Cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin: Charting the Research Landscape

This systematic literature review examines cryptocurrencies (CCs) and Bitcoin. Because cryptocurrency research has not gained much attention from Information Systems (IS) researchers and needs a more vivid discussion, this review summarizes the main concepts of 42 papers and aligns them to IS Research. Although, cryptocurrency research has not reached IS mainstream yet, there is massive potential for multifaceted research ranging from protocol development to designing alternative digital currency schemes. Cryptocurrencies entail a core digital artifact and present a rich phenomenon based on the intertwining of technological artifacts and social contexts. We argue that cryptocurrencies are an alternative payment method that may replace intermediaries with cryptographic methods and should be embedded in the research areas of SIGeBIZ and SIGSEC. At the end of this literature review, we discuss some open research gaps like new business models based on cryptocurrencies or the influence of culture on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin

Usable cryptocurrency systems

Since the introduction of Bitcoin in 2008 cryptocurrency and blockchain technology have drawn increasing attention from research and industry alike. The probably most visible evidence of the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies is the combined market capitalization which had reached over USD 2.9 trillion in November 2021. While the market capitalization remains subject to high volatility and has fallen since, the field has been growing steadily behind the scenes. Developer activity has been growing over the last decade and multiple projects which had been started to improve over the original design have reached maturity in recent years. However, the introduction of new technologies is often accompanied by the emergence of equally new design challenges. Despite the technological progress over the past years, cryptocurrencies have earned a reputation of being hard to get started with and overall difficult to use. But what exactly are the aspects that make them difficult to use? How do users manage their cryptocurrency in practice? Which challenges do they need to overcome? And how can Human-Computer Interaction help overcome these challenges? In several studies, this dissertation addresses these questions and explores them through three different approaches: (1) Cryptocurrency in Human-Computer Interaction: By systematically reviewing published Human-Computer Interaction research since the inception of Bitcoin, we organize the existing research effort and juxtapose it with the changing landscape of emerging technologies from practice to identify avenues for future research. Our results show that existing research has overwhelmingly focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, while not addressing novel cryptocurrencies. (2) Understanding User Behavior: By exploring user behavior through multiple lenses we shed light on real-world practices of users and the challenges they face. We explore security and privacy practices through a qualitative interview study and triangulate the results in a delphi-study with 25 experts. We conducted an interview study to understand a particularly relevant point for the adoption of cryptocurrency – we investigate challenges first-time users face. Our results show that many usability issues are not rooted in the technical aspects of blockchain technology and can be addressed through Human-Computer Interaction research. (3) Improving Application Usability: By evaluating different approaches on how to aid the development of cryptocurrency applications we translate the findings of our empirical work into artifacts and put them to the test. Our results show that onboarding in mobile apps can improve perceived usability for first-time users under the right conditions, that Bitcoin Lightning can serve as a usable settlement layer for everyday transactions, that education can support the next generation of developers in building more useful applications, and that systems for rapid interface prototyping may speed up development efforts. Collectively, the contribution of this dissertation centers around the ongoing discussion on how to build usable cryptocurrency systems. More precisely, this dissertation contributes (a) empirical studies that show how users manage their cryptocurrency in practice and which challenges they face in doing so and (b) constructive approaches attempting to support the development of cryptocurrency systems in the future. The work concludes by reflecting on the future role of Human-Computer Interaction research in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space

Exploring the Nexus of Cryptocurrency and Telecommunication: A Comprehensive Literature Review

The rapid evolution of cryptocurrency and telecommunication technologies has brought about significant changes and challenges in various domains. This systematic literature review paper delves into the intricate relationship between cryptocurrency and telecommunication, with a comprehensive examination of key issues, challenges, and potential solutions. By synthesizing insights from a set of 11 relevant articles, this study explores the impact of cryptocurrency on data centers, legal safeguards for block chain and cryptocurrency activities, privacy and security considerations in cryptocurrency transactions, the integration of block chain technology in 5G networks, and the diverse applications of block chain across various domains. The overarching aim of this paper is to provide a holistic understanding of the multifaceted intersection of cryptocurrency and telecommunication. It examines how these themes interconnect and influence each other, offering insights into the implications for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers. By identifying common trends, gaps in the existing literature, and areas requiring further investigation, this review serves as a valuable resource for comprehending the complex dynamics of the cryptocurrency-telecommunication landscape