Internet access is a prerequisite for access to Web3. Consequently, Web3 and the benefits thereof are rendered inaccessible for those individuals who lack Internet access. Presently, rich discussion exists on the topic of a right to Internet access. The central purpose of this contribution is not to argue for the recognition of such a right. Rather, the central purpose of this contribution is to suggest that if a right to Internet access is to be recognised, then it can be grounded in Article 11 (1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Examining the potential of a right to internet access to be derived from this provision facilitates an examination of the parameters of the right to an adequate standard of living. It is suggested that the right to an adequate standard of living is not fixed or static but is instead capable of capturing technological and societal advancements. The advantages of this approach are two-fold. First, grounding a right to internet access within the right to an adequate standard of living recognises a right to internet access both as a constituent part of the right to an adequate standard of living and as an independent right. After all, independent rights have been interpreted as deriving from Article 11 (1) ICESCR. Second, anchoring a right to Internet access in Article 11 (1) ICESCR allows the established legal framework of the ICESCR to be applied to delimiting the content of a right to internet access so understood.
Can blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) revolutionize regional integration, or is it an evanescent promise? This research addressed the crisis of confidence that has been haunting institutions like the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), whose central authorities could not deliver on transparency and inclusivity. The objectives were to unbundle DAOs' potential, assess their place in regional architectures, and propose a hybrid governance model. Mixed-methods with qualitative case analysis of the AU, EU, and Aragon DAO complemented with 30 interviews of stakeholders and comparison grounded the research. Findings showed DAOs' potential in making transparency more possible, as the $10 million Aragon's treasury example showed, and enrolling people in it but with accompanying hurdles from digital divides (37% internet reach in Africa) and resistance from elites. A hybrid solution that stacked DAOs for open decision-making, traditional control for stabilization, and interface modules for useability emerged. Five proposals that involved piloting DAOs for transparency, modeling inclusive voting, investing in infrastructures, creating regulations, and fostering cultural dialogue charted the way forward. This research compelled regional leaders to act with haste, coupling code with human trust to make government inclusive. It enriched theory and practice of contemporary governance and foresaw an achievable world where oneness was not elite-driven but common.
В статье рассматривается проблема системного разрыва в экосистеме Web3, проявившегося на фоне стремительного роста DeFi и числа пользователей: масштабирование выявило низкое качество пользовательского опыта, выражающееся в высоком оттоке новичков после первой транзакции и связанное с когнитивной перегрузкой интерфейсов, непрозрачностью комиссий и дефицитом персонализированных сценариев. В качестве решения предлагается концепция и архитектура интеллектуального слоя-посредника (AI Middleware), интегрируемого между пользовательским контуром и блокчейн-инфраструктурой. Его ключевая функция – автоматизированная реконструкция и формализация пользовательских намерений в парадигме intent-centric, где управляемым объектом выступает цель операции, а не набор низкоуровневых действий. Для интерпретации намерений предполагается применение методов машинного обучения, включая кластеризацию поведенческих паттернов и графовые нейронные сети для моделирования связей между адресами, протоколами и последовательностями операций. На основе исторических данных, а также результатов исследований российских научных центров (ИТМО, ВШЭ) обосновывается, что внедрение AI Middleware повышает удержание за счет снижения порога входа и неопределенности, и сокращает транзакционные издержки благодаря более точному выбору маршрутов и параметров исполнения с учетом контекста, и типологии намерений.
Yuan He, Sandra Kumi, Richard K. Lomotey, Ralph Deters
Digital twin instances are gaining popularity due to their ability to provide a novel way to operate, design, and maintain physical assets. These virtual replicas offer real-time insights into their real-world counterparts’ performance, condition, and potential issues. Organizations can optimize processes, predict failures, and make informed decisions by analyzing data from sensors, simulations, and historical records, ultimately saving costs, reducing downtime, and enhancing overall efficiency. However, the data streams, models, and connected physical assets of a digital twin instance are of considerable value to the owners of the digital twin and, thus, need to be protected from potential abuse and attacks. This paper focuses on the need for access control when deploying digital twin instances. We present and evaluate a solution integrating digital twin instances into a smart-contract-governed blockchain solution.
Modern technologies bring a lot of new things into our lives, and at the same time create certain difficulties from the point of view of legal regulation, and many phenomena have not yet received their terminological clarity and understanding. Such phenomena include cryptocurrency, which de facto exists, but de jure is essentially absent from the law the term defining it. The diverse points of view of theorists and practitioners on this concept, the lack of legislative regulation, require the development of a unified concept of cryptocurrency.
According to the author, the current trend of digitalization of relations in the field of finance, which is observed today, entails the need to revise approaches to the essence of financial legal relations. Public relations on the formation, distribution and use of financial assets should be regarded as financial and subject to criminal law protection. At the same time, these legal relations do not necessarily develop with the participation of the state and are characterized as public law and state power. The expansion of the list of financial assets fixed by the author allows substantiating the conclusion that in the conditions of the modern information society in cyberspace, not only redistribution takes place, but also the creation of a social product. At the same time, the current legislation in this area lags behind the dynamically developing social relations. In support of this, the author cites a technology for creating digital documents that has not yet been formalized by law through the use of the capabilities of non-fungible NFT tokens. The author emphasizes that the opportunities provided by cyberspace are actively used by attackers for criminal purposes. Documents that define the strategy for the development of the Russian state and ensuring national security, as well as the doctrine of criminal law, adequately assess the threat of financial crimes in cyberspace. The tasks of the criminal law protection of financial legal relations outlined in the criminal law, contrary to the positions expressed in the scientific literature, also quite fully reflect the role of criminal law in combating crime of this type. Contrary to the approach prevailing in the doctrine of criminal law, whose supporters focus on the method of committing financial crimes, the author connects the prospects for studying the identified issues with an analysis of the specifics of cyberspace as a special area for committing such crimes. In this regard, the scientific article highlights the signs of financial legal relations in cyberspace.
The study aimed to identify key challenges in the field of legislative harmonisation and to outline the prospects for developing cryptocurrencies in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The study used hermeneutical, comparative and historical methods. The study defined crypto asset, its concept and content, in particular, the types into which it is divided (asset-linked token, electronic money token, and service token). The study analysed cryptocurrency regulations in the jurisdictions of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. At the same time, the study addressed the trends and prospects for legal regulation of virtual assets in these countries. The study established that the fragmented regulatory approach applied in the UK has led to uncertainty, which has had a negative impact on innovation and investment in the cryptocurrency sector. The study revealed significant differences in the regulation of cryptocurrencies in different countries, which create substantial obstacles to the harmonisation of legislation and further development of the market. At the same time, there is a general tendency to tighten the regulation of cryptocurrencies to prevent their use for illegal activities, such as money laundering and terrorist financing, and to ensure investor protection. This study emphasises the importance of enacting the Law of Ukraine “On Virtual Services”, which will become the only legal act in Ukraine that will regulate relations in the field of crypto assets
Using the Ethereum blockchain for decentralized voting offers a secure, transparent, and tamper- resistant method for conducting online elections. This application runs on the Ethereum blockchain network, enabling participants to cast their votes and access voting results without needing any intermediaries. In this approach, votes Once information is stored on the blockchain, it cannot be altered or tampered with, ensuring transparency and trust in the recorded outcomes. Smart contracts are utilized to automate the voting process, ensuring it remains transparent and secure. The combination of blockchain technology and a decentralized system delivers a dependable and cost-efficient solution for conducting fair and trustworthy elections.
The article discusses the problem of identifying and qualifying crimes committed with certain types of cryptocurrencies. Using the example of the Zcash cryptocurrency, typical investigative situations that arise during the investigation of relevant criminal cases are considered. In accordance with the current legislation and the recommendations set out in the Resolutions of the Plenums of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the author attempts to analyze crimes committed using the Zcash cryptocurrency and provides recommendations on the qualification of such crimes.
The article is devoted to the debatable issues of application of the principle of good faith in interpreting the terms of a smart contract, clarification of the meaning and content of the preliminary agreements of the parties that take place before the conclusion of a smart contract. Among the key factors of interpretation, the authors consider the volitional element of the participants of civil turnover, the nature of the performed obligation within the programme code. Also, in this part the peculiarities of interpretation of smart contracts by courts from the point of view of compliance of the application of provisions from a smart contract with the principle of good faith were especially studied. The researchers have modelled and analysed examples demonstrating particular cases of application of the principle of good faith arising on or before the conclusion of a smart contract (pre-contractual stage of relations).
Blockchain technology (BT), as another important innovation following cloud computing, big data, mobile Internet and other information technologies, uses distributed node consensus algorithms to verify, store and update data, showing the unique advantages of centralization, distrust, anonymity and data tamper resistance. Smart contracts are based on BT as the underlying support, achieving automatic execution of contracts and providing more efficient and secure solutions for various transactions. This article delves into the digital automatic execution and verification mechanism of property rights based on BT and smart contracts. Through this mechanism, property rights information can be digitized and securely stored on the blockchain, achieving real-time updates and multi-party sharing of information, thereby greatly improving the transparency and traceability of property rights transactions. The application of smart contracts further enhances the automatic execution of transactions, ensuring the automatic triggering of relevant operations when transaction conditions are met, and ensuring the legality and effectiveness of transactions through built-in verification mechanisms. The experimental results indicate that this mechanism not only improves the efficiency of property rights transactions, reduces transaction costs and risks, but also brings revolutionary innovation to the field of property rights transactions.
Данная статья посвящена вопросам современной технологии смарт-контрактов. Дана оценка влияния смарт-контрактов на бизнес-среду. Проанализирована популярная блокчейн- платформа для разработки и внедрения смарт-контрактов. Рассмотрены основные возможности и особенности смарт-контрактов, успешно проведен анализ технологии, предложены варианты по решению проблем после анализа. Входе исследования авторы приходят к выводу о том, что, развивая смарт-контракты и применяя их в практике, будут снижаться затраты, повышаться эффективность, увеличиваться прозрачность в управлении, что указывает на возможность преобразования деловой России. Важно подчеркнуть, что для реализации этого потенциала, необходимо пройти путь, соединяя нормативно-правовую базу, технологические возможности и преодолевая социальные барьеры, и поможет создать новые возможности для участия в экономической деятельности. This article is devoted to the issues of modern smart contract technology. An assessment of the impact of smart contracts on the business environment is given. The popular blockchain platform for the development and implementation of smart contracts is analyzed. The main features and features of smart contracts are considered, the technology has been successfully analyzed, and options for solving problems after analysis are proposed. Based on the study, the authors conclude that by developing smart contracts and applying them in practice, costs will decrease, efficiency will increase, and transparency in management will increase, which indicates the possibility of transforming business Russia. It is important to emphasize that in order to realize this potential, it is necessary to go through a path connecting the regulatory framework, technological capabilities and overcoming social barriers, and will help create new opportunities for participation in economic activities.
The article discusses the problem of identifying and qualifying crimes committed with certain types of cryptocurrencies. Using the example of the Monero cryptocurrency, typical investigative situations that arise during the investigation of relevant criminal cases are considered. In accordance with the current legislation and the recommendations set out in the Resolutions of the Plenums of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation by the author, an attempt is being made to analyze crimes committed using cryptocurrency.
Abstract The verdict in the case of Skatteverket v. David Hedqvist (Kokott, Advocate General (2015) Opinion delivered on 16 July 2015, Case C-264/14. ECLI:EU:C:2015:498. Available via TandF Online. https://doi.org/10.1080/20488432.2015.1096631 .) is crucial for understanding how the EU treats virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, in terms of Value-added Tax (VAT). This case involved the Swedish citizen David Hedqist who was seeking clarity from the Swedish Tax Authority Skatteverket on exchanging money for Bitcoins. The case set a precedent exempting such services from VAT under the EU’s VAT Directive (Council Directive 2006/112/EC (2006) On the common system of value added tax. OJ L347. Available via EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32006L0112 . Accessed 3 January 2024.). Specifically, Article 135(1)(e) of the EU’s VAT Directive excludes those transactions from VAT that include money-related transactions, that include deals or negotiations about different kinds of money, including cash and coins that are officially legal tender, i.e., used for buying things, except for collectable items like special coins or notes that people collect but do not use as a means of payment. Skatteverket (Kokott, Advocate General (2015) Opinion delivered on 16 July 2015, Case C-264/14. ECLI:EU:C:2015:498. Available via TandF Online. https://doi.org/10.1080/20488432.2015.1096631 .) clarified that cash transactions are not subject to VAT, even though they are considered services for VAT purposes. Despite this clarity, the evolving landscape of digital assets’ uniqueness, including Non-Fungible Tokens (Alawadhi KM, Alshamali N (2022) NFTs Emergence in Financial Markets and their Correlation with DeFis and Cryptocurrencies. Applied Economics and Finance 9:108. https://doi.org/10.11114/aef.v9i1.5444 . Available at CORE. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/524752899.pdf . Accessed 3 January 2024.), continues to challenge VAT frameworks across member states. Using insights from the European Commission’s Working Paper 1060, this article advocates for a unified approach tailored to digital and crypto services, addressing complexities in NFT taxation to reduce uncertainty and foster market cohesion. The findings highlight the importance of legislative changes and increased cross-border collaboration, as well as provide recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders in the digital finance and platform sector (European Commission (2024) Working Paper 1060. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/working-paper-1060_en . Accessed 3 March 2024.). By proposing strategic harmonisation of VAT enforcement, the research helps to improve tax compliance and support long-term growth in the EU’s digital market (Cappai M (2023) The role of private and public regulation in the case study of crypto-assets: The Italian move towards participatory regulation. Computer Law & Security Review 49:105831. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/computer-law-and-security-review/vol/49/suppl/C .; Hasa J (2021) Digitaalisten palvelujen rajat ylittävä kuluttajakauppa ja laajeneva arvonlisäveron erityisjärjestelmä. Licentiate thesis. University of Lapland, Faculty of Law. Available at: https://lauda.ulapland.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/64771/Hasa_Juho.pdf?sequence=1 . Accessed 1 March 2024.).
M. M. Rakibul Hasan, Gazi Md. Shakil Hossain, Sadia Hossain Moure, Md Shepon Sardar
Information about every criminal case is kept in a very secret police case database system. During the course of an investigation and case resolution, criminal information is handled differently in each case. However, the traditional police case information management system is not extremely secure. Although every police station has a system for recording criminal history, the data transfer is still not transparent. Many police stations still run their operations with manual systems. Any unethical action might cause unfairness for the victims. As a result, we are offering a secure platform that combines the openness as well as adaptability of smart contract-based systems with the accuracy and secrecy of current police case schemes. We have created a smart contract on the blockchain's Go Ethereum platform using the Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism to verify the user and offer transparency for the security of criminal records and evidence. Our proposed solution runs on a distributed network for the best possible data security that adheres to the Web 3.0 model.
Maryna Sadovenko, Olga Kondratyuk, Nataliia Suprun, Maxim Tarverdiev
In today's digital age, technical engineering plays an important role in using artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency to optimize tax systems and improve financial efficiency in fintech businesses. Artificial intelligence helps automate business processes, especially in taxation, which reduces the cost of tax administration. Cryptocurrencies open up new opportunities for optimizing tax systems, providing greater transparency and efficiency in financial transactions.. The use of AI in tax administration can streamline processes, reduce human error, and improve compliance. AI algorithms can analyze large amounts of data, identify patterns, and detect potential tax evasion or fraud, leading to more accurate tax assessments and improved revenue collection. Additionally, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can provide taxpayers with personalized support and guidance, enhancing the overall experience. Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, offer a transparent and secure way to conduct financial transactions. By leveraging blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies enable immutable and auditable records of transactions, which can facilitate tax reporting and compliance. Furthermore, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies eliminates the need for intermediaries, reducing transaction costs and increasing efficiency. However, the implementation of these technologies in tax systems requires significant investments in infrastructure, software, and personnel training. Tax authorities ought to allocate substantial budgets to modernize their systems and integrate AI and blockchain solutions seamlessly. Additionally, concerns over data privacy and the potential for cyber threats pose challenges in ensuring the confidentiality and security of taxpayer information.
Open access
Impact of AI and Big Data on Business and Society
Digitalization and Economic Development in Agriculture
В статье рассматриваются понятие криптовалюты, участники международного рынка криптовалют, особенности и эффективность использования криптовалют в международных расчетах. Отмечается, что трансформация мировой валютно-финансовой системы и цифровизация финансовой сферы обусловливают формирование инновационных инструментов, механизмов, методов и технологий. Формирование и развитие цифровых финансовых активов, международного рынка криптоактивов, создание инфраструктуры международного движения цифровых финансовых активов формируют новый формат международных расчетов. In the presented article, the author examines the concept of cryptocurrencies, participants in the international cryptocurrency market, features and effectiveness of using cryptocurrencies in international settlements. The author notes that the transformation of the global monetary and financial system and the digitalization of the financial sector determine the formation of innovative tools, mechanisms, methods and technologies. The formation and development of digital financial assets, the international crypto asset market, and the creation of an infrastructure for the international movement of digital financial assets form a new format for international settlements.
The study aimed to determine the role of international cooperation of EU countries on the information exchange in the investigation of cryptocurrency-related crimes. The research employed a combination of general scientific methods (description, analysis, synthesis, etc.) and empirical methods, particularly content analysis. The author used descriptive, comparative methods and analysis of legal acts. The conducted research gave grounds to provide suggestions for improving the legal framework of international cooperation of the EU countries on the information exchange in the investigation of cryptocurrency related crimes; the adoption of the basic EU document on combating criminal activity using cryptocurrency is substantiated, proposals for its adoption are formulated in the work. Prospects for future research may include studies on the further development of regulations for the exchange of information in the investigation of cryptocurrency crimes.
Bitcoin stands as a groundbreaking development in decentralized exchange throughout human history, enabling transactions without the need for intermediaries. By leveraging cryptographic proof mechanisms, Bitcoin eliminates the reliance on third-party financial institutions. Ethereum, ranking as the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, builds upon Bitcoin’s groundwork by introducing smart contracts and decentralized applications. Ethereum strives to surpass the limitations of Bitcoin’s scripting language, achieving full Turing-completeness for executing intricate computational tasks. Solana introduces a novel architecture for high-performance blockchain, employing timestamps to validate decentralized transactions and significantly boosting block creation throughput. Through a comprehensive examination of these blockchain technologies, their distinctions, and the associated challenges, this paper aims to offer valuable insights and comparative analysis for both researchers and practitioners.
The implementation of blockchain technology in human resources appears to hold considerable potential as a solution to problems relating to data privacy and transparency in personnel administration. In light of the fact that data security and trust are perennial issues for traditional HR systems, innovative approaches to the management of sensitive employee data are currently being researched. The current body of research does not do a good job of investigating whether or not the use of blockchain technology can effectively guarantee data privacy and transparency in human resource management and whether or not it is even feasible to do so. In this study, qualitative interviews with HR practitioners, IT specialists, and blockchain developers are paired with quantitative examinations of blockchain implementations in selected HR systems. This research aims to discover whether or not blockchain technology can successfully alleviate employee data privacy issues and promote openness in HR record keeping. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not blockchain technology can effectively alleviate these concerns. The findings indicate that the blockchain technology has a significant amount of promise in terms of lowering the risks to data privacy and raising the level of transparency in HR procedures. The distributed ledger design of blockchain makes it possible to store employee data in a way that is both secure and impossible to alter, hence reducing the likelihood of data breaches. The study also reveals implementation barriers, which opens the way for proposals to support the broad adoption of blockchain technology in HR systems.
The article delves into a comparative study of the legal regime of smart contracts in Russia, Germany and the United States. In-depth analysis of the concept, normative support, technological and legal nature of smart-contracts is carried out, the areas of application of this tool in civil law transactions and other legal relations are highlighted. Significant conclusions were obtained. Firstly, in the legal systems under consideration there is still no unambiguous definition of a smart contract. Secondly, a smart contract is understood to a greater extent as a program code embedded in websites or mobile applications, providing a number of elements of the procedural side of various transactions, rather than as an equivalent of a civil law contract. Thirdly, the areas of application of smart contracts are constantly expanding, they are used in the work of e-government, banking, e-commerce, electoral processes, and other legal relations. This requires the active activity of legislators in the countries in question.
Joseph Kuba Nembe, Joy Ojonoka Atadoga, Beatrice Oyinkansola Adelakun, Olubusola Odeyemi · 5 authors
Blockchain technology has emerged as a disruptive force in the realms of tax compliance and financial regulation, presenting both opportunities and challenges for governments, businesses, and regulators worldwide. This abstract explores the multifaceted legal implications stemming from the integration of blockchain technology into tax systems and financial frameworks. The decentralization and transparency inherent in blockchain networks offer promising avenues for enhancing tax compliance. Smart contracts, powered by blockchain, can automate tax calculations and payments, reducing errors and facilitating real-time monitoring of transactions. Additionally, the immutable nature of blockchain ledgers provides auditors with an unprecedented level of transparency and traceability, potentially reducing tax evasion and fraud. However, the adoption of blockchain technology also poses significant regulatory challenges. The anonymity afforded by certain blockchain implementations raises concerns regarding the identification and verification of taxpayers and transactions, potentially hindering enforcement efforts. Moreover, the cross-border nature of blockchain transactions complicates traditional tax jurisdictional boundaries, necessitating international cooperation and harmonization of tax policies. In the realm of financial regulation, blockchain technology introduces novel considerations for regulators seeking to ensure market integrity and investor protection. The proliferation of blockchain-based financial products, such as cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets, challenges existing regulatory frameworks designed for traditional financial instruments. Regulators must grapple with issues of investor disclosure, market manipulation, and systemic risk in this rapidly evolving landscape. Furthermore, the decentralized nature of blockchain networks challenges the efficacy of traditional regulatory mechanisms, such as centralized oversight and enforcement. Regulators face the daunting task of striking a balance between fostering innovation and safeguarding against potential risks, such as money laundering and terrorist financing, inherent in decentralized financial systems. The integration of blockchain technology into tax compliance and financial regulation presents a complex array of legal implications. While offering potential benefits in terms of efficiency and transparency, blockchain also necessitates adaptation and evolution of regulatory frameworks to address emerging challenges and risks in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Effective collaboration between governments, businesses, and regulators is essential to harness the transformative potential of blockchain technology while mitigating its associated legal and regulatory challenges. Keywords: Blockchain, Regulators, Legal, Tax, Technology, Financial, Review.