Bitcoin: Quo Vadis? a Forecast Based on Estimated Production Costs and Investor Preferences

25 Pages Posted: 28 Nov 2018

See all articles by Olaf Schlotmann

Olaf Schlotmann

Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften - Brunswick European Law School (BELS)

Stefan Ulreich

Independent

Inka Zippe

Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften - Brunswick European Law School (BELS)

Date Written: November 27, 2018

Abstract

While studies predict, that the expected growth of the Bitcoin hash rate will cause a surge in emissions of greenhouse gases, this paper shows inter alia that a first technology jump in 2030 could bring down production costs of Bitcoin tremendously. In contrast, the biggest threat Bitcoin is facing right now is the problem of custody. Contrary to the ideas of the cypherpunks with their strong dislike of governments and big companies, large institutional investors do not want to own actual Bitcoins, offered on the actual unregulated Bitcoin blockchain. They wait for Bitcoin exchange-traded funds or Bitcoins held in custody by regulated crypto exchanges or traditional banks. The authors calculate that if enough institutional investors decide to rebalance their portfolio in order to invest in an asset with quasi fixed supply like Bitcoin this will have a significant impact on the price of Bitcoin.

Keywords: Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Hash Rate, Production Costs, Break Even Mining Costs, Energy Costs, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, financial Innovation, Institutional Demand, Denationalizing Money, Credit Bubbles

JEL Classification: 14, E42, E51, G11, G12, Q51

Suggested Citation

Schlotmann, Olaf and Ulreich, Stefan and Zippe, Inka, Bitcoin: Quo Vadis? a Forecast Based on Estimated Production Costs and Investor Preferences (November 27, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3291543 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3291543

Olaf Schlotmann (Contact Author)

Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften - Brunswick European Law School (BELS) ( email )

Salzdahlumer Str. 46/48
38302
Germany

Stefan Ulreich

Independent ( email )

Inka Zippe

Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften - Brunswick European Law School (BELS) ( email )

Salzdahlumer Str. 46/48
38302
Germany

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