Cynthia Cai

Cynthia Cai is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied Finance at Macquarie University, where she specializes in FinTech, blockchain, and financial innovations. With over 15 years of academic and professional experience across Australia and internationally, she holds a PhD in Accounting/Finance from The University of Melbourne and is a CPA Australia member.

Her research focuses on cutting-edge topics such as blockchain, machine learning algorithms, and sustainable investment. Notably, her work on FinTech has earned prestigious awards, including the Peter Brown Manuscript Award (2018) and the Ray Ball Prize Runner-Up (2019). She is a sought-after reviewer and editorial board member for top-tier journals.

In teaching, Dr. Cai designs and delivers core FinTech courses for Macquarie’s pioneering master’s program, including 'FinTech and Innovations' and 'Payment, Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain'. She actively supervises PhD students in areas like central bank digital currencies (CBDC) through the CSIRO Next Gen R&D Program.

Her projects include research on CBDC infrastructure, sustainable investment literacy, and cryptocurrency-EUA market interactions. She has contributed expert commentary on financial trends for media outlets and collaborates with institutions like the DFCRC and ANZ.