NTU-CCTF and UZH BCC Blockchain Academic Workshop Successfully Held at Nanyang Technological University

Nanyang Technological University's Centre for Computational Technologies in Finance (NTU-CCTF) successfully hosted the NTU-CCTF Blockchain Academic Workshop on April 24, 2024, with co-hosting by The University of Zürich's Blockchain Center (UZH BCC) and sponsorship from Scroll.  The event occurred at the NTU North Spine LT3 and was simultaneously available online, blending physical attendance with virtual participation. The workshop focused on the exploration of blockchain technology, academic research insights, and discussions on infrastructure and applications.

The workshop began with an opening speech by Prof. Wen Yonggang, Director of NTU-CCTF, who is also Associate Provost (Graduate Education) and Dean of the Graduate College at NTU Singapore. Prof. Tessone, Chairman of the Blockchain Centre at UZH, who also gave an opening speech.

This was followed by a series of six engaging talks from leading blockchain experts. Ying Tong, an applied cryptographer at Geometry Research, presented the first talk on 'Next-gen Lookup Arguments in halo2'.

Prof. Li Yi, Associate Professor at NTU's College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS) and Associate Director of NTU-CCTF, then discussed "Automated Invariant Generation for Solidity Smart Contracts."

Benjamin Kraner from the UZH Blockchain Centre discussed "Agent-based Modelling of Ethereum Consensus".

This was followed by Raza Rython, Lead Developer Relations at Scroll, who explored the "Current State of Developer Experience in ZK".

The session also included a presentation by Prof. Zhang Tian Wei, Assistant Professor at NTU CCDS, on "Scalable and Secure Cross-chain Transactions in Heterogeneous Blockchain Systems".

The final presentation, given by Tao Yan from UZH BCC, focused on "Optimising Arbitrage Strategies on Uniswap".

The workshop concluded with an hour of networking and a buffet dinner, providing a valuable opportunity for participants to interact directly with industry-leading experts and academics.

The workshop served as a vital platform for students and faculty to engage with industry-leading experts, providing them with significant insights into the forefront of blockchain research. The event underscored the cross-regional collaboration between NTU-CCTF and UZH BCC, setting the stage for future innovative projects. This interaction facilitated a deeper understanding among students, faculty, and industry professionals of the latest advancements in blockchain technology.