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...

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.

Apr 28, 2020 - This hour-long webinar is part four in a four-part series on blockchain and pandemics. Don Tapscott opens a discussion with Alex Tapscott and Chris Giancarlo, former Chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, about the potential to turn away from cash and towards a state-backed digital currency. On 28 April 2020, the BRI hosted a webinar featuring Chris Giancarlo, former chairman of the former chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission and co-director of the Digital Dollar Project. This is an edited transcript of the proceedings. It distinguishes among three types of cryptocurrencies—distributed (Bitcoin), corporate (L...

Jul 31, 2020 - This research takes a fresh look at the Bitcoin network and its native currency, bitcoin. Its authors argue that, while the Bitcoin protocols have proven successful for financial applications, they have hindered scalability, privacy, and programmability. Because of these implementation challenges, some enterprise leaders have looked to Ethereum and other blockchain solutions. But other development teams have found innovative ways to evolve the Bitcoin network and its enterprise capabilities. By building directly on top of existing Bitcoin infrastructure, businesses can profit from its security and network effects without incurring the costs a...

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...