Welcome to this issue of our newsletter, themed "Spearheading Financial Industry Advancement with Blockchain and FinTech". As the pace of technological innovation accelerates, we find ourselves at the forefront of a transformative era, where the convergence of blockchain and fintech is reshaping the global financial landscape.

Hong Kong continues to solidify its position as an international financial centre, embracing innovation while maintaining robust regulatory standards. The recent introduction of a regulatory regime for stablecoin issuers is a testament to the HKSAR government's proactive approach and keen awareness of emerging trends. This forward-thinking stance not only enhances market confidence but also ensures the City remains a leader in the adoption and governance of digital assets.

Reflecting this spirit of excellence, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has been ranked the No. 1 university for blockchain in the world by CoinDesk. This prestigious honour placed us at the cutting edge of blockchain and fintech research and highlights our unwavering commitment to advancing the field. At PolyU, we strive to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation, making meaningful contributions to the development of financial technologies both locally and globally.

In this issue, we showcase cutting-edge technology research highlighting:

• a novel framework for a smart contracts system to balance privacy and regulatory needs
• an award-winning discovery of vulnerabilities in Arbitrum and Optimism, blockchain scaling solutions built on Ethereum
• an innovative design of truly stable and decentralised stablecoins 
• an AI approach to identifying gas-wasting code smells in smart contracts

On the practical front, our analysis examines market influence, industry reactions and prevailing attitudes, and features:

• a study of travellers' intentions to adopt cryptocurrency payments
• an analysis of retailers' strategies for adopting blockchain and cryptocurrencies
• an exploration of the role of fintech in green bond issuance
• an analysis of the European Central Bank's regulatory stance on cryptocurrencies

Meanwhile, the Engagement & Partnership section includes the University's recent collaborations with external organisations among other initiatives, while the Student Corner features some of our students' achievements.

We hope this issue inspires further dialogue and collaboration among academics, industry professionals and policymakers, as we collectively shape the future of finance.

Prof. Cheng DONG Chairman of the Editorial Committee Associate Vice President (Mainland Research Advancement) Chair Professor of Cell Engineering and ImmunoMedicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering