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...

May 23, 2019 - This project explains the role of exchanges after initial coin offerings, compared to conventional initial public offerings. It compares crypto over-the-counter exchanges (Bitfinex, Coinbase) that enable peer-to-peer trading and on-chain decentralized exchanges (Oasis DEX) where all aspects of a trade occur on a blockchain.

Apr 30, 2018 - This research surveys the global landscape of regulatory frameworks, statements, and decisions, on blockchain-based token sales in the jurisdictions of the United States, Canada, Singapore, China, France, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Switzerland, and Gibraltar, with commentary on Malaysia, South Korea, Israel, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. Its expert authors look at initial coin offerings and compare how different regulators are categorizing token sales in their attempts to balance the protection of investors with the stimulus of innovat...

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.

Sep 28, 2017 - A new phenomenon—initial coin offerings—enabled through blockchain technology is upending basic tenets of twentieth-century capitalism. This project frames the opportunity in terms of addressing the tragedy of the commons. He studies the development and ramification of the emerging token economy and walks through the landscape of token types. He previews the economic effects of digital scarcity, tokens as powerful incentives, and the legal and policy ramifications for securities law and property rights.

Aug 30, 2019 - This project explores a type of cryptoasset, the non-fungible token (NFT), or what we call the crypto collectible. It explains the concept of the NFT and illustrates how it works through the best-known NFTs, CryptoKitties, a phenomenon of an asset within the Ethereum-based CryptoKitties game. It revealed how businesses might create and use digitally unique and scarce assets beyond cryptocurrencies in their business models. The project also covers the online gaming market—both packaged software and downloadable content—and describes how companies might tokenize their intangible and physical assets.