Georgios Birmpas, Philip Lazos, Evangelos Markakis, Paolo Penna
In this paper, we investigate the impact of reward schemes and committee sizes motivated by governance systems over blockchain communities. We introduce a model for elections with a binary outcome space where there is a ground truth (i.e., a "correct" outcome), and where stakeholders can only choose to delegate their voting power to a set of delegation representatives (DReps). Moreover, the effort (cost) invested by each DRep positively influences both (i) her ability to vote correctly and (ii) the total delegation that she attracts, thereby increasing her voting power. This model constitutes the natural counterpart of delegated proof-of-stake (PoS) protocols, where delegated stakes are used to elect the block builders. As a way to motivate the representatives to exert effort, a reward scheme can be used based on the delegation attracted by each DRep. We analyze both the game-theoretic aspects and the optimization counterpart of this model. Our primary focus is on selecting a committee that maximizes the probability of reaching the correct outcome, given a fixed monetary budget allocated for rewarding the delegates. Our findings provide insights into the design of effective reward mechanisms and optimal committee structures (i.e., how many DReps are enough) in these PoS-like governance systems.
Abstract. The purpose of a consensus protocol is to keep a distributed network of nodes “in sync,” even in the presence of an unpredictable communication network and adversarial behavior by some of the participating nodes. In the permissionless setting relevant to modern blockchain protocols, these nodes may be operated by a large number of unknown players, with each player free to use multiple identifiers and to start or stop running the protocol at any time. Establishing that a permissionless consensus protocol is “secure” thus requires both a distributed computing argument (that the protocol guarantees consistency and liveness unless the fraction of adversarial participation is sufficiently large) and an economic argument (that carrying out an attack would be prohibitively expensive for a potential attacker). There is a mature toolbox for assembling arguments of the former type; the goal of this paper is to lay the foundations for arguments of the latter type. For example, the Ethereum protocol is oft-claimed to be “more economically secure” after “the merge,” meaning in its current proof-of-stake incarnation relative to the (proof-of-work) original. What, formally, does this assertion mean? Is it true? Could there be alternative protocols that are “still more economically secure” than Ethereum? How do the answers depend on the assumptions imposed on, for example, the reliability of message delivery or the active participation of non-malicious players? An ideal permissionless consensus protocol would, in addition to satisfying standard consistency and liveness guarantees, render consistency violations prohibitively expensive for the attacker without collateral damage to honest participants—for example, by programatically confiscating an attacker’s resources without reducing the value of honest participants’ resources, as is the intention for slashing in a proof-of-stake protocol. We make this idea precise with our notion of the EAAC (expensive to attack in the absence of collapse) property and prove the following results: (1) In the synchronous and dynamically available setting (in which the communication network is reliable but nonmalicious players may be periodically inactive), with an adversary that controls at least one-half of the overall resources, no protocol can be EAAC. In particular, this result rules out EAAC for all typical longest-chain protocols (be they proof-of-work or proof-of-stake). (2) In the partially synchronous and quasi-permissionless setting (in which resource-controlling non-malicious players are always active but the communication network may suffer periods of unreliability), with an adversary that controls at least one-third of the overall resources, no protocol can be EAAC. In particular, slashing in a proof-of-stake protocol cannot achieve its intended purpose if message delays cannot be bounded a priori. (3) In the synchronous and quasi-permissionless setting, there is a proof-of-stake protocol with slashing that, provided the adversary controls less than two-thirds of the overall stake, satisfies the EAAC property. Thus, while only “classical security” is possible in the dynamically available or partially synchronous settings, proof-of-stake protocols with slashing can obtain additional “economic security” in the quasi-permissionless and synchronous settings. All three results are optimal with respect to the size of the adversary. With respect to Ethereum, our work formalizes the potential security benefits of proof-of-stake sybil-resistance coupled with slashing and the common belief that the merge has increased Ethereum’s economic security. Our work also provides mathematical justifications for several key design decisions behind the post-merge Ethereum protocol, ranging from long cooldown periods for unstaking to economic penalties for inactivity.
The system of financial support of the social process of the country must constantly adapt to the influences of the external environment both in the conditions of the hybrid war with Russia and in the conditions of the post-war period. This requires systemic transformational changes in the socio-economic environment, reform of the financial system, further improvement of the decentralization of the management of state financial resources, since expenditures from the state budget to cover the costs of armaments and ensuring the independence of Ukraine will have a large specific weight annually. Under such conditions, local budgets will rely more and more every day on the tasks of financing a significant part of the social needs of the local population. Accordingly, the effectiveness of regional systems of taxation of individual territories with local taxes and fees is primarily confirmed by volumes sufficient to form the revenue part of local budgets for the purposes of ensuring the successful functioning of territories of local importance and their development. Therefore, the role of local taxes and fees is growing daily and contributes to the accumulation of the amount of financial resources necessary for the development of both territorial communities and the state as a whole, which will significantly reduce the burden on the state budget of the country. The article examines problematic aspects of the formation of revenues and expenditures of local budgets in difficult economic conditions arising under the influence of a hybrid war with Russia. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of restructuring the national budget policy in the context of the formation of guarantees for the financial support of the social needs of the population of Ukraine, its comprehensive protection and the creation of decent working and living conditions. The important role of local taxes in the formation of revenues of local budgets of territorial communities is substantiated based on the systematization of the approaches of scientists and the conducted expert assessment of the state and changes of local budgets in 2021-2022. Problematic aspects in the payment of local taxes are identified and the ways to solve them are outlined. The need for further improvement of the tax legislation, capable of ensuring the formation of a new tax model for the purposes of optimizing the tax regulation of payment of local taxes and increasing revenues to the local budget, has been proved.
In the ever evolving landscape of decentralized finance automated market makers (AMMs) play a key role: they provide a market place for trading assets in a decentralized manner. For so-called bluechip pairs, arbitrage activity provides a major part of the revenue generation of AMMs but also a major source of loss due to the so-called informed orderflow. Finding ways to minimize those losses while still keeping uninformed trading activity alive is a major problem in the field. In this paper we will investigate the mechanics of said arbitrage and try to understand how AMMs can maximize the revenue creation or in other words minimize the losses. To that end, we model the dynamics of arbitrage activity for a concrete implementation of a pool and study its sensitivity to the choice of fee aiming to maximize the value retention. We manage to map the ensuing dynamics to that of a random walk with a specific reward scheme that provides a convenient starting point for further studies.
Jorge Martínez-Vázquez, Eduardo Sanz Arcega, José Manuel Tránchez-Martín
The aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of best practices for subnational fiscal governance. Based on the theoretical and international empirical evidence on fiscal decentralization design, we address the comon four pillars that encompass any subantional financing system: expenditure responsibilities, sources of revenue, the system of intergovernmental transfers, and credit and borrowing. Last but not least, we highlight the crucial importance of formal and informal political institutions in making decentralization work. All in all, beyond purely fiscal issues the eventual performance of any decentralized setting may depend on the institutions that make (or do not make) it work.
Álvaro Hernández Sánchez, Beatriz María Sastre-Hernández, Javier Jorge-Vázquez, Sergio Luis Náñez Alonso
This article highlights the complexity of taxation surrounding cryptocurrency transactions due to the lack of uniform regulation, creating uncertainty for both taxpayers and tax authorities. After determining the tax obligations of individuals in taxation, a survey has been conducted to assess the level of knowledge and compliance with tax obligations related to cryptocurrencies. The survey, in which 103 people participated, reveals the confusion and errors that prevail in perceptions of the tax obligations for cryptocurrencies, particularly in transactions such as swapping and staking in personal income tax. This results in almost half of the respondents (49.5%) not declaring any of their operations with cryptocurrencies. The reasons for this include the fact that the majority of respondents (66%) find the regulation of cryptocurrencies in Spain confusing and difficult to understand. Additionally, 87.4% believe that tax agencies should provide more information and resources on the taxation of cryptocurrencies and digital assets, and that there should be clearer and more comprehensive regulation. However, it should be noted that 41.7% also consider that tax regulation discourages investment in cryptocurrencies.
Jori Grym, Jaakko Aspara, Monomita Nandy, Suman Lodh
Tax evasion is a major issue for authorities worldwide. Understanding the factors that influence individuals' intrinsic motivation to pay taxes, known as their tax morale, is important for improving tax compliance. This study investigated gender differences in judging tax evasion in the context of cryptocurrency trading. Specifically, a survey study explored whether different moral foundations, financial literacies, and political orientations among females vs. males might explain potential gender differences in judging tax evasion. In an online survey, 243 U.S. adults read a vignette about a friend evading taxes in a cryptocurrency trading context. In a correlational analysis, we found that females judged tax evasion harsher, as being more morally wrong than males. Of the psychographic factors, only individualizing moral foundation values (i.e., fairness and harm avoidance) explained the harsher moral judgment by females. That is, individualizing moral foundation values were at a higher level among females, which further predicted females' harsher judgment of tax evasion. While females also had, on average, lower financial literacy and knowledge of cryptocurrencies than males, these did not predict their harsher judgment of tax evasion. The findings contribute to research on gender differences in moral judgments and highlight that a given transgression, or a specific crime, may violate different moral values in men and women. The results demonstrate to policy makers that it is important to take into account gender differences, in campaigns promoting tax morale and compliance.
Virtual Currency, Digital Currency, Crypto Asset, DLT(Distributed Ledger Technology) , Payment tokens, Virtual Asset, Bitcoin are some of the terms commonly used to denote the crypto currency without any standard common definition. These are all types of crypto assets developed initially in 2009. Bitcoin, Ethereum are some of the widely used crypto currencies. All around the world some countries have regularised this field, some are yet to regularise. The entire event is based on the concept of decentralisation or no need of a Central organ to control or monitor such currencies. The various articles published with different ideas regarding the taxability of such cryptocurrencies are analysed .
In order to ensure clarity, it is imperative that tax legislation regarding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in Indonesia incorporates considerations of assessment values, collection procedures, and technical advancements. This would facilitate the seamless integration of NFTs into the country's economic system, while awaiting prompt government action. Discussions concerning legal protection for NFTs, particularly in the context of tax law, remain limited, with an emphasis on existing research pertaining to copyright law and intellectual property rights. The aim of this study is to scrutinize the legal protection of NFTs, specifically in relation to tax law, with the intention of providing a comprehensive understanding of NFTs within Indonesia's legal framework. This study employs a normative juridical research methodology to evaluate the legal protections afforded to NFT artworks, as well as the associated aspects of taxation. The normative juridical approach is an analytical strategy that scrutinizes legal norms and established legal concepts. The study utilizes a combination of primary and secondary legal sources, which are subsequently subjected to thorough analysis and assessment. The analysis reveals that there are currently no tax liabilities associated with NFTs in Indonesia. Consequently, due to the absence of tax legislation, there is a lack of regulations governing the taxation of NFTs and other cryptocurrencies. Evading taxes could potentially result in a decline in government revenue from the informal sector. Therefore, stringent oversight and judicious regulation are essential for establishing a transparent and equitable legal framework for NFTs and cryptocurrencies in Indonesia.
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology in U.S. tax administration. It explores how these technologies are revolutionizing tax compliance and fraud detection, offering a comparative analysis with traditional methods. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies in enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and transparency in tax administration, aligning with the U.S. government's objectives of ensuring fiscal integrity and public trust. The review also examines international best practices and proposes how the U.S. can leverage these technologies to maintain its global leadership in financial governance and innovation. The study is structured around four key objectives: assessing the current integration of AI and blockchain in tax administration, evaluating their effectiveness in enhancing tax compliance, identifying implementation challenges, and developing strategic recommendations. Employing a comprehensive literature review approach, the study synthesizes findings from various sources to provide an in-depth understanding of the role and impact of these technologies in modern tax systems. The results reveal that AI and blockchain significantly improve tax compliance and administration efficiency but also introduce challenges such as data privacy concerns and the need for robust regulatory frameworks. In conclusion, the study underscores the transformative potential of AI and blockchain in tax administration, recommending continuous research and development, coupled with stakeholder education and engagement. These efforts are crucial for overcoming operational challenges and fully harnessing the benefits of these technologies in modernizing tax systems. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for policymakers, tax authorities, and researchers, emphasizing the importance of a balanced approach that fosters technological innovation while maintaining legal compliance and adherence to fundamental principles. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Tax Administration, Tax Compliance, Digital Transformation, Financial Governance.
Cryptocurrencies pose substantial challenges to tax enforcement due to their anonymous and decentralized properties, undermining conventional regulatory practices. We study the impact of an ambitious new enforcement initiative aimed at addressing these challenges: domestic third-party reporting of crypto income. We estimate tax compliance and behavioral responses to this new policy by combining unique Danish microdata from domestic crypto platforms, administrative tax records, and cross-border bank transfers. Despite the introduction of domestic third-party reporting, over 90% of crypto investors do not declare crypto income. Moreover, we identify a significant and persistent evasion response to the policy as investors shift trading activity from domestic platforms, subject to third-party reporting, to foreign platforms outside regulatory reach. Our findings underscore the limits of domestic enforcement strategies in addressing tax evasion for decentralized, borderless assets like cryptocurrencies, highlighting the need for international coordination.
[SPA] El objetivo perseguido con este trabajo fin de grado pretende abordar y analizar el tema del control tributario de las criptomonedas intentando así esclarecer y dar un poco de visibilidad sobre este tema. En los últimos años ha crecido de manera exponencial, atrayendo así la atención de inversores, reguladores y autoridades fiscales. Los dos primeros puntos del trabajo los usaré de forma introductoria para así poder tratar conceptos básicos para así poder sumergirnos de la manera más optima en el mundo del control tributario y de las criptomonedas, explicándose temas como: qué es y el por qué de la importancia del control tributario, que es una criptomoneda, bitcoin y un Exchange. Seguido del tema del control y vigilancia tributaria en España hablando así de las limitaciones que esté presenta seguido del sistema y organismos que se encargan de este control tributario continuando con una breve mención sobre la ley MICA. Los siguientes tres puntos son la parte más densa e importante del trabajo tratando temas muy relevantes como: la tributación fiscal de diversos impuestos adaptados a la posesión de criptomonedas, seguido de las obligaciones de los contribuyentes donde se mencionaran algunos de los nuevos modelos fiscales junto a las sanciones que estos usuarios poseedores de criptomonedas pueden llegar a tener si no cumplen correctamente sus obligaciones fiscales, y finalmente de los retos y desafíos del control tributario, que consistirá en una breve mención del por qué de la importancia actual de las criptomonedas junto a los problemas que estas causan en la actualidad. Finalmente llegamos al punto de la conclusión en el que se expondrá y reflexionará sobre todo lo aprendido a lo largo de la investigación de este Trabajo Fin de Grado junto a posibles escenarios futuros del desarrollo de la fiscalidad de las criptomonedas. [ENG] The aim of this final degree project is to address and analyse the issue of the tax control of cryptocurrencies in an attempt to clarify and give some visibility to this topic, as it is a very current issue, but at the same time quite unknown. In recent years it has experienced exponential growth, attracting the attention of investors, regulators and tax authorities. I will use the first two points of the paper as an introduction to deal with basic concepts in order to immerse ourselves in the most optimal way in the world of tax control and cryptocurrencies, explaining topics such as: what is tax control and why is it important, what is a cryptocurrency, bitcoin and an exchange. Followed by the topic of tax control and surveillance in Spain and the limitations that this presents followed by the system and agencies that are responsible for this tax control followed by a brief mention of the MICA law. The next three points are the most dense and important part of the work, dealing with very relevant issues such as the taxation of various taxes adapted to the possession of cryptocurrencies, followed by the obligations of taxpayers where some of the new tax models will be mentioned along with the penalties that these users holding cryptocurrencies may face if they do not comply correctly with their tax obligations, followed finally by the challenges and challenges of tax control, which will consist of a brief mention of why the current importance of cryptocurrencies together with the problems that they cause at present. Finally, we come to the point of the conclusions in which we will present and reflect on everything we have learned throughout the research of this Final Degree Project together with possible future scenarios for the development of the taxation of cryptocurrencies.
This study examines the implementation of the NFT phenomenon and how legal protection and tax enforcement are for NFTs.Non-Fungible Tokens or NFTs are digital assets that can be traded with cryptocurrencies, NFT assets themselves consist of digital art, music, moving images (GIFs), videos and several other digital assets.This study uses a normative juridical research method with a statutory approach, which in this paper analyzes how legal protection is in laws and regulations for works of non-fungible tokens (NFT) and examines the taxation of NFTs.This study obtained the result that thereis no legal regulations regarding the existence of NFTs in Indonesia, which aims to create guarantees of protection and legal certainty.In addition, NFT does not yet have tax law provisions, therefore it is necessary to formulate these NFT tax law provisions.
The advent of decentralized finance (DeFi) has instigated a paradigm shift in finance and economics, challenging the established norms of traditional network economics. This research offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of DeFi's impact on market power, pricing dynamics, and user adoption, juxtaposed against traditional centralized financial systems. Utilizing advanced analytical methodologies, the study reveals significant findings in the redistribution of market power, the evolution of pricing models, and the shifting landscape of financial service consumers. Central to this study is the investigation of how DeFi platforms, characterized by their decentralization, are reshaping market power dynamics. Traditional financial networks, often dominated by central entities (Nakamoto, 2008), are witnessing a gradual erosion of these centralized powers in favor of a more equitable distribution through DeFi systems (Schär, 2021). This redistribution represents a tangible shift in the power dynamics of financial markets, driven by the unique structure of DeFi. Additionally, the research explores the differences in pricing models between DeFi and traditional finance. It uncovers a novel pricing mechanism within DeFi that starkly contrasts with traditional methods, influencing asset valuation and market volatility (Gorton & Zhang, 2020). This distinct pricing approach in DeFi has the potential to significantly alter the global financial market landscape. Furthermore, the study examines user adoption patterns, highlighting a swift uptake of DeFi, especially in emerging economies (Catalini & Gans, 2020). This trend not only challenges existing financial models but also sheds light on the demographic and psychographic variances between DeFi and traditional finance users (Auer & Claessens, 2020; Biais et al., 2019). This research provides a foundational understanding of DeFi's implications on traditional network economics, paving the way for further studies and informing policy development. It is a vital resource for policymakers and financial institutions navigating the evolving financial service industry.
Abstract DeFi blockchain technology, known as decentralized finance today, separates from the traditional financial ecosystem and ushers the new financial landscape onto digital platforms. In decentralized financial applications, all digital assets are safeguarded by blockchain technology. Thanks to this technology, investors can transfer their financial assets without being dependent on banking authorities. Despite the numerous advantages they bring, financial assets based on the decentralized finance ecosystem come with certain disadvantages. These assets are difficult to control, easily manipulated, and are at risk due to their vulnerability to cyberattacks. This study conducted bibliometric analyses on a total of 930 publications registered in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases using the VOSviewer program. In both databases, “all fields” were filtered and scanned with the keyword “decentralized finance.” According to the results, the Scopus database has much richer content compared to the WoS database. The most cited author in the Scopus database was Chen Y, while in the WoS database, it was Nakomoto S. There has been a significant increase in the number of publications in both databases since 2020. Additionally, it was detected that the most cited countries in both databases were the USA, China and England, respectively. It has been observed that computer science comes to the fore in the publication rankings. Decentralized finance is an interdisciplinary field of study. Therefore, many more qualified hybrid studies are needed. More studies are needed, especially examining investor behavior. The analyses presented in this article will enable researchers to grasp the bigger picture from a holistic perspective.
The exponential growth that the cryptocurrency market has seen in the past decade has caused much discomfort among governments across the globe, owing to the unregulated nature of transactions and what some may argue is a disproportionate impact of the crypto market on domestic economies. The natural response of most jurisdictions has been to tax cryptocurrency transactions so as to discourage them while also gaining revenue out of them. However, taxation policies face complex questions of determining the true nature of crypto transactions, a question that is yet to be answered with clarity. The knee-jerk reaction that the industry has attracted from the Indian government in particular has materialised in the form of imposition of a virtual digital assets tax on cryptocurrencies. The authors argue that this policy failed to effectively address its objective and only resulted in a sudden downfall of the crypto market in India, creating negative repercussions for the domestic economy. The authors then employ a game theoretical analysis to propose an alternative taxation framework that recognizes the significance of the crypto market and better balances the need for its regulation. Further, they discuss frameworks from a range of external jurisdictions to analyse the expected implications of similar policies in the Indian economy.