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We have investigated processes of analysis, integration, and content generation, taking into consideration the needs of the user in cryptocurrency. By using the developed formal model and the performed critical analysis of methods and technologies for predicting the exchange rate of cryptocurrency, we have built a general architecture of the content processing system that acquires data from different cryptocurrency Internet stock exchanges. General functional requirements to the intelligent cryptocurrency system that target the Internet users have been stated. We have investigated methods, models, and tools to improve the effective support for developing structural elements in the model of a decision support system that manages content according to the user's needs. general architectures of the backend and frontend parts of an intelligent cryptocurrency system have been devised. We also developed software for the system of integration and generation of content considering the cryptocurrency needs of users. An analysis of results of experimental verification of the proposed method for content integration and generation taking into consideration the cryptocurrency needs of users has been performed. A special feature of the system is that it analyzes information from social media and builds a forecast of currency rates based on the acquired information. A given system makes it possible to guess the trend in an exchange rate fluctuation. Conferences of a particular cryptocurrency, new implementations, government decrees from different countries, affect a trend as well, so it too must be taken into consideration. In order to account for most cases, it is necessary to constantly accumulate information on the subject and to assign it to Tables in a database. A given process takes place using a specialized software bot that collects and indexes information. The system is characterized by the following features that favorably distinguish it from analogs: the speed of page generation; the presence of SSL certificate and TLS encryption; content of better quality as it is updated every minute; there are no inactive sections of the service; the mobile web-site layout does not copy content at subdomain; automated checks against e-mail spam messages on the exchange rate. The focus of the system is on the frequency of updates at the speed of data aggregation from the Internet stock exchanges and social networks. ; Досліджені процеси аналізу, інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувача. Використовуючи розроблену формальну модель та проведений критичний аналіз методів і технологій прогнозу курсу криптовалюти, побудовано загальну архітектуру системи опрацювання контенту з різних криптовалютних Інтернет-бірж. Також сформульвані загальні функціональні вимоги до інтелектуальної криптовалютної системи, орієнтованої на Інтернет-користувачів. Досліджено методи, моделі та інструменти для удосконалення ефективнішої підтримки розроблення структурних елементів моделі системи підтримки прийняття рішень з керування контентом згідно потреб користувача. Розроблено загальні архітектури backend та fronted частин інтелектуальної криптовалютної системи. Також розроблено програмне забезпечення системи інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувачів. Проведений аналіз результатів експериментальної апробації запропонованого методу інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувачів. Особливість системи полягає у аналізі інформації з соціальних медіа та створення прогнозу курсів на основі зібраної інформації. Дана система дозволяє вгадати тренд напрямку курсів. Конференції певної криптовалюти, нові впровадження, державні укази різних країн задають теж напрям тренду, тому це теж треба враховувати. Для того щоб врахувати більшість випадків, потрібно постійно накопичувати інформацію по темі та сортувати по таблицях в базі даних. Даний процес відбувається за допомогою спеціальної програми бота, яка збирає та індексує інформацію. Одними з кращих можливостей системи, порівняно з аналогами, є швидкість генерації сторінки; присутність SSL сертифіката та шифрування TLS; більш якісніший контент, так як він оновлюється щохвилини; відсутні неактивні розділи сервісу; мобільна верстка сайту без дубляжу контенту на піддомені; автоперевірки проти засмічення пошти повідомленнями про курс. Основний акцент системи робитися на частоті оновлення на швидкості агрегації даних з Інтернет-бірж та соціальних мереж ; Исследованы процессы анализа, интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователя. Используя разработанную формальную модель и проведеный критический анализ методов и технологий прогноза курса криптовалюта, построено общую архитектуру системы обработки контента с различных криптовалютних Интернет-бирж. Также сформулированы общие функциональные требования к интеллектуальной криптовалютной системе, ориентированной на Интернет-пользователей. Исследованы методы, модели и инструменты для совершенствования эффективной поддержки разработки структурных элементов модели системы поддержки принятия решений по управлению контентом согласно потребностям пользователя. Разработаны общие архитектуры backend и fronted частей интеллектуальной криптовалютной системы. Также разработано программное обеспечение системы интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователей. Проведен анализ результатов экспериментальной апробации предложенного метода интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователей. Особенность системы заключается в анализе информации из социальных медиа и создание прогноза курсов на основе собранной информации. Данная система позволяет угадать тренд направлении курсов. Конференции определенной криптовалюты, новые внедрения, государственные указы разных стран задают тоже направление тренда, поэтому это тоже надо учитывать. Для того чтобы учесть большинство случаев нужно постоянно накапливать информацию по теме и сортировать по таблицам в базе данных. Данный процесс происходит с помощью специальной программы бота, которая собирает и индексирует информацию. Одними из лучших возможностей системы по сравнению с аналогами, является скорость генерации страницы; присутствие SSL сертификата и шифрования TLS; более качественный контент, так как он обновляется ежеминутно; отсутствуют неактивные разделы сервиса; мобильная верстка сайта без дубляжа контента на поддомене; автопроверки против засорения почты сообщениями о курсе. Основной акцент системы делаться на частоте обновления на скорости агрегации данных с Интернет-бирж и социальных сетей

We have investigated processes of analysis, integration, and content generation, taking into consideration the needs of the user in cryptocurrency. By using the developed formal model and the performed critical analysis of methods and technologies for predicting the exchange rate of cryptocurrency, we have built a general architecture of the content processing system that acquires data from different cryptocurrency Internet stock exchanges. General functional requirements to the intelligent cryptocurrency system that target the Internet users have been stated. We have investigated methods, models, and tools to improve the effective support for developing structural elements in the model of a decision support system that manages content according to the user's needs. general architectures of the backend and frontend parts of an intelligent cryptocurrency system have been devised. We also developed software for the system of integration and generation of content considering the cryptocurrency needs of users. An analysis of results of experimental verification of the proposed method for content integration and generation taking into consideration the cryptocurrency needs of users has been performed. A special feature of the system is that it analyzes information from social media and builds a forecast of currency rates based on the acquired information. A given system makes it possible to guess the trend in an exchange rate fluctuation. Conferences of a particular cryptocurrency, new implementations, government decrees from different countries, affect a trend as well, so it too must be taken into consideration. In order to account for most cases, it is necessary to constantly accumulate information on the subject and to assign it to Tables in a database. A given process takes place using a specialized software bot that collects and indexes information. The system is characterized by the following features that favorably distinguish it from analogs: the speed of page generation; the presence of SSL certificate and TLS encryption; content of better quality as it is updated every minute; there are no inactive sections of the service; the mobile web-site layout does not copy content at subdomain; automated checks against e-mail spam messages on the exchange rate. The focus of the system is on the frequency of updates at the speed of data aggregation from the Internet stock exchanges and social networks. ; Досліджені процеси аналізу, інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувача. Використовуючи розроблену формальну модель та проведений критичний аналіз методів і технологій прогнозу курсу криптовалюти, побудовано загальну архітектуру системи опрацювання контенту з різних криптовалютних Інтернет-бірж. Також сформульвані загальні функціональні вимоги до інтелектуальної криптовалютної системи, орієнтованої на Інтернет-користувачів. Досліджено методи, моделі та інструменти для удосконалення ефективнішої підтримки розроблення структурних елементів моделі системи підтримки прийняття рішень з керування контентом згідно потреб користувача. Розроблено загальні архітектури backend та fronted частин інтелектуальної криптовалютної системи. Також розроблено програмне забезпечення системи інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувачів. Проведений аналіз результатів експериментальної апробації запропонованого методу інтеграції та формування контенту з врахуванням криптовалютних потреб користувачів. Особливість системи полягає у аналізі інформації з соціальних медіа та створення прогнозу курсів на основі зібраної інформації. Дана система дозволяє вгадати тренд напрямку курсів. Конференції певної криптовалюти, нові впровадження, державні укази різних країн задають теж напрям тренду, тому це теж треба враховувати. Для того щоб врахувати більшість випадків, потрібно постійно накопичувати інформацію по темі та сортувати по таблицях в базі даних. Даний процес відбувається за допомогою спеціальної програми бота, яка збирає та індексує інформацію. Одними з кращих можливостей системи, порівняно з аналогами, є швидкість генерації сторінки; присутність SSL сертифіката та шифрування TLS; більш якісніший контент, так як він оновлюється щохвилини; відсутні неактивні розділи сервісу; мобільна верстка сайту без дубляжу контенту на піддомені; автоперевірки проти засмічення пошти повідомленнями про курс. Основний акцент системи робитися на частоті оновлення на швидкості агрегації даних з Інтернет-бірж та соціальних мереж ; Исследованы процессы анализа, интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователя. Используя разработанную формальную модель и проведеный критический анализ методов и технологий прогноза курса криптовалюта, построено общую архитектуру системы обработки контента с различных криптовалютних Интернет-бирж. Также сформулированы общие функциональные требования к интеллектуальной криптовалютной системе, ориентированной на Интернет-пользователей. Исследованы методы, модели и инструменты для совершенствования эффективной поддержки разработки структурных элементов модели системы поддержки принятия решений по управлению контентом согласно потребностям пользователя. Разработаны общие архитектуры backend и fronted частей интеллектуальной криптовалютной системы. Также разработано программное обеспечение системы интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователей. Проведен анализ результатов экспериментальной апробации предложенного метода интеграции и формирования контента с учетом криптовалютних потребностей пользователей. Особенность системы заключается в анализе информации из социальных медиа и создание прогноза курсов на основе собранной информации. Данная система позволяет угадать тренд направлении курсов. Конференции определенной криптовалюты, новые внедрения, государственные указы разных стран задают тоже направление тренда, поэтому это тоже надо учитывать. Для того чтобы учесть большинство случаев нужно постоянно накапливать информацию по теме и сортировать по таблицам в базе данных. Данный процесс происходит с помощью специальной программы бота, которая собирает и индексирует информацию. Одними из лучших возможностей системы по сравнению с аналогами, является скорость генерации страницы; присутствие SSL сертификата и шифрования TLS; более качественный контент, так как он обновляется ежеминутно; отсутствуют неактивные разделы сервиса; мобильная верстка сайта без дубляжа контента на поддомене; автопроверки против засорения почты сообщениями о курсе. Основной акцент системы делаться на частоте обновления на скорости агрегации данных с Интернет-бирж и социальных сетей

Supply chain management is considered as one of the key elements to leveraging a company's success. Active global crypto currency market growth "overwhelming†national economic systems contributes to the formation of a new type of economic relations which makes supply chain as the crucial factor in development. Despite the fact that at the current time in the world community a single (unified) approach to the legal regulation of the crypto currency market has not yet been developed, crypto currency is considered by many world regulators as a promising tool in the monetary policy of national economies. In this regard, it seems extremely urgent to solve the problem which reveals the features of the studied market development, as well as the possibility of its forecasting for short- and medium-term periods of time. The research subject is the process of economic and mathematical modelling of time series characterizing the bitcoin exchange rate volatility, based on the use of artificial neural networks. The purpose of the work is to search and scientifically substantiate the tools and mechanisms for developing prognostic estimates of the crypto currency market development. The paper considers the task of financial time series trend forecasting using the LSTM neural network for supply chain strategies. The time series composed of the BTC / USD currency pair data is analysed; the period analysed is a day. The authors analysed the neural network architecture, built a neural network model taking into account the heterogeneity and random volatility of the time series, developed and implemented an algorithm for solving the problem in the Python system. For training the neural network, data were used for the period from September 24, 2013, to March 17, 2019 (a total of 2002 data sets). The experiment boils down to that the constructed neural network model is trying to determine the trend of the time series for one next timeframe. The training was conducted with a "teacher". To determine the prediction error, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was calculated. The results of the study are of practical interest for both government authorities in the field of crypto currency market regulation and for representatives of the business community, who are integrated or planning to integrate into the global crypto currency transaction system.

Gedruckt erschienen im Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, ISBN 978-3-7983-2899-0 ; Die digitale Revolution ist in vollem Gange. Längst hat die Digitalisierung alle Lebensbereiche der Gesellschaft erfasst. Angefangen bei der Kommunikation, über die industrielle Produktion, die Landwirtschaft, den Verkehr, die Medizin, das Bankwesen und die Politik. Selbst alte Kulturtechniken wie das handschriftliche Schreiben sind davon betroffen. Welche Auswirkungen und Folgen dieser fundamentale Umwälzungsprozess auf den Mensch, die Verfasstheit der Gesellschaft und die demokratische Ordnung hat, analysiert Christian Thomsen in seinen Kolumnen, die seit 2015 in der Tageszeitung Berliner Morgenpost erscheinen. Obwohl er sich für die Möglichkeiten und Potenziale der Digitalisierung begeistert, geraten ihm die Gefahren und Herausforderungen nicht aus dem Blick. Seine Kolumnen begleiten diesen Veränderungsprozess – klug, kritisch, optimistisch, nachdenklich. ; The digital revolution is in full swing. Digitalization has long captured all areas of life and society. It touches communication, industrial production, agriculture, transport, medicine, banking, and politics. Even ancient cultural technologies like handwriting are affected. In his columns, Christian Thomsen analyzes the effects and impact of this fundamental upheaval process on people, the constitution of society and on the democratic order. The texts have been published weekly in the daily newspaper Berliner Morgenpost since 2015. Thomsen is enthusiastic about the possibilities and potentials of digitalization, but he does not overlook its risks and challenges. His columns accompany this process of change – clever, critical, optimistic, and thoughtful.

We analyse and assess the economic potential and risk of crypto assets and discuss key regulatory questions that European Union policymakers need to confront. Crypto assets can be broadly classified as cryptocurrencies - a private means of payment - and initial coin offerings (ICOs), typically used to fund new activities against the promise of future utilities (utility tokens) or financial returns (securities tokens). Crypto exchanges and wallets provide services such as exchanging crypto assets into central bank currencies and brokerage services. The underlying technologies - record keeping in distributed ledgers and blockchain - facilitate peer-to-peer interactions without intermediaries and are still experimental. They have been praised as offering benefits for many applications beyond finance, but there is also significant scepticism. The crypto asset market has seen huge variation in its market valuation. After a peak of above $ 800 billion (January 2018), it fell to around US $ 200 billion (August 2018). Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin have dropped markedly in value. The amount of funds raised through ICOs has also declined substantially since its March 2018 peak. Regulators and supervisors have taken great interest in these new markets. Different regulators in Europe classify and treat cryptocurrencies differently. Some classify cryptocurrency as a unit of account while others reject it as a financial instrument. Several regulators take the view that case-by-case assessments of ICOs are necessary. There seems to be convergence on the view that crypto exchanges and wallet providers should require authorisation to operate. Crypto assets raise six major public policy questions: how great is the potential of crypto assets in advanced financial systems? What is the best way to combat illegal activity such as money laundering and terrorism finance? How can consumer and investor protection be ensured? What about financial stability? How might crypto assets be taxed? And how can blockchain applications be embedded into the existing legal framework? European policymakers must first decide whether crypto assets should be isolated, regulated or integrated. We argue that at this point regulation is the right approach. Second, global cooperation in the managing risks of the new technology should be ensured while reaping the opportunities it undoubtedly provides. The G20 and the Financial Stability Board should set regulatory norms that address the six policy questions. Standard-setting organisations such as the International Organisation for Standardization should also play a role. Third, EU policymakers need to agree on the right moment to move supervision of crypto assets from the national level to the EU level. In a single market for capital, diverging supervisory practices can come with significant downsides and this is particularly true for highly mobile crypto assets. However, different supervisory practices can allow experimentation with different approaches to a fast-changing technology.

This comprehensive guide serves to illuminate the rise and development of FinTech in Sweden, with the Internet as the key underlying driver. The multiple case studies examine topics such as: the adoption of online banking in Sweden; the identification and classification of different FinTech categories; process innovation developments within the traditional banking industry; and the Venture Capital (VC) landscape in Sweden, as shown through interviews with VC representatives, mainly from Sweden but also from the US and Germany, as well as offering insight into the companies that are currently operating in the FinTech arena in Sweden. The authors address questions such as: How will the regulatory landscape shape the future of FinTech companies? What are the factors that will likely drive the adoption of FinTech services in the future? What is the future role of banks in the context of FinTech and digitalization? What are the policies and government initiatives that aim to support the FinTech ecosystem in Sweden? Complex concepts and ideas are rendered in an easily digestible yet thought-provoking way. The book was initiated by the IIS (the Internet Foundation in Sweden), an independent organization promoting the positive development of the Internet in the country. It is also responsible for the Internet's Swedish top-level domain .se, including the registration of domain names, and the administration and technical maintenance of the national domain name registry. The book illustrates how Sweden acts (or does not act) as a competitive player in the global FinTech arena, and is a vital addition to students and practitioners in the field.

Blockchain technology has been one of the most promising technologies of the past decade, with Ethereum and Bitcoin being the two most popular Blockchains today. Both do not provide data protection and privacy by default. The former allows for Decentralized Applications (DApps) to be built, with zero chance of downtime or censorship and is the main focus of this dissertation. The European Union approved a law in 2016, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), with severe penalties being enforced since May 25th, 2018. It is considered a massive step toward protecting user data. Not only does it affect companies with offices in the EU, but also organizations throughout the world that have users from EU territories. Further, it stipulates key obligations for organizations handling user data, in addition to introducing new rights to individuals, such as the right to erasure. This represents a major challenge towards achieving GDPR compliance in DApps, as Blockchains such as Ethereum, are immutable by design. This dissertation's work attempts to comply with the GDPR and its conflicting right to erasure, by developing an Ethereum proof-of-concept DApp: DFiles, which also aims to provide some form of data privacy and protection. It also allows its users to upload encrypted files in addition to their download and decryption. It was developed using an Agile methodology in an iterative approach with mainly decentralized technologies, such as the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) and Ethereum smart contracts, with a centralized component for user authentication, while adhering to Blockchain Software Engineering. Due to the GDPR's complexity, some parts were selected, namely the rights to erasure, data portability, access and rectification. DFiles GDPR compliance was then evaluated with a statistical analysis on user encrypted and unencrypted uploaded files in the DApp, with its elapsed upload times and Ethereum transaction costs measured for files separated into four categories: small (1KB-1MB), medium (1MB-20MB), large (20MB-200MB) and extra-large (200MB-2GB). However, due to hardware limitations, this statistical analysis could only be performed for files up to 14.2MB. It concluded that transaction costs for unencrypted files are slightly higher, although this increase is not significant. As for elapsed upload times, it found that the elapsed upload time in encrypted files was overall significantly higher. Data from files larger than 14.2MB was still recorded which determined that the last two elapsed upload times for unencrypted files up to 800MB, are less than the last two upload elapsed times for encrypted ones up to 14.2MB. In conclusion, encrypting files to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation's right to erasure is a valuable option only for small to medium files up to 14.2MB. From there, without considering hardware encryption limitations, upload times tend to grow exponentially. Ethereum and the IPFS must advance to allow better privacy techniques. Recently, there have been major new improvements to Ethereum and its smart contracts; the world of DApp development is always changing at a fast rate. In the future, Ethereum might evolve to a newer version which may bring new and enhanced privacy controls which may allow its complete GDPR compliance. ; A tecnologia de Blockchain tem sido uma das mais promisoras da última década, com Ethereum e Bitcoin como as duas Blockchains mais conhecidas atualmente, em que ambas têm o problema de não fornecer, por defeito, a proteção de dados e a sua consequente privacidade. O Ethereum, o principal foco desta dissertação, permite desenvolver Aplicações Descentralizadas (DApps) com a impossibilidade de estarem offline ou serem alvos de censura. A União Europeia (EU) aprovou o Regulamento Geral sobre a Proteção de Dados (RGPD) em 2016, com penalizações apenas a serem aplicadas no dia 25 de Maio de 2018. Este regulamento é considerado um passo gigante para proteger a informação e os dados dos utilizadores, visto que este não afeta apenas organizações com escritórios na EU, mas também empresas no mundo todo que tenham clientes em territórios da União Europeia. Além disto, o regulamento estipula novas obrigações para organizações que manuseiam dados dos seus utilizadores, além de introduzir novos direitos para os mesmos, como o direito de apagamento dos dados. Este direito representa um desafio enorme para conseguir cumprir estritamente com o RGPD nas DApps, visto que as Blockchains como o Ethereum são, no seu design, imutáveis. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta dissertação tenta cumprir com o RGPD e o seu direito problemático ao apagamento dos, ao desenvolver uma prova de conceito, uma DApp em Ethereum: DFiles, em que esta visa fornecer alguma maneira de proteger os dados dos seus utilizadores e também a sua privacidade. Além disto, também permite que os seus utilizadores submetam ficheiros encriptados além de os conseguirem desencriptar quando o seu download é efetuado. Foi também desenvolvida com uma metodologia Agile, com uma abordagem por iterações usando na maioria tecnologias descentralizadas, como por exemplo o Interplanetary File System (IPFS) e os contratos inteligentes do Ethereum, contando também com uma componente centralizada para efeitos de autenticação de utilizadores, ao mesmo tempo que adere à Engenharia de Desenvolvimento de Software para Blockchain (BOSE). Devido à complexidade do RGPD, apenas alguns dos seus aspetos foram selecionados para a sua implementação no DFiles como os direitos de apagamento dos dados, portabilidade, acesso e retificação. O cumprimento do RGPD na DFiles DApp foi avaliado com recurso a uma análise estatística nos ficheiros encriptados e não encriptados submetidos pelos seus utilizadores, em que foram medidos o tempo gasto no seu upload e o custo total de transação em Ethereum, em ficheiros de quatro categorias diferentes: pequenos (1KB-1MB), médios (1MB-20MB), grandes (20MB-200MB) e muito grandes (200MB-2GB). No entanto, por limitações de hardware, esta análise estatística apenas foi feita para ficheiros até 14.2MB de tamanho. Pode ser concluído que os custos de transação para ficheiros não encriptados são ligeiramente superiores, apesar deste aumento não ser significativo. Além disto, esta análise também concluiu que o tempo gasto nos ficheiros encriptados é substancialmente maior. Os dados dos ficheiros com tamanho superior a 14.2MB foram também registados. Ao compararmos os últimos dois registos dos ficheiros desencriptados, até 800MB de tamanho, concluímos que o seu tempo gasto é inferior aos útlimos dois registos para ficheiros encriptados até 14.2MB de tamanho. Finalmente, pode-se concluir que encriptar ficheiros para cumprir com o direito ao apagamento de dados do RGPD é uma possível abordagem apenas para ficheiros pequenos e médios até 14.2MB de tamanho. A partir desta fase, e sem considerar limitações de hardware, os tempos gastos para upload de ficheiros encriptados tendem a aumentar exponencialmente. Assim sendo, o Ethereum e o IPFS têm obrigatoriamente que melhorar a sua tecnologia num futuro próximo para permitir novas e melhores técnicas de privacidade dos dados. Recentemente, têm existido melhoramentos significativos no Ethereum e os seus contratos inteligentes que fazem com que o mundo do desenvolvimento de DApps se faça a um ritmo muito elevado. No futuro, o Ethereum poderá evoluir numa nova versão que poderá também trazer novos melhoramentos e controlos de privacidade que poderão permitir o cumprimento na totalidade do RGPD.

In seiner 2017 erschienenen Publikation Im Bann der Plattformen (engl.: Social Media Abyss, 2016) löst Geert Lovink ein, was er im Untertitel verspricht: Die nächste Runde der Netzkritik fokussiert auf Online-Plattformen, die laut Lovink alles andere als 'sozial' sind. Technische Zentralisierung, ökonomische Monopolisierung und kulturelle Dissoziation sind die Folge eines zu Social-Media-Apps verengten Internets, dessen anfängliche Freiräume und Freiheitsträume ihr utopisches Potential eingebüßt haben. Stattdessen regiert die kapitalistische Gewinnsucht allerorten und bedient sich dazu der Daten der Netzwerk-Nutzer_innen. Überwachung statt Ermächtigung, Wallet Garden statt freier Entfaltung. Das Soziale ist dabei bloß noch "ein Spezialeffekt der Software" (S. 42). Geert Lovink, Leiter des Institute of Network Cultures an der Hochschule Amsterdam und seit Jahren einer der bekanntesten Netzkritiker, veröffentlicht nach Zero Comments (2008) und Das halbwegs Soziale (2012) mit seiner neusten Publikation einmal mehr eine aktuelle Standortbestimmung mit Aufforderungscharakter. Seine Rhetorik ist bisweilen drastisch ("dann haben wir den Krieg schon vor Jahren verloren", S. 83), seine Behauptungen sind rigoros ("wird das Soziale zu einem Platzhalter für eine Art zwischenmenschlicher Schutthalde", S. 33). Die Leser_innen werden im Duktus einer agitierenden Rede immer wieder durch die Verwendung der 'Wir-Form' und des Imperativs ("Wir müssen", S. 83 / "Lasst uns", S. 85) angesprochen. Lovink hat etwas zu sagen und will gehört werden. Dabei macht er gleich in der Einleitung deutlich, dass seine Kritik nicht eigens um der Kritik willen, sondern vor dem Hintergrund alternativer Vorschläge stattfindet. Folgerichtig grenzt Lovink sich mehrfach von einer "Offline-Romantik" (S. 84 u. a.) ab. Stattdessen fordert er "langfristige Kollaborationen" (S. 25) und "Netzwerke mit Konsequenzen" (S. 27). Lovink macht seine Affinität zum Medium deutlich. Er positioniert sich dezidiert nicht als konservativer Rufer einer Sehnsucht nach der Vor-Internet-Zeit, sondern als progressiver Provokateur und alternativer Visionär. Seine Kritik setzt dabei an drei zentralen Inhalten an: einer Kritik der Plattformen (Filter Bubble, Nutzer_in als Datenobjekt, Profiling, Data Mining), einer Kritik des Marktes (Monopolisierung, Algorithmen als Steuerungsmechanismen, Hochfrequenzhandel) und einer Kritik der Forschung (institutionelle Defizite, insbesondere Randstellung der Geisteswissenschaften, analytische und theoretische Schwächen). Seit Edward Snowdens Enthüllungen wissen Nutzer_innen um die Überwachung ihrer Online-Aktivitäten. Jeder Klick, jede Kommunikation wird registriert und kann ausgewertet werden. Dieses neue Bewusstsein führt laut Lovink zu einer "existentiellen Unsicherheit" (S. 80). Denn es gilt: "Alles, worauf wir jemals geklickt haben, kann und wird gegen uns verwendet werden." (S. 74) Lovink weist darauf hin, dass die sogenannten Sozialen Plattformen auf ökonomischer Ebene in parasitärer Weise von den Aktivitäten ihrer Nutzer_innen leben, d. h. ökonomisch von ihnen profitieren (vgl. S. 101). In Konsequenz fordert er eine gerechte Entlohnung für Content-Produzent_innen (vgl. S. 94) und verweist zudem auf die Notwendigkeit, neue Einkommensmodelle zu schaffen, die das 'Freie' und 'Offene' (Stichwort 'Open Source') berücksichtigen (vgl. S. 91f und S. 102). Im Zeitalter neuer Zahlungsmodelle und Währungen erscheint Geld als "gestaltete[r] Gegenstand" (S. 111). Mobiles Geld in Afrika (S. 114ff) ist dabei nur ein Beispiel, das Lovink im Zusammenhang mit einer sich verändernden Finanzwelt anführt (vgl. S. 121). Bezüglich des Bitcoins konstatiert er, dieser trage zur sozialen Ungleichheit bei (vgl. S. 138) und kritisiert "Schürf-Modell" (S. 141) und "Hortungsprinzip" (ebd.) der Währung. Was als Alternative begann, sei schnell von der herrschenden, kapitalistischen Logik vereinnahmt worden: der Anhäufung individuellen Reichtums (vgl. ebd.). Lovink beschreibt auf seinem neuerlichen Streifzug durch die Welt der Netzkritik weitere Beobachtungen anhand von Fallbeispielen. Dazu zählen so diverse Phänomene wie die i-network-Mailingliste in Uganda (S. 143ff) und seine Lektüren der Literatur des US-amerikanischen Autors Jonathan Franzen (S. 163ff). Im Zusammenhang mit dem Begriff des 'Mappings', verstanden als Verbindung von Mobilität und IT, sowie dem 'Internet of Things' verweist er auf die Bedeutung materieller Ressourcen (vgl. S. 208). Organisierte Netzwerke werden als Alternative für "intensive Kollaborationen" (S. 245) jenseits konzentrierter Konzernmacht diskutiert. Immer wieder setzt Lovink sich mit dem Status der Wissenschaft auseinander. Er verweist auf die zentrale Rolle von Forschung für die Entwicklung von Netzwerkstrukturen, die Wege jenseits einer sich nur immer weiter verstärkenden kapitalistischen Tendenz aufzeigen soll, so dass nicht nur Wenige, sondern Viele von Netzwerken profitieren können. Lovink fordert die Academia zu einer mutigen Theorieproduktion auf (vgl. S. 81f). Dazu benötigt es seiner Ansicht nach keiner Software-getriebenen Geisteswissenschaft, die Daten visualisiert, aber im Kern ohne technische Expertise bleibt (vgl. S. 41). Er fordert "eine digital fundierte, postkoloniale Theorie lebendiger Netzwerke und Organisationsformen" (S. 41). Nicht die Wirkungen, sondern die Architektur von Technologie soll in den Mittelpunkt rücken (vgl. S. 63). Unter diesen Voraussetzungen wünscht Lovink sich ein entschiedeneres Auftreten der Forschenden im öffentlichen Diskurs, das seinem Wunsch nach politisch wirksam werden soll. Denn einen ebenso großen wie bisher ungenutzt bleibenden Einfluss spricht er der Politik (namentlich 'Brüssel', vgl. S. 72) zu und konstatiert, dass nicht nur Technologie politisch, sondern auch Politik technisch sei (vgl. S. 27). Lovinks argumentatives Vorgehen besteht darin, Entwicklungen zu beschreiben und Fragen zu stellen, um in Kritik zu münden. Dabei stehen Auseinandersetzungen mit den Arbeiten anderer Wissenschaftler_innen (u. a. Baudrillard, Löffler, Galloway, Thacker, Warck, Sassen) neben seinen eigenen Beobachtungen und Kommunikationen, die er aus Projekten (Unlike Us, MoneyLab), Interviews, dem Austausch per Mail und biografischen Erfahrungen (S. 94ff) bezieht. Lovink nimmt eine strategische Gegenposition im Diskurs um die Utopien und Ideologien des Internets, der Netzwerke und Plattformen ein, die dazu führt, dass seine Redeweise an der ein oder anderen Stelle in ihrer Direktheit verkürzt wirkt. Sein Anschreiben gegen eine unreflektierte Idealisierung der Online-Welt hinterfragt die großen Zusammenhänge von Ökonomie, Politik und Sozialität der gegenwärtigen Gesellschaften. Die Negierung und Desillusionierung gängiger Freiheitsphantasmen mündet in die Aufforderung sich des emanzipatorischen Potentials erneut und neu zu bemächtigen, um die "offene Architektur" (S. 256) von Netzwerken wieder zum Vorschein zu bringen und für alle gleichermaßen profitabel zu machen – ökonomisch, technisch, sozial, kulturell. Dazu müssen die unsichtbaren Strukturen und verborgenen Mechanismen ins Licht gesetzt, die Black Boxes im aufklärerischen Duktus geöffnet werden.

Introduction. Blockchain technology is becoming one of the main drivers of innovation in the global economy. Its adoption will have a huge impact on how businesses and governments operate and on the way people organize their everyday lives. Financial services industry is the one experiencing the biggest impact of the blockchain disruption so far, while financial institutions are among the first adopters of the technology. At the same time, being a relatively traditional industry, shipping has not yet seen many use cases with blockchain, but the technology is able to change this industry dramatically. Aim and tasks. As the industries of finance and shipping have huge potential in the blockchain space and often interact, determining how the blockchain technology adoption can influence the industries of finance and shipping in the future was the main purpose of this article. Research results. To fulfill this purpose, it was important to describe the origins of the blockchain technology, its main characteristics, functioning principles and consensus algorithms. Supported by the recent hype, cryptocurrencies are the biggest use case for blockchain so far, therefore, the article analyzes the largest of them, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and some others, as well as the cryptocurrency market as a whole. The level of worldwide adoption of blockchain and the overall market size are defined further in the article. Various applications in finance are also mentioned, paying particular attention to the insurance industry. Based on this information, the key areas in which blockchain can disrupt finance and insurance are identified. As the number of blockchain companies increases rapidly, the two main fundraising channels for such companies, venture capital and initial coin offering, are analyzed and compared. The ways in which blockchain may impact the shipping services industry are identified further. Conclusion. Afterwards, the article describes a number of blockchain consortia formed by public institutions and private entities to research and test possible applications of the technology across various industries and countries. While the potential of blockchain is still largely undiscovered, all the gathered information and performed research help to make a conclusion that the blockchain technology will have a big impact on many different industries, including financial and shipping services. The coming years will definitely see an exponentially growing interest in blockchain in academic and business fields, as the technology becomes more and more mainstream. ; Проблема. Технологія блокчейн стає однією із головних рушійних сил інновацій в глобальній економіці. Її впровадження матиме величезний вплив на те як діють підприємства та уряди і на те як люди організовують своє повсякденне життя. Індустрія фінансових послуг на даний момент зазнає найбільшого впливу блокчейн-революції, а фінансові інституції є одними з найперших користувачів технології. У той же час, сфера морських перевезень, як доволі традиційна індустрія, поки що не має багато прикладів застосування блокчейну, але ця технологія здатна суттєво змінити цю галузь. Мета та завдання. Метою статті є визначення впливу блокчейн-технології на сферу морських перевезень та фінансових послуг. Результати. Задля втілення цієї мети було важливо описати походження технології блокчейн, її головні характеристики, принципи функціонування та алгоритми консенсусу. На фоні існуючого ажіотажу, криптовалюти є найпоширенішим прикладом застосування блокчейну на сьогодні, тому в статті аналізуються найбільші з них, в тому числі Біткоін та Ефіріум, а також криптовалютний ринок в цілому. Далі визначено рівень розповсюдженості блокчейну у всьому світі та загальний розмір ринку. Також згадуються різні приклади застосування у фінансах, особливої уваги приділено страховій галузі. Виходячи з цієї інформації, визначено основні сфери, в яких блокчейн може реорганізувати фінанси та страхування. Оскільки кількість блокчейн-компаній швидко зростає, проаналізовано та порівняно два основних канали збору коштів для таких компаній, включаючи венчурний капітал та первинну пропозицію монет. Далі визначено шляхи, якими блокчейн може вплинути на галузь морських перевезень. Також в статті описується низка консорціумів, сформованих державними установами та приватними організаціями для дослідження та тестування можливих застосувань технології поміж різних галузей та країн. Висновки. У той час як потенціал блокчейну ще є доволі нерозкритим, вся зібрана інформація та проведені дослідження допомагають зробити висновок, що технологія блокчейн матиме великий вплив на багато різних індустрій, у тому числі на фінансові послуги та послуги морських перевезень. Наступні роки однозначно покажуть експонентне зростання зацікавленості блокчейном у академічних та бізнесових колах, адже технологія ставатиме все більш загальноприйнятою.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 145 banking crises, 208 monetary crashes and 72 sovereign-debt crises have occurred between 1970 and 2010 (Lietaer, Arnsperger, Goerner, & Brunnhuber, 2012). Crises have a negative impact on employment, human and social costs and production, and ultimately taxpayers are left to pay the bill. The most recent example is the 2007-2008 sub-prime banking crisis that affected countries such as Great Britain, Germany, the Unites States and Belgium. Another concern of modern society is the growing inequality in the world. Indeed, the world's eight richest persons possess as much wealth as the poorest 50% of the world population (Elliott, 2017). This leads to social tension and insecurity in many countries. Based on several research studies, we figured out that money and the monetary system play an important role in the world economy. Therefore, we decided to make money the subject matter of our thesis. The economy will not be able to deal with another major crisis as humanity faces major challenges in the coming decades such as climate change and retiring baby boomers. In order to achieve an "after CO2-economy", massive investments will be needed fuelled by government subsidies and tax brakes. Retiring baby boomers will increase health expenses and put the pension system of many countries in great difficulty. To face these challenges, a well-functioning monetary and economic system is indispensable. The current monetary system was essential during the industrialisation transition because of its rapid and massive economic growth. However, the multiple drawbacks like short-term vision, deterioration of social connection and community, need for endless growth, inequalities of wealth concentration, pro-cyclical tendency of money creation, and flow of the current monetary system show us that it does not addréess the challenges of today's world and enlightens its limitations. According to Bernard Lietaer, the main issue of the monetary system is "the monopoly of a single type currency created by the banking system through loans attached to positive interest rates [debt]" (Lietaer, What is the problem with our current money system, 2010). It is not flexible enough and is only adapted for transactions in the classic sectors and between conventional economic agents. Complementary currencies are an alternative that could deal with some of these shortcomings as they are usually not driven by positive interest rates but tend to encourage cooperation between people. They would also allow people to complete transactions that benefit everyone while eliminating the competitive aspect. Moreover, it would make the current monetary system more stable as it would rely on several currencies which are better adapted to certain type of transactions and which will open up the monetary system to organisation outside of a small group of financial institutions who currently seels the monetary system (Lietaer, What is the problem with our current money system, 2010). It would end the monoculture and make space for a system with multiple currencies which each have a different finality. Finally, these complementary currencies would give more importance to the cooperative economy which nowadays relies mainly on the subsidies received from the competitive economy, fuelled by its scarce currency attached to positive interest rates. Another type of alternative to the current monetary system is cryptocurrencies and its blockchain technology. The blockchain technology is a disruptive technology in the financial world in the sense that people make (international) transactions without using traditional financial institutions. Nowadays, some banks can show abusive traits due to their close connection to the political world. Introducing an apolitical cryptocurrency technology could help create a neutral and free currency market (Scott, 2016). However, it is important to stress out the fact that cryptocurrencies are facing multiple shortcomings mainly related to their high volatility and speculative traits which will have to be fixed to become a viable and sustainable alternative to the current financial system. Finally, we have addressed the feasibility to combine both concepts leading to complementary currencies supported by the blockchain technology. This idea aligns with the belief of Professor Diniz who sees digitalisation as an important factor in the implementation of complementary currencies. Digital complementary currencies offer multiple advantages that can boost their expansion and growth. The main objective is to reduce the costly and cumbersome management of complementary paper currencies. Even though initiatives related to complementary cryptocurrencies are still in their early stages, they confirm the trend that complementary currencies supported by the blockchain technology are technically feasible. These could also take advantage of the blockchain technology that is nowadays mainly used for speculative behaviors like Bitcoin. However, it is important to mention that the success of complementary currencies depends on the issue they want to tackle and the community in which they will circulate. Therefore, using the blockchain technology or even digital currencies will not always be adequate. A main example of this is the Toreke project in Ghent where the introduction of a digital currency was a failure. Even though complementary currencies are still in an "early adopter" phase, the awareness around them is expanding. However, we believe that at a bigger interest from the economic agents of the actual monetary system such as commercial banks, central banks and the political world is needed in order to develop them even more. Some examples already exist with the Banco Palmas initiative were commercial banks, central bank and the government are part of the project or the involvement of the European Commission with the D-Cent project. These few examples allow us to believe that major players start to see the benefits of complementary currencies which will play a more important role in our economic and monetary system in the near future. ; Master [120] en Ingénieur de gestion, Université catholique de Louvain, 2017

According to the International Monetary Fund, 145 banking crises, 208 monetary crashes and 72 sovereign-debt crises have occurred between 1970 and 2010 (Lietaer, Arnsperger, Goerner, & Brunnhuber, 2012). Crises have a negative impact on employment, human and social costs and production, and ultimately taxpayers are left to pay the bill. The most recent example is the 2007-2008 sub-prime banking crisis that affected countries such as Great Britain, Germany, the Unites States and Belgium. Another concern of modern society is the growing inequality in the world. Indeed, the world's eight richest persons possess as much wealth as the poorest 50% of the world population (Elliott, 2017). This leads to social tension and insecurity in many countries. Based on several research studies, we figured out that money and the monetary system play an important role in the world economy. Therefore, we decided to make money the subject matter of our thesis. The economy will not be able to deal with another major crisis as humanity faces major challenges in the coming decades such as climate change and retiring baby boomers. In order to achieve an "after CO2-economy", massive investments will be needed fuelled by government subsidies and tax brakes. Retiring baby boomers will increase health expenses and put the pension system of many countries in great difficulty. To face these challenges, a well-functioning monetary and economic system is indispensable. The current monetary system was essential during the industrialisation transition because of its rapid and massive economic growth. However, the multiple drawbacks like short-term vision, deterioration of social connection and community, need for endless growth, inequalities of wealth concentration, pro-cyclical tendency of money creation, and flow of the current monetary system show us that it does not addréess the challenges of today's world and enlightens its limitations. According to Bernard Lietaer, the main issue of the monetary system is "the monopoly of a single type currency created by the banking system through loans attached to positive interest rates [debt]" (Lietaer, What is the problem with our current money system, 2010). It is not flexible enough and is only adapted for transactions in the classic sectors and between conventional economic agents. Complementary currencies are an alternative that could deal with some of these shortcomings as they are usually not driven by positive interest rates but tend to encourage cooperation between people. They would also allow people to complete transactions that benefit everyone while eliminating the competitive aspect. Moreover, it would make the current monetary system more stable as it would rely on several currencies which are better adapted to certain type of transactions and which will open up the monetary system to organisation outside of a small group of financial institutions who currently seels the monetary system (Lietaer, What is the problem with our current money system, 2010). It would end the monoculture and make space for a system with multiple currencies which each have a different finality. Finally, these complementary currencies would give more importance to the cooperative economy which nowadays relies mainly on the subsidies received from the competitive economy, fuelled by its scarce currency attached to positive interest rates. Another type of alternative to the current monetary system is cryptocurrencies and its blockchain technology. The blockchain technology is a disruptive technology in the financial world in the sense that people make (international) transactions without using traditional financial institutions. Nowadays, some banks can show abusive traits due to their close connection to the political world. Introducing an apolitical cryptocurrency technology could help create a neutral and free currency market (Scott, 2016). However, it is important to stress out the fact that cryptocurrencies are facing multiple shortcomings mainly related to their high volatility and speculative traits which will have to be fixed to become a viable and sustainable alternative to the current financial system. Finally, we have addressed the feasibility to combine both concepts leading to complementary currencies supported by the blockchain technology. This idea aligns with the belief of Professor Diniz who sees digitalisation as an important factor in the implementation of complementary currencies. Digital complementary currencies offer multiple advantages that can boost their expansion and growth. The main objective is to reduce the costly and cumbersome management of complementary paper currencies. Even though initiatives related to complementary cryptocurrencies are still in their early stages, they confirm the trend that complementary currencies supported by the blockchain technology are technically feasible. These could also take advantage of the blockchain technology that is nowadays mainly used for speculative behaviors like Bitcoin. However, it is important to mention that the success of complementary currencies depends on the issue they want to tackle and the community in which they will circulate. Therefore, using the blockchain technology or even digital currencies will not always be adequate. A main example of this is the Toreke project in Ghent where the introduction of a digital currency was a failure. Even though complementary currencies are still in an "early adopter" phase, the awareness around them is expanding. However, we believe that at a bigger interest from the economic agents of the actual monetary system such as commercial banks, central banks and the political world is needed in order to develop them even more. Some examples already exist with the Banco Palmas initiative were commercial banks, central bank and the government are part of the project or the involvement of the European Commission with the D-Cent project. These few examples allow us to believe that major players start to see the benefits of complementary currencies which will play a more important role in our economic and monetary system in the near future. ; Master [120] en Ingénieur de gestion, Université catholique de Louvain, 2017

El artículo comienza por hacer un análisis de la estructura del sistema sobre el que operan los usuarios de los criptoactivos (criptomonedas), especialmente del nivel efectivo de descentralización de esa red. Posteriormente, se presenta una revisión de la literatura académica reciente sobre: (i) los determinantes de la dinámica de los precios de los criptoactivos, (ii) las implicaciones de la presencia de criptoactivos sobre la política monetaria de una economía, (iii) el impacto de los criptoactivos sobre la estabilidad financiera, y (iv) las consideraciones hechas por aquellos que han sugerido o implementado algún tipo de regulación en relación con los criptoactivos. ; The article begins with an analysis of the structure of the system on which the users of cryptoassets (cryptocurrencies) interact, especially of the actual level of decentralization of that network. Subsequently, the article examines recent academic literature on: (i) the determinants of the evolution of cryptoassets' prices, (ii) the implications of the presence of cryptoassets on the monetary policy of an economy, (iii) the impact of cryptoassets on financial stability, and (iv) the considerations made by those who have suggested or implemented some kind of regulation related to cryptoassets.

Riassunto LE RIMESSE dei MIGRANTI IL LORO VALORE ECONOMICO-SOCIALE SIA PER IL PAESE OSPITANTE CHE PER IL PAESE DI ORIGINE. Per diversi anni gli studiosi hanno dibattuto sul ruolo delle rimesse dei migranti verso il loro paese di origine in un'ottica di co-sviluppo: dopo essere giunti alla conclusione condivisa che questi flussi di denaro svolgono un ruolo molto importante nell'economia del proprio paese, nonostante alcuni rischi legati all'aumento dei consumi e delle importazioni, l'attenzione si è concentrata su come le rimesse dei migranti possano essere al meglio valorizzate. Se le rimesse da flussi vengono convertite in risparmio, o comunque capitale vincolato, possono generare maggiori effetti positivi, ad esempio trasformandosi in fondi per l'erogazione di nuovi microcrediti o di servizi aggiuntivi per le istituzioni di microfinanza (IMF) diminuendo così la dipendenza dai sussidi e dalle donazioni. Esse giocano un ruolo fondamentale nelle economie dei paesi in via di sviluppo, esportatori di manodopera. Questo sia a livello micro, essendo le famiglie dei migranti le beneficiarie dirette le quali utilizzano le rimesse per consumi quotidiani, sia a livello macroeconomico, in quanto le rimesse costituiscono una delle principali voci della bilancia dei pagamenti di molti paesi d'origine. Questi flussi sono solo secondi agli investimenti diretti esteri e superano gli aiuti ufficiali allo sviluppo rivolti a questi paesi. L'immigrazione è uno degli argomenti di cui oggi in Italia si parla di più a livelli molto diversi. E' un tema centrale del dibattito politico, un argomento della conversazione quotidiana tra le persone, un tema presente negli approfondimenti dei mass media. Spesso questo interesse non è supportato da adeguati elementi conoscitivi o margini di approfondimento e si risolve in uno scontro di luoghi comuni e pregiudizi di volta in volta positivi o negativi. Tuttavia, anche quando risulta supportato da un'adeguata preparazione preliminare, il dibattito rischia di risolversi in una contrapposizione tra posizioni apparentemente inconciliabili. Da una parte la posizione che potremmo definire filo-migratoria e dall'altra parte quella anti-migratoria. Ogni posizione si consolida nelle proprie convinzioni con argomenti che paiono incontrovertibili ai sostenitori e tali da poter affermare con la massima convinzione che la propria opinione è l'unica sensata, convincente e soprattutto "realistica". Viceversa si accusa chi sostiene l'opinione contraria di essere vittima di pericolose e insensate "paure", o seguace di "utopie" altrettanto perniciose e prive di legami con la realtà. Anche un'analisi superficiale mostra che a quasi tutte queste posizioni può essere riconosciuto un certo contenuto di credibilità. Forse si può perfino ipotizzare che per ognuna di esse sussistano più o meno adeguati argomenti di difesa teorica. Tuttavia nessuna può essere ragionevolmente considerata l'unica incontrovertibile e dimostrabile verità rispetto all'argomento trattato. Certamente alla base di numerose affermazioni dei sostenitori di entrambe le posizioni pare sussistere una profonda e a volte inconscia convinzione nell'una o nell'altra delle due affermazioni: • Le migrazioni sono un bene • Le migrazioni sono un male. Basandosi su enunciati valutativi di valore soggettivo, le due posizioni sono destinate a scontrarsi in eterno, producendo vasti apparati giustificativi, proposte pratiche e modelli di intervento, che si contrappongono quasi specularmente. Piuttosto si è provato a limitare l'indagine ad un argomento intorno al quale si potessero esprimere posizioni teoriche, realizzare ricerche empiriche a supporto, e impostare un confronto su basi oggettive. La scelta di adottare questa impostazione di lavoro ha lo scopo di uscire dal dualismo che vede le migrazioni come un "male" o come un "bene", per inquadrare il problema dell'utilità dell'immigrazione in termini economici per i paesi di destinazione e in particolare per l'Italia. Per analizzare le determinanti dei flussi di rimesse è necessario tenere a mente che esse sono il frutto di un processo importante quale quello migratorio da parte di alcuni individui che decidono di lasciare il proprio ambiente, in questo caso, il proprio Paese alla ricerca di un lavoro. A differenza delle teorie sviluppate alcuni decenni fa, nelle quali l'emigrazione così come lo sviluppo non venivano posti in relazione tra di essi e in particolare con le rimesse, negli ultimi decenni gran parte degli sforzi dei ricercatori vanno proprio verso questa direzione. Inoltre, le nuove teorie intendono fare luce anche sulla capacità dell'emigrazione e quindi delle rimesse di agire sulla disuguaglianza, sul mercato del lavoro e sulla stessa stratificazione sociale dell'area di origine. Sul tema specifico, va ricordato che, dal 2004, grazie alle direttive della Banca Mondiale e del Fondo Monetario Internazionale, si è sviluppato un'attività di ricerca, di raccolta dati e di statistiche sullo specifico argomento delle Rimesse. Infatti si è capito quanta importanza hanno le rimesse degli emigranti sia dal punto di vista economico che sociale. Purtroppo anche il malaffare si è interessato a questi flussi, insinuandosi in questo ambito e sviluppando un sistema parallelo per finanziare: armi, droghe ed altro. Questo mio lavoro è suddiviso in cinque parti ed una conclusione: •la prima parte con l' "introduzione ed i cenni storici", introduce l'argomento sia delle rimesse che del loro valore; •la seconda parte analizza la funzione delle rimesse e cerca di dare una connotazione sulle tipologie delle stesse e spiegando ciò che al momento esiste sul mercato; •nella terza parte affronto le varie tipologie dei canali formali ed informali; •nella quarta parte prendo in considerazione tre tipologie di migranti e cioè le comunità più significative della provincia di Pisa (albanesi, senegalesi e ucraini), fornendo una scheda dei paesi di origine, loro economia e statistiche varie •nella quinta parte affronto i dati complessivi delle rimesse in Italia, la bancarizzazione degli stranieri residenti, i costi per il trasferimento delle rimesse. Inoltre presento sia le banche che offrono prodotti bancari agli stranieri e le tre società multinazionali di trasferimento del denaro. In questa parte dedico un capitolo al nuovo fenomeno dei BITCOIN nuovo strumento monetario e finanziario che rivoluzionerà il sistema e il futuro della "moneta". Affronto inoltre la tematica delle politiche di alcune nazioni per favorire le rimesse "formali", la formazione del risparmio e delle istituzioni bancarie locali che possono indirizzare "le rimesse" verso investimenti produttivi. •In ultimo le conclusioni. In questa ricerca ho trovato molta difficoltà nel reperire dati statistici omogenei e riferiti ad un determinato periodo temporale o anno. Pertanto ho presentato i vari capitoli ed argomenti con riferimento a dati statistici i più recenti possibili che vanno anche dal 2005 ai dati del 2016. Giugno 2017 Umberto Mugnaini

Featuring an international slate of artists, the festival focuses on the ceaseless flow of people, information, and substances, through expanding urban areas, the virtual realm of cyberspace, and endangered natural landscapes. In the face of worldwide streams of refugees and migrants, an overload of manipulable digital information, and injurious amounts of harmful particles suspended in the atmosphere and discharged into waterways, those in power look the other way. And all the while they withdraw and intensify control to protect what they have. Short-term success is favoured over having a sustained vision of the future. The programme derives its thematic approach from the concept of the "space of flows", as set forth by the Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells in his seminal 1996 volume The Rise of the Network Society. "The space of flows", explained Castells, "dissolves time by disordering the sequence of events and making them simultaneous, thus installing society in eternal ephemerality". Two decades later, one could say that we exist in exactly such a society: a networked one, defined as an open, borderless, and intangible entity, in constant flux and an ever shifting shape. It is our shared experience that we are all part of an enmeshed whole that provokes and confronts us on a near-daily basis with events unfolding in faraway locales. As we take note of them via our screens in the form of a tweet, an image, or a video they evade traditional geographic boundaries and notions of localness. And the speed with which people, goods, information, and pollutants are distributed and disseminated is so rapid that it is sometimes impossible to distinguish between catalyst and consequence. Moreover, how should we judge a message on our screen? Can we really see and understand what is going on? Through the rise of the network society, a real virtuality became visible, making us aware that we are no longer only living in a "space of places". Castells explains this as a space in which we were familiar with every nook and cranny of our village and acquainted with all our neighbours, and in which we could trace in our minds the jigsaw configurations of the horizon-bound fields. A new layer was created, and this "space of flows" catapulted us into a fluid ecosystem that requires a substantial shift in our perspective on humanity and the planet. On that note, Rebecca Solnit, author of River of Shadows, describes the ascents of Hollywood and, somewhat later, Silicon Valley as those of industries which have reshaped "a world of places and materials [into] a world of representations and information, a world of vastly greater reach and less solid grounding". And it is precisely the industries of Hollywood and Silicon Valley that by and large define the frames through which we perceive and see the world.Solnit interweaves her biography of Eadweard Muybridge, the photographer and innovator of early motion-picture studies and technologies, with meditations on the concept of "the annihilation of time and space". "The annihilation of time and space" is an expression from the Industrial Revolution used to describe the groundbreaking, time-altering technologies of the day, such as rail travel and the telegraph, both of which aimed to accelerate lines of transportation and communication.In this respect, each new technology functions as yet another medium that enhances our experience of time and space. But do they bring us a clearer vision? Or do they blur our minds instead? The artists selected for this year's Photomonth present projects that encourage us to develop ways of thinking that refuse to be hemmed in by boundaries and led by prejudices. The works provoke a more informed, flexible, and empathetic response to the most pressing issues that we, as humans, face today. As such, the festival focuses on the tension between the impulse to delimit a space with walls and to fearfully exclude the unknown, and the impossibility to regulate processes of moving enormous quantities of people, information, and substances within and across physical and virtual spaces. Envisioned as one overarching group show, the festival blends stories and images in an attempt to examine the "space of flows" that we currently inhabit, and grapple with its implications. To distinguish between the myriad focuses of the artists' projects, they have been divided into three chapters: migration to and within contemporary Europe; the invisibility and intangibility of digital data; and urgent environmental issues. The exhibited works address multiple topics, including: societal anxieties stirred by ignorance and mistrust, as well as political fearmongering; consequences of human interventions for the climate; stories of forced displacement; and the growing threat of cyberwarfare. Conflicts, unemployment and lack of prospects have forced untold thousands of people to leave behind their homes, belongings, and loved ones. Refugee or migrant, they undertake an often perilous journey to promised lands where they find themselves at risk of being detained and targeted by the rhetoric of populist political movements.Europe finds itself divided between the liberal values of tolerance and the nostalgia of those who crave a return to a fantasised past in which "everything was known". Meanwhile, in an etheric elsewhere, our data hover invisibly in an artificial "cloud", or else whizz in the blink of an eye through cables snaking underground and undersea. In truth, the vast majority of us don't have a clue what happens to our data after their transformation into bits and cascading scrolls of zeroes and ones. Computer programmers, cryptocurrency experts, and bitcoin speculators have little interest in making their shadowy realm more transparent or comprehensible to the layperson. The rest of us are left in the dark as to what exactly happens to the digitised facsimiles of ourselves, once rendered and uploaded. What subcutaneous layer, for example, do we unwittingly expose when we pass through an airport's body scanner? And although "wild nature" has been reduced in many latitudes to a contradiction in terms, it is still a quality we seek out and yearn to experience. In some regions of the world in which a highly cultivated natural environment is mistaken for its original state, we have been disrupting natural processes for ages. Heavy industries such as mining, the presence of nuclear power plants, and what goes under the name of forest management have had a profound, and in many cases irreversibly deleterious effect on the well-being, and long-term vitality of both human and animal habitats. Even if statistically calculable, it remains difficult, if not impossible, to visualise and truly comprehend the vast movement of migrant populations, the frictionless transfer of encoded data and its ciphered binary digits, and the large-scale release of contaminants into our air, soils, and water. Nevertheless, all the selected artists attempt to do just that: with their lens-based art, they make the "space of flows" more fathomable by humanising its statistics, personalising and particularising its abstractions, and demystifying its technophilic enigmas. Their art stimulates and resonates with the intellect, imagination, and conscience of the viewer. Work shown by Edmund Clark: 'Negative Publicity: Artefacts of Extraordinary Rendition' https://www.edmundclark.com/works/negative-publicity/#text Exhibition also includes: Esther Hovers, Rune Peitersen, Armand Quetsch, Agnieszka Rayss, Katja Stuke & Oliver Sieber

Introduction (Bruno S. Frey and Christoph A. Schaltegger) -- Christine Benesch recommends "Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist's Companion" by Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke (Christine Bensch) -- Matthias Benz recommends "The Political Economy of Government Responsiveness: Theory and Evidence from India" by Tim Besley and Robin Burgess (Matthias Benz) -- Aleksander Berentsen recommends "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System" by Satoshi Nakamoto (Aleksander Berentsen) -- Thomas Bernauer recommends "Tracking the Ecological Overshoot of the Human Economy" by Mathis Wackernagel et al. (Thomas Bernauer) -- Peter Bernholz recommends "Redesigning Democracy: More Ideas for Better Rules" by Hans Gersbach (Peter Bernholz) -- Norbert Berthold recommends "The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility" by Gregory Clark (Norbert Berthold) -- Urs Birchler recommends "Why Every Economist Should Learn Some Auction Theory" by Paul Klemperer (Urs Bichler) -- Luigino Bruni recommends "The Idea of Justice" by Amartya Sen (Luigino Bruni) -- Monika Bütler recommends "The Economic Importance of Financial Literacy: Theory and Evidence" by Annamaria Lusardi and Olivia S. Mitchell (Monika Bütler) -- Peter Cauwels recommends "Critical Transitions in Nature and Society" by Marten Scheffer (Peter Cauwels) -- Sir Paul Collier recommends "Identity Economics: How Our Identities Shape Our Work, Wages, and Well-Being" by George A. Akerlof and Rachel E. Kranton (Sir Paul Collier) -- Reto Cueni recommends "Too much Finance?" by Jean Louis Arcand, Enrico Berkes and Ugo Panizza (Reto Cueni) -- Jakob de Haan recommends "Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty" by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson (Jakob de Haan) -- Reiner Eichenberger recommends "Self-Interest through Delegation: An Additional Rationale for the Principal-Agent Relationship" by John Hamman, George Loewenstein and Roberto Weber (Reiner Eichenberger) -- Lars P. Feld recommends "Happiness, Economy and Institutions" by Bruno S. Frey and Alois Stutzer (Lars P. Feld) -- Reto Foellmi recommends "Firms in International Trade" by Andrew B. Bernard et al. (Reto Foellmi) -- Nicolai J. Foss recommends "Economics and Identity" by George A. Akerlof and Rachel E. Kranton (Nicolai J. Foss) -- Bruno S. Frey recommends "Mindful Economics: The Production, Consumption, and Value of Beliefs" by Roland Bénabou and Jean Tirole (Bruno S. Frey) -- Jetta Frost recommends "Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norms" by Elinor Ostrom (Jetta Frost) -- Clemens Fuest recommends "Yes, Economics Is a Science" by Raj Chetty (Clemens Fuest) -- Allan Guggenbühl recommends "Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human" by Jonathan Gottschall (Allan Guggenbühl) -- Jochen Hartwig recommends "In It Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All" by OECD (Jochen Hartwig) -- Jürg Helbling recommends "Capital in the 20th Century" by Thomas Piketty (Jürg Helbling) -- Sir David F. Hendry recommends "An Analysis of the Indicator Saturation Estimator as a Robust Regression Estimator" by Søren Johansen and Bent Nielsen (Sir David F. Hendry) -- Gerard Hertig recommends "Legal Origins" by Edward L. Glaeser and Andrei Shleifer (Gerard Hertig) -- Bruno Heyndels recommends "Gender Quotas and the Crisis of the Mediocre Man: Theory and Evidence from Sweden" by Timothy Besley et al. (Bruno Heyndels) -- David Iselin recommends "The Superiority of Economists" by Marion Fourcade, Etienne Ollion and Yann Algan (David Iselin) -- Beat Kappeler recommends "Beyond the Keynesian Endpoint: Crushed by Credit and Deceived by Debt — How to Revive the Global Economy" by Tony Crescenzi (Beat Kappeler) -- John Kay recommends "The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter" by Joseph Henrich (John Kay) -- Martin Killias recommends "Crime and Everyday Life" by Marcus Felson and Rachel Boba (Martin Killias) -- Hartmut Kliemt recommends "Violence and Social Orders" by Douglass C. North, John Joseph Wallis and Barry R. Weingast (Hartmut Kliemt) -- Kai A. Konrad recommends "Lenders' Blind Trust and Borrowers' Blind Spots: A Descriptive Investigation of Personal Loans" by Linda Dezsö and George Loewenstein (Kai A. Konrad) -- George Loewenstein recommends "Self-Signaling and Diagnostic Utility in Everyday Decision Making" by Ronit Bodner and Drazen Prelec (George Loewenstein) -- Ulrich Matter recommends "Towards a Political Theory of the Firm" by Luigi Zingales (Ulrich Matter) -- Peter Nijkamp recommends "The False Duality of Work and Leisure" by Joy E. Beatty and William R. Torbert (Peter Nijkamp) -- Karl-Dieter Opp recommends "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness" by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein (Karl-Dieter Opp) -- Margit Osterloh recommends "Do Women Shy Away from Competition? Do Men Compete Too Much?" by Muriel Niederle and Lise Vesterlund (Margit Osterloh) -- Martin Ravallion recommends "Poverty Traps" by Samuel Bowles, Steven Durlauf and Karla Hoff (Martin Ravallion) -- Susan Rose-Ackerman recommends "Corruption, Norms, and Legal Enforcement: Evidence from Diplomatic Parking Tickets" by Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel (Susan Rose-Ackerman) -- Katja Rost recommends "The Network Structure of Social Capital" by Ronald S. Burt (Katja Rost) -- Mark Schelker recommends "Salience and Taxation: Theory and Evidence" by Raj Chetty, Adam Looney and Kory Kroft (Mark Schelker) -- Sascha L. Schmidt recommends "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis (Sascha L. Schmidt) -- Friedrich Schneider recommends "Public Choice III" by Dennis C. Mueller (Friedrich Schneider) -- Ronnie Schöb recommends "Economics and Identity" by George A. Akerlof and Rachel E. Kranton (Ronnie Schöb) -- Gerhard Schwarz recommends "Why Capitalism?" by Allan H. Meltzer (Gerhard Schwarz) -- David Stadelmann recommends "Public Policy and the Initiative and Referendum: A Survey with Some New Evidence" by John G. Matsusaka (David Stadelmann) -- Bruno Staffelbach recommends "The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil" by Philip Zimbardo (Bruno Staffelbach) -- Tobias Straumann recommends "This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly" by Carmen M. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff (Tobias Straumann) -- Alois Stutzer recommends "Political Selection" by Timothy Besley (Alois Stutzer) -- Cass R. Sunstein recommends "Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much" by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (Cass R. Sunstein) -- Guido Tabellini recommends "A Model of Social Identity with an Application to Political Economy: Nation, Class and Redistribution" by Moses Shayo (Guido Tabellini) -- Mark Thoma recommends "Learning and Expectations in Macroeconomics" by George Evans and Seppo Honkapohja (Mark Thoma) -- Benno Torgler recommends "Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science" by Dani Rodrik (Benno Torgler) -- Jean-Robert Tyran recommends "Patience and the Wealth of Nations" by Thomas Dohmen et al. (Jean-Robert Tyran) -- Ruut Veenhoven recommends "The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions" by Barbara Fredrickson (Ruut Veenhoven) -- Carl Christian von Weizsäcker recommends "Trills Instead of T-Bills: It's Time to Replace Part of Government Debt with Shares in GDP" by Mark J. Kamstra and Robert J. Shiller (Carl Christian von Weizsäcker) -- Gert G. Wagner recommends "Homo Ignorans: Deliberately Choosing Not to Know" by Ralph Hertwig and Christoph Engel (Gert G. Wagner) -- Hannelore Weck-Hannemann recommends "Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of 'Blind' Auditions on Female Musicians" by Claudia Goldin and Cecilia Rouse (Hannelore Weck-Hannemann) -- Barry R. Weingast recommends "Economic Backwardness in Political Perspective" by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson (Barry R. Weingast) -- Barbara E. Weissenberger recommends "Management Control Systems. Performance Measurement, Evaluation, and Incentives" by Kenneth A. Merchant and Wim A. Van der Stede (Barbara E. Weissenberger) -- Ludger Woessmann recommends "Measuring the Impacts of Teachers II: Teacher Value-Added and Student Outcomes in Adulthood" by Raj Chetty, John N. Friedman and Jonah E. Rockoff (Ludger Woessmann) -- Klaus F. Zimmermann recommends "Identity Economics: How Our Identities Shape Our Work, Wages, and Well-Being" by George A. Akerlof and Rachel E. Kranton (Klaus F. Zimmermann) -- Postscript (Bruno S. Frey and Christoph A. Schaltegger)