The Ethereum on Tour: Toward the World’s Computer event, hosted by The Research Centre for Blockchain Technology (RCBT) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and co-hosted by the Ethereum Foundation’s Academic Secretariat, with SNZ Holding Limited as strategic partner, concluded successfully on 13 October 2025. PolyU was the first university in Hong Kong to host the Ethereum on Tour stop on campus, underscoring its leadership in advancing Web3 research and innovation.
As part of its efforts to foster academic–industry collaboration and solidify Hong Kong’s role in the global Web3 research landscape, RCBT partnered with the Ethereum Foundation’s Academic Secretariat to bring together leading Ethereum researchers, engineers, and builders. The event provided a platform for sharing the latest research and engineering advancements shaping the Ethereum ecosystem.
The event opened with warm remarks from Professor Man Ho Allen Au, Professor and Associate Head (Research and Development), Department of Computing, and Director of RCBT at PolyU. Followed by Mr. Shyam Sridhar, Team Lead,Academic Secretariat, Ethereum Foundation. Both speakers underscored the shared commitment to advancing blockchain research, translating innovation into real-world applications, and cultivating the next generation of Web3 talent.
The event’s first session featured an engaging fireside chat on frontier topics shaping Ethereum’s evolution. Moderated by Mr. Shyam Sridhar, the discussion brought together Mr. Tomasz Stańczak, Co-Executive Director, Ethereum Foundation & Founder, Nethermind, Mr. Gavin Wang, CIO, SNZ Holding, and Dr. Patrick McCorry, Researcher, Arbitrum Foundation.
The panel explored advanced technical concepts, highlighting Ethereum’s role as a “world computer” and its real-world applications, including its emerging potential as a coordination layer for AI agents. Alongside these forward-looking discussions, speakers shared personal reflections on their journeys into Web3, offering practical career advice and long-term industry perspectives that equipped attendees with both strategic insights and actionable guidance for navigating a rapidly maturing blockchain landscape.
The second session, titled “The Hidden Cracks in Web3: How Implementation Inconsistencies Are Breaking Ethereum’s Promise” was delivered by Dr. Ningyu He, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Computing, PolyU. He highlighted how ensuring greater alignment across Ethereum’s rapidly evolving infrastructure is essential to maintaining its reliability and security. He shared research on identifying and addressing subtle inconsistencies, underscoring the community’s proactive efforts to strengthen the ecosystem as it scales.
This was followed by Mr. Marius Van Der Wijden, Software Developer, Ethereum Foundation, who joined the event virtually and presented “The Scaling Roadmap for Ethereum”. He outlined Ethereum’s multi-pronged approach to sustainable scaling.
The final part of the event was an interactive workshop led by mentor Mr. Shiv Bhonde, software developer, BuidlGuidl, who designed coding challenges for all participants.
He guided attendees through the problems step by step, providing hands-on instruction throughout the session. At the conclusion, three winners received prizes provided by PolyU and the Ethereum Foundation.
The success of Ethereum on Tour at PolyU underscores Hong Kong’s growing role as a strategic hub in the global Web3 research and innovation network. PolyU and RCBT will continue to advance foundational blockchain research, translate ideas into impactful applications, and build bridges between academia and industry.
