CoinSwitch

Role: Internship

College: Gayatri Vidya Parishad (GVP)

Interview Date: Dec 11, 2024

Interview Type: Internship

Result: Not Specified

Difficulty: Not explicitly stated, but coding was "simple", while the hiring manager round was described as "toughest".

Rounds: 2 rounds

Topics Asked: Projects, Sorting Algorithms (time complexity, applications), Operating Systems, DSA (Detecting a cycle in a Linked List, map vs set data structure), Cryptocurrencies (future, applications), Scalability, Server Breakdown, First Principles Thinking.

Experience:

This experience details an internship interview process at CoinSwitch, comprising two main rounds.

Round 1: Coding Round
Although a coding round, it began with a discussion of the candidate's resume and projects. Questions included existing market features contributed by the candidate to their projects, sorting algorithms (their applications, time complexity, and situational use).
This was followed by questions on Operating Systems, including differentiation between C++ and Python compilation/execution.
The coding question asked was "detecting a cycle in a linked list". The candidate initially proposed a brute-force approach using a map, then optimized it to use a set data structure.

Round 2: Hiring Manager (HMR) Round
This round, scheduled for 30 minutes but lasting only 15, was described as one of the toughest rounds the candidate faced. The interviewer, a senior professional with 12+ years of experience, focused on core development skills rather than DSA/CP.
Questions included "Why CoinSwitch?", discussions on cryptocurrencies (future, applications), how to measure scalability of a service, and handling server breakdowns. The interviewer also emphasized "First Principles Thinking".