IEEE TEMS Technical Committee on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies

The IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society (TEMS) Technical Committee (TC) on Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) is a global hub for innovation, research, and collaboration in one of the most transformative technological domains of the 21st century. With a mission to advance the development, application, and responsible use of blockchain and DLT across industries and borders, the TC fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, supports academic excellence, and drives real-world impact through education, standardization, and commercialization.

This committee brings together leading researchers, industry experts, educators, and policymakers from around the world to shape the future of decentralized technologies.

Core Mission and Vision

At its heart, the TC is dedicated to:

Promoting cutting-edge research in blockchain and DLT
Facilitating global collaboration across academia, industry, and government
Advancing education and workforce development in decentralized systems
Supporting the ethical and secure deployment of blockchain solutions
Contributing to long-term technological competitiveness and societal benefit

By uniting diverse stakeholders under a shared vision, the TC aims to position blockchain not just as a tool for financial innovation but as a foundational technology for trust, transparency, and efficiency across sectors.

Leadership Structure

The committee is led by a distinguished group of founding chairs and advisors who represent top institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Founding TC Chairs

Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA – A renowned cybersecurity expert and founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of ACM Distributed Ledger Technologies: Research and Practice
Rongxing Lu, University of New Brunswick, Canada – IEEE Fellow with expertise in secure communications and privacy-preserving systems
Keke Gai, Beijing Institute of Technology, China – Leading researcher in AI-integrated blockchain architectures

These leaders set the strategic direction for the TC and oversee its growth and outreach initiatives.

Advisory Board: Global Thought Leaders

The TC benefits from guidance by an elite advisory board composed of IEEE Fellows, journal editors-in-chief, and pioneers in engineering management, cybersecurity, and distributed systems:

Tugrul Daim – Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
Tony Cheng Tsang Man – IEEE Fellow, Singapore University of Technology and Design
Ramesh Ramadoss – Chair of IEEE P2418.1 Blockchain Standards Working Group
My Thai – IEEE Fellow, University of Florida
Bhavani Thuraisingham – Fellow of ACM, IEEE, AAAS, and NAI
Chonggang Wang – IEEE Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Networks
Merrill Warkentin – Founder of IFIP WG8.11 on Information Systems Security
Jie Wu – Fellow of AAAS and IEEE
Jaideep Vaidya – Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing

This board ensures that the TC remains aligned with global trends in technology governance, security, and innovation.

👉 Discover how decentralized technologies are shaping the future of digital trust

Special Interest Groups: Driving Innovation Across Domains

To address the multidisciplinary nature of blockchain, the TC has established several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) focused on key application areas:

Applied and Strategic Cybersecurity

Led by Ali Ismail Awad (Luleå University of Technology) and Steven Furnell (University of Nottingham), this SIG explores how blockchain enhances cyber resilience in critical infrastructure.

Blockchain for Supply Chain Management

Chaired by Tsan-Ming (Jason) Choi (National Taiwan University), Sai-Ho Chung (Hong Kong Polytechnic), and Xiutian Shi (Nanjing University), this group investigates traceability, anti-counterfeiting, and logistics optimization using DLT.

Blockchain Forensics and Threat Intelligence

Co-led by Xiaodong Lin (University of Guelph), Ting Chen (UESTC), and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, this joint initiative with the Communications and Information Security TC advances tools for tracking illicit crypto activities.

Business Applications of DLT

Under Chee-Wee Tan (Copenhagen Business School) and Alain Chong (University of Nottingham Ningbo), this SIG studies smart contracts, decentralized finance (DeFi), and enterprise adoption strategies.

Crypto

Joseph Liu (Monash University) and Tsz Hon Yuen (University of Hong Kong) lead research into cryptographic protocols such as zero-knowledge proofs and post-quantum security.

Decentralized and Collaborative AI

Reza Meimandi Parizi (Kennesaw State), Ali Dehghantanha (University of Guelph), and Qi Zhang (IBM Watson) explore federated learning powered by blockchain.

DLT for Industrial IoT (DLT-IIoT)

Song Han (University of Connecticut) and Donald R. Brown (WPI) work on secure machine-to-machine communication in Industry 4.0 environments.

Differential Privacy and Decentralized Privacy Computing

Willy Susilo (University of Wollongong), Peng Jiang, and Lei Xu (both from BIT) focus on privacy-preserving computation models compatible with public ledgers.

Energy

Ümit Cali (NTNU) and Claudio Lima (Blockchain Engineering Council) collaborate on energy trading platforms and grid management via blockchain.

Financial Crime Investigation & Human Trafficking

Donald Rebovich (Utica College), Aaron Kahler (ATII), and Kyung-Seok Choo investigate cryptocurrency misuse while developing forensic frameworks to combat human trafficking.

Fundamentals

Sherman S. M. Chow (CUHK), Bernardo David (ITU Copenhagen), and Dominique Schröder (FAU Erlangen) delve into theoretical foundations like consensus mechanisms and formal verification.

Scalable Blockchain and Parachain

Omer Rana (Cardiff), Abdelhakim Senhaji Hafid (Montreal), and Imtiaz Khan (Cardiff Met) tackle scalability challenges through sharding and interoperability solutions.

Privacy-Preserving and Regulation-Compliant Blockchain

Huang Lin (Mercury’s Wing) and Rongxing Lu lead efforts to align DLT with GDPR, CCPA, and other regulatory frameworks.

Supporting Structures: Subcommittees and Chapters

Beyond SIGs, the TC operates structured subcommittees to ensure operational excellence:

Standards Development

JaeSeung Song (Sejong University) and Richard Brooks (Clemson) guide engagement with IEEE P2418.x standards series for blockchain interoperability.

Commercialization & Venture Development

Ali Dehghantanha and Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo support startups and technology transfer from lab to market.

Education

Quinn Dupont (UCD) and Victoria Lemieux (UBC) partner with the IEEE Blockchain Initiative to develop curricula and certification programs.

Publications

Zheng Yan (Xidian/Aalto) and Bin Cao (BUPT) manage editorial outreach and special issues in top journals.

TEMSBOK (Technology & Engineering Management Body of Knowledge)

Gustavo Giannattasio leads efforts to integrate blockchain into professional engineering management frameworks.

Additionally, regional Chapters foster local engagement in Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the UK—ensuring global reach with local relevance.

👉 Explore career opportunities in blockchain research and development

Strategic Partnerships for Social Impact

One of the TC’s most impactful collaborations is with the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) through its Cryptocurrency Consortium (ATCC). This partnership unites academia with major crypto exchanges—including Binance, Coinbase, Paxful—and blockchain analytics firms like Chainalysis, Elliptic, and CipherTrace—to trace illicit funds and disrupt human trafficking networks.

This initiative demonstrates how DLT can be used not only for economic innovation but also for digital justice, leveraging transparency to protect vulnerable populations.

Join the Global Blockchain Community

With over 100 founding members from 30+ countries—including experts from MIT, IBM, Macquarie University, Tongji University, and UNB—the TC represents a truly international coalition advancing responsible DLT innovation.

Whether you're a researcher publishing in top journals, an educator building blockchain curricula, or an entrepreneur launching a Web3 startup, there's a place for you in this community.

👉 Learn how you can contribute to ethical blockchain innovation today

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the primary goal of the IEEE TEMS TC on Blockchain?
A: The committee aims to advance research, education, standardization, and collaboration in blockchain and DLT to enhance technological competitiveness and societal benefit globally.

Q: Who can join the Technical Committee?
A: Researchers, educators, industry professionals, and students with expertise or interest in blockchain are welcome. Contact any TC chair to express interest.

Q: How does the TC support education in blockchain?
A: Through its Education Subcommittee, it collaborates with the IEEE Blockchain Initiative to develop learning resources, workshops, and academic programs worldwide.

Q: Are there opportunities for student involvement?
A: Yes—students can participate in chapters, attend sponsored events, contribute to publications, or join special interest groups aligned with their research interests.

Q: Does the TC develop technical standards?
A: Yes—it actively participates in IEEE P2418.x blockchain standards through its dedicated Subcommittee on Blockchain and DLT Standards.

Q: How does the TC address ethical concerns in cryptocurrency?
A: By partnering with organizations like ATII to combat financial crime and human trafficking using forensic blockchain analysis while promoting regulation-compliant designs.