Bitcoin is the oldest and most widely established cryptocurrency network with the highest market capitalization among all cryptocurrencies. Although bitcoin (with lowercase b) is increasingly viewed as a digital asset belonging to a new asset class, the Bitcoin network (with uppercase B) is a...

This paper explores the interface between central banks and cryptocurrencies. Focusing on the European Central Bank (ECB), it identifies the potential threats that the rise of cryptocurrencies would pose to the basic and ancillary tasks of the ECB, in particular, its monetary policy operations...

Bitcoin is a distributed system. The greatest dilemma it poses to the current legal and regulatory systems is that it is hardly possible to regulate a distributed network in a centralized fashion as decentralized permissionless blockchain-based cryptocurrencies are antithetical to the existing...

Concluding thoughts and outlook for the future of the technology. For Chapter 1 (Introduction), see "https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135021" https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135021. For Chapter 2 (Means of Exchange: Ever-present Competition), "https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135028"...

In this chapter, we discuss economic aspects of cryptocurrencies. 4.1. The double spending problem 4.2. How does Bitcoin work? Brief overview 4.3. Not the first one – predecessors of Bitcoin 4.4. Problems with Bitcoin (new challenges) 4.5. Competition against other crypto-currencies 4.6....

Concluding thoughts and outlook for the future of the technologies affording digital currencies, cryptocurrencies, blockchain and smart contracts. For Chapter 1 (Introduction), see https://ssrn.com/abstract=3135021. For Chapter 2 (Means of Exchange: Ever-present Competition), see...

Crypto assets' partial money-like use promotes toxic developments in the financial system. Even though crypto assets might be regarded as close substitutes to traditional money, we show that they lack important functions of money. Traditional fiat money requires several interacting institutions...

We develop a new framework to examine the effects of retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) on financial inclusion and stability, particularly how the results depend on an economy's existing degree of financial development. We demonstrate that when offering CBDCs in underdeveloped...

This paper analyses the relationship between BitCoin price and supply-demand fundamentals of BitCoin, global macro-financial indicators and BitCoin’s attractiveness for investors. Using daily data for the period 2009-2014 and applying time-series analytical mechanisms, we find that BitCoin...