Welcome! If you like security, cryptography, and blockchains, and you enjoy turning “this should work” into “this provably works”, you might fit right in.
Broadly: cryptography + secure protocols, especially where theory meets real systems.
Typical themes:
MPC / threshold cryptography
Blockchain security, privacy & fairness
Privacy-preserving systems (and their threat models—because reality is adversarial)
If you enjoy proofs, protocols, and occasionally proving that a “clever hack” is actually… a bug, we’ll get along.
I’m happy to hear from: Prospective PhD students, UG Honours/MSc thesis students, High-performing coursework students interested in research projects/reading groups
Good signs (not strict requirements):
Comfort with mathy thinking (discrete math, probability, algebra)
Some programming (Python/C/C++/Rust/Go—any is fine)
Curiosity + persistence (research is like mining… but for insights, not coins)
Depending on your level and interests, you might:
Read and discuss papers (yes, we translate them from crypto-speak to English)
Design a protocol, define a threat model, and prove properties
Build prototypes to test feasibility
Write and submit to top venues (and learn the art of reviewer-proofing)
Email is best. To make sure your message doesn’t get lost in the mempool:
Subject line: Prospective <PhD/Honours/MSc> student – <Your Name> – <Topic>
Example: Prospective PhD student – Satoshi Nakamoto – MPC/Threshold Crypto
Please include:
CV (PDF)
Academic transcript (unofficial is fine to start)
A short note (5–10 sentences) answering:
What topics excite you (be specific)?
Why my group / why this direction?
Any relevant experience (courses, projects, papers you read, code you wrote)
Optional but helpful:
Links to GitHub, writing samples, or a short research statement (1 page)
I’ll always prefer a clear message over a long one—concise is the mantra.