Dr. Xuechao Wang is currently an Assistant Professor in Thrust of Fintech and Thrust of IoT at HKUST(GZ). He obtained a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023, advised by Prof. Pramod Viswanath. Previously, he obtained a Bachelor Degree in Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University in 2018. His research interest is in blockchains. He has published many papers in top conferences in the field of blockchains, computer security and distributed computing, and his research has influenced the design of multiple public chains.

Here is a more detailed CV and Publications.

I am looking for strongly motivated postgraduate students (PhD), post-docs, research assistants, and summer interns, on research topics including blockchain infrastructure (layer-1, layer-2, cross-chain), CBDCs, DeFi, and the intersection of AI and blockchains. Interested applicants please email me with your CV, transcript, and any related publications. Check here for more information. (While I usually read all emails, I do apologize for not being able to respond to each of them due to high volume of inquiries.)

Research Interests

• Blockchain infrastructure (layer-1, layer-2, cross-chain)

• Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)

• The intersection of AI and blockchains

Appointments

• Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Fintech and IoT
  Assistant Professor (2023.07-present)

• Princeton University, ECE
  Visiting researcher (2022.08-2023.07)
  Advisor: Prof. Pramod Viswanath

• Protocol Labs, ConsensusLab
  Summer fellow (2022.05-2022.08)
  Research intern (2022.08-2022.11)
  Mentor: Dr. Sarah Azouvi

Education

• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2020.12-2023.05)
  PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering
  Advisor: Prof. Pramod Viswanath

• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2018.08-2020.12)
  MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
  Advisor: Prof. Pramod Viswanath

• Tsinghua University (2014.08-2018.07)
  BS in Electronic Engineering
  Advisor: Prof. Zhaocheng Wang

Teaching

• UFUG2101 Introduction to Multivariable Calculus, Fall 2024, HKUST(GZ)
• FTEC5320 Decentralized Finance, Instructor, Spring 2024, HKUST(GZ)
• ECE598PV Principles of Blockchains, Teaching Assistant, Spring 2021 & Spring 2022, UIUC

Professional Service

• PC member of ACM CCS 2025, Blockchain and Distributed Systems Track
• PC member of USENIX Security 2025
• PC member of Financial Cryptography and Data Security 2025 (FC 25)
• PC member of ACM CCS 2024, Blockchain and Distributed Systems Track
• PC member of Financial Cryptography and Data Security 2024 (FC 24)
• TPC member of ACM CCS 2022 Workshop on developments in consensus (ConsensusDay 22)
• Reviewer for IEEE ISIT 2020, IEEE ISIT 2021, ACM Transactions on Privacy and Security, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Computers, Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences