DDRO 25A52 - Money in the age of cryptocurrency. The Legal and Socio-Economic Debate

Money is everywhere in our social life. Although it can be subject to technical definitions from lawyers, economists, central bankers and all sorts of experts, it remains an obscure concept. And the more technical the usage of money, the less understandable its meaning. Considering that money cannot be considered as a homogenous, neutral instrument of exchange, left only to economists, this course aims at providing a deeper understanding of what money is and how it works in today's connected world. Using mainly law, sociology, and economics, but also philosophy, literature, and psychology, and focusing on different actors such as States, societies, consumers and banks, the course will deal with current controversial issues such as the rising role of money, the global distribution of wealth, the erosion of monetary sovereignty, the legal challenges of alternative and stateless currencies, and the disruptive effects of cryptocurrencies on finance and banking industries.

Alain ZAMARIA

Séminaire

English

No knowledge of bitcoin and cryptocurrency technologies is required for this seminar.

Spring 2022-2023

Students' assessment will be based on three components: • Blogpost (2000 words max, usually in pair) + oral presentation based on this paper – 40% • Exam – 30% • Short comments on texts from the Essential readings (500 words max) + oral participation – 30%

The seminar will be divided into 3 sets of lectures to question (i) the origins and essence of money, (ii) the socio-economic and legal issues raised by money in today's society (iii) and the current challenges coming from the rise of cryptocurrencies. Each class will include a presentation by the teacher, an interactive discussion on the session's readings and one or two 15-minute group presentations.