Kostas Chalkias, Mysten Labs: The Cryptographers of Greece and the Blockchain of the Future
- (...) Is there any advice that stands out to you? A piece of advice you’ve received in your life that has stayed with you?"
-"I had read a quote, and a professor of mine shared it with me: 'the ultimate inspiration is the deadline.' You need to have a deadline to finish something."
About the speaker
Kostas Chalkias is the Co-Founder and Chief Cryptographer at Mysten Labs, where he drives innovation in blockchain security and cryptography. Previously, he served as the cryptography lead at Facebook (Libra, Novi, WhatsApp) and head of research at R3, leading advancements for the Corda blockchain and Conclave SGX. With over 20 years of software engineering experience, Kostas has held leadership roles, including CTO positions at Erybo (CA) and Safemarket (GR), focusing on Big Data and Security. A prolific researcher, he has authored 50+ scientific papers and contributed groundbreaking work in Zero Knowledge Proofs, EdDSA, Timed-Release Encryption, and Key-Compromise attacks. His innovations include 8 US patents and some of the fastest protocols in cryptographic fields, earning him three Best Paper awards. As an educator and community leader, Kostas has taught cryptography, statistics, and programming at the University of Macedonia for nearly a decade and founded Greece's largest Big Data Meetup, fostering a vibrant 2000+ member community.
