Stefan Kitzler

Stefan Kitzler is a PhD candidate at the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) since May 2021, University lecturer in computer science at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) since March 2024, and Scientist at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. He completed a 2023 research stay at University of Montreal's EconCrime Lab and served as Technical Advisor at the BIS Innovation Hub on the Data Atlas project in early 2025.

Education:

• Bachelor's and Master's in Technical Physics, TU Wien

His research focuses on cryptoasset data analysis within Decentralized Finance (DeFi), examining service structures, DAO governance dynamics, and criminal activity patterns. Work combines blockchain technology with financial crime analysis to map systemic risks in digital currency ecosystems, emphasizing empirical evidence and cross-ledger transaction flows.

Recent publications reveal evolving DeFi research trajectories: early work (2022-2023) established composability frameworks for DeFi protocols on Ethereum, while 2025 studies expanded into DAO governance transparency and crime landscape mapping. This progression demonstrates interdisciplinary integration of computer science, criminology, and financial systems analysis.

Scientific Awards:

• Research prize (2023) for DeFi paper

Kitzler contributes to the DeFiTrace project analyzing illegal payment flows in cross-ledger DeFi ecosystems under Bernhard Haslhofer. While no formal students are documented, his lecturing role at TU Wien and research group participation indicate knowledge transfer activities within academic and institutional settings.

He actively participates in CSH's Digital Currency Ecosystems and Crime in the Digital Age research groups, collaborating on blockchain analytics projects that bridge academic research with real-world financial technology applications.