Ahmed Mahrous
Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
ahmed.mahrous@kaust.edu.sa
I work on artificial intelligence and decentralized finance. I study how learning algorithms, incentives, and strategic behavior shape markets, while also exploring how AI models can make reliable predictions.
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at KAUST, advised by Roberto Di Pietro. My research combines mathematical modeling, empirical analysis, and machine learning, with work on AI methodology as well as applications to stablecoins, prediction markets, financial manipulation detection, and investor sentiment.
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Selected publications and accepted papers. Download all citations (.bib).
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
NeurIPS 2026 · Accepted
When predictions change the data that future models learn from, interactions between learners can amplify feedback. We study a spectral threshold separating stable retraining from worst-case learning failure.
Ahmed Mahrous, Maurantonio Caprolu, and Roberto Di Pietro
International Review of Economics & Finance, 111, 105665
A systematic review of stablecoin research, connecting economic, technical, and policy questions and identifying open challenges.
Ahmed Mahrous, Jens Schneider, and Roberto Di Pietro
ACM Transactions on the Web, 20(3), Article 35
A framework for studying emojis as signals of investor sentiment in financial social media.
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
Findings of ACL 2026
We examine how emoji meanings and sentiment signals transfer across languages, platforms, and financial communities.
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
ACM International Conference on AI in Finance (ICAIF 2026) · Accepted
We study whether information available when Polymarket contracts launch can predict trading activity and dispute risk.
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2026)
Detection of Telegram pump announcements and extraction of the targeted cryptocurrency and exchange.
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
ACM International Conference on AI in Finance (ICAIF 2025)
We study training on synthetic data and testing on real data for financial manipulation detection.
Ahmed Mahrous, Maurantonio Caprolu, and Roberto Di Pietro
IEEE International Conference on Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (ICBC 2025)
A structured account of economic and technical research on stablecoins.
Ahmed Mahrous and Roberto Di Pietro
International Conference on Blockchain Computing and Applications (BCCA 2025)
An analysis of the relationship between visual aesthetics and NFT prices.
Lanouar Charfeddine and Ahmed Mahrous
Finance Research Letters, 67, 105861
An empirical study of coin-level and market-level factors associated with cryptocurrency pump-and-dump schemes.
Ahmed Mahrous, Jens Schneider, and Roberto Di Pietro
Fourth International Conference on Intelligent Data Science Technologies and Applications (IDSTA 2023)
Best Student Paper Award
A study of emojis in sentiment analysis of financial microblogs.
Teaching assistant for Introduction to Cybersecurity and Introduction to Cryptography, M.Eng. program, KAUST.
Conference reviewer: ICAIF, NeurIPS, and ICBC.
Journal reviewer: Financial Innovation; Blockchain: Research and Applications; Computer Networks.