Token Analysis
Abstract
Digital Tokens, running on a blockchain infrastructure, are used today in a variety of forms and for a variety of business purposes. Over 1’000 Tokens are available today, and their specific design depends on the intended use and application areas. While existing classification schemes allow to get a grasp of the current token landscape and specific characteristics that certain token archetypes might exhibit, little is known today about:
- which tokens are actually used for which applications in practice,
- what key characteristics they might exhibit, and
- what the market penetration of certain token archetypes is today,
just to name a few examples.
Thus, in contrast to most top down approaches that exist in academic literature today, the goal of this master thesis is to gain a clear understanding and picture of tokens (usage) in practice and to actually test the applicability of current academic token frameworks.
Project Description
This project will be conducted under the supervision of the Information Management Research Group at the University of Zürich, together with the ITSA (International Token Standardization Association (ITSA) e.V.). ITSA is a non-profit association based in Berlin with over 100 associated founding members from academia and industry. The goal of ITSA is to develop and promote comprehensive market standards for the global token economy, focusing on the identification, classification, and analysis of Digital Tokens. During this master project you will get access to ITSA’s International Token Database (TOKENBASE), which covers more than 600 tokens with classification data derived from the application of the International Token Classification (ITC) framework, as well as quantitative market data (incl. daily prices, market capitalization, trading volumes etc.).
Goal of the Thesis
The goal of this project is two-fold. On the one hand, you will study the ITCframework of ITSA and compare and contrast it against an existing token classification framework from academic literature. Based on this analysis, you will have the possibility to work on extending and advancing the existing ITC framework by new dimension(s). On the other hand, you will utilize the existing token classification framework(s) and decision-aids from academia and test its operationalizability along the tokens of the ITSA database. This will allow you to validate and test the applicability of academic analytical tools along real world blockchain tokens as well as derive deep insights about actual token markets and utilization of tokens in practice.
Requirements
For this project we are looking for:
- A highly motivated student with strong analytical skills and advanced skills in working with databases (e.g. SQL, VBA Excel).
- The student should also be interested in working in a team within a dynamic international environment.
- Knowledge of German is welcome, but not a must.
If you are interested in the topic and think you are the right person to get involved, contact us:
