The emergence of new digital financial technologies such as Blockchain technology,  has brought about new challenges and disruptions to the financial service industry. Despite its transformative potential, the problem is that its adoption has been hesitant and sporadic. The perception of blockchain technology plays a crucial role in its potential adoption within the financial service industry. Thus, this thesis delves deeper into these perceptions by employing a qualitative research approach influenced by the Technology Organization Environment (TOE) Model. Multiple interviews were conducted with industry experts in the financial service industry to gather a variety of viewpoints. While the views on specific characteristics of blockchain technology differed among the participants, there was a general view on the positive future possibilities of the technology. An understanding of the perception of blockchain technology was established, where the perception was a mix of optimism and caution. Despite the varied opinions, the study’s conclusion is that blockchain technology has a promising future within the financial service industry. However, the shape and form of its integration within companies is a subject of debate. The paper suggests that to fully harness BT’s potential, financial institutions should take a more proactive approach to adoption where they seek to understand and perceive blockchain technology for what it is without overvaluing the negative stigma that currently revolves around the technology.

Blockchains, smart contracts and cryptocurrencies are reaching further global adoption each day and are becoming more prominent to be the foundation for a new technological era and to be used in transactions globally. The technology has strong coherent properties, including a high level of security, decentralization, and its use of smart contracts to obviate intermediaries. These technologies offer the possibility to do any transaction without a centralized bank controlling, denying, or reversing the transaction. This report aims to shed light on blockchain technologies possible impact on society and if the current centralized-based system can be replaced or if it is deemed as necessary. What the potential outcome would be if these centralized authorities sees a decrease in power and how blockchains, smart contracts and stablecoins can be used as an everyday payment and transaction system, excluding all third parties. To do this, a literature review, a quantitative survey, and qualitative interviews were conducted. The literature review, to lay the ground for the questions in the survey, interviews, and additionally, to determine what blockchain and what kind of stablecoin is most suited for global adoption. The result from the qualitative interview were to acquire knowledge from more experienced individuals working or owning a company that is based on top of blockchains. Lastly, considering blockchain technology and web 3.0 is still under development and yet to become globally accepted, the questionnaire survey was conducted to retrieve the general consensus from individuals inside crypto communities. The report overall, came out to be successful, indicating that blockchain technologies has a bright future and that the decentralization it adds to society can benefit the individual in multiple of different ways, specifically in the financial sector. However, although the conclusion that blockchain technologies can be used as a global payment system were deemed successful, objective, and subjective opinions were discussed and reported relevant, whereas one individual might view the exclusion of intermediaries as necessary and beneficial, while the other – as something negative. Scalability issues in blockchains and smart contracts controversy, such as its complexity and its immutability aspect are also analyzed and discussed as a potential hindrance for further global adoption.

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.

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.

The Decentralized Fund Protocol is a novel decentralized finance protocol that enables the creation of completely decentralized funds. This paper proposes practical implementation solutions to the Fund Recalibration System, in particular the recalibration and depositing of assets into the fund to alter and shift the underlying asset backing of the fund. These proposed solutions are partially implemented and transaction fees, also known as gas costs are evaluated with Hardhat and ethers.js. Additionally security test are performed with the Smartbugs solidity test suite to ensure that the prototype has no obvious security issues. The thesis finds that the favourable implementation of the Fund Recalibration System is a solution that allows the fund move assets into the fund with the same cost independent of the number of participants in the system. This is achieved by utilizing an asset pool which participants manually pool assets into, paying for their own participation. The fund can consequently move all assets in the pool all at once into the fund and can thus perform the same computations independent of how many participants that contributed to the pool. / Protokollet Decentralized Fund Protocol är ett nytt decentraliserat finansprotokoll som gör det möjligt att skapa helt decentraliserade fonder. Detta arbete föreslår praktiska implementeringslösningar för fondrekalibrationssystemet (Fund Recalibration System), i synnerhet rekalibreringen och insättning av tillgångar i fonden för att förändra och skifta fondens underliggande tillgångar. Dessa föreslagna lösningar är delvis implementerade, och i samband med detta utvärderas transaktionsavgifter, även kända som gaskostnader, med Hardhat och ethers.js. Dessutom utförs säkerhetstest med Smartbugs solidity test suite för att säkerställa att prototypen inte har några uppenbara säkerhetsproblem. Raporten finner att den mest gynnsamma implementeringen av fondförvaltningssystemet är en lösning som tillåter fonden att slå samman tillgångar i fonden med samma kostnad oberoende av antalet deltagare i systemet. Detta uppnås genom att använda en tillgångspool som deltagarna manuellt samlar tillgångar till och betalar för sitt eget deltagande. Fonden kan följaktligen flytta alla tillgångar i poolen på en gång till fonden och kan därmed utföra samma beräkningar oberoende av hur många deltagare som bidragit till poolen.

Background: Within the emerging field of cryptocurrencies, the sub-sector DeFi (decentralized finance) has experienced explosive growth over the last year, and its importance for crypto as a whole has grown with it. The currencies have developed from simple peer-to-peer transactions to complex applications such as lending and exchanges. Several studies have researched determinants of cryptocurrency prices, and a few have focused on metrics central to DeFi, such as total value locked (TVL). However, academia has aimed sparse attention to the relationships between these metrics, which this article seeks to amend.  Aim: The purpose of this essay is to research the relationship between total value locked (TVL) in DeFi, the prices of native tokens on related platforms, and the price of ether, which is the dominant currency across DeFi.  Methodology: This study is deductive and quantitative and categorized as a causal-comparative thesis. The purpose of causal-comparative research is to find relationships between variables, independent and dependent, over a certain period.  The authors used deductive reasoning to form the hypotheses and collect the data necessary to investigate the hypothesis. Additionally, the structure of the paper and the epistemological process is quantitative and based on the scientific method.  The sources used for data gathering have primarily been DefiPulse and their API:s, retrieved using simple python coding and different applications that parse JSON code into the excel format. The transparent nature of blockchain has provided easy access to data needed for this study. Once the data was collected, it was categorized and compiled into an Excel sheet.  Conclusions: It is a considerable result that the ratio of locked ETH to total supply lacks significance for the price of ether, as it is counterintuitive to the macroeconomic theory of demand and supply. Presumably, the locked eth is not to be considered as a corresponding decrease in supply. However, if that was the case, the locked ratio of 10% is considerable and should affect the price as there is less supply available to the market.  In accordance with hypotheses two, three, and four, changes in the price of ether, TVL, and utilization rate affect the price of the native token. A notable distinction between the three different platforms lies in what metrics correlate more strongly with price changes. It for Compound and Aave was TVL, but utilization rate for MakerDAO. What causes these differences between seemingly similar platforms is a subject for further study.

[pt] A principal contribuição deste trabalho é: Discutir os desafios e oportunidades no surgimento das Finanças Descentralizadas. Este trabalho fornece uma visão abrangente dos princípios fundamentais que sustentam as tecnologias Blockchain, como arquiteturas de sistema e algoritmos de consenso distribuído. Em seguida, nos concentramos em possíveis soluções de Blockchain para o setor financeiro, discutindo seus desafios e oportunidades. / [en] The main contribution of this work is: Discuss the challenges and opportunities in the emergence of Decentralized Finance. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles that underpin Blockchain technologies, such as system architectures and distributed consensus algorithms. Next, we focus on possible Blockchain solutions for the financial sector by discussing their challenges and opportunities.

The Commercial Real Estate (CRE) market has a substantial impact on financial stability, making it one of the global sectors with a strong relationship to economic growth. Because of its stability, CRE remains a viable investment even when market cycles shift for various reasons. Commercial real estate is an excellent method to diversify a portfolio because of its steady nature. Furthermore, direct CRE investment provides properties that can appreciate and provide cash flow. However, the industry is considered to be illiquid due to its difficulty in transacting, inefficiency, and access to capital. Moreover, there are an increased number of intermediaries involved in these processes, both from the seller side and the buyer side, which not only increases transaction cost but also increases the information asymmetries between both sides. This information loss in the communication pathways has complicated the market, leading to a painful documentation process, high intermediary cost, and a lengthy approval process. Based on an examination of the literature on (combinations of) important phrases such as 'Decentralized Finance'. It was found that there are no solid publications combining the ideas of decentralized finance and real estate in the current body of academic knowledge using the terms "decentralized finance", "blockchain", "commercial real estate", and "transaction costs". The aim of the thesis is to explore the expectations related to the implementation of decentralized finance technology in the commercial real estate industry. The study was done in the form of qualitative research with an interpretivist approach to answer the research questions and achieve the research goal. For the research goal, the data was gathered through a literature review and semi-structured interviews with various actors like Academia, Non-profit organizations, Industry Professionals, and New entrants to understand the concept from different perspectives. The results illustrate that Decentralized Finance which leverages blockchain technology can be applied in the commercial real estate transaction process through tokenization and smart contracts with the area of implication in Asset Financing, Asset Management, and Asset Exchange. However, because the technology is still in its early stages, it poses significant dangers in terms of acceptance. Some of the primary challenges include widespread education and the regularization of rules. / Marknaden för kommersiella fastigheter har en betydande inverkan på den finansiella stabiliteten, vilket gör den till en av de globala sektorer som har ett starkt samband med den ekonomiska tillväxten. På grund av sin stabilitet förblir CRE en lönsam investering även när marknadscyklerna skiftar av olika skäl. Kommersiella fastigheter är en utmärkt metod för att diversifiera en portfölj på grund av dess stabila karaktär. Dessutom ger direkta CRE-investeringar fastigheter som kan värderas och ge kassaflöde. Branschen anses dock vara illikvid på grund av dess svårigheter att genomföra transaktioner, ineffektivitet och tillgång till kapital. Dessutom finns det ett ökat antal mellanhänder inblandade i dessa processer, både på säljar- och köparsidan, vilket inte bara ökar transaktionskostnaderna utan också ökar informationsasymmetrin mellan de båda sidorna. Denna informationsförlust i kommunikationsvägarna har försvårat marknaden och lett till en smärtsam dokumentationsprocess, höga förmedlingskostnader och långvariga godkännandeprocesser. Som ett nytt område inom den digitala finansiella arkitekturen ses decentraliserad finansiering som en störande innovation som har potential att omforma strukturen för modern finansiering och skapa ett nytt landskap för kommersiella fastighetstransaktioner genom att sänka transaktionskostnaderna, öka effektiviteten och öka likviditeten genom sin decentraliserade plattform. Baserat på en granskning av litteraturen om (kombinationer av) viktiga fraser som "decentraliserad finansiering". Vi upptäckte att det inte finns några gedigna publikationer som kombinerar idéerna om decentraliserad finansiering och fastigheter i den nuvarande akademiska kunskapsmassan med hjälp av termerna "decentraliserad finansiering", "blockkedja", "kommersiella fastigheter" och "transaktionskostnader". Syftet med avhandlingen är att utforska förväntningarna i samband med implementeringar av decentraliserad finansieringsteknik i den kommersiella fastighetsbranschen. Studien gjordes i form av kvalitativ forskning med en tolkande ansats för att besvara forskningsfrågorna och uppnå forskningsmålet. För forskningsmålet samlades data in genom en litteraturgenomgång och semistrukturerade intervjuer med olika aktörer som akademiker, ideella organisationer, branschfolk och nya aktörer för att förstå konceptet från olika perspektiv. Resultaten illustrerar att decentraliserad finans som utnyttjar blockchain-teknologi kan tillämpas i den kommersiella fastighetstransaktionsprocessen genom tokenisering och smarta kontrakt med implikationsområden inom Tillgångsfinansiering, kapitalförvaltning och byte av tillgångar. Men eftersom tekniken fortfarande är i ett tidigt skede, utgör den betydande faror när det gäller acceptans. Några av de främsta utmaningarna inkluderar omfattande utbildning och reglering av regler.

Access to finance is often a vital tool for a company to make investments which in turn leads to increased generation of income. In 2022, the amount of lending to non-financial companies increased by around 13 %. Banks' traditional lending channels have recently been challenged by DeFi. Within DeFi, no central intermediary is used, the security provided is cryptocurrencies and the transaction history is public. The most common cryptocurrency used in DeFi is bitcoin. At the time of writing, bitcoin has a market capitalization of approximately $521 million. The use of DeFi has grown rapidly in 2022 as cryptocurrencies worth just under $110 billion were pledged in DeFi as collateral for credit. The EBA has previously warned about the risks of cryptocurrencies. Despite warnings, neither case law nor any clear legislation regarding cryptocurrencies and creditors protection has thus been created. Though, there is a proposal from EU that will create a uniform regulation for cryptocurrencies that are not currently covered by the EU's existing regulatory framework for financial services, the so-called MiCA regulation. In Swedish legislation, there is an ongoing investigation on how to handle cryptocurrencies. However, neither the proposals at EU-level nor national level deal with substantive legal aspects such as creditors protection. The purpose of the thesis is to present a proposal for what bitcoin as property is classified as according to Swedish law and to identify the most appropriate legal aspect when bitcoins are used within DeFi. Based on the purpose, the following questions arise (i) What type of property should the cryptocurrency bitcoin be legally classified as? (ii) How can creditor protection be achieved when a transaction with bitcoin is made? (iii) How can creditor protection be achieved when bitcoin is used as collateral? In this thesis, the legal dogmatic method and law analogies will be used to answer the questions. The conclusions are that bitcoin should first be seen as a financial instrument according to MiFID II and creditor protection in the case of acquired ownership of bitcoins can basically never be achieved. Creditor protection in case of retained ownership can be achieved with analogous application of RVL and using registration as an element of property rights. When bitcoin is used as collateral, creditor protection can be achieved through the property right element of registration or tradition. In the case of three-party escrow, notification of transfer of claim must be made to the person who holds the pledged property in accordance with the 1936 Pawn Law.