We are proud to announce that the project “ShieldTrade: Multi-layer Defense System for Secure Web3 Transactions” led by Prof. AU Man Ho Allen, our Associate Head (Research and Development) and Professor, has earned funding support under the third round of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme.
Administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), the RAISe+ Scheme is designed to fund high-impact research projects and promote the translation of academic research into real-world industrial applications. In this highly competitive third round, only 24 projects were recommended by the Steering Committee, representing a total Government funding commitment exceeding HK$1 billion. We are honoured that Prof. Au's initiative is among the four prestigious projects awarded to PolyU.
ShieldTrade: Multi-layer Defense System for Secure Web3 Transactions
The project aims to develop ShieldTrade, a next-generation Web3 security system that prevents users from transacting with blacklisted or sanctioned addresses, malicious or deceptive smart contracts, and phishing or fraudulent applications that attempt to obtain unauthorised token approvals or asset transfers.
ShieldTrade provides end-to-end security protection for Web3 users by detecting risky transactions before execution and blocking malicious activities in real time. It analyses wallet interactions, smart-contract behaviours and transaction patterns to identify blacklisted or sanctioned addresses, malicious or deceptive contracts, and phishing or fraudulent “dApps” designed to steal assets or token approvals. Through advanced binary analysis, fuzzing and symbolic execution, ShieldTrade delivers proactive defence against emerging Web3 threats and ensures safer participation in decentralised ecosystems.
This milestone marks a consecutive success for our department in this prestigious government funding scheme. In the second round of the RAISe+ Scheme, Prof. YANG Hongxia, Executive Director of PAAI (EDoPAAI), Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Chair Professor of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Director of UBDA, also successfully received funding for her pioneering research. (Click here to read more about Prof. Yang’s project.)
