IntroductionMy fascination with blockchain technology began in 2020 when I was closely following the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerned with the consequences of central banks deciding to flood the market with U.S. dollars, I began researching alternative stores of value. This led me to Bitcoin, and eventually, to a broader investigation of crypto’s potential to disrupt traditional financial systems. My research has convinced me that applications ...