Postdoc Researcher: Blockchain Analytics & Data Engineering

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

Successful candidates will join the young, vibrant, and interdisciplinary FINATRAX Research Group, which builds bridges between business research and information systems engineering. The group conducts research on the application and the impact of digital technologies onorganisationsin the private and public sectors. Our team consists of international researchers with backgrounds in computer science, engineering, information systems, economics, management, law, and other fields, united in pursuit of sustainable technologies that positively impact society.

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In the context of Prof. Fridgen’s Pay Pal-FNR PEARL Research Grant and the Future Fin Tech  National Centre of Excellence in Research and Innovation, the successful candidate will work at the intersection of data science, blockchain technology, and financial crime prevention, performing the following tasks:

• Conduct and supervise cutting-edge interdisciplinary research building on the analysis of large-scale blockchain data. This will include, but is not limited to:
  • Developing statistical, graph, and/or machine learning models to study transaction networks, illicit transaction patterns, and DeFi protocol operations
  • Creating and evaluating tools, documentation, and open datasets
• Collaborate with researchers in law, finance and economics on topics such as governance, regulatory compliance (e.g., MiCA Regulation, AML/CTF), sustainability, and digital identity
• Disseminate results by publishing in highly-ranked outlets in information systems and computer science
• Communicate and work with governmental stakeholders, analytics vendors, and financial institutions to gather requirements, obtain datasets, and validate results
• Manage research projects and deliverables, as well as prepare research proposals to attract public and private funding
• Mentor and supervise PhD students and student assistants working on related topics

We offer two different career paths for research associates, depending on their interest in an academic or industry career:

• In our academic track, research associates focus on publications, research grants, teaching experience, and community involvement, while maintaining a close relationship with industry and government to secure access to rich research data
• In our industry track, research associates prepare for a career in industry, in a start-up, or public body while utilizing their previous theoretical knowledge. They will build relationships with our private and public partners, while having the freedom to pursue their own ideas in an innovative and dynamic environment.

• PhD in Information Systems, Computer/Data Science, Software Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
• Experience in publishing high-quality research, as demonstrated research under review or published in well-ranked conferences and journals
• Strong background in statistical modeling and machine learning for transaction/network data, such as:
  • Time-series / temporal models; e.g. regime shifts, burst detection
  • Supervised and weakly-supervised learning under noisy labels
  • Unsupervised methods (clustering, representation learning) and outlier/anomaly detection
  • Familiarity with graph ML / GNNs is a plus
  • Research experience with blockchain and Web-3 data is a plus; e.g. Ethereum, Solana, Bitcoin, DeFi protocols
• Interest in blockchain-related research topics such as incentive mechanisms, DeFi protocol mechanics, on-chain privacy techniques; e.g., mixers, zero-knowledge proofs, and the relevant regulatory landscape; e.g., AML/CFT, MiCA

What we are also looking for:

• Willingness to work in a highly interdisciplinary context and develop a set of interdisciplinary methods; i.e., dealing with both qualitative and quantitative data
• Interest in engaging with stakeholders active in financial regulation, compliance and supervision
• A collaborative team player with adesire to make a…