Blockchain Papers

Neha Jain

No abstract is available for this record.

Gaétan de Rassenfosse, Kyle Higham

Modern patent systems are slow, inefficient, expensive, and may result in outcomes that actively harm technological progress. This paper proposes a substantive re-think of these systems and lays a foundation upon which practical solutions can be built. Many solutions proposed in the past, such as prior-art bounties, outsourced examination, and dynamic fee setting, have gone unheeded due to the cost of administering them and the rigidity of the patent system. We explore how distributed ledger technologies (DLTs) enable these major changes by altering the way stakeholders are able to interact with the patent records system. We find that transitioning to a DLT-based patent records system can enable many previously suggested improvements to current patent systems in a flexible, scalable, and transparent manner. The case for such a transition is strengthened when jointly considering the complex but common roots of problems facing modern patent systems, rather than a balkanised set of technical solutions to address each issue independently. Noting that a DLT-based system is not a panacea, we also provide comment on the political, legal, and organisational challenges that must be overcome for such changes to be implemented at scale.

Ahmed Muayad Younus, Sara Ravan Ramzani

The study focused on Blockchain because can provide the ease of use of smart contract and the platform for adopt and implementation of smart contracts. Furthermore, it is an agreement under certain conditions implemented between two parties in the purchase is also a safe, easy and time-saving method. Stability, decentralized nature, and consensus mechanisms of blockchain technology make smart contract and its development cycle a new area of study in business, Furthermore, one of the advantages of smart contract decentralization, which helps to build new ways of running a business. furthermore, the study will open the way about traditional contracts in Iraq thus there disadvantages in traditional contracts, for example, the difficulty of preservation, vulnerability to damage, fraud, thefts and the difficulty of access in time. However, there is the need to develop a smart contract and secure contracts. Driven by the need for a new approach to development, this study suggests the application of smart contract technology in the Iraqi financial sector. The alignment between the importance and utilization of smart contracts and the impact on organizational performance has been an issue of concern for many researchers. Therefore, this study explain the effect of individual factors, environmental factors and organizational factors on implementation of smart contract technology. It also examined the moderating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between these independent variables and of smart contract technology. The study indicate that staff working in information technology sector, banking and insurance companies in Iraq.

Lars Andraschko, Bernd Britzelmaier

This paper examines companies' adaptation of cryptocurrencies and comprises a quantitative empirical study. The emerging potentials of cryptocurrencies but the gap of practical application and respective existing knowledge are addressed in this paper. Technological, economic, social and regulatory aspects are depicted in the literature review. In addition, a comprehensive status quo of on companies' cryptocurrency adaptation research is provided and previous contributions are discussed. This study is based on an online questionnaire that was sent out to CFOs of German Prime Standard listed companies. As suggested in preceding papers the extended technology acceptance model (TAM2) is applied. Results indicate a very low level of adaptation and companies' utilisation of the blockchain technology. Lower potentials are seen in cryptocurrencies than in the underlying blockchain technology. The main obstacles are to overcome regulatory uncertainty and high price volatility. Low transaction costs and the omission of intermediaries are seen as great potential benefits. Suggestions for further research and practical implications are provided.

Jorge Galavis

Blockchain technologies created the most valuable digital currency in the world; Bitcoin. Bitcoin uses a Blockchain to be decentralized and widely accessible: Blockchains work by recording all transactions into online ledgers that are saved onto many separate blocks across the internet. Coins that use Blockchain technology are inherently difficult to modify, and transactions are permanently recorded because of the redundancy and reliability of the Blockchain system. So, this widely-available means of exchange has gained appeal as an online alternative to traditional currencies and securities. Blockchain coins gain popularity as currencies where there is reason to doubt the existing traditional currencies that are in place. These coins gain popularity as securities in countries where securities are highly regulated because of challenges in applying those regulations to Blockchain technologies. Because of this appeal, Cryptocurrencies have become increasingly popular all around the world, and countries must now respond to the new sizeable Cryptocurrency markets within their economies. However, the process of exerting jurisdiction over Blockchain coins raises several hurtles that countries must address to avoid losing out to decentralization. This note seeks to evaluate regulations and proposed future measures that several countries have taken to control this new technology. The efficacity of these regulations will be measured against the goals of the relevant governing bodies, and their shortcomings will be identified. Ultimately, this note endeavors to provide an overview of effective Cryptocurrency regulation to provide a framework for countries to adapt themselves to the Blockchain.

Diana Vieira Fernandes

No abstract is available for this record.

Shelina Lusandro

Blockchain has been a trending topic in the technology industry for the past few years because of its infrastructure to support a decentralized system as opposed to the conventional centralized server. Smart Contracts as enablers of transactions integrated within blockchain have been used to drive different functionalities on blockchain. Different use cases have been tried to exploit these functionalities with the goal of finding the most effective usage for this revolutionary technology. One possible use case is also trending in the business sector as it fuelled some of the fastest growing businesses of the past years, the sharing economy. This project explores the feasibility of integrating sharing application with blockchain. This decentralized application (DApp) introduces the design and implementation of a Web-based peer-to-peer (P2P) rental application which leverages Ethereum blockchain and Smart contract. It allows users to participate in the transactions as lenders and borrowers to share their unused everyday object in the platform without involvement of a Trusted Third Party (TTP). Trust to this system is enabled by using deposits to increase compliance and loyalty between parties in a contract. As an addition to the basic trade contract, the application also supports disputes resolution with voting and rating system.
\nThe end goal of this application is to create a fully functional DApp that promotes self-sovereignty, savings, and security. Users control how their data is being shared and used. Additionally, it requires low transaction fee with no commission, platform, and exchange rate fee. Finally, blockchain is secure because all the transactions are validated by other users and appended into the immutable blockchain.

Jaehyuk Choi, Heungju Park, Sungbin Sohn

No abstract is available for this record.

Amanda Bezerra Bassani

No abstract is available for this record.

Anna Duke

Smart contracts—contracts written into lines of code that automatically execute all or parts of an agreement—are a relatively new technology, which has raised many questions regarding their validity and formation. This Comment looks at smart contracts under the lens of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and analyzes what its provisions have to say on the validity and formation of a contract. This analysis is written from the internationalist perspective, which favors applying the CISG to issues it addresses even in cases where domestic law might apply. Moreover, this Comment argues that a smart contract used as an international sales contract, which embodies an entire agreement within its code, is valid under the CISG because it can meet the formation requirements of the Convention. More specifically, such a contract can show some clear indication of the parties’ intent, and include an offer, an acceptance, and some sufficiently definite indication of the goods, price, and quantity. In addition, smart contracts have the potential to promote international trade, an outcome that is consistent with the goal of the Convention’s creation. The purpose of this analysis is to address legal issues unique to smart contracts and to reduce legal uncertainty by filling an interpretational gap regarding the CISG’s applicability to smart contracts.

Thiago R. P. M. Rúbio, Zafeiris Kokkinogenis, Henrique Lopes Cardoso, Rosaldo J. F. Rossetti · 5 authors

No abstract is available for this record.

Xudong Cai, Xi Zhao, Bin Zhang, Gengzhong Feng

Decentralized applications (DApps) – digital applications that operate on blockchain and smart contract technologies – have proliferated across diverse industrial sectors. With the recent surge in DApp adoption, we have yet to understand the impetus behind this rapid expansion. Our research aims to bridge this gap by examining the role and extent of peer influence on individual decisions to adopt DApps. Given the inherently peer-to-peer nature of blockchain and the robust sense of community amongst users, this influence is expected to be significant. To identify evidence, we empirically study Ethereum, the world's largest DApp platform. We utilize an unprecedented dataset encompassing the entire lifetime of Ethereum, from inception to the present day. Our findings reveal a positive correlation between DApp adoption and the decisions of proximate peers. We further uncover that the magnitude of peer influence varies depending on network structure characteristics, including network size, density, and the degree of decentralization. These results substantiate the powerful role of peer influence in driving the diffusion of DApps, operating through a variety of mechanisms. Such insights could offer valuable guidance for industry practitioners to devise targeted marketing strategies that capitalize on this peer influence to optimize DApp adoption rates.

Mohd Ma’Sum Billah

No abstract is available for this record.

Ellen S. Podgor

No abstract is available for this record.

Ville Savolainen, Jorge Soria

No abstract is available for this record.

Pieter Hartel, Ivan Homoliak, Daniël Reijsbergen

Since it takes time and effort to put a new product or service on the market, one would like to predict whether it will be a success. In general this is not possible, but it is possible to follow best practices in order to maximize the chance of success. A smart contract is intended to encode business logic and is therefore at the heart of every new business on the Ethereum blockchain. We have investigated how to measure the success of smart contracts, and whether successful smart contracts have characteristics that less successful smart contracts lack. The appearance of a smart contract on a listing website such as Etherscan or StateoftheDapps is such a characteristic. In this paper, we present a three-pronged analysis of the relative success of listed smart contracts. First, we have used statistical analysis on the publicly visible transaction history of the Ethereum blockchain to determine that listed contracts are significantly more successful than their unlisted counterparts. Next, we have conducted a survey among more than 200 developers via an anonymous online survey about their experience with the listing process. A significant majority of respondents do not believe that listing a contract itself contributes to its success, but they believe that the extra attention that is typically paid in tandem with the listing process does contribute. Finally, based on the respondents' answers, we have drafted 10 recommendations for developers and validated them by submitting them to an international panel of experts.

Lin Lin, Dominika Nestarcova

The rise of the crypto economy brings promises and perils to the venture capital industry. Distributed ledger technologies offer new investment opportunities to venture capitalists (VCs). Traditional VCs are gradually diversifying their portfolios to invest in crypto-assets and blockchain technology projects, as well as launching crypto-centric funds. Simultaneously, venture capital funds are developing various hybrid financing models to adopt and imitate the fundraising mechanism of initial coin offerings. However, the polymorphous and evolving features of crypto-assets also introduce new risks to the venture capital market. The paper therefore examines the emerging models in the venture capital crypto landscape, identifies the new risks, and examines the current regulatory and contractual solutions. The paper also proposes recommendations for the venture capital crypto landscape going forward, including heightened regulations on crypto-centric funds and fund managers.

Ahmad B. Alkhodre, Toqeer Ali, Salman Jan, Yazed Alsaawy · 6 authors

Businesses need trust to confidently perform trade among each other. Centralized business models are the only mature solutions available to perform trades over the Internet. However, they have many problems which includes but are not limited to the fact that these create bottleneck on the server as well as requires trusted third parties. Recently, decentralized solutions have gained significant popularity and acceptance for future businesses. The wide acceptance of such systems is indeed due to the trust management among various untrusted business stakeholders. Many solutions have been proposed in this regard to provide de-centralized infrastructure for various business models. A standard solution that is acceptable to the industry is still in demand. Hyperledger umbrella Blockchain projects, that are supported by IBM and many other industry big players are gaining popularity due to its efficient and pluggable design. In this study, the author present the idea of utilizing Blockchain to design a Value-Added Tax (VAT) system for Saudi Arabia’s newly introduced tax system. The reason to select this business model for VAT is twofold. First, it provides an untampered distributed ledger, which cannot be deceived by any party. Each transaction in the system cannot go unnoticed by the smart contract. Sec-ondly, it provides a transparent record, and updates all involved parties regarding each activity performed by stakeholders. The newly proposed system will provide a transparent database of VAT transactions according to our smart contract design and at each stage of supply chain, tax will be deducted and stored on peer-to-peer network via consensus process. The author believes that the proposed solution will have significant impact on VAT collection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Erica Pimentel, Emilio Boulianne, Shayan Eskandari, Jeremy Clark

ABSTRACT Presently, auditing firms are hesitant to accept mandates from companies that hold a significant amount of cryptoassets, primarily because the blockchain sector introduces novel, technically sophisticated, and risky propositions that auditors are unequipped to handle. Abrupt recusals by auditors operating in this sector have led to several enterprises being placed on cease trade by securities regulators for failure to produce audited financial statements on time, thus impeding these companies from raising capital and bringing new investments to fund innovation in this space. Through an iterative process of interviews with senior accounting professionals, structured brainstorming among a multidisciplinary team of accountants and blockchain experts, and a focus group with experienced auditors, we critically analyze the purported roadblocks to auditing blockchain firms and map them to traditional auditing practices. We urge auditors to reconsider their resistance to the blockchain sector by demonstrating that providing an audit opinion is challenging but not insurmountable.

Wei-Meng Lee

So far you have learned how to create your private test Ethereum network. You have also learned how to manage your Ethers using the MetaMask Chrome extension. In this chapter, you will learn about one of the most interesting and exciting features of Ethereum – Smart Contract. You will have a quick look at how a Smart Contract looks like as well as how to test it. In the next few chapters, we will dive into the details of Smart Contracts.

Nihal Kalaycı Oflaz

No abstract is available for this record.

Georgiana-Loredana Schipor

The financial industry is subject to a new technological age through the evolution of the cryptocurrencies, people exploring a continuous rise of interest in investing on alternative basis mechanisms. This paper aims to give an overview of the blockchain technology and its potential, with its applicability on the cryptocurrency market. We illustrate the main challenges that the cryptocurrencis must overcome in order to achieve the customers’ approval, which is strongly related to trust and cybersecurity issues. A comparative analysis of the two major cryptocurrencies emphasizes the risks and the opportunities offered by the cryptocurrency market, but also the main threats that must be addressed. Moreover, the consequences of the cryptocurrencies development for both national and international financial systems are evaluated, leading to the idea of a freedom-associated concept, where the lack of a third-party financial authority requires a significant change of perceptions and has the premises to fundamentally transform the traditional payment methods.

Kombe Kaponda

No abstract is available for this record.

Fan Jili, Xiaohua Li, Tiezheng Nie, Yu Ge

No abstract is available for this record.