The policy dilemmas of blockchain

<p dir="ltr">Blockchain is a new, emerging technology that is expected to have deep and “disruptive” effects on our economies and societies. It offers a new paradigm for the way in which information is registered, stored, and transacted. Blockchain is actually only one example of dis...

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المؤلف الرئيسي: Judith Clifton (3028107) (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Leslie A Pal (16946556) (author)
منشور في: 2022
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author Judith Clifton (3028107)
author2 Leslie A Pal (16946556)
author2_role author
author_facet Judith Clifton (3028107)
Leslie A Pal (16946556)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Judith Clifton (3028107)
Leslie A Pal (16946556)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2022-09-03T00:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1093/polsoc/puac025
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_policy_dilemmas_of_blockchain/24099561
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Distributed computing and systems software
Law and legal studies
Law in context
Distributed ledger technology
Blocks
Decentralized database
Network protocol
Decentralized digital records
Ledgers
User-verified digital transactions
CPP
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The policy dilemmas of blockchain
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">Blockchain is a new, emerging technology that is expected to have deep and “disruptive” effects on our economies and societies. It offers a new paradigm for the way in which information is registered, stored, and transacted. Blockchain is actually only one example of distributed ledger technology, which constitutes a physically decentralized and secure database, in the sense data are not held in one central site, rather they are held and updated simultaneously across several sites, theoretically making it more difficult to hack (Weiss and Biermann, 2020). Blockchain allows generated information to be stored in “blocks,” each of which is “stamped” and linked to the previous one, creating an unchangeable record of transactions (Cagigas et al., 2021). The process is conducted and verified via a predefined network protocol or “consensus mechanism” that specifies how the system is ruled. This permissions architecture can be used to determine whether, and to what extent, the blockchain itself will be largely left under the control of a centralized entity or authority or whether access and control of the blockchain will be shared among all those interested in participating. For example, depending on the permissions granted, participation in the verification process can be open and free or restricted to a group of users. In addition, the information registered in the blockchain can be more or less openly shared. At the most general level, then, blockchains are secure, immutable, anonymous, and decentralized digital records (or ledgers) of user-verified digital transactions. The first well-known blockchain product to emerge was Bitcoin, in 2008, which utilizes the technology for its most familiar usage—“cryptocurrency.” Today, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies that have been launched with different degrees of success.1 Since cryptocurrency became well known, there has been a second spike in public consciousness about blockchain around non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where one-of-a-kind digital assets are bought and sold every day. These NFTs can be as trivial as a “signed Tweet,” one of which was sold via auction in March 2021 for almost US$3 million.2 Yet, only 1 year later, the same product was put up for sale again, the highest bid being only US$280, inevitably questioning its intrinsic price.3 As a result, blockchain is sometimes associated with crypto-criminality, money laundering, or questionable frivolities in the digital art market</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Policy and Society<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puac025" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puac025</a></p>
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spelling The policy dilemmas of blockchainJudith Clifton (3028107)Leslie A Pal (16946556)Information and computing sciencesCybersecurity and privacyDistributed computing and systems softwareLaw and legal studiesLaw in contextDistributed ledger technologyBlocksDecentralized databaseNetwork protocolDecentralized digital recordsLedgersUser-verified digital transactionsCPP<p dir="ltr">Blockchain is a new, emerging technology that is expected to have deep and “disruptive” effects on our economies and societies. It offers a new paradigm for the way in which information is registered, stored, and transacted. Blockchain is actually only one example of distributed ledger technology, which constitutes a physically decentralized and secure database, in the sense data are not held in one central site, rather they are held and updated simultaneously across several sites, theoretically making it more difficult to hack (Weiss and Biermann, 2020). Blockchain allows generated information to be stored in “blocks,” each of which is “stamped” and linked to the previous one, creating an unchangeable record of transactions (Cagigas et al., 2021). The process is conducted and verified via a predefined network protocol or “consensus mechanism” that specifies how the system is ruled. This permissions architecture can be used to determine whether, and to what extent, the blockchain itself will be largely left under the control of a centralized entity or authority or whether access and control of the blockchain will be shared among all those interested in participating. For example, depending on the permissions granted, participation in the verification process can be open and free or restricted to a group of users. In addition, the information registered in the blockchain can be more or less openly shared. At the most general level, then, blockchains are secure, immutable, anonymous, and decentralized digital records (or ledgers) of user-verified digital transactions. The first well-known blockchain product to emerge was Bitcoin, in 2008, which utilizes the technology for its most familiar usage—“cryptocurrency.” Today, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies that have been launched with different degrees of success.1 Since cryptocurrency became well known, there has been a second spike in public consciousness about blockchain around non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where one-of-a-kind digital assets are bought and sold every day. These NFTs can be as trivial as a “signed Tweet,” one of which was sold via auction in March 2021 for almost US$3 million.2 Yet, only 1 year later, the same product was put up for sale again, the highest bid being only US$280, inevitably questioning its intrinsic price.3 As a result, blockchain is sometimes associated with crypto-criminality, money laundering, or questionable frivolities in the digital art market</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Policy and Society<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puac025" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puac025</a></p>2022-09-03T00:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1093/polsoc/puac025https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_policy_dilemmas_of_blockchain/24099561CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/240995612022-09-03T00:00:00Z
spellingShingle The policy dilemmas of blockchain
Judith Clifton (3028107)
Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Distributed computing and systems software
Law and legal studies
Law in context
Distributed ledger technology
Blocks
Decentralized database
Network protocol
Decentralized digital records
Ledgers
User-verified digital transactions
CPP
status_str publishedVersion
title The policy dilemmas of blockchain
title_full The policy dilemmas of blockchain
title_fullStr The policy dilemmas of blockchain
title_full_unstemmed The policy dilemmas of blockchain
title_short The policy dilemmas of blockchain
title_sort The policy dilemmas of blockchain
topic Information and computing sciences
Cybersecurity and privacy
Distributed computing and systems software
Law and legal studies
Law in context
Distributed ledger technology
Blocks
Decentralized database
Network protocol
Decentralized digital records
Ledgers
User-verified digital transactions
CPP