The rise of cryptocurrencies has brought with it new math problems with new sets of constraints. The MEV problem entails solving for the ordering of pending trades that maximizes a block creator's profit. In decentralized finance, time is a big constraint, so an exhaustive search of all possible orderings is impossible. I propose a solution to the MEV problem that gives a near optimal result that can be solved in a reasonable amount of time. I layout the method and the formulas required for my solution. Additionally, I test my solution on synthesized data to show that it works as desired.

В магистерской диссертации из английских оригинальных текстов и их русскоязычных переводов за 2022–2023 гг. на сайтах трех крупнейших криптовалютных бирж – Binance, Coinbase Exchange и Bybit осуществлен сопоставительный анализ субстантивных атрибутивных групп вида N1+N2+...+Nn с их русскоязычными соответствиями. Показано, что с ростом числа компонентов такого именного словосочетания уменьшается встречаемость каждой модели. / This master’s thesis is based on the English source texts and their Russian translations (2022–2023) from the websites of the three largest cryptocurrency exchanges – Binance, Coinbase Exchange and Bybit. There is carried out a comparative analysis of substantive attribute groups N1+N2+...+Nn with their Russian equivalents. The growth of the number of components in such a nominative phrase is shown to cause the decrease of each model of translation.

Объектом исследования являются блокчейн-технологии и децентрализованные сервисы. В данном исследовании предлагается разработать децентрализованное приложение для проведения лотерей. Исследование проводится с целью изучения блокчейн-технологий. Для разработки децентрализованного приложения использовался блокчейн Ethereum. В результате был разработан смарт-контракт для проведения лотерей, а также веб-интерфейс для взаимодействия с ним, образующие децентрализованное приложение. / The object of research is blockchain technologies and decentralized services. In this study, it is proposed to develop a decentralized application for conducting lotteries. The research is conducted in order to study blockchain technologies. The Ethereum blockchain was used to develop a decentralized application. As a result, a smart contract for conducting lotteries was developed, as well as a web interface for interacting with it, forming a decentralized application.

Объектом исследования данной работы являются методы проектирования информационной архитектуры баз знаний. Основным методом проектирования является архитектурный метод. Также в данном исследовании использовался графический и макетно-графический метод для создания схем, описывающий разные уровни информационной архитектуры и макетов для визуальной демонстрации интерфейса системы. Предметом исследования является информационная архитектура базы знаний, использующаяся в организации. Данное исследование заключается в проработке гипотезы о том, что при использовании сотрудниками базы знаний, на кафедре института значительно сократится время на поиск, актуализацию, пополнение и обеспечение хранения рабочей и отчетной документации. Данное исследование представляет собой обобщение теоретико- и практико- ориентированной работы в области проектирования информационных систем оптимизации рабочего времени педагогического состава, которая может быть использована для повышения качества деятельности образовательного учреждения. Первичными данными является перечень методов и способов проектирования информационной архитектуры. Также для описания взаимодействия информационных систем с организацией использовались данные о кафедре в состоянии «как есть», то есть о функциях, структуре и времени, затрачиваемом на рабочие процессы, на основе которых была составлена модель AS-IS. В результате была составлена архитектура адаптивной базы знаний, которая может использоваться для повышения эффективности процессов на кафедре института. Анализ процессов, осуществляемых с использованием базы знаний и календарного планировщика и без их использования, подтвердил гипотезу о пользе внедрения новых информационных систем в образовательное учреждение. Также была предложена адаптация внедрения данных систем в информационную систему института с помощью бесплатных инструментов. / The object of research of this work is the methods of designing the information architecture of knowledge bases. The main method of design is the architectural method. Also in this study, a graphical and layout-graphical method was used to create diagrams describing different levels of information architecture and layouts for visual demonstration of the system interface. The subject of the study is the information architecture of the knowledge base used in the organization. This study consists in working out the hypothesis that when employees use the knowledge base, the time for searching, updating, replenishment and storage of working and reporting documentation will be significantly reduced at the department of the Institute. This study is a generalization of theoretical and practice-oriented work in the field of designing information systems for optimizing the working hours of teaching staff, which can be used to improve the quality of the educational institution. The primary data is a list of methods and methods for designing information architecture. Also, to describe the interaction of information systems with the organization, data was used about the department in the "as is" state, that is, about the functions, structure and time spent on work processes, on the basis of which the AS-IS model was compiled. As a result, the architecture of an adaptive knowledge base was compiled, which can be used to improve the efficiency of processes at the department of the Institute. The analysis of the processes carried out using the knowledge base and calendar planner and without their use confirmed the hypothesis about the benefits of introducing new information systems in an educational institution. It was also proposed to adapt the implementation of these systems into the information system of the Institute using free tools.

In 2018, Europol (2018) estimated that more than $22 billion dollars were laundered in Europe by using cryptocurrencies. The Financial Action Task Force explains that moneylaunderers may exchange their illicitly gained fiat-money for crypto, launder that crypto by distributing the funds to multiple accounts and then re-exchange the crypto back to fiat-currency. This process of exchanging currencies is done through a cryptocurrency exchange, giving the exchange an ideal position to prevent money laundering from happening as it acts as middleman (FATF, 2021). However, current AML efforts at these exchanges have shown to be outdated and need to be improved. Furthermore, Weber et al. (2019) argue that machine learning could be used for this endeavor. The study's purpose is to investigate how machine learning can be used to combat money laundering activities performed using cryptocurrency. This is done by exploring what machine learning algorithms are suitable for this purpose. In addition, the study further seeks to understand the applicability of the investigated algorithms by exploring their fit at cryptocurrency exchanges. To answer the research question, four supervised-learning algorithms are compared by using the Bitcoin Elliptic Dataset. Moreover, with the objective of quantitively understanding the algorithmic performance differences, three key evaluation metrics are used: F1-score, precision and recall. Then, in order to understand the investigated algorithms applicability, two complementary qualitative interviews are performed at Swedish cryptocurrency exchanges. The study cannot conclude if there is a most suitable algorithm for detecting transactions related to money-laundering. However, the applicability of the decision tree algorithm seems to be more promising at Swedish cryptocurrency exchanges, compared to the other three algorithms. / Europol (2018) uppskattade år 2018, att mer än 22 miljarder USD tvättades i Europa genom användning av kryptovalutor. Financial Action Task Force förklarar att penningtvättare kan byta deras olagligt förvärvade fiat-valutor mot kryptovaluta, tvätta kryptovalutan genom att fördela tillgångarna till ett flertal konton och sedan återväxla kryptovalutan tillbaka till fiat-valuta. Denna process, att växla valutor, görs genom en kryptovalutaväxlare, vilket ger växlaren en ideal position för att förhindra att tvättning sker eftersom de agerar som mellanhänder (FATF, 2021). Dock har de aktuella AMLansträngningarna vid dessa växlare visat sig vara föråldrade och i behov av förbättring. Dessutom hävdar Weber et al. (2019) att maskininlärning skulle kunna användas i denna strävan. Denna studies syfte är att undersöka hur maskininlärning kan användas för att bekämpa penningtvättaktiviteter där kryptovaluta används. Detta görs genom att utforska vilka maskininlärningsalgoritmer som är användbara för detta ändamål. Dessutom strävar undersökningen till att ge förståelse för tillämpligheten hos de undersökta algoritmerna genom att utforska deras lämplighet hos kryptovalutaväxlare. För att besvara frågeställningen har fyra supervised-learning algoritmer jämförts genom att använda Bitcoin Elliptic Dataset. För att kvantitativt förstå olikheterna i algoritmisk prestanda, har tre utvärderingsverktyg använts: F1-score, Precision och Recall. Slutligen, för att ytterligare förstå de undersökta algoritmernas tillämplighet, har två kompletterande kvalitativa intervjuer med svenska kryptovalutaväxlare gjorts. Studien kan inte dra slutsatsen att det finns en bästa algoritm för att upptäcka transaktioner som kan relateras till penningtvätt. Dock verkar tillämpbarheten hos decision tree algoritmen vara mer lovande vid de svenska kyptovalutaväxlarna än de tre andra algoritmerna.

Dans les crypto-monnaies telles Bitcoin, l’anonymité des utilisateurs peut être compromise de plusieurs façons. Dans ce mémoire, nous effectuons une revue de littérature et une classification des différents protocoles existants pour anonymiser les usagers et analysons leur efficacité. S’appuyant sur certains critères désirables dans de tels protocoles, nous proposons un modèle de mixeur synchrone décentralisé. Nous avons ciblé deux approches qui s’inscrivent dans ce modèle, le plan de transaction et le réseau de transactions, le second étant une contribution originale de ce mémoire. Nous expliquons son fonctionnement puis analysons son efficacité dans le contexte actuel d’utilisation de Bitcoin / In cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the anonymity of the users may be compromised in many ways. In this thesis, we review the literature concerning existing protocols used to increase anonymity by a method called mixing and produce a classification for such protocols. We propose a decentralized synchronous N-to-N mixing model that takes into account many considerations of mixers. We address two frameworks within this model, the transaction blueprint and the network of transactions, the second approach being a new contribution. We explain how it functions and analyse its efficiency in the current Bitcoin ecosystem.

With the invention of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin in 2009, the world's first blockchain application was developed. While academic research gradually begins to investigate cryptocurrencies more closely and attempt to understand their functioning, technology is rapidly evolving and ecosystems grow exponentially. The research is still scattered and chaotic and has not produced common guidelines. Therefore, the question remains: how sustainable cryptocurrencies and their digital ecosystems are.Only a few models and frameworks take a holistic view on digital sustainability. Only two frameworks were identified that take distributed ledger technologies (blockchain) or cryptocurrencies into consideration: the three governance strategies for digital sustainability of Linkov et al. (2018) and 10 basic conditions of sustainable digital artifacts according to Stuermer, Abu-Tayeh and Myrach (2016). These two frameworks were combined into a new integrated sustainability framework for cryptocurrencies. The developed integrated sustainability framework consists of four dimensions and 12 categories.Existing secondary data, self-conducted social media interviews and practical insights gained through an ASIC mining experiment were used to fill the framework with sufficient data. It confirms Bitcoin's sustainability problems in energy consumption and scalability, highlights Ethereum's great potential as a blockchain platform and explains the higher scalability and faster payment of Ripple and IOTA.While 2017 marked the temporary peak of the cryptocurrency hype, 2018 was a transformative year in which the leading cryptocurrencies were increasingly occupying more specialised niches.

I princip hela IT-världen ser på och häpnar medan Blockchain-tekniken växer. Många spekulerar om fördelar och nackdelar med tekniken. Men hur ser egentligen samhället på detta nya sättet att lagra data på? Det finns väldigt lite forskning på hur Blockchain uppfattas i Sverige, hur tekniken uppfattas och vad folk vet om tekniken. Det har inte heller hittats någon undersökning som tar upp graden av tillit privatpersoner har till Blockchain i Sverige och vad för faktorer det är som påverkar privatpersoners tillit. För att tekniken ska kunna accepteras på en större skala behöver man veta vad privatpersoner och konsumenter tycker om tekniken, annars finns det risk att tekniken inte omfamnas i framtiden. Syftet med denna undersökningen är att, på ett explorativt sätt, ta reda på till vilken grad privatpersoner i Sverige har tillit för Blockchain som teknik. Undersökningen skall också, i ett explorativt syfte, identifiera faktorer till varför den svenska befolkningen litar mer eller mindre på Blockchain. Studien använder sig av både kvalitativa och kvantitativa datainsamlingstekniker. Det utfördes en kvalitativ studie i form av personliga intervjuer för att ta reda på vad privatpersoner vet om Blockchain, och vad folk anser är viktiga faktorer som påverkar deras tillit för tekniken. Den kvalitativa undersökningen utfördes för att säkra att den sedan kvantitativa undersökningen fick in så pålitlig data som möjligt. Den kvantitativa undersökningen var en enkätstudie. I enkäten var det frågor som behandlade tillit, kunskap om ämnet, generell inställning till ny teknik och bakgrundsfrågor om respondenten. I analysen har det framgått att 10,47% privatpersoner från undersökningen i Västra Götalands län litar mindre på Blockchain, 19,19% litar inte alls på tekniken, 63,95% litar neutralt på den, 4,1% litar ganska mycket på den och 2,33% litar fullt ut på den. Utifrån detta kan slutsatsen dras att tillitsgraden är relativt låg. Resultatet visade också att det fanns ett antal återkommande faktorer som påverkade privatpersoners tillit för Blockchain. Dessa faktorer var manipulering, decentralisering och att Blockchain anses vara relaterat till svarta marknaden. Vidare kan man utifrån denna undersökning utläsa både en låg kunskapsnivå samt en hög neutral attityd till tekniken. Detta skulle kunna anses som någonting positivt för teknikens framtid då få förutfattade meningar finns. Mer information om Blockchain skulle därmed kunna vara en möjlighet för ökad tillit. För vidare forskning föreslogs det att det bör forskas mer om detta utanför Västra Götalands län och att man bör undersöka om privatpersoner kan tänka sig använda tekniken även om de inte litar på tekniken fullt ut. / Developments in Blockchain technology has grown so rapidly that it has, in a short time, become a core business in the IT industry. These developments have come with positive and negative impacts and their overall perception by society has remained uncertain. Limited work has focused on understanding the societal perception of Blockchain, particularly the extent to which society trust such technology. Moreover, it is not only important to understand the level of trust for a technology such as Blockchain that is built on transparency, but even the factors that influence such trust. In order for the technology to be accepted on a larger scale, one needs to know what individuals and consumers think about the technology, otherwise there is a risk that that the potential of the technology may not be fully utilized. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to explore the extent to which individuals in Sweden trust Blockchain as a technology. The overall goals and approach can be applied anywhere else in the world. The report identifies factors as to why the Swedish population trusts more or less in Blockchain. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. A qualitative study was conducted in the form of personal interviews to find out what individuals know about Blockchain, and what people consider to be important factors that affect their trust in Blockchain. The qualitative survey was conducted to build a foundation for the quantitative study. The quantitative survey was conducted with the help of questionnaires. The questionnaire addressed trust, knowledge of the technology, as well as respondent's general attitude toward new technology. The respondents were restricted to a sample of individuals living in Sweden between age range 18 to 65+. Based on the survey sample of about 172 participants, the analysis shows that 10.47% of individuals in the Västra Götaland county are less familiar with Blockchain, 19.19% do not count on the technology at all, 63.95% are neutral, 4.1% trust it fairly and 2.33% fully trust it. From this, the conclusion can be drawn that the trust is relatively low. The result also showed that there were a number of recurring factors that affected individuals' confidence in Blockchain. These factors were data integrity, decentralization and the fact that Blockchain is considered to be related to the black market. Furthermore, on the basis of this survey, it is possible to interpret both a low level of knowledge and a high neutral attitude towards the technology. This could be considered as something positive for the future of technology as few pre-defined opinions exist. More information about Blockchain could thus be an opportunity for increased trust. For further research, it was suggested that more research should be done involving a much larger sample in order to investigate if individuals would be willing to accept the technology even if they do not fully trust the technology.

Submitted by Fabio Daneluzzi (fdaneluzzi@gmail.com) on 2018-04-08T15:15:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação V20 - Final.pdf: 23221778 bytes, checksum: 08811caddd6c098711b3b93a70d8665c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Mayara Costa de Sousa (mayara.sousa@fgv.br) on 2018-04-10T17:20:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação V20 - Final.pdf: 23221778 bytes, checksum: 08811caddd6c098711b3b93a70d8665c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzane Guimarães (suzane.guimaraes@fgv.br) on 2018-04-10T17:28:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação V20 - Final.pdf: 23221778 bytes, checksum: 08811caddd6c098711b3b93a70d8665c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-10T17:28:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação V20 - Final.pdf: 23221778 bytes, checksum: 08811caddd6c098711b3b93a70d8665c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-12 / Criptomoedas criadas em blockchain representam um novo modelo de moedas digitais. Caracterizadas por permitirem uma alta descentralização, sem a necessidade de um emissor e controlador central, essas novas moedas têm sido criadas com maior velocidade desde 2009 com o surgimento do Bitcoin, a primeira a se utilizar de tal tecnologia. Nesse contexto, um grupo particular de criptomoedas tem surgido, que nesta pesquisa serão chamadas de 'Criptomoedas Complementares'. Tais criptomoedas visam atender demandas específicas da sociedade como, por exemplo de inclusão financeira, desenvolvimento social ou de preservação ambiental e, em alguns casos, destinadas a comunidades específicas, assim como ocorre com as 'clássicas' moedas complementares e comunitárias. Por ser um fenômeno recente, existem poucos estudos que visam compreendê-lo. Este, portanto, é o objetivo desta pesquisa. A partir de um estudo sobre 28 diferentes criptomoedas complementares e utilizando como base 8 modelos de classificação de moedas complementares e comunitárias já presentes na literatura, esta pesquisa permitiu a criação de uma tipologia específica para tal universo. Composta por 4 dimensões, essa tipologia final permitiu segregar as criptomoedas complementares em 10 diferentes grupos, dando maior clareza sobre suas semelhanças e diferenças em aspectos estratégicos e técnicos. Espera-se que esta pesquisa contribua para que profissionais, instituições e pesquisadores envolvidos ou interessados em temas como finanças solidárias, moedas complementares e criptomoedas possam melhor compreender esse novo fenômeno e suas particularidades, através não apenas do mapeamento de criptomoedas complementares que foi realizado, mas também da tipologia criada, utilizando-a como um modelo para melhor categorizar, diferenciar e comparar projetos desta natureza. / Blockchain-based cryptocurrencies are a new group of digital currency. By allowing a highly decentralization, without the need of a central issuer to control the digital system, those new currencies have been created with increasing speed since 2009 after the emergence of Bitcoin, the first digital currency based on such technology. In this context, a particular group of cryptocurrencies have arisen, called 'Complementary Cryptocurrencies' in this research. These cryptocurrencies seek to meet specific demands of society, such as financial inclusion, social development or environmental preservation, in some cases at specific communities, as well as do the 'traditional' complementary and community currencies. Since this phenomenon is quite new, there are few studies that aim to understand it. This, therefore, is the goal of this research. Through a study of 28 different complementary cryptocurrencies and based on 8 different classification models designed to complementary and community currency already present in the literature, this research allowed the proposal of a new, specific typology for such a universe. Composed by 4 dimensions, this typology allowed to segregate the complementary cryptocurrenciesin 10 different groups, allowing greater clarity about their similarities and differences in strategic and technical aspects. It is expected that this research helps professionals, institutions and researchers involved or interested in themes such as solidarity finance, complementary currencies and cryptocurrency, to understand this new phenomenon and its particularities, not only through the mapping of complementary cryptocurrency done, but also through the typology created, using it as a model to better group, distinguish and compare projects of this nature.

Blockchain at the European Level Abstract The objective of this master thesis is to provide a basic overview of the blockchain technology, its features and its potential utilization, including an overview of European legal regulations that might be applicable to the technology, under certain conditions. In the first chapter, the master's thesis sets forth the legal framework of the EU primary law that establishes or can establish the EU's competence to act in the matters of blockchain technology, depending on its legal qualification (especially in the context of the internal market - namely the free movement of services and capital). The second and third chapters provide essential description of features of blockchain and cryptocurrency and related services. A more detailed description is provided in Annexes I-IV of this thesis. Further, the legal status and applicable regulation of cryptocurrencies are assessed at the European and national levels and in terms of other global jurisdictions. The assessment also includes the recent CJEU's judgment in the case Hedqvist, according to which bidirectional exchange services (purchase of cryptocurrency for fiat currency and vice versa) are to be exempted from VAT obligation under the VAT directive. In line with the CJEU's reasoning and the Advocate General's...