Avenir-HKU Web3.0 Quantitative Trading Challenge 2025

OVERVIEW

Jointly organized by Avenir Group and the Business School, The University of Hong Kong, supported by Web3 Research Hub and Institute of Digital Economy and Innovation (IDEI), this global challenge invites university students to explore the emerging field of digital asset quantitative trading. It provides a platform for the next generation of talent to gain hands-on experience and showcase their potential in this rapidly evolving industry. The challenge is Asia’s first-ever institution-grade digital asset quant trading competition.

WHY JOIN

This is more than a competition — it’s your gateway to your futureGain hands-on experience in digital asset trading using Avenir Group’s cutting-edge institutional-grade platform (internal) . Trade with live funds, leverage professional tools, and experience the same environment top institutional traders use. Whether you're a beginner or an aspiring fintech expert, this is your chance to turn theory into practice in a one-of-a-kind competition. Hold the trophy, learn from the best, and accelerate your career Stand out with exclusive endorsements and internship opportunities from Avenir Group, a leader in quantitative trading. Learn from world-class judges, including top quantitative teams, elite traders, and renowned academic professors. Winning teams will be part of Avenir Group’s internship programs, and gain recognition and insights that give you a competitive edge in your career journey. Compete for a lucrative prize pool and attend the top-talent gathering in Hong Kong We offer a generous prize pool. Plus, enjoy a fully sponsored trip to Hong Kong, including free flights and accommodation, to compete in the final round.

SCHEDULE & TIMELINE

Registration: Now – June 15, 2025 (Rolling registration closes on August 14)

Participants must submit team information and student identification via here.
Eligibility will be verified by the organizers, and participation will be confirmed via email. Verified participants will receive the official Kaggle competition link.
Registration will be reviewed on a rolling basis but must be completed by August 14, 2025.

The First Round: June 16 – August 24, 2025

June 16: The first-round challenge and evaluation criteria will be announced, marking the official start of the competition.
Q&A groups will be established to support teams and address questions.
June 16 – August 15: Simulated trading
August 16 – August 24: The organizers will evaluate submissions, announce first-round results, notify advancing teams, and distribute live trading accounts.

The Second Round: August 25 – November 23, 2025

August 25 – September 5: Advancing teams will submit detailed trading strategies based on first-round results, including asset selection, position sizing, and leverage settings.
August 25 – November 16 (12 weeks): Live trading with a 10,000 USDT live fund per team, fully funded by Avenir Group. Maximum portfolio leverage is capped at 150%.
November 17 – November 23: The trading results will be evaluated, and the top 10 teams will advance to the final round.

The Final Round: November 27 – November 29, 2025

November 23 – November 27: Finalist teams will prepare their presentations and arrange travels to Hong Kong.
Judges from academia and the industry will be invited by Avenir Group and HKU.
November 29 (Saturday): The final defence and the award ceremony will be held at HKU’s campus, where the finalists will present their strategy logic and live trading performance, and the winning teams will be awarded.
The judges will evaluate based on strategy performance and presentation quality, selecting the final winners.
The finalist teams’ trips (flights, accommodations and other reasonable costs) to Hong Kong are fully funded.

Rules

The competition consists of three rounds, each with distinct evaluation methods designed to comprehensively assess participants’ strategy capabilities and overall performance: The First Round: Kaggle Ranking Challenge

Participants will submit predicted return rankings for selected cryptocurrencies.
Rankings will be evaluated using the Weighted Spearman Correlation Coefficient, measuring the alignment between predictions and actual returns.
Teams will be selected to advance to the second round of live trading based on their scores. The exact number of advancing teams will be determined by the organizers, ranging from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 50 teams.

The Second Round: Avenir Live Trading

This round will test the real-world performance of submitted strategies on Avenir’s institutional-grade live trading platform.
The core evaluation metric is the Sharpe Ratio, which measures the balance between returns and risk.
Risk Control Requirements:
- Maximum drawdown must not exceed 10%; teams exceeding this limit will be eliminated.
- Maximum leverage is capped at 150% for any portfolio position.
The top 10 teams demonstrating strong performance under these criteria will progress to the final presentation round.

The Third Round: Strategy Presentation & Defense

Finalist teams will deliver an on-site presentation and defense, showcasing their strategy design and simulation performance.
A judging panel of experts will evaluate teams based on two primary aspects:
- Strategy Performance: Evaluating the actual returns achieved during the second round.
- Strategy Logic & Innovation: Assessing market understanding, strategy rationale, and risk management approach.
The top 3 teams will be awarded based on their overall evaluation results.

ELIGIBILITY & TEAM FORMATION

Team Size: Each team can have up to 3 members. Eligibility:

Students from all institutions, degree levels, and academic programs are eligible to register, with no restrictions on nationality, field of study, degree, or age.
Participants must hold full-time student status as of April 30, 2025, including students graduating in May 2025 or later.
Students admitted to begin full-time studies in Autumn 2025 may also register, provided they submit an official admission letter.

Verification: Participant status and registration information will be manually verified after submission. Cross-University Teams: Cross-university team formation is encouraged and supported, allowing students from different institutions and backgrounds to collaborate.

PRIZE POOL

The total prize pool for this competition is US$50,000, distributed as follows:

Champion team: US$20,000
The first runner-up team: US$12,000
The second runner-up team: US$8,000
Special contribution award:
- This award recognizes teams that make significant contributions to the competition, such as providing valuable external data factors, tools, or other inputs that enhance the competition's overall quality.
- Outstanding teams will receive additional rewards as part of this award.

EXCLUSIVE CAREER OPPORTUNI-TIES

Internship Opportunities for Top 3 Teams: The top 3 teams will be offered internship with the chance to transition into full-time roles. The Final Round Teams: All other teams that advance to the final round will be granted access to final-round interviews for internships. A Comprehensive Internship Training Program: Avenir provides a structured, systemized internship program, including opportunities for rotations across different departments, roles, and global offices (Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, San Francisco, London).

About Avenir Group

Avenir Group, inspired by the French word for “a better future,” is a globally leading and pioneering investment group specializing in investments in financial innovation and emerging technologies. With deep industry insights, outstanding performance, and self-developed data models and risk management systems, we have maintained a leading position in the Web3 and digital asset space. Avenir Group's latest 13F filing reveals its position as Asia's largest institutional holder of Bitcoin. One of our sub-brands, DeepTrading, focuses on high-frequency trading in the crypto market. Additionally, through Avenir Foundation, we actively promote technology education and innovation.

About HKU Business School

Established in 2001, HKU Business School is one of the youngest and most dynamic members of The University of Hong Kong (HKU). The School strives to nurture first-class business leaders and foster academic and relevant research to serve the needs of Hong Kong, China and the rest of the world in the new Asia-led economy. As a top international business school in Asia, the School engages leading scholars from all corners of the globe and they instil in students global knowledge with an Asian perspective. The School attracts top students from Hong Kong and beyond. HKU Business School offers a full spectrum of business education, and has achieved remarkable growth in faculty strength and research capability in the last two decades. The School ranks world’s 13th and Asia’s No.1 in Financial Times’ Aggregated Research Ranking in 2024; Asia’s No.1 in UTD Research Rankings from 2020 to 2024; its full-time MBA has been ranked Asia’s no. 1 in the World MBA Rankings released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) for 10 times and Hong Kong’s no.1 in QS Global MBA Rankings for 5 consecutive years. The School has well-established and strategic partnerships with world-renowned universities and corporate partners, providing market-oriented content, superior learning and instrumental resources for our students. To better serve our students and alumni in various cities and regions and facilitate collaboration opportunities with business communities around the globe, HKU Business School has established a unique international network that extends to Beijing, Shenzhen, Vietnam, and Tel Aviv. The School is well-positioned to be a leading, globally impactful academic institution of business and economics. HKU Business School is fully accredited by the European Quality Improvement Systems (EQUIS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Visit us at https://www.hkubs.hku.hk/