The University of Cambridge is collaborating with some of the world’s leading banking institutions and private companies to present a new project focused on cryptocurrency research.
The Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance, or CCAF, has launched a research initiative aimed at gaining more insights into the fast-growing digital asset industry, CCAF Cointelegraph announced Monday.
The project is called the Cambridge Digital Assets Program or CDAP, and it is a public-private partnership with 16 companies, including government agencies such as the Bank for International Settlements’ Innovation Center and the International Monetary Fund. The initiative also includes banks such as Goldman Sachs, financial giants such as Mastercard and Visa, and providers of large exchange-traded funds such as Invesco.
Other contributors include British International Investments, the Dubai International Financial Centre, Ernst & Young, Fidelity, the British Foreign Affairs Office, the Commonwealth and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the London Stock Exchange Group, MSCI and the World Bank.
As its primary mission, CDAP intends to provide an evidence-based public dialogue about the opportunities and risks associated with the increased use of cryptocurrencies. The program will focus on three main areas, including the environmental impacts of cryptocurrencies, infrastructure and digital assets including cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies as well as cryptocurrencies.
According to the announcement, the program builds on CCAF’s existing work in the crypto industry, including the development of the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, CBECI. CBECI is a well-known indicator that shows the percentage distribution of Bitcoin (BTC) mining hash rate among countries.
Bitcoin mining map as of July 2021. Source: CBECI CCAF.
Other CCAF developments in crypto research include the Global Crypto Asset Benchmarking Series, designed to explore ecosystem trends, report on regulation and discuss policy, and more.
“The Cambridge Digital Assets programme, which we are launching today, aims to meet the new need for greater clarity by providing data-driven insights through research collaborations that include stakeholders in the public and private sectors,” said CCAF CEO Brian Zhang.
According to Michael Rawkes, Head of Digital Assets at CCAF, CDAP will provide decision makers with the objective analysis and empirical data they need to operate in the digital asset industry.
Related: Global Financial Regulator Wants More Data to Measure Bitcoin Risk
As Cointelegraph previously reported, some global regulators are increasingly concerned about the risks associated with the lack of standardized and reliable data in the cryptocurrency industry. In mid-February, the Financial Stability Board warned that the digital currency market lacks consistent and transparent data and links with the regular financial system, which poses a significant risk in the midst of the rapid use of cryptocurrencies.
