We are excited to reveal the 39 recipients chosen for the latest Academic Grants Round. This round of grants encouraged researchers, think-tanks, Ph.D. candidates, and anyone interested in enhancing understanding of the Ethereum ecosystem to submit academic proposals.
We express our gratitude to everyone who submitted proposals, and congratulations to all awardees. We are thrilled with the volume of high-quality applications we received, exceeding our original expectations. Considering the remarkable potential of numerous project proposals, we have more than increased the initial budget from 750,000to750,000 to 2 million.
The awarded projects encompass a wide range of themes and geographic representation with research teams from Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Nepal, Pakistan, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam.
We eagerly anticipate the outcomes from the numerous academic projects funded in this round! If you were unable to participate in this round and are investigating topics in this area, think about submitting a project inquiry to the Ecosystem Support Program.
Over $2 million has been distributed across 39 grants in 7 distinct categories:
| Category | # of projects | amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | 9 | $222,067.00 |
| Consensus Layer | 9 | $483,477.81 |
| P2P Networking | 5 | $386,592.00 |
| Maximum Extractable Value | 5 | $351,659.00 |
| Formal Verification | 4 | $283,165.51 |
| Cryptography and zero knowledge proofs | 2 | $120,000.00 |
| Other domains | 5 | $194,807.00 |
Economics
| Project | Research Team | Institution | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analysis of the Dynamic Interplay between Ethereum and Ethereum Rollups: Transaction Fees and Demand Trends | Aysajan Eziz; Guneet Kaur Nagpal | Independent | To examine the dynamic relationship of transaction fees and demand patterns between base layer and layer 2 rollups. |
| Equilibrium staking rewards: Implications for POS blockchain security | Prof Talis Putnins; Tra Nguyen, Ph.D. candidate; Lecky Lao, Ph.D. candidate | Independent | To analyze and recommend economic modeling of “opportunity costs of capital”, the dynamics of how capital transitions between staking options and what that implies for the security of Ethereum (and other POS blockchains) as it shifts to POS and the optimal structure of the staking incentive mechanisms. |
| Monetary Policy in the Age of Cryptocurrencies | Prof. Thai Nguyen; Prof. Tra Pham; Dr. Binh Nguyen Thanh; Dr. Linh Nguyen Thi My; Dr. Tuan Chu; Dr. Seng Kok; Dr. Phong Nguyen | RMIT Vietnam | To explore the potential economic development of nations when cryptocurrencies are recognized as legal tender, especially considering that central banks would forfeit most monetary policy tools. |
| Time series analysis for transaction fee market | Huisu Jang YunYoung Lee, Ph.D; Seongwan Park, Ph.D; Seungju Lee Woojin Jeong; Advisor: Jaewook Lee | Soongsil University and Seoul National University | To undertake a time series analysis of the Ethereum gas fee market following the implementation of EIP-1559. |
| The Influence of Transaction Costs on Economic Activity on the Ethereum Network | Dr. Lennart Ante | Blockchain Research Lab gGmbH | To explore the degree to which transaction expenses relate to various economic activities on the Ethereum blockchain. |
| The Market for Music Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs): Price, Volume, and Risk | Danling Jiang, Ph.D.; Keli Xiao, Ph.D.; Lolita Nazarov, B.S.; Haixiang (Diego) Zhu, MS | Stony Brook Foundation | To grasp the market dynamics for music content non-fungible tokens (music NFTs) and the influences of price, volume, and risk variations of such NFTs traded on OpenSea, powered by the Ethereum blockchain. |
| The Microeconomic Foundation of DAO | David Yang, Ph.D | Independent | To comprehend the economic circumstances that validate the rise of a DAO framework for supervising community decisions. |
| Towards scalable incentive machines: attributing value to individual agents in multi-player games | Tal Kachman | Donders Institute of Brain and Cognition | To connect coalitional game theory with the approximation abilities of deep learning to create payoff machines: large-scale estimators capable of quantifying each agent’s contribution to a multi-agent system in accordance with various fundamental principles. |
| Understanding Waiting Time in Transaction Fee Mechanisms | Prof Luyao Zhang, Ph.D; Prof Fan Zhang, Ph.D.; Research Fellow: Tianyu Wu | Independent | To systematically investigate and then formulate an actionable policy that could further minimize the users’ waiting time in Ethereum TFM. |
Consensus Layer
| Project | Research Team | Institution | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Danksharding + PBS) Builder centralization: Is it genuinely secure? | Huisu Jang; YunYoung Lee, Ph.D candidate; Seongwan Park; Seungju Lee; Woojin Jeong; Advisor: Jaewook Lee | Statistical Learning & Computational Finance Lab, Seoul National University | To investigate two potential dangers associated with centralizing block production in PBS and suggest suitable modifications to the present PBS framework to guarantee safety against identified risks. |
| Amplification Messaging for Short-Term Slot Finality and Enhanced Reorg-Tolerance | Hammurabi Mendes, Ph.D.; Jonad Pulaj, Ph.D. | Davidson College | To formalize and assess comparatively subtle alterations in GASPER for shorter-term finality and a reduced likelihood of reorganization events. |
| Analyzing and Securing Ethereum PoS in the Fully Asynchronous Network | Dr. Qiang Tang; Zhenliang Lu, Ph.D.; Dr. Yuan Lu | The University of Sydney | To examine the security of Ethereum PoS within a fully asynchronous network, where there is no assurance of delivery time, and provide design recommendations to enhance the security of Ethereum PoS in such an environment. |
| Combining Accountability and Game Theory to Enhance Blockchain Security | Prof. Vincent Gramoli | The University of Sydney | To create innovative algorithms that we will apply and assess in a large-scale decentralized setting to prove that blockchains can be fortified through a practical amalgamation of accountability and game theory. |
| Disentangling Transaction Privacy and Consensus in Ethereum | Prof. Kartik Nayak; Prof. Fan Zhang | Duke University | To examine the tension between desirable attributes such as (pre and failed trades) transaction privacy and the characteristics of the underlying consensus mechanism provided by Ethereum. |
| Improving Ethereum Communication Efficiency through Accountability and Flexible Quorums | Prof. Kartik Nayak | Duke University | To examine two possible strategies to achieve the same security assurances while enhancing efficiency. First, by utilizing smaller quorums with accountability to obtain a more communicatively efficient protocol; and second, by employing flexible quorums to secure stronger security guarantees (up to ⅔ fraction… “`rational dishonest validators). |
| PoS Ethereum Agent-Based Framework | Prof. Claudio J. Tessone; Nicolò Vallarano, Ph.D. | University of Zurich | To propose an abstract Agent-Based Framework to emulate Ethereum Proof-Of-Stake consensus. |
| REVOKE: Consensus-layer strategies for validator ransomware intrusions | Dr. Dan O’Keeffe; Dr. Darren Hurley-Smith; Alpesh Bhudia, Ph.D. candidate | Royal Holloway University of London | To investigate adjustments to consensus protocols aimed at alleviating the threats posed by ransomware on Ethereum 2.0 validators. It aspires to develop a novel revocation procedure that enables validators to enhance their operational security by swiftly modifying their signing keys without needing to withdraw from their stake. |
| Staking Mechanism Development: Ethereum 2.0 for Positive Impact | Prof. Luyao Zhang, Ph.D.; Dr. Yulin Liu; Research Associates: Xinyu Tian; Tianyu Xin; Zesen Zhuang | SciEcon CIC | To analyze the effects of the Ethereum 2.0 enhancements, specifically its policy updates and the transition from proof of work to proof of stake, on its overall security, level of decentralization, and scalability. |
P2P Networking
| Project | Research Group | Organization | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coded Transaction Dissemination for High-performance Blockchains | Prof. Mohammad Alizadeh; Lei Yang, Ph.D. candidate | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | To create and establish a fresh approach for broadcasting new pending transactions within a blockchain network, aiming to diminish bandwidth consumption and latency for transaction propagation. |
| DoS-secure Transaction Propagation on Ethereum: Exploit Development and Attack Identification | Prof. Yuzhe Tang; Kai Li, Ph.D. candidate; Jiaqi Chen, Ph.D. candidate; Yibo Wang, Ph.D. candidate; Jack Willis; Nicholas P. Sweet; Mingyan Zhang | Syracuse University | To devise and develop an automated exploit generator to systematically assess the security and vulnerabilities of current and upcoming Ethereum clients under cost-effective DoS assaults and to create DoS-secure mempool and transaction dissemination protocols. We will particularly introduce a dual-buffer mempool framework to accommodate varied transaction admission priorities. |
| Eclipse and DoS-Resilient Overlays for Optimal Block Distribution | Prof. Spyros Voulgaris; Evangelos Kolyvas, Ph.D.; Alexandros Antonov, Ph.D. | Athens University of Economics and Business | To devise, implement, and assess an entirely decentralized, self-regulating, self-repairing, resource-efficient, and reliable dissemination mechanism that transmits messages quicker than what is currently anticipated, while ensuring high dependability even during failures or substantial node turnover; and to protect our proposed procedure from Eclipse and DoS intrusions, making it exceedingly challenging for an adversary to hinder message distribution. |
| Privacy-enhanced and effective P2P routing techniques for the Ethereum ecosystem | István András Seres, Ph.D. candidate; Domokos Kelen, Ph.D. candidate; Ferenc Béres, Ph.D. candidate; András A. Benczúr, Ph.D | Independent | To create, implement, and assess a routing algorithm with enhanced privacy for the Ethereum ecosystem that demonstrably exceeds cutting-edge proposals. |
| Tikuna: a security monitoring framework for Ethereum blockchain networks | Dr. Andres Gomez Ramirez, Ph.D.; Loui Al Sardy, Ph.D. candidate | Sistemas Edenia Internacional | To develop a proof-of-concept P2P network security monitoring framework for the Ethereum blockchain aimed at early identification of significant incidents. |
| Project | Research Group | Organization | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of the Bots: Miner Extractable Value and Optimal Settlement | Prof. Alfred Lehar; Prof. Christine Parlou | University of Calgary | To investigate how MEV and unauthorized transactions alter blockchain economics and influence socially beneficial arbitrage such as loan salvages and the synchronization of DEX prices. |
| Catching the ephemeral: Grasping blockchains through mempool data | Prof. Fan Zhang; Prof. Kartik Nayak | Yale University | To empirically analyze vital components of the Ethereum blockchain like the fee markets and ordering equity, utilizing mempool data. |
| M2EV: Multi-block MEV gameplay | Bruno Mazorra, Ph.D. candidate; Prof. Vanesa Daza | Pompeu Fabra University | To conceptualize the Reorg MEV game from a game theoretical standpoint and comprehend the adverse externalities generated by rational validators. |
| Mechanism Design and Empirical Examination of MEV Prevention Mechanisms | Prof. Agostino Capponi | Columbia University | To investigate the architecture of Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) prevention strategies, such as relay and sequencing services, perform an econometric evaluation of MEV prevention methods, and assess their influence on gas fees and the value of ecosystem participants. |
| MEV safeguarding via postponed execution with time-locked puzzles | Mohammad Jahanara | DeFi Lab at University of British Columbia | To investigate both the design theoretically and practically; (a) comprehensive theoretical assessment of the design and security proofs in appropriate treat models. The outcome will be an academic document or detailed technical report. |
| Optimal Structure of Miner Extractable Value Auctions | Dr Peyman Khezr; Dr Vijay Mohan | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) | To explore the optimal configuration of auctions that, firstly, allocate the block space to prospective transactions, and secondly, ensure efficient transaction arrangement in a Miner Extractable Value Auction (MEVA). |
Formal Verification
| Project | Research Team | Institution | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bounded Model Checking for Validating and Assessing Ethereum Consensus Specifications | Dr. Youcheng Sun; Dr. Lucas C. Cordeiro | University of Manchester | To validate and assess Ethereum consensus specifications—namely, the Python reference implementation—by utilizing Bounded Model Checking (BMC). |
| Formally verified Ethereum 2.0 Beacon Chain | Hamra Afzaal; Muhammad Umar Janjua; Muhammad Imran | Information Technology University of the Punjab | To identify and rectify errors in the Beacon Chain through model checking methods. |
| FORVES (FORmally VErified block optimizationS) | Prof. Elvira Albert; Prof. Samir Genaim; Prof. Enrique Martin-Martin | University Complutense of Madrid | To create a fully automated and formally verified tool, in Coq, capable of verifying the semantic equality of two loop-free segments of EVM code. |
| Trustworthy Formal Verification for Ethereum Smart Contracts via Machine-Checkable Proof Certificates | Prof. Grigore Rosu; Xiaohong Chenm, Ph.D. student | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | To explore reliable formal verification for smart contracts using machine-checkable proof certificates. |
Cryptography and zero knowledge proofs
| Project“`html |
Research Group | Organization | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficient Private Information Retrieval for Ethereum Light Clients | Prof. Xun Yi; Prof. Son Hoang Dau; Nhat Quang Cao, Ph.D. scholar; Prof. Chen Feng | Independent | To create cryptographic approaches that enable Ethereum light clients to execute data retrieval efficiently while maintaining privacy. |
| ZK-SNARKs as a Service | Prof. Abhishek Jain | Johns Hopkins University | To formulate secure protocols that can be performed by a cluster of servers to collaboratively compute ZK-SNARG proofs. |
Other sectors
| Initiative | Research Group | Organization | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross chain authenticated queries | Dr. Damiano Di Francesco Maesa | University of Pisa & University of Cambridge | To explore the feasibility of adopting and modifying authenticated query protocols for blockchains to facilitate cross chain communication among diverse Ethereum side chains (and the main network). |
| Feasibility Study of Pipelining in Ethereum Virtual Machine Architecture | Gopal Ojha | Independent | To investigate and develop optimizations for the Ethereum network by enhancing transaction throughput within the EVM. |
| Governance Based On Preferences, Incentives, and Information | Prof. Bo Waggoner | University of Colorado, Boulder | To assess governance strategies for collective decision-making as a group. |
| Rollups as Subsidiary Political Units – A Diversity of Layer 2 Networks Subject to Layer 1’s Constitutional Authority | Eric Alston; Prof. Bo Waggoner | University of Colorado, Boulder | To explore how networks subordinate to a primary blockchain network exhibit characteristics similar to subsidiary political entities in national governance structures. |
| S-CCSC: Security of Cross-chain Smart Contract | Prof. Yang Xiang; Dr. Ziyuan Wang; Dr. Lin Yang; Dr. Sheng Wen; Dr. Donghai Liu | Swinburne University of Technology | To protect cross-chain smart contracts by examining existing or potential security threats and their respective solutions. |
We’re eager to follow these research groups and witness the extensive influence they have in broadening academic insights across the Ethereum ecosystem!
The variety and excellence of this grant cycle demonstrate the enthusiasm of Academia in propelling our shared knowledge to address significant challenges and enhance the Ethereum ecosystem.
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