This is Part 2 of a Two Part series on Blockchain, Crypto and Decentralized Finance (event notice for Part 1 is at: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/500636).
This talk will discuss the implications of crypto, smart contracts, and stablecoins – with a particular emphasis on blockchain governance and stablecoin policy/governance issues.
This talk begins with the essential elements of modern crypto (minus the technical rigor of Part One): public permissionless blockchains, immutable distributed ledger technology, cryptocurrency, smart contracts, stablecoins, etc.
Crypto blockchain governance shapes the purposes/uses to which the crypto is targeted. Bitcoin’s governance minimizes code changes from present operation/function in order to maintain its primary use today as a proxy for “digital gold.” This is in contrast to transaction speed/volume, smart contract enhancements, and tokenization capability implemented into other crypto that target traditional financial settlement (Visa, MC, Venmo, PayPal, SWIFT, etc.). The so-called “Layer-Two blockchains” and “Channels” that also target transactional speed and cost of crypto-based transactions will also be discussed.
Investment in crypto will be presented at a high level by examining issues such as crypto supply creation/destruction, characterization of crypto as “a currency” vs. “a money” or “a commodity,” the benefits of “staking crypto” from the perspective of investors and blockchain operators, the economics of owning/running a cryptocurrency element (e.g., a Bitcoin miner vs. an Ethereum validator), and more.
Lastly, with the recent passage of the GENIUS Act, stablecoins (crypto pegged to fiat) have the potential to increase crypto acceptance by providing an on-ramp to Layer-One crypto, to provide an alternative to cross-nation settlements, to aid in anti-money laundering efforts, and more.
As the investment thesis for crypto ownership, crypto applications, and crypto business cases (BitMine, “The Ethereum Machine,” etc.) is moving/changing rapidly, nothing presented in this talk should be taken as investment advice (rather, only the opinion of the presenter).
This is a hybrid, approximately 90 minute talk; physical location is in this notice and remote participation via MSFT Teams is provided below in this event notice.
A lengthy Q&A period will be provided for those participants remaining after the ~90 minute lecture.
Slides from Part 1:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mhuh3Jw5WG6gNKqJ0WLQ9-3b7ALYoVVQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112749112840320398956&rtpof=true&sd=true
Slides from Part 2:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UD74ZUGeyQ-mR-DFBQ3d3QbX3Iz4MI0D/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112749112840320398956&rtpof=true&sd=true
Speaker(s): Michael
16313 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, Florida, United States, 33618, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/500639
This event has passed.
