Introduction
MSc Finance & AI | Blockchain Engineer & PhD Applicant
Blockchain engineer and AI practitioner with 7+ years of hands-on experience building decentralised systems across Hedera, Ethereum, Solana, NEAR, and Massa. Currently completing a Master's in Finance & AI (ESTIAM), combining quantitative modelling with applied machine learning on blockchain data. Expertise spans DeFi protocol design, cryptoeconomics, on-chain analytics, and smart contract engineering. Award-winning builder (NEARCON 2022, Hedera Hackathon 2025) with strong interest in applying ML/AI methods to large-scale blockchain forensics, consensus modelling, and token economy design.
About Me
Biography
Blockchain engineer and AI practitioner with 7+ years of experience building decentralised systems across Hedera, Ethereum, Solana, NEAR, and Massa. Currently CTO at Dar Blockchain and completing a Master's in Finance & AI at ESTIAM, Paris. Previously CTO at Lightency, where I led a full Web3 green energy ecosystem. Award-winning builder with expertise in DeFi protocol design, cryptoeconomics, on-chain analytics, and smart contract engineering. Official Hedera Hashgraph certifier, Fintech Master instructor, and mentor to 10,000+ developers across Africa.
| Name | Firas Belhiba |
|---|---|
| Address | France |
| Phone | (+33) 7 63 808581 |
| firasbenhiba49@gmail.com |
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Dar Blockchain
France ( Jan 2025 — Present )Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Drive overall technical vision, system architecture, and R&D roadmap across the Web3 product portfolio. Lead cross-functional engineering teams on DeFi, NFT, and AI-powered blockchain infrastructure across Hedera, Ethereum, Massa, and Solana.
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Dar Blockchain
France ( 2021 — Jan 2025 )Tech Lead
Architected and built decentralised applications across Hedera, Ethereum, Massa, and Solana. Built Mariposa — AI-powered agentic Web3 wallet. Organised Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 ($2M+ prize pool, 10,000+ participants).
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Lightency
France, Paris ( Mar 2023 — Feb 2024 )Chief Technology Officer
Led full Web3 green energy ecosystem in partnership with STEG, NEAR, Hedera, Aptos, and MEDREC. Built REC Platform on NEAR Protocol for Renewable Energy Certificate issuance and trading.
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Lightency
France, Paris ( May 2022 — Feb 2023 )Technical Blockchain Team Leader
Developed GreenTrust platform using evolvable NFTs and Zero-Knowledge proofs for energy certification. Implemented multi-network smart contract deployments and cross-chain bridge infrastructure.
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ADDINN / Trame / DEVNET
Tunisia ( May 2020 — Oct 2022 )Full Stack & Backend Engineer
Enterprise .NET + Angular applications, MEAN stack web apps, and server-side applications with Laravel. Built and deployed production websites and RESTful API integrations.
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ESTIAM
Paris, France ( 2024 — Present )Master's in Finance & Artificial Intelligence
Alternance with Electrify Network. Specialisation: Chef en Intelligence Artificielle — advanced ML, quantitative finance, AI systems. Thesis area: Modelling centralisation dynamics and validator behaviour in Proof-of-Stake networks using graph analytics and on-chain transaction data.
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ESPRIT
Tunisia ( 2017 — 2022 )Engineering Degree in Computer Science
5-year engineering programme covering algorithms, distributed systems, and software architecture.
Blockchain & DLT
Smart Contracts
DeFi & Protocols
AI & Data Science
Web3 Tools
Infrastructure
Spoken Languages
Co-founder (Dec 2025 — Present)
4Hacks
Co-founder (Dec 2025 — Present)
4Hacks — Web3 Education & Hackathon Ecosystem
Co-founded 4Hacks, a dual-pillar Web3 ecosystem combining a hackathon launchpad (similar to DoraHacks / Devpost) and a structured learning platform (similar to Coursera / edX) — purpose-built for blockchain developers and researchers. Architected the Hacks pillar enabling communities, DAOs, and protocols to launch, manage, and reward hackathons on-chain with transparent prize distribution across multiple blockchain networks. Built the Learn pillar as a decentralised education layer with on-chain credentials, token-gated content, and verifiable skill attestations.
Lightency / Dar Blockchain (2022-2024)
Powerchain
Lightency / Dar Blockchain (2022-2024)
Powerchain — Decentralised P2P Energy Marketplace
Architected on-chain energy tokenisation with staking, liquidity incentives, and automated smart metering on Hedera. Designed token economy and DAO governance for decentralised energy financing across Africa. Deployed cross-chain bridges across Hedera, NEAR, and Aptos. Won NEARCON 2022 Best Sustainability Project award.
Dar Blockchain (2024-2025)
Mariposa
Dar Blockchain (2024 - Jan 2025)
Mariposa — Agentic AI Web3 Wallet on Hedera
Architected an AI-powered agentic wallet enabling autonomous on-chain execution through natural language instructions. Integrated LLM-based agent reasoning layer with Hedera smart contracts for intent parsing, transaction planning, and execution with safety guardrails. Built multi-chain support with DeFi integrations: swaps, staking, liquidity provision, and token management.
Dar Blockchain (2025)
TalentAI
Dar Blockchain (2025 - Present)
TalentAI — AI-Powered On-Chain Recruitment
Built AI-driven hiring platform on Hedera with on-chain credentials, token-gated access, and verifiable attestations. Won 3rd Place + $50,000 grant at Hedera Hackathon 2025 — recognised for innovation in AI-powered blockchain hiring infrastructure.
Dar Blockchain (2024)
EvoBots
Dar Blockchain (2024)
EvoBots — Play-to-Earn Telegram Game on TON
Led end-to-end development of a Telegram-native play-to-earn game deployed on The Open Network (TON). Designed NFT-based bot evolution mechanics with on-chain ownership and crypto reward systems. Integrated Telegram Mini App architecture with TON wallet connectivity for seamless Web2-to-Web3 onboarding.
Dar Blockchain (2023)
EagleFi
Dar Blockchain (2023)
EagleFi — Decentralised Exchange on Massa
Led technical development of EagleFi, one of the first DEXs deployed on Massa — a high-throughput blockchain with autonomous smart contract execution. Built AMM-based liquidity pool architecture enabling permissionless token swaps and liquidity provision on Massa's novel execution model. Engineered staking and yield mechanisms to incentivise liquidity providers and bootstrap on-chain token economies.
Dar Blockchain (2024)
Cameleon
Dar Blockchain (2024)
Cameleon — Evolvable NFT Marketplace on Massa
Led development of Cameleon, an NFT marketplace on Massa featuring evolvable NFTs — digital assets whose metadata, traits, and appearance mutate on-chain based on owner actions and time-based triggers. Designed smart contract logic for dynamic NFT state transitions and marketplace infrastructure for minting, trading, and evolving NFTs on Massa — contributing real-world data on dynamic token economies and on-chain asset behaviour.
Teaching
Teaching & Mentorship
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De Vinci Nanterre
France ( 2025 — Present )Fintech Master Instructor
Teach blockchain, DeFi protocols, and smart contract development in the Fintech Master's programme.
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Hashgraph Association
Global ( 2023 — Present )Official Certifier & Instructor — Hedera Hashgraph
Officially certified Hedera Hashgraph instructor and certifier — one of a select global team authorised to examine and certify developers on HTS, HSCS, HCS, and DeFi on Hedera. Part of the global certification team that collectively certified 35,000+ developers worldwide in 2024.
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ESPRIT, SUP'COM & Universities
Tunisia ( 2023 — Present )Blockchain Development Instructor
Design and deliver Hedera blockchain certification programmes. Partner with Hashgraph Association, NEAR Protocol, and Orange MEA for Web3 education across MENA. Mentored 10,000+ developers across Africa in smart contracts, DeFi, and Web3 architecture.
Awards
Awards & Certifications
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NEARCON 2022
Best Sustainability ProjectPowerchain — blockchain-based energy solution
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Hedera Hackathon 2025
3rd Place + $50,000 GrantTalentAI — AI-powered on-chain recruitment platform
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Hedera Africa Hackathon
Technical JudgeEvaluated 1,000+ blockchain projects on innovation and technical merit
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Community
Co-founderWeb 3.0 North African Community
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University at Buffalo
CertificationSmart Contracts & Decentralised Applications (DApps)
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INSEAD
CertificationIntroduction to Blockchain Technologies
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University of Colorado
CertificationAsymmetric Cryptography
Media
Press & Coverage
Podcast & Video Appearances
Africa's Blockchain Awakening Series 1
Full podcast episode. Guest: Firas Belhiba (Dar Blockchain). Host: Dr. Tammy Francis. Topics: Africa's blockchain journey, SMS-based blockchain in Tanzania, Hedera Hackathon.
Building the Future: Inside Africa's $1M Hedera Hackathon — Series 2
Second clip from the same interview series. Guest: Firas Belhiba of DAR BLOCKCHAIN.
Building Africa's Web3 Future with Dar Blockchain & Hedera
54-minute LinkedIn Live. Firas Belhiba, CTO of Dar Blockchain featured as guest, co-hosted by Dr. Tammy Francis.
La Technologie Blockchain en Afrique Francophone
French-language YouTube livestream featuring Firas Belhiba (Technical Lead chez Dar Blockchain) — overview of the $2M Hedera Hackathon.
Press & News Articles
Africa's Web3 Moment — Vincent Rey Vicente
Feature story: "Tammy Francis, Ph.D. sat down with Mr. Firas Belhiba, CTO of DAR BLOCKCHAIN, for an exclusive deep dive."
Hedera Africa Hackathon Launches with $1M Prize Pool
Official press release naming Dar Blockchain as lead operator.
Hedera Launches Hackathon in Africa to Uncover Emerging Talents
Dar Blockchain named as operator of the $1M Hedera Africa Hackathon.
Hedera Africa Hackathon 2025 Launches with $1M Prize Pool
Dar Blockchain named as lead operator.
Orange, Hashgraph & Dar Blockchain Launch $1M Hackathon
Dar Blockchain named as operator in partnership with Orange Digital Centers across 16 countries.
Hedera Africa Hackathon Competition
Dar Blockchain described as "Pan-African hub of reference in Web3".
Africa Hedera Hackathon Adds $1M — Total Now $2M
Dar Blockchain named as lead operator as prize pool doubled to $2M.
Orange MEA, Hashgraph & Dar Blockchain Launch Hedera Africa Hackathon
Orange MEA, Hashgraph Association and Dar Blockchain unite for Hedera Africa Hackathon.
Training Sessions & Speaking Events
Meet Your Expert Trainer for Tomorrow's Session!
Official Hedera-Hackathons page introduces Firas Belhiba as trainer for the HCS-10 Protocol / Decentralized AI Agent / Langchain session.
Play-to-Earn Tokenomics Training Session
Trainer: Firas Belhiba — CTO Dar Blockchain. Topic: Play-to-Earn Tokenomics, Track 3: Immersive Experiences.
Step-by-step guidance for your Web3 journey
Discord session led by Firas, Tech Lead at Dar Blockchain.
Session on early decisions that shape everything
Web3 project-building session led by expert Firas Belhiba.
Blockchain Workshop at International School of Fintech, Sousse
Dedicated blockchain workshop led by Tech Lead Firas Belhiba at the International School of Fintech, Business Analytics & AI in Sousse.
LFDT Lugano & Bellinzona / San Francisco
Firas Belhiba listed as speaker — "Tech lead of Dar Blockchain". 347 attendees across 140 groups.
MCA ACADEMY Webinar — Hedera Hackathon
MCA ACADEMY in partnership with Dar Blockchain webinar on the Hedera Hackathon. Firas Belhiba tagged as speaker.
Blockchain Class — Prof. Achraf Ayadi, Ph.D.
Prof. Achraf Ayadi, Ph.D. welcomes Firas Belhiba (CTO of Lightency) into his blockchain class. External confirmation of teaching at De Vinci Nanterre.
Third-Party Mentions & Colleague Posts
Hedera Africa Hackathon Final Judging
Co-founder of Dar Blockchain names Firas Belhiba in the list of official judges for the Hedera Africa Hackathon final judging panel. 131 reactions.
Hackathon Announcement
Dar Blockchain CEO names Firas Belhiba as part of the team behind the $1M+ Hedera Africa Hackathon. 50 reactions.
Meet the Team: Firas Belhiba
"Technical leadership is often invisible, but it shapes everything. This edition shines a light on the technical thinking behind our work at Dar Blockchain, led by our Tech Lead Firas Belhiba." 37 reactions.
TalentAI Graduation Post
Engineering graduate thanks "hatem azaiez (CTO) and Firas Belhiba, my supervisors, for their guidance, mentorship, and expertise." 56 reactions.
Internal Project Management Tool
"un outil incroyable développé en interne par notre entreprise Dar Blockchain, et plus précisément par le talentueux Firas Belhiba" — Jira competitor tool. 143 comments.
OAU Nigeria Hedera Certification
"A big thank you to Dar Blockchain for their support and partnership, to our amazing speaker Firas Belhiba..." Full auditorium at Obafemi Awolowo University. 49 reactions.
Hedera Developer Certification
EMLV student thanks "Achraf Ayadi, Ph.D. et Firas Belhiba" for helping her get Hashgraph Developer certified. 40 reactions.
Hackathon Winner Coverage
Hedera x AI Hackathon Winners
TalentAI (Firas's project) featured as a winner.
Lightency — Tracability and Green Energy Tracking
BELHIBA Firas listed as team member on the winning NEARCON sustainability project.
Published Articles
Smart Contract Security: A Comprehensive Guide
LinkedIn Pulse article by Firas Belhiba.
Wanna Know How to Become a Smart Contract Developer? Here's Your Ultimate Guide!
LinkedIn Pulse article by Firas Belhiba.
Why Smart Contract Developers Are Highly Paid?
LinkedIn Pulse article by Firas Belhiba.
Research
Research Interests
My research sits at the intersection of blockchain systems, machine learning, and financial economics. I am particularly interested in applying computational and data-driven methods to understand, model, and improve decentralised systems.
Consensus Mechanism Modelling
Modelling centralisation dynamics and validator behaviour in Proof-of-Stake consensus protocols using graph analytics and on-chain data. Interested in reward distribution inequality across validator sets, stake concentration phenomena, and their implications for systemic risk and protocol security — directly aligned with ongoing research at the UZH Blockchain Center.
Blockchain Forensics & On-Chain Analytics
Applying ML-based anomaly detection on large-scale on-chain transaction data for fraud identification, pump-and-dump pattern recognition, and illicit activity tracing across multi-chain ecosystems.
Token Economy Design & Cryptoeconomics
Studying emergent centralisation phenomena in token distribution, designing incentive-compatible tokenomics, and modelling agent behaviour in DeFi protocols using game theory and network science.
AI-Powered DeFi & Autonomous Agents
Building and studying LLM-based agentic systems for autonomous on-chain execution, intent-driven transactions, and AI-assisted portfolio management in decentralised markets.
Contact
Get In Touch
If you have any suggestion, research collaboration, or even want to say hello, please feel free to reach out via the links below or send me a message.