Fan Long is the Chief Scientific Security Officer at 0G Labs and a co-founder of Conflux Network. He has focused on blockchain security and scalability through research on cryptographic techniques, security protocols, and broader contributions to academic work in computer science ^[1][2]

Education

Long is a graduate of Tsinghua University Yao Class and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT. His research primarily revolves around systems security, programming languages, and blockchain technology. ^[6]

Career

Long is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. His academic work has focused on system engineering, programming languages, and blockchain technology, fields that later influenced his entrepreneurial activities.

He co-founded Conflux Network with Ming Wu and Yuanjie Zhang after a research project initially intended for academic publication. The group, which included scientists from Tsinghua University, investigated methods to improve blockchain scalability and completed their work between 2017 and 2018. Encouraged by investors, they transitioned the research into a practical venture, securing early funding and launching Conflux as a blockchain platform.

At Conflux, Long has concentrated on strategic research and overseeing government relations in China, shaping the project’s direction and its connections within the industry. ^{[3] [6] [10]}

0G Labs

Long became involved in 0G Labs through his earlier work in blockchain as a co-founder of Conflux, where he contributed to research and development focused on scalability and performance in decentralized systems. His background in distributed systems and blockchain protocols connected directly to the technical challenges 0G aimed to address.

During the pandemic, he entered into discussions with Michael Heinrich and Thomas Yao, who were among the early initiators of 0G Labs. Yao, an early investor in Conflux, introduced Long and fellow co-founder Ming Wu into conversations that examined blockchain’s structural limitations. These exchanges centered on issues such as scalability, storage, and data availability, which the group identified as key bottlenecks restricting wider use of decentralized technologies.

Long’s technical perspective helped frame the vision for 0G Labs, which set out to build a decentralized Artificial Intelligence Layer (AIL). The project was designed as a modular system that combines compute, storage, and data availability into a unified protocol, aiming to transform the way data is processed and accessed in blockchain environments. The project reflects his continued focus on applying research to practical blockchain systems, particularly in enhancing scalability, performance, and secure data processing within AI and Web3 environments. ^[7]

Interviews

Blockchain SIM Card

In episode 381 of the BlockHash podcast in February 2024, Long discussed the development of a blockchain SIM card and updates within the Conflux ecosystem. He shared his background in computer science, which led him to explore blockchain technology after completing his Ph.D. at MIT. Long explained how the Conflux Network emerged from collaborative research on scalability in blockchain systems, ultimately launching in late 2018. He noted the network's significant presence in Asia, particularly in China, and its regulatory compliance as a public blockchain. The conversation also covered the anticipated blockchain SIM card, designed to facilitate user access to Web3, as well as a Hong Kong stablecoin aimed at supporting the cryptocurrency community. Long highlighted ongoing technical enhancements, including the development of a Bitcoin Layer 2 solution to bolster infrastructure security and broaden asset accessibility on the Conflux platform. ^[8]

Conflux

On the Brave New Coin crypto podcast in February 2024, host Andy Pickering interviewed Long, the founder of Conflux Network, a hybrid blockchain platform designed to improve scalability and regulatory compliance in China. Long shared his background as a hacker and computer scientist, detailing his journey from academia, including a PhD at MIT, to co-founding Conflux, where the goal was to create a public blockchain that would be regulatory compliant in China. He explained how the company's unique hybrid consensus mechanism allows for decentralization while maintaining high performance. The platform has gained traction, particularly in NFT issuance, and has worked to create a user-friendly experience that minimizes the need for cryptocurrency ownership among end-users. Long discussed ongoing developments, including enhancements for future Conflux updates and collaborations aimed at integrating blockchain technology into mainstream applications. ^[9]