Blockchain Perspectives Joint Research Initiative

Scientific project

There has been significant press coverage and continuous interest and investment devoted to Blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) over the last six months as many market participants have started to realize the impact this technology could have on multiple sectors of the economy, and its ongoing digital transformation.

As blockchain technology requires a multi-disciplinary approach, ranging from cryptography to traditional finance and securities law, this research initiative aims to put together researchers from various institutions and have them work jointly on related and cross-disciplinary topics.

 This proposal involves researchers from different institutions and research laboratories, namely the LIRSA, Dicen-IDF and CEDRIC research units for Cnam, the CERSA for Panthéon-Assas, and HEC.

Eight areas of research have been identified:

• The impact of blockchain on post-trade market infrastructure, including how it could be used to reduce systemic risk;
• The use of blockchain technology for improving organizational design and efficiency;
• Corporate governance and how it should be affected by distributed ledger technology;
• Disintermediated consumer credit and financing, and more generally the rise of blockchain technology as a substitute for traditional centralized crowdfunding and P2P platforms;
• Distributed consensus protocols and the price of so-called trustless systems;
• Digital identity;
• Blockchain and big data;
• Trade finance.