The work provides a method for classifying blockchains and crypto-assets, facilitating their comparison for business and regulatory purposes. Blockchains - and more generally systems based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) - adopt different technologic configurations, each distinguished by...

Decentralised finance (DeFi) has attracted attention from investors and regulators, as the latest and arguably most innovative development in the crypto area. This article assesses the development of DeFi, its distinctive features, and the risks it raises to ESMA's objectives, with a view to...

This paper empirically explores the early development of insurance projects in the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry, which is based on disruptive technologies like blockchain and smart contracts. A brief history of DeFi is narrated stressing four risks of DeFi (volatility risk, cyberattack...

Oracles are software components that enable data exchange between siloed blockchains and external environments, enhancing smart contract capabilities and platform interoperability. Oracles play key roles in decentralized finance and blockchain applications in centralized finance. We find that...

Tokens offer convenience in digital networks and earn rewards when staked for consensus generation or economic activities. In our continuous-time model, agents dynamically allocate wealth over on-platform transactions and staking. Aggregate staking ratio crucially shapes platform productivity,...

The paper provides an overview of cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance. The discussion lays out potential benefits and challenges of the new system and presents a comparison to the traditional system of financial intermediation. Our analysis highlights that while the DeFi architecture...