IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/jinsec/v16y2020i4p433-444_5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is Bitcoin a decentralized payment mechanism?

Author

Listed:
  • Luther, William J.
  • Stein Smith, Sean

Abstract

We make a distinction between centralized, decentralized, and distributed payment mechanisms. A centralized payment mechanism processes a transaction using a trusted third party. A decentralized payment mechanism processes a transaction between the parties to the transaction. A distributed payment mechanism relies on the network of users to process a transaction on a shared ledger. We maintain that bitcoin is neither a centralized nor a decentralized payment mechanism. It is, instead, a distributed payment mechanism. We then consider decentralized and centralized aspects of the broader bitcoin payment space.

Suggested Citation

  • Luther, William J. & Stein Smith, Sean, 2020. "Is Bitcoin a decentralized payment mechanism?," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 433-444, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:16:y:2020:i:4:p:433-444_5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1744137420000107/type/journal_article
    File Function: link to article abstract page
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Luther, William J., 2019. "Getting off the ground: the case of bitcoin," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 15(2), pages 189-205, April.
    2. Nobuhiro Kiyotaki & John Moore, 2002. "Evil Is the Root of All Money," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(2), pages 62-66, May.
    3. Lawrence H. White, 2015. "The Market for Cryptocurrencies," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 35(2), pages 383-402, Spring/Su.
    4. D. Aliprantis, C. & Camera, G. & Puzzello, D., 2007. "Anonymous markets and monetary trading," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(7), pages 1905-1928, October.
    5. Rainer Böhme & Nicolas Christin & Benjamin Edelman & Tyler Moore, 2015. "Bitcoin: Economics, Technology, and Governance," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 29(2), pages 213-238, Spring.
    6. Frasser, Cristian & Guzmán, Gabriel, 2020. "What do we call money? An appraisal of the money or non-money view," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(1), pages 25-40, February.
    7. Ben R. Craig & Joseph Kachovec, 2019. "Bitcoin’s Decentralized Decision Structure," Economic Commentary, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, issue July.
    8. Joshua R. Hendrickson & Thomas L. Hogan & William J. Luther, 2016. "The Political Economy Of Bitcoin," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(2), pages 925-939, April.
    9. Selgin, George A & White, Lawrence H, 1987. "The Evaluation of a Free Banking System," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 25(3), pages 439-457, July.
    10. Chris Berg & Sinclair Davidson & Jason Potts, 2019. "Capitalism after Satoshi," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(2), pages 152-164, October.
    11. George A. Selgin & Lawrence H. White, 1994. "How Would the Invisible Hand Handle Money?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 32(4), pages 1718-1749, December.
    12. Smit, J. P. & Buekens, Filip & Du Plessis, Stan, 2016. "Cigarettes, dollars and bitcoins – an essay on the ontology of money," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(2), pages 327-347, June.
    13. William J. Luther, 2018. "Is Bitcoin Intrinsically Worthless?," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Spring 20), pages 31-45.
    14. Davidson, Sinclair & De Filippi, Primavera & Potts, Jason, 2018. "Blockchains and the economic institutions of capitalism," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(4), pages 639-658, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yerushalmi, Erez & Paladini, Stefania, 2023. "Blockchain in Financial Intermediation and Beyond: What are the Main Barriers for Widespread Adoption?," CAFE Working Papers 22, Centre for Accountancy, Finance and Economics (CAFE), Birmingham City Business School, Birmingham City University.
    2. Simona-Vasilica Oprea & Irina Alexandra Georgescu & Adela Bâra, 2024. "Is Bitcoin ready to be a widespread payment method? Using price volatility and setting strategies for merchants," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 1267-1305, June.
    3. Marthinsen, John E. & Gordon, Steven R., 2022. "Hyperinflation, Optimal Currency Scopes, and a Cryptocurrency Alternative to Dollarization," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 161-173.
    4. Hendrickson, Joshua R. & Luther, William J., 2022. "Cash, crime, and cryptocurrencies," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 200-207.
    5. Chen, Rongxin & Lepori, Gabriele M. & Tai, Chung-Ching & Sung, Ming-Chien, 2022. "Can salience theory explain investor behaviour? Real-world evidence from the cryptocurrency market," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Levulytė, Laura & Šapkauskienė, Alfreda, 2021. "Cryptocurrency in context of fiat money functions," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 44-54.
    2. Darcy W E Allen & Chris Berg & Sinclair Davidson & Jason Potts, 2021. "Blockchain and investment: An Austrian approach," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 149-162, March.
    3. William J. Luther, 2018. "Is Bitcoin Intrinsically Worthless?," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Spring 20), pages 31-45.
    4. William J. Luther, 2022. "Regulatory ambiguity in the market for bitcoin," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 35(1), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Hendrickson, Joshua R. & Luther, William J., 2022. "Cash, crime, and cryptocurrencies," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 200-207.
    6. Hazlett, Peter K. & Luther, William J., 2020. "Is bitcoin money? And what that means," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 144-149.
    7. Christie Smith & Aaron Kumar, 2018. "Crypto‐Currencies – An Introduction To Not‐So‐Funny Moneys," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(5), pages 1531-1559, December.
    8. William Luther, 2016. "Mises and the moderns on the inessentiality of money in equilibrium," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 29(1), pages 1-13, March.
    9. Donato Masciandaro, 2018. "Central Bank Digital Cash and Cryptocurrencies: Insights from a New Baumol–Friedman Demand for Money," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 51(4), pages 540-550, December.
    10. Krzysztof Marecki & Agnieszka Wójcik-Czerniawska, 2020. "Cryptocurrency Market Of Bitcoin And Payment Acceptability In E-Commerce," Economy & Business Journal, International Scientific Publications, Bulgaria, vol. 14(1), pages 257-267.
    11. Lennart Ante, 2020. "A place next to Satoshi: foundations of blockchain and cryptocurrency research in business and economics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(2), pages 1305-1333, August.
    12. Loïc Sauce, 2022. "The unintended consequences of the regulation of cryptocurrencies," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 46(1), pages 57-71.
    13. White, Reilly & Marinakis, Yorgos & Islam, Nazrul & Walsh, Steven, 2020. "Is Bitcoin a currency, a technology-based product, or something else?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    14. Pieters, Gina & Vivanco, Sofia, 2017. "Financial regulations and price inconsistencies across Bitcoin markets," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1-14.
    15. Fortin, Mélissa & Pimentel, Erica, 2024. "Bitcoin: An accounting regime," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    16. Daniel R. Sanches, 2016. "The Free-Banking Era: A Lesson for Today?," Economic Insights, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, vol. 1(3), pages 9-14, July.
    17. Flori, Andrea, 2019. "News and subjective beliefs: A Bayesian approach to Bitcoin investments," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 336-356.
    18. Nikolaos A. Kyriazis, 2021. "A Survey on Volatility Fluctuations in the Decentralized Cryptocurrency Financial Assets," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-46, June.
    19. repec:esx:essedp:755 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Vincent Geloso & Mathieu Bédard, 2018. "Was Economic Growth Likely in Lower Canada?," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Fall 2018), pages 1-23.
    21. Martin Cimiterra & Jackie Krafft & Lionel Nesta, 2021. "Blockchain as Schumpeter Mark 1 or Mark 2? An empirical analysis of blockchain job offers in France and Germany [Innovation: mapping the winds of creative destruction]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(6), pages 1388-1402.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:16:y:2020:i:4:p:433-444_5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kirk Stebbing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cambridge.org/joi .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.