous communication
  • End-to-end ownership (plan → ship → iterate)
  • Pragmatic code reviews, mentoring, and automation mindset
  • Security and quality by default

Blockchain & Web3

  • Blockchain & crypto foundations
  • DeFi mechanics, L2 research, and on-chain analytics
  • Crypto data ETL, backtesting, and smart contract prototyping

Education

Technical University of Sofia

Doctor of Philosophy
in Blockchain Technologies

Sofia, Bulgaria · Ongoing

Technical University of Sofia

Master of Science
in Computer and Software Engineering

Sofia, Bulgaria · Completed

Technical University of Sofia

Bachelor of Science
in Computer and Software Engineering

Sofia, Bulgaria · Completed