"Bridging quantitative engineering, systemic risk assessment, and sovereign-grade financial infrastructure."
Focus: Tokenisation, Post-Trade Settlement, and Regulatory Analysis
I am a quantitative researcher and strategist specializing in financial market infrastructure and digital assets. My background combines mathematical optimization, complexity modeling, and institutional risk management. I hold a Master of Arts in Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE) from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours in Systems Engineering from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), graduating ranked first in my class.
In my research and industry advisory—previously including doctoral-level research under the EU’s MiCA framework at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT), University of Luxembourg, in partnership with a state-owned bank, and commercial advisory work in Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong—I analyze systemic compliance and custody-risk mitigation. My focus is on delivering institutional-grade clarity to cross-border settlement, stablecoin protocols, and tokenised assets.
Methodology & Systems
Applying network dynamics, agent-based modeling (ABM), and optimization frameworks to model contagion risks and post-trade settlement architecture.
Regulatory Implementation
Mapping the operational boundaries of emerging regulations (MiCA, HKMA Stablecoins Ordinance, and ADGM FSRA) to build robust, compliant institutional-grade systems.
Selected Publications
REGULATED SYSTEMS · PROTOCOL DESIGN · RISK DYNAMICS
Mining in Elgar Encyclopedia of Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and DLT
J. Sedlmeir, & Y. Zhou · 2026 · Edward Elgar Publishing.
AI-DeFi Systemic Risk: A Complex Adaptive System Framework
Y. Zhou, & O. Papageorgiou · 2025 · 7th Conference on Blockchain Research & Applications (BRAINS), Zurich.
Active risk aversion in SIS epidemics on networks
A. Bizyaeva, M. O. Arango, Y. Zhou, S. Levin, & N. E. Leonard · 2024 · American Control Conference (ACC), 4428–4433.
The Imminent (and Avoidable) Security Risk of Bitcoin Halving
J. Sedlmeir, Y. Zhou, O. Papageorgiou, & G. Fridgen · 2024 · SSRN eLibrary.
Active Control and Sustained Oscillations in actSIS Epidemic Dynamics
Y. Zhou, S. Levin, & N. E. Leonard · 2020 · IFAC-PapersOnLine, 53(5), 807–812.
Direct Inquiries
For institutional research inquiries, technical project scoping, or advisory mandates, please reach out directly.
Verified Registries
Yunxiu (Tamara) Zhou
Strategy & Investment Evaluation · Market Infrastructure · Digital Assets
Professional Experience
Abu Dhabi-registered digital-asset venture · Abu Dhabi / Hong Kong
- Formulated systemic risk and compliance frameworks (IDARC) for institutional digital asset allocation and cross-chain settlement.
- Advised family offices, asset managers, and regulated entities across Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong on stablecoin mechanisms, custody risk, and tokenisation.
- Authored high-impact industry research on digital asset market structure and liquidity infrastructure.
FINATRAX group · Partnership with Spuerkeess Bank · FutureFintech Fellow
- Conducted quantitative research on the institutional adoption of digital-asset market infrastructure under the European MiCA framework.
- Deployed agent-based modeling (ABM) for systemic contagion analysis in partnership with Spuerkeess, the state-owned savings bank of Luxembourg.
- Served on the Technical Programme Committee of the TRACE workshop on crypto-asset regulation and analytics.
Shanghai / Hong Kong
- Led rigorous technical and commercial due diligence on DLT infrastructure, tokenisation models, and oracle networks for institutional asset management.
- Managed investment evaluation pipelines and negotiated strategic partnerships with institutional custodians, technology vendors, and clearinghouses.
Princeton, NJ · Co-founding member, Princeton Blockchain Society
- Modeled stochastic propagation and network feedback structures in complex systems using differential equations and non-parametric estimation.
- Co-authored peer-reviewed research on epidemic dynamics and active risk aversion in complex multi-agent networks.
Hong Kong
- Engineered time-series analysis models on HSI and DJI constituent stocks using R, identifying structural market anomalies.
- Assembled and synthesized cross-market data pipelines to support institutional client advisory and risk reports.
Education
Selected Publications
Sedlmeir, J., & Zhou, Y. (2026). Mining. In Elgar Encyclopedia of Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and DLT. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Zhou, Y., & Papageorgiou, O. (2025). AI-DeFi systemic risk: A complex adaptive system framework. BRAINS 2025, Zurich.
Bizyaeva, A., Ordorica Arango, M., Zhou, Y., Levin, S., & Leonard, N. E. (2024). Active risk aversion in SIS epidemics on networks. 2024 American Control Conference (ACC), 4428–4433.
Sedlmeir, J., Zhou, Y., Papageorgiou, O., & Fridgen, G. (2024). The Imminent (and Avoidable) Security Risk of Bitcoin Halving. FutureFinTech Working Paper Series.
Zhou, Y., Levin, S. A., & Leonard, N. E. (2020). Active control and sustained oscillations in actSIS epidemic dynamics. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 53(5), 807–812.