Insured? Good! Designing a Blockchain-based Credit Default Insurance System for DeFi Lending Protocols

The rising popularity of blockchain has cleared the path for developing numerous decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. However, insurance solutions for DeFi applications are still missing. Therefore, this article presents a smart contract-based P2P credit default insurance solution using the Design Science Research Method. The design presents an approach to decentralize insurance systems by reducing the number of intermediaries. The evaluation of the artifact shows that blockchain and smart contracts can provide financial inclusion, reduce costs and automate processes in insurance processes

Blockchain Use Cases and Concepts in Sports: A Systematic Review

Blockchain innovations such as digital fan tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have garnered notable attention in the sports industry, yet the wider industry is struggling to keep up with the pace of digitalization. To harness the potential of blockchain technology, sports management practitioners and information systems (IS) researchers need to gain a much better understanding. Hence, the purpose of this study is to advance the theoretical understanding of blockchain in the sports sector. Thereby, we identify, consolidate, and classify blockchain use cases in the domain through a thorough review of the literature published to date. In addition, we (1) provide an overview and classification of blockchain use cases, (2) identify various opportunities for internal and external stakeholders to benefit from blockchain technology, and (3) derive a theoretical concept for blockchain technology regarding its properties, applications, and stakeholders. Furthermore, we (4) propose beneficial directions for future research in this emerging field

Yes, I Do: Marrying Blockchain Applications with GDPR

Due to blockchains’ intrinsic transparency and immutability, blockchain-based applications are challenged by privacy regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Hence, scaling blockchain use cases to production often fails to owe to a lack of compliance with legal constraints. As current research mainly focuses on specific use cases, we aim to offer comprehensive guidance regarding the development of blockchain solutions that comply with privacy regulations. Following the action design research method, we contribute a generic framework and design principles to the research domain. In this context, we also emphasize the need for distinguishing between applications based on blockchains’ data integrity and computational integrity guarantees

The Human Factor in Blockchain Ecosystems: A Sociotechnical Framework

As blockchain development continues at an ever-increasing pace, an increasing number of individual actors and organizations throughout entire economies get into contact with the technology. Furthermore, the growing collaboration of companies, customers, suppliers, and other actors is evolving into a multilateral network between the parties engaged with the technology. Therefore, to understand blockchain-based business models and innovations, it is necessary to understand human interactions within blockchain ecosystems. Consequently, this paper offers new insights concerning the role of human actors within blockchain ecosystems. For this purpose, the structure within and around the Ethereum-blockchain is analyzed using existing literature on the Ethereum ecosystem and Sociotechnical systems. The analysis results are then placed in their context and summarized in a framework for comparable ecosystems

The De-Central Bank in Decentralized Finance: A Case Study of MakerDAO

Countless decentralized finance (DeFi) applications of the past years have suffered from the high volatility and speculative behavior surrounding their underlying crypto assets. While the academic debate has been flourishing in these areas, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) have not received as much attention. This is the case even though they could offer an opportunity to solve some of the underlying problems of existing cryptocurrencies and ecosystems, for example, by providing lower volatility and, thus, exchange rate stability. This paper presents an economic analysis of the MakerDAO, a DAO in DeFi. In doing so, we use a single case study methodology based on existing resources and expert interviews. It also uses monetary theory instruments to provide researchers and developers with insights into how DAOs are governed. Further, it serves to illustrate how IS research may support the development of future IT artifacts aimed at offering the infrastructure for DeFi applications

Yes, I do: Marrying blockchain applications with GDPR

Due to blockchains’ intrinsic transparency and immutability, blockchain-based applications are challenged by privacy regulations, such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Hence, scaling blockchain use cases to production often fails to owe to a lack of compliance with legal constraints. As current research mainly focuses on specific use cases, we aim to offer comprehensive guidance regarding the development of blockchain solutions that comply with privacy regulations. Following the action design research method, we contribute a generic framework and design principles to the research domain. In this context, we also emphasize the need for distinguishing between applications based on blockchains’ data integrity and computational integrity guarantees

Deficits in trabecular bone microarchitecture in young women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Context: The pathophysiological mechanism of increased fractures in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is unclear. Objective: Case:control study of trabecular bone microarchitecture and vertebral marrow adiposity in young women with T1DM. Patients and Settings: 30 women with T1DM with a median (range) age of 22.0yrs (16.9, 36.1) attending one outpatient clinic with a median age at diagnosis of 9.7yrs (0.46, 14.8) were compared to 28 age-matched healthy women who acted as controls. Methods and Main Outcome Measures: Measurements included MRI-based assessment of proximal tibial bone volume/total volume (appBV/TV), trabecular separation (appTb.Sp), vertebral bone marrow adiposity (BMA) and abdominal adipose tissue and biochemical markers of GH/IGF-1 axis (IGF-1, IGFBP3, ALS) and bone turnover. Results: Median appBV/TV in cases and controls was 0.3 (0.22, 0.37) and 0.33 (0.26, 0.4), respectively (p = 0.018) and median appTb.Sp in T1DM was 2.59 (2.24, 3.38) and 2.32 (2.03, 2.97), respectively (p = 0.012). The median appBV/TV was 0.28 (0.22, 0.33) in those cases with retinopathy (n,15) compared to 0.33 (0.25, 0.37) in those without retinopathy (p = 0.02). Although median visceral adipose tissue in cases was higher than in controls at 5,733mm3 (2030, 11,144) and 3,460mm3 (1,808, 6,832), respectively (p = 0.012), there was no difference in median BMA which was 31.1% (9.9, 59.9) and 26.3% (8.5, 49.8) in cases and controls, respectively (p = 0.2). Serum IGF-1 and ALS were also lower in cases and the latter showed an inverse association to appTbSp (r = -0.30, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Detailed MRI studies in young women with childhood-onset T1DM have shown clear deficits in trabecular microarchitecture of the tibia. Underlying pathophysiological mechanisms may include a microvasculopathy