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IOR faculty

A globally distributed team of renowned computer scientists, cryptographers, and engineers guides Input Output Research. We actively bridge the gap between academia and industry by maintaining deep, long-standing partnerships with top global universities and hosting a roster of embedded academics who shape our foundational work. Our team's collective mission is to translate complex theoretical advancements into production-ready, high-assurance protocols that redefine the decentralized landscape.
Research network
Research network
Research framework
Research framework
Contribute
Contribute

An evidence-based approach

Traditional testing is insufficient for decentralized systems operating on public, global infrastructure, where failure is not an option. IOR employs cryptography, game theory, simulations, and formal specifications to ensure security, correctness, and resilience. This rigorous methodology utilizes Software Readiness Levels (SRLs) to guide projects from initial research and validation to high-assurance implementation.

Fundamental research (SRL 1–2)
Develop and formalize ideas and proofs (3–5 years to market)

Technology validation (SRL 3–5)
Prototypes, modeling, and product specs (1.5–3 years to market)

Targeted implementation (SRL 5+)
Guide engineering into production (0–18 months to market)

By prioritizing rigorous modeling and prototyping, IOR effectively de-risks product development and validates designs early, as proven by innovations such as the Ouroboros protocol family, Babel fees, and others.

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Research network

Aggelos Kiayias

Input Output Research is led by chief scientist professor Aggelos Kiayias, and anchored by a multidisciplinary in-house team of research fellows.

01In-house
  • Recognised leaders across cryptography, distributed systems, formal methods, cybersecurity, economics, and game theory.
  • Multidisciplinary team collaborating across domains to deliver state-of-the-art blockchain science and protocol innovation.
  • An integrated approach that ensures rigorous, peer-reviewed research underpinning the security, performance, and sustainability of IO’s ecosystems.
02Embedded research
  • Leading global experts embedded within top universities.
  • Long-term research agendas with continuous knowledge transfer
03Academic partnerships
  • The Blockchain Technology Laboratory (BTL) network drives open-access, industry-inspired strategic projects.
  • Input Output Research Hubs advance interdisciplinary blockchain science across mathematics, computer science, engineering, and economics.

Recent research

The 11 tenets: a framework for decision-making

Designing blockchain systems is a complex process requiring communities to navigate tough decisions with far-reaching consequences. The following 11 tenets encapsulate foundational principles that guide deliberation and ensure proposed improvements align with the rights and expectations of users and contributors.

Transactions cannot be slowed down or censored and will be expediently served for its purpose (system must scale – throughput, sharding, settlement, and dynamically price, layer 2)

The cost of a transaction should be predictable and cannot be unreasonable (system should facilitate an accessible predictable pricing)

No one should be prevented from developing and deploying your application as you intended it (system should offer DSLs and formal verification support, pub/sub location services, oracles, partnerchains)

Everyone's inputs and contributions to the system will be recognized, recorded, and assessed fairly (rewards sharing for stake pool operators, tokenomics, multi-resource consensus)

The system will not lock the value that you store in it without your consent (interoperability, partnerchains)

The system will safely preserve the value and information that you decide to store in it (integrity, post-quantum security, decentralization, decentralized storage, stablecoins, key management, ownership)

The system will not unnecessarily spend resources (proofs of useful work, efficient design, memory, storage)

The system will treat users equally and will evolve according to their collective will aiming at its long term sustainability and viability (fairness, neutrality, sustainability, governance, decentralized identity, multi-resource consensus, democracy 4.0)

The system will preserve the privacy of the users’ actions to the degree that is possible while facilitating the other tenets (privacy preserving techniques for identity, secure MPC)

The system will offer users ways to engage that do not require them to break local laws and regulations to the degree that is possible while facilitating the other tenets (regulatory compliance, RVTP)

The dynamics of the system shall be transparent, open, verifiable, and interpretable to the degree that is possible while facilitating the other tenets (transparency, democracy 4.0)

Learn more about our guiding principles?

How we work
How we work
Our research partners

The Venture Studio takes our finalized research and turns it into scalable, real-world products.

Learn about Venture Studio
Learn about Venture Studio
Venture Studio

Partner with research

Investing in and contributing to Input Output Research means supporting one of the most rigorous and peer-reviewed blockchain R&D efforts in the world. Our work bridges academia and industry, advancing decentralization, security and scalability while creating open knowledge that benefits the entire ecosystem. Whether through funding, collaboration, or partnership, contributors play a vital role in shaping innovations that are ethical, impactful and built to endure.