Cryptomarket

There is also a growing literature on the empirical regularities of cryptocurrencies. Borri (2019) shows that individual cryptocurrencies are exposed to cryptomarket tail-risks. Makarov and Schoar (2020) find that cryptocurrency markets exhibit periods of potential arbitrage opportunites across exchanges. Griffin and Shams (2020) study Bitcoin price manipulation. Our paper is the first comprehensive analysis of cryptocurrencies through the lens of empirical asset pricing.

The technology is creating a trustless environment, i.e., a financial system without the need for trusted intermediaries. In the brave new world of cryptocurrencies, there is no need for commercial banks to facilitate funds transfers, nor for central banks to issue currency and control interest and exchange rates. There also are currently no authorities with clearly defined supervisory powers, no guarantees by institutions or insurers, and not even rules of the road enacted by legislators or courts. Yet, the equivalent of USD 3 trillion are held by millions of individuals in the form of more than 10,000 new digital currencies in more than 200 million cryptocurrency wallets, completely disconnected from traditional bank accounts and credit cards. By comparison, U.S. GDP in 2021 was around USD 23.2 trillion, “only” about ten times the value of the cryptomarket, while the January 2022 market capitalization of Apple was USD 3 trillion.