C A Carr

I am a mathematician and cryptographer, specialising in blockchain technology. My research has looked into some of the most pressing issues in this domain, such as security, scalability, decentralization, and energy consumption. My teaching experience includes courses on Blockchain, Cryptography, Number Theory, Information Security and Fintech. I recently designed and finished a lecture series on Smart Contracts for the Spring 2023 semester. It was selected for a Best Academic Programme award , and is running again in 2024 and 2025.

Before joining Exeter, I held a Wallscourt Fellow role in Financial Technology at UWE Bristol. Prior to that, I held a post-doctoral research and innovation position at the Department of Information Security and Communication Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where I worked on the development of blockchain technology for the Nordic startup Graphchain AS, as a cofounder. At the same time I held a role as a subject matter expert on Cryptography and Blockchain for Deloitte, Oslo.

I completed my PhD in 2019, which was part of a joint programme between NTNU and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), under the supervision of Colin Boyd, Kristian Gjøsteen, and Xavier Boyen. My doctoral thesis, titled “Towards Fairness and Decentralisation in Modern Cryptocurrencies,” was selected for an Outstanding Doctoral Thesis award and can be accessed here: thesis. I also hold a MSc with distinction in Cryptography from Royal Holloway, University of London, and my BSc with honours in Mathematics from Keele University.

In addition to my academic work, I am a founding member and currently serve as the CEO of the blockchain startup Lybell Graphchain, which develops the tools and code for the graphchain layer-1 project, and the ID-based, secure wallet software NO/WALLET: no-wallet.io. This development is inspired from the funded Graphchain postdoctoral project (>1m NOK) at NTNU and from my own subsequent research.

I also operate as CTO for the starup Siignd, where I architected and built the smart contract security, for the system used by Tagsmart.

I have an Erdős number of 4. If you have an Erdős number of 2 or lower and are looking for a collaborator, please reach out ;).

Current Projects

I am currently establishing the Blockchain Valley Hub at Exeter with fellow academics to foster blockchain education, dissemination, research, and collaboration. Feel free to reach out if interested.

I have an ongoing blockchain textbook for a major publisher, with sample chapters to be made available online.

Interests

My interests encompass topics within cryptography and blockchain technology. I am especially interested in the challenges related to scalability, sustainability, and secure consensus mechanisms in blockchain and distributed ledger technology.

I also occasionally give talks on various blockchain-related subjects, and have given media interviews. Please note that I specialise in the more technical aspects of these technologies.