Sep 16, 2021 - With decentralization as a key design tenet, distributed ledger technologies are difficult to govern with centralized models of organizational oversight. While cryptoassets, smart contracts, and blockchains create efficiencies and mitigate certain known business risks, they introduce a unique set of risks. This project outlines strategies for managing, measuring, and mitigating these risks. For enhancing controls, its authors map out an integrated control framework with standards, roles, and responsibilities. They also look at audit and assurance of Dapps, proof of solvency, and regulatory compliance. Finally, they present a new playbook with...

Jan 21, 2021 - This research project looks at stablecoins, a new category of digital assets with stable prices in decentralized financial systems. It achieves three goals. First, it examines different ways to stabilize the price of a cryptocurrency. Some are backed by assets with stable value such as US dollars or gold, others are stabilized by algorithms, and some combine those two approaches. Second, it surveys the landscape of stablecoins and analyze the top ten stablecoins by market capitalization. Finally, it suggests ways to use stablecoins for protecting the value of a cryptoasset portfolio.

Oct 04, 2017 - The Blockchain Research Institute ™ announced today that 16 new organizations have joined as Founding Members. Funded by companies and governments worldwide, Blockchain Research Institute ™ is a multi-million dollar Toronto-based research initiative that is undertaking the definitive investigation of blockchain strategy, opportunities, and implementation challenges over the next year.

Jun 28, 2021 - This project reports on the state of the enterprise blockchain space. It begins with commentary on the state of the world writ large—from the pandemic’s effects on the economy and the global need for vaccinations to the K-shaped recovery and the consequences of helicopter money (e.g., inflation). It covers a series of developments relevant to enterprise users: the price volatility of cryptocurrencies, the shortcomings of consensus mechanisms for enterprise needs, the growth of stablecoins, the status of tokenless blockchains and blockchain-as-a-service offerings, and the latest on central bank digital currencies (e.g., China’s digital c...

Nov 24, 2020 - This project explores applications of blockchain technologies to the market for property insurance. The authors explain how distributed ledgers could simplify and speed up both proof of insurance and the processing of insurance claims and open up markets for microinsurance. Property insurers and insurtech innovators could offer a new generation of radically simplified and less expensive insurance products with simpler terms automated through smart contracts, which would reduce much of the operating costs of traditional insurance companies, their actuaries, accountants, and adjustors.

Oct 23, 2017 - Foxconn is among the first manufacturers to implement blockchain technology in its supply chain. This project looks at Chained Finance, which consists of a procurement market and the handling of logistics, accounting, inventory, finance, and sales functions. Participants’ visibility into orders and the movement of assets enables them to provide trade finance and short-term loans to tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers as needed and at better rates than the traditional financial system.