Author: Michael J. Casey
Release Date: September 28, 2017
Abstract:
A new phenomenon—initial coin offerings—enabled through blockchain technology is upending basic tenets of 20th century capitalism. This project studies the development and ramification of the emerging token economy, its viability, and the legal and policy ramifications in terms of securities law and property rights.
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.
Read MoreThis 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.
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