The University of Hong Kong

Building the nexus for decentralized innovation.

A university-wide hub advancing Web3 research, talent and real-world impact.

Discover our mission Hong Kong · 2026

01 / 06

Institute leadership

Guided by scholarship.
Built for impact.

Vice-President, HKU · Co-Director

Prof. Yang Wang

A renowned mathematician and HKU’s Vice-President (Institutional Advancement), playing a key role in advancing Hong Kong’s Web3 and AI ecosystems.

Vice-President, HKU · Co-Director

Prof. Chen Lin

A distinguished finance scholar and HKU’s Interim Vice-President (Business), specializing in fintech, corporate finance and innovation, with extensive government advisory experience.

Vision & mission

Our vision

HKU as the global nexus for decentralized technology research, education and translational innovation.

Empowering societies to harness Web3 for equitable progress.

Advance interdisciplinary research

Foster deep specialization in Web3 technology areas such as RWA tokenization and AI-Web3 convergence.

Cultivate next-generation talent

Train future leaders through cross-domain programs, entrepreneurship activities and industry placements.

Bridge academia with industry

Co-develop Web3 solutions with enterprises and align research with real-world applications.

Incubate ethical ventures & policies

Support venture acceleration and contribute to harmonized regulatory frameworks and public goods.

Institute structure

One ecosystem.
Deep specialization.

Web3 InstituteUmbrella organization

Vertical HubsDomain specialization

Vertical LabsRapid prototyping

Ecosystem coordination

A unifying body for specialized hubs and labs.

The Institute provides ethical oversight, shared infrastructure and cohesive branding across the Web3 ecosystem.

HK$30M

Vertical Hub naming rights

HK$15M

Specialized Lab naming rights

Four central pillars

Shared foundations.
Exponential outcomes.

Centralized units deliver cross-cutting services for research, talent, policy and venture creation.

Research Commons

Secure data environments and high-performance AI compute resources for cross-unit collaboration.

Talent Academy

Certified courses, student fellowships and strategic industry placements to grow Web3 talent.

Policy Hub

Regulatory integration, whitepaper drafting, government liaison and responsible sandbox design.

Incubator

Cohort programs, mentor networks and exclusive Demo Day access for emerging ventures.

Partnerships & units in preparation

Shape the future of Web3 with us.

Join a university-led ecosystem of specialized vertical hubs and labs.

Domain leadership in high-growth verticals
Early access to cutting-edge IP
Direct pipeline to top talent
Influence responsible regulatory frameworks

Explore units in preparation

RWA Tokenization Lab

Real estate, mortgages, bonds, carbon credits and other assets.

Decentralized Finance Lab

Lending protocols, staking mechanisms and decentralized exchanges.

Stablecoin & Payment Systems Lab

Decentralized stablecoins and RMB internationalization.

Hub for Crypto Asset Management

Quant trading, asset allocation and venture incubation.

Hub for AI + Crypto

Smarter trading, agents and new incentive models.

Blockchain Tech Lab

Consensus, smart contracts, scalability and interoperability.

One-person Unicorn Lab

Cultivating unicorns with the leanest human resources.