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Student Spotlight: Cenchuan Zhang recipient of UCL CEGE Excellence Prize
14 January 2025
Cenchuan Zhang has been awarded the UCL CEGE Excellence Prize for his groundbreaking MSc research on enhancing smart contract security in decentralised finance using deep reinforcement learning.
We are proud to highlight Cenchuan Zhang, a postgraduate student at UCL Institute of Finance and Technology (IFT), who has been awarded a CEGE Excellence Prize for his Excellence in MSc Research Project. His work, titled “Smart Contract Security in Decentralised Finance (DeFi): Enhancing Vulnerability Detection with Reinforcement Learning,” presents an innovative approach to strengthening security in blockchain ecosystems.
Recognising the growing risks posed by vulnerabilities in smart contracts, Cenchuan’s research investigates advanced reinforcement learning models—Deep Q-Network (DQN) and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO)—for detecting and classifying security flaws. By leveraging control flow graphs (CFGs) generated from contract bytecode, his work introduces a novel methodology for vulnerability detection, reducing financial risks for DeFi stakeholders and advancing the field of blockchain security.
Under the guidance of his supervisor, Prof. Francesca Medda, Cenchuan demonstrated exceptional academic rigour and creativity. Prof. Medda praised the ingenuity and potential impact of his research, which bridges artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. Additionally, mentorship from Mr. Rahul of Honda R&D Europe (UK) Ltd played a pivotal role in shaping the early stages of this groundbreaking work.
Upon receiving the award, Cenchuan expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am deeply honoured to receive the UCL CEGE Excellence Prize. This achievement reflects the unwavering support I’ve received from my supervisor, Prof. Francesca Medda, and the mentorship of Mr. Rahul. Lastly, I dedicate this to my family, whose encouragement has been my constant source of strength.”
Cenchuan Zhang’s dedication to academic excellence and real-world impact exemplifies the best of UCL IFT’s innovative research. His work not only inspires peers within the IFT and CEGE community but also paves the way for future advancements in blockchain security and artificial intelligence applications.
Congratulations to Cenchuan Zhang on this well-deserved recognition!