International Association
for Cryptologic Research

There are several openings for postdoctoral positions for the 2026-2027 academic year at the new Columbia-Ethereum Research Center for Blockchain Protocol Design (see below for more information about the center). Inquiries and application materials can be sent to Tim Roughgarden at tr@cs.columbia.edu.

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Blockchain technology creates the abstraction of a “computer in the sky”---a global and shared programmable virtual machine that combines the general-purpose functionality of a computer with the decentralization and fault-tolerance of the Internet. A blockchain protocol plays a role similar to that of an operating system---an intermediate layer that insulates the application layer (i.e., smart contracts) from the hardware layer (i.e., the Internet) and acts as the “master program” that coordinates the execution of all the virtual machine’s system and user-installed programs. Blockchain technology can be viewed as adding state and data processing capabilities to traditional Internet infrastructure and, among other applications, it enables stronger forms of ownership of digital assets than society has ever had before.

Blockchain protocol design requires innovation in and the synthesis of a number of technically challenging fields, including distributed systems, game theory and mechanism design, cryptography, and more. The Columbia-Ethereum Center for Blockchain Protocol Design brings together the multi-disciplinary expertise at Columbia to advance the performance, security, robustness, and economics of this societally important technology.

The Center’s activities include research grants for Columbia faculty, students, and their collaborators; postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships; an industry research-in-residence program; and several events, including the Columbia Cryptoeconomics Workshop and an annual summer school.