Alice Hou is a research analyst in the cryptocurrency industry with a professional background in economics. She currently works at Messari on the Protocol Services team, where her research focuses on decentralized finance (DeFi), blockchain infrastructure, and emerging Web3 technologies. ^{[1] [2] [3]}​

Education

Alice Hou attended Northwestern University, where she graduated with a degree in Economics. Her academic background in economics provides a foundation for her later career in financial analysis within the digital asset sector. ^[2]​

Career

Alice Hou is a research analyst specializing in digital assets and decentralized finance. She joined Messari in 2025 as a Research Analyst, where her work focuses on market structure and on-chain financial activity. Prior to this role, she was a researcher at The Block, covering developments across the cryptocurrency and Web3 sectors.

Earlier in her career, Hou held research and investment roles at Variant and Chapter One, contributing analysis on decentralized lending and borrowing protocols. She also conducted DeFi-focused research at Marquette Partners. Across these positions, her work has centered on analytical research related to blockchain-based financial systems. ^[2]