Project Details
Program
Computer Science
Field of Study
Computer Science, Cybersecurity
Division
Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering
Faculty Lab Link
Project Description
This project focuses on analyzing the transaction graph of the Cardano blockchain to uncover structural and behavioral insights into the network. Cardano, a third-generation blockchain based on proof-of-stake, leverages the extended UTXO model to support multi-asset transactions and smart contracts. By constructing a transaction graph from the ledger and examining its properties, the project aims to highlight user interaction patterns, identify network inefficiencies, and explore potential malicious behaviors. The research process will begin with a study of Cardano’s blockchain architecture and relevant literature, followed by the setup and synchronization of a full node to enable reliable data collection. Transaction data will then be stored in a relational database and used to build a directed graph where nodes represent addresses or UTXOs and edges represent transactions. Preliminary analyses will include computing standard graph measures, interpreting the resulting topology, and assessing user interconnectivity.
About the Researcher
Roberto Di Pietro
Professor, Computer Science
Affiliations
Education Profile
- Post-doc at the National Research Council ('04-'06), Pisa-Italy
- Ph.D. in Computer Science ('04), University of Roma ""La Sapienza"", Italy.
- Specialization Diploma in Operations Research and Strategic Decisions ('03), University of Roma ""La Sapienza"", Italy.
- MS in informatics ('03), University of Pisa, Italy.
- MS in Computer Science ('94). University of Pisa, Italy.
Research Interests
Professor Roberto's objective is to achieve excellence in cybersecurity research addressing both fundamental and applied challenges in the field, as well as to have impact and to generate innovation. In particular, Professor Roberto's research interests lie in the domain of security and privacy for distributed systems, with a special focus on systems supporting critical infrastructures. He is also interested (among others) in data science, on-line social networks, and application of AI techniques to solve security and privacy issues in current and future systems.Selected Publications
- Gabriele Oligeri, Savio Sciancalepore, Simone Raponi, Roberto Di Pietro: PAST-AI: Physical-Layer Authentication of Satellite Transmitters via Deep Learning. IEEE Trans. Inf. Forensics Secur. 18: 274-289 (2023)
- Savio Sciancalepore, Pietro Tedeschi, Ahmed Aziz, Roberto Di Pietro: Auth-AIS: Secure, Flexible, and Backward-Compatible Authentication of Vessels AIS Broadcasts. IEEE Trans. Dependable Secur. Comput. 19(4): 2709-2726 (2022)
- Roberto Di Pietro, Simone Raponi, Maurantonio Caprolu, Stefano Cresci: New Dimensions of Information Warfare. Advances in Information Security 84, Springer 2021, ISBN 978-3-030-60617-6, pp. 1-226
- Pietro Tedeschi, Savio Sciancalepore, Roberto Di Pietro: ARID: Anonymous Remote IDentification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. ACSAC 2021: 207-218
- Andrea De Salve, Paolo Mori, Barbara Guidi, Laura Ricci, Roberto Di Pietro: Predicting Influential Users in Online Social Network Groups. ACM Trans. Knowl. Discov. Data 15(3): 35:1-35:50 (2021)
Desired Project Deliverables
The project will deliver a fully operational Cardano full node synchronized with the main network, together with a relational database containing structured transaction data. A transaction graph generated from this dataset will serve as the foundation for analysis. The deliverables also include a set of preliminary results covering local and global graph metrics, insights into network behavior, and a discussion of observed transaction patterns.
Recommended Student Background
- Provable experience in SQL technologies (design, maintenance, and interaction of a sequential database)
- Proficiency in Python coding
- Knowledge of cryptocurrencies and exchange platforms
BSc in CS, Maths, Physics, CE