The law of blockchain

Georgios Dimitropoulos*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Blockchain technology is a new general-purpose technology that poses significant challenges to the existing state of law, economy, and society. Blockchain has one feature that makes it even more distinctive than other disruptive technologies: It is, by nature and design, global and transnational. Moreover, blockchain operates based on its own rules and principles that have a law-like quality. What may be called the lex cryptographia of blockchain has been designed based on a rational choice vision of human behavior. Blockchain adopts a framing derived from neoclassical economics, and instantiates it in a new machinery that implements rational choice paradigms using blockchain in a semi-automatic way, across all spheres of life, and without regard to borders. Accordingly, a global law and cryptoeconomics movement is now emerging owing to the spread of blockchain.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1117-1192
Number of pages76
JournalWashington Law Review
Volume95
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Apr 2020

Keywords

  • Bitcoin
  • Blockchain
  • Cryptoasset
  • Ethereum
  • Infrastructure
  • Law and cryptoeconomics
  • Law and political economy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The law of blockchain'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this