Feb 28, 2018 - This project looks at the three layers of the blockchain stack—protocol, consensus, and economic—from logical and technical points of view; and it distinguishes between two types of standardization, semantic and technological. It should help executives and investors to understand the implementation challenges—such as scalability, energy consumption, and governance of each layer—and the problems that the blockchain community is attempting to solve with each innovation.

May 10, 2018 - In this research project, Joel Telpner gives us a guided tour of regulatory risk. Pulling lessons from regulating innovation in telecommunications and the financial markets, he focuses on the extent to which the blockchain represents unprecedented regulatory challenges. He advocates a level-headed approach to determining when regulation is necessary and, in such cases, the form that regulation should take, so as to minimize the unintended consequences. Using illustrations by the legendary political cartoonist John Tenniel and passages from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass: and What Alice Found There, Telpner gives executiv...

Sep 28, 2017 - With blockchain technology, chief marketing officers will be able to demonstrate a clearer return on marketing investment than current alternatives. This project explains how CMOs can lead blockchain initiatives and unlock new areas of value creation while engaging customers, earning their loyalty, and protecting brand reputation globally.

Dec 09, 2018 - Amid ongoing reports of surveillance, censorship, and massive hacking of data, this research explores how distributed ledger technology can address the challenges of the World Wide Web. The authors argue that blockchain can support the Internet’s founding ideals, decentralize the Internet, and restore the balance of power between individuals and large organizations. They focus on three big issues: open access, fair participation, and the recovery of the individual sovereignty as users. The authors interviewed such experts as Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Joseph Lubin of Consensus Systems, Shane Greenstein of Harvard Business School, Rouven Heck of u...

May 31, 2019 - This research demonstrates a potential use of blockchain in the financial system―the use of cryptocurrency for taxation. The research focused on the state of Ohio, the government of which had strong support from relevant stakeholders in the private sector. The use case gives readers a sense of the social, political, and entrepreneurial acceptance during early adoption of blockchain at a governmental level. The outcomes should inform policymakers of more efficient options to implement blockchain-related initiatives while maximizing their public impact.

Jun 19, 2020 - In this case study, the founder and CEO of a blockchain start-up explains his company’s vision for the future of the energy industry, changing how exploration and production companies raise capital and how investors and consumers participate in energy markets. The solution consists of a Hyperledger Fabric blockchain explorer, decentralized cloud storage, and an Ethereum-based platform that supports two ERC-20 tokens—one a security token and the other a utility token—plus an idea for powering bitcoin mining rigs that could provide an upstream source of revenue for oil and gas operators. It’s the kind of fresh thinking that this industr...