#  Applied Cryptography and Society 

 



## The mission

**This is a new pillar in CRCS (The Center for Research on Computation and Society) devoted to advancing research towards understanding the technical and societal implications—both within the computer science community and throughout the wider world—of applied cryptography and associated decentralized systems, with an emphasis on economic and societal questions. We partner with experts both within Harvard and in industry to develop solutions and shared understandings of the trade-offs in regard to this technology and how it is used.**

**This work is made possible through generous support to the** [**Center for Research on Computation and Society**](https://crcs.seas.harvard.edu/) **at Harvard University.**



 

##  Topics 

 



 balance 

 [### On-chain governance

 ](/program-on_chain_governance) 

 

 gavel 

 [### Reasoning about cyber-legal systems

 ](/program-reasoning_about_cyber_legal_systems) 

 

 handshake 

 [### Robustness and efficiency of consensus protocols

 ](/program-robustness_and_efficiency_consensus_protocols) 

 

 assignment 

 [### Contracts and oracles

 ](/program-contracts_and_oracles) 

 

 account\_tree 

 [### Algorithms for block chain technologies

 ](/program-algorithms_blockchain_technologies) 

 

 lock 

 [### Privacy

 ](/program-privacy) 

 

 construction 

 [### Usable cryptography

 ](/program-usable_cryptography) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

##  Affiliated Faculty 

 



  [### David C. Parkes

 ](https://parkes.seas.harvard.edu/)George F. Colony Professor of Computer Science, Harvard Paulson School  
Co-Director, Harvard Data Science Initiative



 

   ![Professor Parkes](/sites/g/files/omnuum8466/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/applied-cryptography-society/files/img-people-parkes.jpg?itok=k89ueOYR) 

 

 

 

  [### Michael D. Mitzenmacher

 ](https://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~michaelm/)Thomas J. Watson Professor of Computer Science, Harvard Paulson School



 

   ![Professor Mitzenmacher](/sites/g/files/omnuum8466/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/applied-cryptography-society/files/img-people-mitzenmacher.jpg?itok=dsoLOmMU) 

 

 

 

  [### H. T. Kung

 ](https://www.eecs.harvard.edu/htk/)William H. Gates Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Harvard Paulson School  
Vinton Hayes Senior Research Fellow in Electrical Engineering



 

   ![Professor Kung](/sites/g/files/omnuum8466/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/applied-cryptography-society/files/img-people-kung.png?itok=mF8xU0RM) 

 

 

 

  [### Stephen Chong

 ](http://people.seas.harvard.edu/~chong/)Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science, Harvard Paulson School  
Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies, Computer Science  
Faculty Dean, Winthrop House



 

   ![Professor Chong](/sites/g/files/omnuum8466/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/applied-cryptography-society/files/img-people-chong.jpg?itok=jdKsH0P7)