Overview[]
The Blockchain Economics Research Lab (BERL) at the Center for Global Communications (GLOCOM), International University of Japan, promotes research into the social and economic impact of utilizing Blockchain technology.
Blockchain has emerged as a platform technology to enable bitcoin, providing the features such as collecting and chaining transactions from past to present, and maintaining the system by a peer-to-peer network. While Blockchain technology is creating a new channel for economic transactions in the form of cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, it is possible to apply Blockchain technology to a wide range of information management matters, such as managing ledgers and verifying information. Thus, Blockchain is expected to create numerous innovative services.
It is possible that Blockchain affects various social systems from payments, ledger management, Internet of Things, and organizational management. Each of those applications would have the significant impact on the function of economic system and output of the whole economy. Considering the possible impacts, the Lab will collect and provide information on these topics and will promote research on the economic and social impacts of Blockchain technology.