Banking on Blockchain: Costs Savings Thanks to the Blockchain Technology

Luisanna Cocco, Andrea Pinna and Michele Marchesi
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Luisanna Cocco: Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari 09123, Italy
Andrea Pinna: Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari 09123, Italy
Michele Marchesi: Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Cagliari, Cagliari 09124, Italy

Future Internet, 2017, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: This paper looks at the challenges and opportunities of implementing blockchain technology across banking, providing food for thought about the potentialities of this disruptive technology. The blockchain technology can optimize the global financial infrastructure, achieving sustainable development, using more efficient systems than at present. In fact, many banks are currently focusing on blockchain technology to promote economic growth and accelerate the development of green technologies. In order to understand the potential of blockchain technology to support the financial system, we studied the actual performance of the Bitcoin system, also highlighting its major limitations, such as the significant energy consumption due to the high computing power required, and the high cost of hardware. We estimated the electrical power and the hash rate of the Bitcoin network, over time, and, in order to evaluate the efficiency of the Bitcoin system in its actual operation, we defined three quantities: “economic efficiency”, “operational efficiency”, and “efficient service”. The obtained results show that by overcoming the disadvantages of the Bitcoin system, and therefore of blockchain technology, we could be able to handle financial processes in a more efficient way than under the current system.

Keywords: blockchain; banking; efficiency; energy consumption; sustainability; Bitcoin (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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