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Kostas Kryptos Chalkias

co-founder @Mysten Labs
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Speaker's Bio

Cofounder and Chief Cryptographer at MystenLabs. Ex-Facebook cryptography lead (Libra, Novi, WhatsApp) and previously head of research at R3 (UK) for the Corda blockchain and Conclave SGX. Before that, a CTO in two Security + Big Data companies, Erybo (CA) and Safemarket (GR).

Technical Summary and Achievements:
• Ranked in the Top20 StackOverflow users coming from Greece (on Java related questions) and 1st between recent Greek StackOverflow members joined StackOverflow after 2014.
• 20+ years in software engineering acting as a Team Leader and Lead Software Developer in various US, UK and Greek based entities. CTO for 6 years in a Big Data and Security oriented US-based startup.
• An active Cryptography and Big Data researcher, currently focusing on blockchain security and novel smart contracts, post quantum signatures and zero knowledge proofs.
• Have published more than 50 scientific papers, mainly known for my work in Zero Knowledge Proofs, EdDSA scheme, Base64 attacks, Proofs of solvency community standard lead, Timed-Release Encryption, Graphical Passwords, the Saferandom protocol and Key-Compromise attacks having proposed some of the fastest protocols in the field and analysed potential attack vectors.
• Have received a Best Paper award for 3 times, filed 8 US patents, ranked 1st in Computer Science MSc studies, received one of the most appreciated national scholarship programs (4 years in a row) and ranked on the Top3 in National IT Innovation Contests twice.
• Teaching Assistant for ~10 years at the University of Macedonia (Java, R, Cryptography, Chaos Theory, Statistics).
• Founder of the largest Big Data Meetup group in Athens, Greece, with a healthy and growing community of 2000+ members.

Cofounder and Chief Cryptographer at MystenLabs. Ex-Facebook cryptography lead (Libra, Novi, WhatsApp) and previously head of research at R3 (UK) for the Corda blockchain and Conclave SGX. Before that, a CTO in two Security + Big Data companies, Erybo (CA) and Safemarket (GR).

Technical Summary and Achievements:
• Ranked in the Top20 StackOverflow users coming from Greece (on Java related questions) and 1st between recent Greek StackOverflow members joined StackOverflow after 2014.
• 20+ years in software engineering acting as a Team Leader and Lead Software Developer in various US, UK and Greek based entities. CTO for 6 years in a Big Data and Security oriented US-based startup.
• An active Cryptography and Big Data researcher, currently focusing on blockchain security and novel smart contracts, post quantum signatures and zero knowledge proofs.
• Have published more than 50 scientific papers, mainly known for my work in Zero Knowledge Proofs, EdDSA scheme, Base64 attacks, Proofs of solvency community standard lead, Timed-Release Encryption, Graphical Passwords, the Saferandom protocol and Key-Compromise attacks having proposed some of the fastest protocols in the field and analysed potential attack vectors.
• Have received a Best Paper award for 3 times, filed 8 US patents, ranked 1st in Computer Science MSc studies, received one of the most appreciated national scholarship programs (4 years in a row) and ranked on the Top3 in National IT Innovation Contests twice.
• Teaching Assistant for ~10 years at the University of Macedonia (Java, R, Cryptography, Chaos Theory, Statistics).
• Founder of the largest Big Data Meetup group in Athens, Greece, with a healthy and growing community of 2000+ members.

Keynote: Hackers in the AI era

Sat 22 Nov 2025 • AI, Cybersecurity • 10:40 (CET)
Auditorium

In this talk, Kostas Chalkias examines how artificial intelligence has become the most powerful accelerant in the history of hacking. Drawing on his experience leading Meta’s cryptography team and working as a white-hat hacker for more than 15 years in the blockchain space, he reveals how AI now enables both attackers and defenders to uncover vulnerabilities, generate exploits, bypass controls, and analyze complex systems at a scale once impossible.
From AI-augmented vulnerability detection to autonomous exploit generation, the hacking landscape has transformed into a high-speed, adaptive battleground where traditional security models no longer suffice.
Attendees will learn how AI reshapes offensive and defensive security, why the threat surface is expanding faster than ever, and what it takes to defend critical systems in an era where algorithms don’t just assist hackers… they are the hackers.

Kostas Kryptos Chalkias
  • 17:45 - 17:50
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Lottery – Closing

  • 16:30 - 16:40
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Open Award

  • 16:20 - 16:25
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Gold Sponsor: Yodeck

  • 16:05 - 16:15
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Scaling product development at Orfium using Domain Driven Design and Team Topologies

  • 16:00 - 16:05
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Lottery

  • 15:40 - 15:55
  • Auditorium
  • Theme: Session

Coffee Break

See the Full Agenda
  • 14:30 - 15:30
  • Tags: #SW

Embracing Chaos: Harnessing the Power of Chaos Testing for Resilient Systems

  • Testing is essential to ensure that your software application performs as expected. No doubt about it. But even if your application runs smoothly in a testing environment, unexpected incidents can occur in production, such as a crashed database or a lost connection to a third-party service. To ensure your application can handle such incidents and minimize their impact, you need to incorporate chaos testing into your delivery process. In this workshop, we will start with a brief introduction to k6 for backend performance testing and we’ll explore how to implement chaos testing using k6 for two backend services, to help you ensure the resilience of your application.
  • 12:05 - 13:30
  • Tags: #SW

Liberate your data using Redis Stream and Go

  • Redis is an in-memory database popular for many use cases, such as content caching, session stores, real-time analytics, message broker and data stream needs. Since version 5.0 of Redis a new data structure, Redis Streams, dedicated to managing streams has been introduced. Using Redis Streams, anyone can do a lot more than what was possible with Pub/Sub, Lists or Sorted Sets in the data stream domain. In this all-hands session, we’ll walk you through the basics of how to use Redis Streams, how consumer groups work, and finally show a working application using Go that uses Redis Streams.
  • 11:15 - 11:55

From Spark to Launch: The Thrilling Ride of Building Great Products

  • Join us for an exciting firechat with experts from product management, test engineering, DevOps, and software development. We’ll take you through the journey of turning an idea into a fully finished product ready for the market. Hear firsthand from our panelists about the teamwork needed to create innovative products. They’ll share insights about the ups and downs, breakthroughs, and challenges they’ve faced. Learn the secrets of successful product launches, including careful planning, prioritizing tasks, and effective teamwork. Find out how testing and quality checks ensure product excellence, and see how continuous integration and DevOps practices make the process smoother. Understand why user feedback is important for improving products, and get tips on the latest tools and methods that boost efficiency and innovation. Whether you’re experienced or just starting out, you’ll gain valuable insights into every step of bringing a product to life, from the first idea to the final launch.
  • 15:35 - 16:30

Transitioning a Content Streaming Platform from Monolithic to Microservices

  • 14:30 - 15:25
  • Tags: #AI

AI & Data Science: Insider Insights from Tech Leaders

  • Join us for an interactive workshop where Matina & Lilian having worked as Tech / AI Leaders at Meta, IBM, Vodafone, Startups share valuable insights into the opportunities available in AI and data science. Gain practical knowledge and industry perspectives to guide your career journey in this rapidly evolving field
  • 12:25 - 13:20

LLM vs RAG – the challenges and opportunities in real life use cases on real life problem

  • In this 50-minute workshop participants will delve into the intricacies of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). The session will explore how these advanced AI technologies are transforming various industries by enhancing natural language understanding and generation. Attendees will gain insights into the fundamental differences between LLMs and RAG, their respective strengths, and the unique challenges they present when applied to real-world scenarios. The workshop will also highlight practical applications and case studies, showcasing how businesses and researchers are leveraging LLMs and RAG to solve complex problems. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in interactive discussions, addressing common obstacles such as data privacy, model interpretability, and scalability. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with a deeper understanding of how to harness the potential of these cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation and efficiency in their own projects.
See the Full Workshops Agenda