Dimaz,Monash University
Cryptocurrencies encompass a wide range of technologies, communities and uses. Not all of them are taken seriously.
January 12, 2018
KodakOne could be the start of a new kind of intellectual property
Chris Berg, RMIT University; Jason Potts, RMIT University, and Sinclair Davidson, RMIT University
Kodak's new blockchain and cryptocurrency hint at a new kind of intellectual property, one that doesn't need a government to enforce property rights.
January 12, 2018
Bitcoin, the property market and Trump: the fact and fiction behind doomsaying in 2018
Richard Holden, UNSW
The odds are that we get through 2018 without war, mass capital flight, or a housing crash. But all the risks are medium probability, and the consequences could be dire.
January 10, 2018
Why unregulated cryptocurrencies could trigger another financial crisis
Iwa Salami, University of East London
Interest among financial institutions in bitcoin derivatives contracts highlights worrying reminders of the not-too-distant past.
January 3, 2018
The Bank of England is planning a bitcoin-style virtual currency – but could it really replace cash?
Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University
National cryptocurrencies could make payments faster and prevent crime, but they come with their own risks.
December 19, 2017
Is your computer secretly mining bitcoin alternatives? A guide to ‘cryptojacking’
Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University
The Pirate Bay is among those accused of using customers' computers to mine cryptocurrency.
December 15, 2017
How are bitcoin, cryptowallets and blockchain related? Some jargon busted
Efpraxia D. Zamani, De Montfort University
Using metaphors for cryptocurrencies helps people feel more familiar with the technology. But there's a downside – we expect it to work just like regular money.
December 14, 2017
A bubble? We don’t even know how to value Bitcoin
Alicia (Lucy) Cameron, CSIRO and Kelly Trinh, CSIRO
If Bitcoin is a bubble, it will be because its price rises are too great and can't continue. If it isn't, it will be because the Bitcoin market is still expanding. We just don't know which one yet.
December 14, 2017
How Bitcoin futures trading could burst the cryptocurrency’s bubble
Nafis Alam, University of Reading
Futures trading is driving up the price of Bitcoin but institutional investors remain cautious.
December 13, 2017
Why bitcoin fraud suspect Alexander Vinnik looks set to be extradited to the US
Ioannis Glinavos, University of Westminster
Allegations bring to the fore questions over the legitimacy of bitcoin – a sound investment tool or a massive scam?
December 6, 2017
The Bitcoin bubble – how we know it will burst
Larisa Yarovaya, Anglia Ruskin University and Brian Lucey, Trinity College Dublin
An analysis of Bitcoin's fundamentals shows how much of a bubble its price has inflated to.
December 6, 2017
Bitcoin isn’t a currency – and unless it becomes one it could be worthless
Vili Lehdonvirta, University of Oxford
If you can't use Bitcoin to buy anything then it has no intrinsic value.
December 5, 2017
Bitcoin is a highly speculative investment. Why caution is required
Co-Pierre Georg, University of Cape Town and Qobolwakhe Dube, University of Cape Town
The astronomic rise of the price of bitcoin over the past 12 months raises fears that the cryptocurrency is set to crash which could see many people lose money.
November 29, 2017
Bitcoin’s surge intensifies need for global regulation of cryptocurrencies
Iwa Salami, University of East London
Crypto cash is catnip for criminals and a huge challenge to law enforcement – so it's time to bring in a tough, jurisdiction-busting regulatory body.
November 2, 2017
Why the RBA would want to create a digital Australian dollar
Dimaz Wijaya, Monash University
A digital Australian dollar could remove the role of middlemen and creates a cheaper electronic currency system, while at the same time enabling the government to fully regulate the system.
October 16, 2017
Explainer: what are initial coin offerings (ICOs) and why are investors flocking to them?
Paul J Ennis, University College Dublin and Donncha Kavanagh, University College Dublin
Within the world of cryptocurrencies, ICOs are the way to raise funds – but without any government oversight.
October 2, 2017
Beyond Bitcoin: The power struggle over trust-based technology
Marc-David L. Seidel, University of British Columbia
The development of distributed trust technologies is making traditional institutions like banks, corporations and governments nervous. Those who have power like to hold onto it. What's next?
September 29, 2017
Australian regulators have finally made a move on initial coin offerings
Philippa Ryan, University of Technology Sydney
Despite billions raised in the past year, ICOs are still risky. But ASIC has finally given us a sign of how they will be regulated.
September 26, 2017
By concealing identities, cryptocurrencies fuel cybercrime
Ari Juels, Cornell University; Iddo Bentov, Cornell University, and Ittay Eyal, Cornell University
As cryptocurrency systems improve, they will better protect criminals' identities and even allow people to offer anonymous rewards for crimes they want committed.
September 25, 2017
Bitcoin investors should be taxed like any other investor
Jason Potts, RMIT University; Chris Berg, RMIT University, and Sinclair Davidson, RMIT University
Despite its name, cryptocurrency isn't just money. It could also be debt or equity and so it should be regulated and taxed in the same way as other finance.