Dirk G. Baur, Jonathan R. Karlsen, Lee A. Smales, Allan Trench
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Bitcoin is often labelled digital gold and many studies compare bitcoin and gold prices, returns and volatility. This paper digs deeper and compares the characteristics of bitcoin mining with gold mining to assess claims that bitcoin is digital gold. We identify 20 differences between gold and bitcoin mining. Gold miners locate where gold is present while bitcoin miners locate where cheap electricity is present. Gold mining has large barriers to entry relative to bitcoin mining making it relatively difficult to start and abandon a gold mine but much easier to start and abandon a bitcoin mine. This is reflected in a greater exposure of gold miners to gold prices and a smaller exposure of bitcoin miners to bitcoin prices. While the analysis demonstrates that bitcoin mining is less complex and less risky than gold mining, the similarities support the idea that bitcoin is digital gold.
期刊介绍：
The purpose of the journal is also to stimulate international dialog among academics, industry participants, traders, investors, and policymakers with mutual interests in commodity markets. The mandate for the journal is to present ongoing work within commodity economics and finance. Topics can be related to financialization of commodity markets; pricing, hedging, and risk analysis of commodity derivatives; risk premia in commodity markets; real option analysis for commodity project investment and production; portfolio allocation including commodities; forecasting in commodity markets; corporate finance for commodity-exposed corporations; econometric/statistical analysis of commodity markets; organization of commodity markets; regulation of commodity markets; local and global commodity trading; and commodity supply chains. Commodity markets in this context are energy markets (including renewables), metal markets, mineral markets, agricultural markets, livestock and fish markets, markets for weather derivatives, emission markets, shipping markets, water, and related markets. This interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary journal will cover all commodity markets and is thus relevant for a broad audience. Commodity markets are not only of academic interest but also highly relevant for many practitioners, including asset managers, industrial managers, investment bankers, risk managers, and also policymakers in governments, central banks, and supranational institutions.
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