Barriers and drivers of blockchain adoption in emerging markets: Extensive textual analysis and survey experiences among African regulators and citizens. |
Eliza R. OakAnd doctor. Emmanuel Joel Aikens AbacaAnd & Mohammed Abdullah |
Yale, University of Ghana, and UNISA, Malaysia |
To discern the main drivers and barriers to blockchain adoption across Africa, this project proposes systematic data collection through digital tracking data, surveys, and interviews. By extracting data from social media, news articles, and Google search trends, the project aims to create a country-level Blockchain Adoption Index for all African countries, and compare it to measures of financial sector stability. The research will focus specifically on Ghana as a case study for collecting original data, and assessing the perceived potential benefits and risks of blockchain from the perspectives of individuals and regulators. |
Blockchain Censorship – Quantitative Analysis of Censorship on Public Blockchain |
Anton WarstadterAnd a. Arthur JervisAnd Lee ChuAnd avi liveAnd Kaihua ChenAnd Jens ErnstbergerSebastian Steinhorst, Davor Cvitinović, Nicholas Kristen, & Mikołaj Barczentewicz |
Technical University of Munich, Vienna University of Economics and Business, The Hebrew University, Imperial College London, University College London, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Surrey |
To investigate the implications of censorship on the blockchain. The research will formalize, quantify, and analyze the security impact of censorship on the blockchain, by providing a comprehensive overview of censorship at the consensus layer and application layer, dissecting the quantitative extent of censorship, and investigating the latency of historical transaction confirmation on Ethereum. |
DAO Model Code |
doctor. Primavera de FelipeSilk Al-Rifai, Fatemeh Vanizadeh, Constance Choi, Uri Shmoni, and Rick Dudley |
COALA (Coalition of Legal Automated Applications) |
To enhance legal recognition and protection for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), this project focuses on revising and updating the DAO Model Code v1.0, originally released in 2021. The aim is to address developments in technology and changes in governance standards over the past two years, as well as to provide Additions needed to support implementation of the DAO Model Law in various global legal frameworks. This effort builds on previous work that has already impacted legal frameworks for DAOs in jurisdictions such as Utah and New Hampshire in the United States. |
Ethereum as a Microcredit for Financial Inclusion in a Developing Country: Assessing Drivers and Barriers |
doctor. Shazim KhaledAnd & Andrei OJ Kwok |
Monash University |
To understand the experiences, challenges, and opportunities of using Ethereum as a micro-credit system in developing countries, specifically Kenya, this research will interview key stakeholders. Focusing on user perceptions of the reliability and effectiveness of Ethereum, the study aims to inform policymakers, financial institutions, and developers about the practical implications of blockchain-based microcredit systems. These insights will make it easier to improve the Ethereum ecosystem to better meet the needs of its users, especially in areas that lack access to traditional financial services. |
Ethereum Development Revealed: A Chain of Communications |
doctor. Silvia BartolucciAnd doctor. Giuseppe DistefanesAnd doctor. Romania NikovaAnd & doctor. Marco Orto |
University College London, Brunel University London, and University of Cagliari |
To assess the security, risk, and durability of the Ethereum ecosystem, this paper proposes an in-depth analysis of the Ethereum developer community and the software complexity of major open source projects. Drawing on network theory and sentiment analysis, the study aims to (1) understand the dynamics within the Ethereum developer community and the complexity of the software, (2) anticipate potential internal conflicts and their potential impact on token prices, and (3) develop an easy-to-use digital toolkit that provides interactive access to Data collected and visualized. This toolkit, which uses comprehensive datasets from Github, will promote transparency and understanding of open source Ethereum projects and development practices for both practitioners and end users. |
Postdoctoral Researcher in Ethereum (Legal) |
Robin Youngbloom |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology DCI |
To bridge the gap between legal and technical understanding in the context of digital currencies, this scholarship will establish a postdoctoral research position in MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative. This position will host recent law graduates, providing them with technical exposure and mentorship from both MIT and Robin Youngbloom of Stanford Law. The goal is to provide new legal professionals with a deeper understanding of the technical nuances of the digital currency landscape, which will aid in better regulation and legal practice. |
Forking Economics: An Ethnography of Cryptography |
Annalize Milano |
London School of Economics |
To address the lack of in-depth academic exploration into the culture of cryptocurrency communities, this project seeks to draw on two years of empirical research to produce an ethnographic study of the Ethereum community and its relationship to the Bitcoin community. Anthropologists, with their expertise in long-standing societal studies, lead this investigation. The primary goals are to enhance the understanding of the cryptocurrency social class to develop a better protocol and correct the misconceptions of third parties about the goals of these communities. |
The Governance Archeology of Decentralized Societies |
a. Nathan SchneiderAnd & a. Federica Carugatti |
University of Colorado, Boulder |
To facilitate collective governance and inspire institutional learning in the field of decentralized governance, this project, known as Governance Archeology, aims to create a comprehensive global resource on historical governance practices, particularly from non-Western contexts. The project will expand on an existing sample database to include a broader range of practices, analyze emerging patterns, and make the resource publicly available and editable as an open source tool. In addition, a workshop will be organized for the Web3 community to improve their use of this database, thus contributing to more successful and sustainable self-management strategies. |
Legally credible Ethereum neutrality |
Mikołaj Barczentewicz |
independent |
To protect Ethereum’s status as an unauthorized public network, this project aims to explore the legal implications and potential liabilities of network participants, such as validators, particularly in contexts where they have discretion. The project is driven by the potential risks that legal accountability could pose to the structure and operations of Ethereum. He suggests in-depth research on how to address these legal risks and to what extent they should inform protocol design and development. |
Incorporating Eastern cultures to complete the missing puzzle of DAO’s social programs. |
Soojin KaneAnd Twinand Sunghoon Jin |
DAOeast movement |
Bridging the gap between technology and community trust in DAOs, this research project, called DAOeast, aims to explore “social software,” the component that fosters trusted communities through non-contractual interrelationships. The study will use an asynchronous approach to examine social programs through the lens of “relationship-centered” East Asian philosophy, reflecting on the convergence between Western philosophies that champion individual freedom and Eastern philosophies that emphasize human connectedness. |
Open Source Software Development and Community Dynamics: Historical Insights and Implications for Ethereum |
doctor. Maria Petrick & doctor. Jason Lee |
independent |
To gain deeper insights into the Ethereum open source ecosystem, this project aims to apply data-driven analytics techniques, building on the team’s well-established experience in open source software research. The plan is to formally test different hypotheses, drawing on studies done on the evolution of other open source software. The project aspires to uncover patterns related to Ethereum, and in doing so, aims to provide guidelines that can guide the long-term development of the Ethereum ecosystem. |
Social Class: An Ethnography of Ethereum Development |
Ann Brody & doctor. Paul Dylan Ennis |
independent |
To understand the dynamics within the Ethereum development community, this project plans to conduct an ethnographic study focusing on Ethereum client developers participating in the Shanghai Hard Fork. The research, using interviews, will explore the perspectives of developers and the ways in which they deal with societal expectations and pressures. The goal is to gain insights into how Ethereum core developers can build trust with the broader community and manage ‘transparency’ throughout the Shanghai Hard Fork development process. |