HKCT Institute of Higher Education (HKCT) has secured funding under the Research Grants Council (RGC) 's Faculty Development Scheme (Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector) for 2026/27. The funded project, titled “Research on Blockchain Security Detection and Audit Technology Based on Fuzzing and Static Analysis,” has been awarded more than HK$610,000 in funding.
Following the successful approval of funding under the Inter-Institutional Development Scheme last year, the RGC has once again supported HKCT's blockchain research project. This achievement highlights the institution's academic excellence and research capabilities in the fields of cybersecurity and emerging blockchain technologies, earning strong recognition from academic reviewers.
As Hong Kong accelerates its development into Asia's leading Web3 hub, the digital asset market continues to expand rapidly. However, existing smart contract security assessment tools remain fragmented and are increasingly challenged by sophisticated cyber threats and vulnerabilities, creating significant security concerns for the industry. Led by Dr. XU Zhiyu, the project addresses these critical challenges by developing a multi-language security auditing framework designed to strengthen the security of Hong Kong's digital finance ecosystem and cross-chain asset transfers.
As the Principal Investigator, Dr. Xu possesses extensive research and industry experience in blockchain security, smart contract security, and cross-chain technology security. He has published numerous research papers in international academic conferences and journals. Commenting on the funding award, Dr. Xu said: "Through this research, we hope to help local Web3 enterprises and stablecoin issuers effectively reduce security risks and contribute to the sustainable development of Hong Kong's fintech sector. We are also excited to integrate the cutting-edge technologies developed through this project into HKCT's cybersecurity curriculum, nurturing practice-oriented professionals equipped for the Web3 era." The RGC's Faculty Development Scheme places academic merit as its primary assessment criterion. The scheme aims to enhance the research capabilities of academic staff at local self-financing degree-awarding institutions while facilitating the transfer of cutting-edge research experience and new knowledge into teaching and learning.
HKCT will provide full support for the implementation of the project and leverage this opportunity to further promote the integration of industry, academia, and research. By advancing knowledge transfer in cybersecurity technologies, HKCT seeks to make meaningful contributions to the security of the Web3 ecosystem and digital transformation efforts in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.
