Promoting Scientific Research on Blockchain Technology for the Benefit of Society
Latest updates
Investigating the Market Reaction to Large Transactions on the Bitcoin Blockchain
A specific feature of the blockchain technology and thus also of the Bitcoin network is the underlying transparency. Each network participant can observe in virtually real time how many and what kind of transactions take place in the Bitcoin...
A Week With Bitcoin: Transaction Timing and Transaction Fees
This third and last blog post takes a look at intra-week patterns of Bitcoin activity. The following chart shows transactions and fees aggregated by weekday and hour. Activity was high on workdays and on afternoons, and low on weekends and on early mornings. The same is true for transaction fees...
Libra: An assessment of the public opinion
Libra describes a project that aims to create a blockchain-based financial infrastructure surrounding its inherent asset, the digital currency Libra. The project was initially started by Facebook and is now developed by the Libra Association, a foundation dedicated to Libra’s development...
What we do
The Blockchain Research Lab promotes independent science and research on blockchain technologies and the publication of the results in the form of scientific papers and contributions to conferences and other media. The BRL is a non-profit organisation aiming, on the one hand, to further the general understanding of the blockchain technology and, on the other hand, to analyse the resulting challenges and opportunities as well as their socio-economic consequences.
Why blockchain?
Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt digital interaction in our economy and society. The technology’s rapid and dynamic technical development is driven by startups and incumbents alike, creating a myriad of applications across economic and societal domains. However, the implications of this potential new technological paradigm have not yet reached a broader public debate, nor have economic and societal implications been sufficiently addressed by academia.
What is blockchain?
The blockchain is a basic technology that allows values to be securely transferred directly between parties on the Internet. This can result in various advantages, such as higher efficiency by eliminating intermediaries, a higher level of transparency or the automation of processes by means of so-called smart contracts. The special combination of encryption, data verification and reconciliation mechanisms makes it virtually impossible for transactions to be subsequently manipulated or deleted.