Vincenzo Imperati#

I am a PhD student in Computer Science at Sapienza University of Rome, researching distributed systems such as blockchains and social networks. My work focuses on understanding user interactions within these systems and the effects these interactions have, particularly concerning privacy and security.

Alongside my research, I am a FOSS developer funded by OpenSats, working on BigBrotr, a comprehensive archive and monitoring system for the Nostr protocol. BigBrotr maps active relays, analyzes network behavior, and offers a bird’s-eye view of the ecosystem to promote transparency, research, and user empowerment.

Education#

PhD in Computer Science (November 2023 - present)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Research topics: Distributed Systems, Security and Privacy, Blockchain, Social Networks, OSINT
Advisor: Alessandro Mei

Master of Science in Computer Science (September 2021 - October 2023)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Average exam grade: 29.08/30
Final grade: 110/110 with honours
Thesis: The Conspiracy Money Machine: Uncovering Telegram’s Conspiracy Channels and their Profit Model
Supervisor: Alessandro Mei

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (September 2018 - July 2021)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Average exam grade: 28.10/30
Final grade: 110/110 with honours
Thesis: Evaluation of a Home Energy Management System based on Reinforcement Learning
Supervisor: Igor Melatti

Professional Experience#

FOSS Developer on Bigbrotr (August 2025 - present)#

OpenSats, Remote

Development of a full archive and monitoring system for the Nostr protocol. Mapping active relays, analyzing network behavior, and providing transparency and research tools to empower users

Student Assistant (February 2023 - July 2023)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Tutoring fellowship for Introduction to Algorithms, Object-Oriented Programming, Algorithm Design

Data Analyst and Italian Community Ambassador (December 2022 - November 2023)#

Seed Captain, Remote

Project data analyst
Discord and Telegram community moderator

SystemsLab Collaborator (October 2022 - October 2023)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Research collaboration with the SystemsLab research group

Data Analyst and Italian Community Ambassador (September 2022 - August 2024)#

Cantina Royale, Remote

Project data analyst
Discord and Telegram community moderator

Student Assistant (June 2022 - January 2023)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Tutoring fellowship for Introduction to Computer Programming

Student Assistant (April 2021 - July 2021)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Tutoring fellowship for Introduction to Computer Programming, Object-Oriented Programming

Publications#

USENIX Security (August 2025, Seattle, Washington, USA)#

Title: The Conspiracy Money Machine: Uncovering Telegram’s Conspiracy Channels and their Profit Model
Authors: Vincenzo Imperati, Massimo La Morgia, Alessandro Mei, Alberto Maria Mongardini, Francesco Sassi

Awards and Honours#

Master of Science Honours Program in Computer Science (October 2023)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Topic: Process mining and distributed ledger analytics
Supervisor: Claudio Di Ciccio

BUCA’23 Summer School (September 2023)#

BICI Events x Google, Varenna, Italy

Challenges in building Billion Users Cloud Applications

Bachelor of Science Honours Program in Computer Science (July 2021)#

Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

Topic: Algorithms and tools for Smart Cities and Smart Grids
Supervisor: Igor Melatti

Hackathons#

Baltic Honeybadger Hackathon 2025 (August 2025, Baltic Honeybadger, Riga, Latvia)#

Project: Relay Shadow - Nostr DVM that gives privacy-focused relay recommendations using real network data to match your threat model & social graph
Awards: 🥉 3rd prize

NapulETH Hackathon 2025 (July 2025, NapulETH, Naples, Italy)#

Project: Nostreum - First on-chain bridge linking Ethereum & Nostr identities! Connect your wallet, verify cryptographically, and unlock social-financial superpowers across ecosystems
Awards:
- 🥇 1st prize (BuildGuild)
- 🥇 1st prize (Cyberscope)
- 🥇 1st prize (Grow3.ai)
- 🥉 3rd prize (Avalanche)

HackParty 2025 (March 2025, Pi Campus, Rome, Italy)#

Award: 🥇 1st prize

Italian XRPL Hackathon 2024 (November 2024, De Componendis Cifris x XRPL Commons, Rome, Italy)#

Project: Enhancing election integrity - An Ethereum-based election system utilizing homomorphic encryption and zero-knowledge proofs
Award: 🥇 1st prize (De Componendis Cifris)

ETHRome 2024 (October 2024, Urbe ETH, Rome, Italy)#

Project: Safeblow - Empowering whistleblowers to securely and privately submit their reports
Awards:
- 🥇 1st prize (Web3Privacy Now)
- 🥇 1st prize (LaserRomae s.r.l.)

Hackathon24 BEST Roma (April 2024, BEST Roma, Rome, Italy)#

Award: 🥉 3rd prize

Web3 ATL Hackathon (November 2023, 404 DAO, Remote)#

Award: 🥉 3rd prize (Revest Finance)

Randstad AI Hackathon 2023 (March 2023, VGen x Randstad, Rome, Italy)#

Award: 🥉 3rd prize

Languages#

Italian: Native proficiency
English: B2
French: A2