The 2nd International Workshop on Crypto Asset Analytics (CAAW)

Interdisciplinary Approach

A core theme of CAAW was promoting an interdisciplinary approach to understanding cryptocurrencies. Recognising varied intentions and interactions of actors within the crypto ecosystem, the workshop aimed to build a collective understanding that cuts across different fields.

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Ecosystem Analysis

The workshop was devoted to analysing the crypto asset ecosystem, described as a complex network interwoven with legal and illegal activities. This ecosystem provides a fertile ground for research, especially given the abundance of data and the keen interest from multiple research domains.

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Methodologies and Tools

The workshop underscored the importance of computational methods in studying crypto ecosystems. Participants focused on script analytics and quantitative methods to unravel these digital environments' technical and socio-economic facets.

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Study Areas

The scope of CAAW was broad, encompassing market understanding, law enforcement's interest in tracking and tracing for legal purposes, protocol design, and compliance fields like anti-money laundering. The aim was to foster collaboration between academia and industry, sharing findings and developments in cryptocurrencies.

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Keynote Speeches

The conference featured enlightening keynote speeches covering the creation of government currencies in DeFi, the role of dominant currencies, and the evolution of currency usage in varying market conditions.

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Speakers

• Dominant currencies in Decentralised Finance (DeFi), by Kathy Yuan
• From Theory to Practice: Tracing Pig Butchers, by Rohan Aggarwal

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Research Presentations

Researchers presented papers on diverse topics, such as cryptocurrency correlations, fiscal opportunities in DeFi, and tax evasion across jurisdictions. These presentations probed into the implications of tax policies, the role of financial institutions, and the influence of market indexes on the adoption and evolution of cryptocurrencies.

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Speakers:

• An Exploration on Cryptocurrency Corporations' Fiscal Opportunities, by Thomas Charest and Masarah Paquet-Clouston.
• Regime-based Implied Stochastic Volatility Model for Crypto Option Pricing, by Danial Saef, Yuanrong Wang and Tomaso Aste.
• An Approach to Systematically Assess the Solvency of VASPs: An Austrian Case Study, by Pietro Saggese, Burkhard Raunig, Esther Segalla, Michael Sigmund, Felix Zangerl, Stefan Kitzler and Bernhard Haslhofer
• Ready, Aim, Snipe! Analysis of Sniper Bots and their Impact on the DeFi Ecosystem, by Federico Cernera, Massimo La Morgia, Alessandro Mei, Alberto Maria Mongardini and Francesco Sassi.
• Don't Trust, Verify: The Case of Slashing from a Popular Ethereum Explorer, by Zhiguo He, Jiasun Li and Zhengxun Wu.

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Discussion and Q&A

Interactive sessions included discussions and a Q&A segment, with topics like:

• The impact of criminal activities on market concentration 
• Recent developments in stablecoins 
• The interplay between tax rates and trading volumes in crypto exchanges
• Exploration of fiscal opportunities

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A highlight was a paper, by Thomas Charest and Masarah Paquet-Clouston, on global tax evasion opportunities for enterprises with crypto revenue, assessing the exploitability of these opportunities across different jurisdictions, considering factors like corporate income tax rates and the legal status of cryptocurrencies.

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Conclusions and Future Research

The workshop concluded with insights into the current state and future direction of DeFi and cryptocurrency ecosystems. There was a consensus on the need for continued research, particularly in understanding these rapidly changing fields' legal, economic, and technological dimensions.

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The 2nd International Workshop on Cryptoasset Analytics illuminated the varied nature of blockchain technology, covering a wide array of topics, from the dynamics of sniper bots in decentralised exchanges to the complexities of slashing mechanisms in blockchain protocols. The workshop provided valuable insights and highlighted the need for ongoing research and collaboration in this field.

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