Rule-making and dispute resolution are essential functions of online platforms. Many of these platforms have traditionally adopted a centralized model of governance to create and enforce rules for platform participants. However, a large number of online platforms, particularly those in China,...

Government decentralisation (GD) can provide an alternative to the ‘build in’ accountability mechanism of markets by influencing the choice of and preference for public versus private health care. To test this hypothesis, this paper exploits the gradual decentralisation of the political...

The Cypherpunks were terrified of surveillance. They envisaged the combination of cryptography and computer technology fundamentally altering the nature of trust and reputation. Now, not just on chain transactions but every move of participants in blockchain communities is being tracked....

In this paper, we construct a decentralized clearing mechanism which endogenously and automatically provides a claims resolution procedure. This mechanism can be used to clear a network of obligations through blockchain. In particular, we investigate default contagion in a network of smart...

This paper examines how decentralization of administrative and fiscal authority affects the development of small cities by exploiting a unique reform of county-to-city upgrading (chexiansheshi) in China. Based on a comprehensive county-level dataset and difference-in-difference approach, I...

Chapter 10 highlights the need for the establishment and maintenance of unifying transcendental values of decentralized organizations. Unlike scientific laws, transcendental values cannot be stated formally and explicitly. The power of a decentralized organization derives from its ability to...

Chapter 2 highlights the transition from Web 2.0 companies, such as Google, Facebook, and Uber, among many others, which have disrupted much of the economy, to more decentralized solutions. Consumers around the globe are becoming increasingly accustomed to the advantages of decentralized...