Jan 18, 2022 - Sports and political betting are the most popular genres of prediction markets today. This project examines blockchain-based prediction markets. Global prediction market protocols allow anyone to create a community-owned-and-operated marketplace to bet on the outcomes of future events, such as whether countries will fulfill their climate change commitments on time. The next multibillion-dollar prediction market will be a smart contract protocol deployed as a public utility on the Ethereum blockchain, where user ownership will intensify network loyalty and engagement. Implementation challenges include voter apathy, stakeholder alignment, ongoi...

Aug 30, 2019 - This is the first half of Trust(less): How Blockchain Will Help Us Navigate the Post-Trust World. It establishes the context for distrust in technology. We might assume that our current challenges with blockchain innovations are unique. But every generation of inventive entrepreneurs has faced push-back from a species that doesn’t easily embrace change. After reviewing the history of initially terrifying inventions—from electricity and elevators to artificial intelligence and Airbnb—the author distills the lessons relevant to the building consumer trust needed for broad consumer adoption of blockchain technologies.

Feb 09, 2021 - This research project surveys what federal governments can do to exploit the next era of technology across their operations, within their economies and society, and with their allies and global partners. It focuses on the threats and opportunities facing the United States—including China’s increasing dominance in global supply chains and strategic innovation. It also speaks to challenges the new administration faces, and recommends five areas for immediate action: securing digital systems, citizen identities, and personal data; embracing cryptocurrencies and launching a digital dollar; transforming government services and culture; engagin...

Feb 18, 2020 - This research describes many industry consortia within the blockchain enterprise space and describes the goals of three in particular—Blockchain Insurance Industry Initiative, Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, and Hyperledger, hosted by the Linux Foundation. The project involved interviews with twenty-five executives and thought leaders who are innovatively deploying blockchain technology in industries ranging from artificial intelligence to healthcare. It lays out the business case for joining blockchain consortia including developing standards for technologies and building trust and confidence in new technology solutions. It distills the best...

Jan 16, 2018 - This manifesto for change calls for a new social contract, one that redefines the relationship between individuals in society and the institutions they have created to self-govern. It looks at the four drivers of this change—the Fourth Industrial Revolution, globalization of ideas and the economy, climate change, and demographic shifts due to war, drought, and oppression. It identifies such global disruptions as structural unemployment and inequality; failing education, healthcare, and research and development; human rights violations; and a biosphere in crisis. It identifies the four core change makers—the private sector, the state, civi...

Dec 23, 2019 - This research explores how blockchain technologies could address the challenges of the market for life insurance. Through initiatives such as open IDL and consortia such as B3i and The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative, the insurance industry is exploring use cases where blockchain could deliver near-seamless automated processes, more secure data sharing, uniform compliance, and better fraud prevention. New business models such as peer-to-peer insurance and insurance-as-a-service will likely gain traction as insurance technology start-ups move into life insurance.