The implications of blockchain for key sectors (finance, legal services, sharing economy) and the role of the government

Bitcoin’s recent rollercoaster ride has confirmed some pundits in their belief that the cryptocurrency won’t last. The real game-changer, however, may well be blockchain, the decentralised technology underlying bitcoin, which has applications far beyond digital currencies. Smart blockchain contracts could disintermediate the sharing economy and radically lower financial transaction costs. Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto has likewise hailed the technology’s potential for securing and enforcing property rights. The uses of blockchain technology are wide-ranging.

What are the policy implications of this simmering revolution? How should governments respond to the spread of distributed ledger technologies like blockchain across the economy? Are there genuine welfare reasons for greater regulatory scrutiny of the blockchain and its uses, or do calls for intervention just represent incumbent interests? Could the blockchain be regulated at all?

Join renowned economists Sinclair Davidson, Chris Berg and Jason Potts for a fascinating discussion of the rise of the cryptoeconomy around the world.

Sinclair Davidson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, a leading Australian free-market think tank

Chris Berg is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, a leading Australian free-market think tank, and author of five books including In Defence of Freedom of Speech: from Ancient Greece to Andrew Bolt

Jason Potts is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, a leading Australian free-market think tank