Academic Scholarships Announcement for the 2023 Round

Barriers and drivers to blockchain adoption in emerging markets: large-scale text analysis and survey experiences among African regulators and citizens Eliza R Oak, Dr. A.S. Emmanuel Joel Aikins& Muhammad Abdullah Yale, University of Ghana, and UniSZA, Malaysia To characterize the key drivers and barriers to blockchain adoption across Africa, this project proposes systematic data collection through digital trace data, surveys, and interviews. By collecting data from social media, news articles and Google search trends, the project aims to create a country-level blockchain adoption index for all African countries, and compare it to measures of financial sector stability. The research will focus specifically on Ghana as a case study to collect original data, and assess the perceived potential benefits and risks of blockchain technology from the perspective of individuals and regulators. Blockchain Censorship – Quantitative analysis of public Blockchain censorship Anton Warstatter, Professor Arthur Gervais, Lee Chu, Aviv lives, Kaihua Chen, Jens ErnstbergerSebastian Steinhorst, Davor Cvetinović, Nicholas Christen, & Mikołaj Barczyntowicz Technical University of Munich, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Hebrew University, Imperial College London, University College London, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Surrey To investigate the implications for blockchain censorship. The research will formalize, quantify, and analyze the security impact of blockchain censorship, by providing a comprehensive overview of censorship at the consensus layer and application layer, dissecting the quantitative extent of censorship, and investigating the historical latency of transaction confirmation on Ethereum. DAO Model Code Dr. Primavera De Filippi, doctor. Manan’s mentorSilk Al-Rifai, Fatemeh Finizadeh, Constance Choi, Uri Shimoni, and Rick Dudley COALA (Coalition for Legal Automated Applications) To enhance legal recognition and protection for decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), this project focuses on reviewing and updating the DAO Model Law v1.0, which was originally released in 2021. The goal is to address advances in technology and changes in governance standards over the past two years, as well as Provide necessary additions to support the implementation of the DAO Model Law in various global legal frameworks. This effort builds on previous work that has already influenced DAO legal frameworks in jurisdictions such as Utah and New Hampshire in the United States. Ethereum as microcredit for financial inclusion in a developing country: Assessing drivers and barriers doctor. Shazim Khaled& Andre O. J. Cook Monash University To understand the experiences, challenges, and opportunities associated with using Ethereum as a microcredit system in developing countries, specifically Kenya, this research will conduct interviews with key stakeholders. By focusing on users’ perceptions of Ethereum’s reliability and effectiveness, the study aims to inform policymakers, financial institutions, and developers about the practical implications of blockchain-based microcredit systems. These ideas will facilitate the improvement of the Ethereum ecosystem to better meet the needs of its users, especially in regions that lack access to traditional financial services. Ethereum Evolution Breakdown: Blockchain for Communications Dr. Silvia Bartolucci, doctor. Giuseppe DeStefanis, doctor. Romania Nikova& doctor. Marco melts University College London, Brunel University London, and the University of Cagliari To evaluate the security, risks, and robustness of the Ethereum ecosystem, this research proposes an in-depth analysis of the Ethereum developer community and software complexity of key open source projects. By leveraging network theory and sentiment analysis, the study aims to (1) understand the dynamics within the Ethereum developer community and software complexity, (2) predict potential internal conflicts and their potential impact on token prices, and (3) develop an easy-to-use system. A digital toolkit that provides interactive access to and visualization of collected data. This toolkit, using comprehensive datasets from Github, will enhance transparency and understanding of open source Ethereum projects and development practices for both practitioners and end users. Postdoctoral Researcher in Ethereum (Legal) Robin Young Bloom With DCI To bridge the gap between legal and technical understanding in the context of digital currencies, this grant will establish a postdoctoral research position at MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative. This position will host recent law graduates, providing them with technical exposure and mentoring from both MIT and Stanford Law’s Robin Youngblum. The goal is to provide new legal professionals with a deeper understanding of the technical nuances of the cryptocurrency landscape, helping to improve regulation and legal practice. The Bifurcation of Economics: An Ethnography of Cryptography Annalize Milan London School of Economics To address the lack of in-depth academic exploration of the culture of cryptocurrency communities, this project seeks to leverage two years of empirical research to produce an ethnographic study of the Ethereum community and its relationship with the Bitcoin community. Anthropologists, with expertise in immersive, long-term community studies, are leading this research. The primary goals are to advance understanding of the social class of cryptocurrencies in order to develop a better protocol and correct misconceptions outsiders have about the goals of these communities. Governance archeology for decentralized societies Professor Nathan Schneider& Professor Federica Carogati University of Colorado, Boulder To facilitate collective governance and inspire institutional learning in the field of decentralized governance, this project, known as Archeology of Governance, aims to create a comprehensive global resource on historical governance practices, especially from non-Western contexts. The project will expand upon an existing model database to include a broader range of practices, analyze emerging patterns, and make the resource publicly available and editable as an open source tool. In addition, a workshop will be organized for the Web3 community to improve their use of this database, thus contributing to more successful and sustainable self-governance strategies. Ethereum’s legal neutrality Mikołaj Barczyntowicz independent To protect Ethereum’s status as a permissionless public network, this project aims to explore the legal implications and potential obligations of network participants, such as validators, particularly in contexts where they have discretion. The project is based on the potential risks that legal accountability may pose to the structure and operations of Ethereum. It is suggested that in-depth research be conducted on how and to what extent these legal risks should be addressed in the design and development of the protocol. Integrating Eastern cultures to complete the missing puzzle of DAO social software. Sujin Ken, Twinfin& Sunghoon Jin DAOeast movement To bridge the gap between technology and community trust in decentralized autonomous organizations, this research project, called DAOeast, aims to explore “social software,” the component that fosters trusted communities through non-contractual reciprocal relationships. The study will use a historical approach to examine social programs through the lens of East Asian “relationship-centered” philosophy, reflecting on the convergence of Western philosophies that advocate individual freedom and Eastern philosophies that emphasize human connectedness. Open source software development and community dynamics: historical insights and implications for ethereum doctor. Maria Petrick & Dr. Jason Lee independent To gain deeper insights into the Ethereum open source ecosystem, this project aims to apply data-driven analysis techniques, building on the team’s well-established experience in open source software research. The plan aims to formally test different hypotheses, drawing on studies conducted on the development of other open source software. The project aspires to uncover patterns relevant to Ethereum, and in doing so, aims to provide guidance that can guide the long-term development of the Ethereum ecosystem. Social class: an ethnography of ethereum development Anne Brodie & Dr. Paul Dylan Ennis independent To understand the dynamics within the Ethereum development community, this project plans to conduct an ethnographic study focusing on Ethereum client developers involved in the hard fork in Shanghai. Using interviews, the research will explore developers’ perspectives and the ways in which they cope with community expectations and pressures. The goal is to gain insight into how Ethereum core developers build trust with the broader community and manage “transparency” throughout the Shanghai hard fork development process.