Student Opinions: Will bitcoin regulation undermine its value?

As HSBC completes the world’s first commercially viable trade-finance transaction using blockchain, we ask our students: Is this a huge step towards efficiency and reducing errors in the funding of international trade, or does this undermine cryptocurrency’s value and decentralised character?

Georgie Hazell, MBA Participant 2018: “The clarity offered by regulation would probably increase the perceived legitimacy of virtual currencies. My vote is for regulation [acting like a] speed-bump in the short term, but an incentive in the longer term, boosting value and offering protection for investors. Speculation around regulation will probably cause greater volatility in the bitcoin price than actual implementation. When investors are unsure about the legitimacy of their cryptocurrency and how they are going to be taxed when they sell it, they will probably avoid or at least hold it until clarification is given.

Regulation could come in a number of forms, from reducing anonymity through demanding real names on bitcoin holdings and transactions, to outright bans (as in India). The trends in South Korea, with an initial plunge followed by a levelling out as the effects were clarified, is likely to offer a framework for other regions. The UK could do worse than following Japan’s lead, developing regulations that support the healthy growth of the technology.”

Gana Alampalle, MBA Participant 2018: “Bitcoin’s value lies in being an anonymous, effortless and secure payment system…in theory. This is also true for the numerous ‘alt-coins’ that have cropped up aiming to penetrate the market, each with their own USPs. It’s hard to see what real value that cryptocurrencies would offer if they were to be regulated. Prices would decrease substantially if anonymity were to be taken away. To add to this, hard-line regulations could potentially push cryptocurrencies further underground into the dark web where they would inevitably be traded illegally and continue to promote illicit activities.

What could be key to keeping the value of cryptocurrency is to manage exchanges and initial coin offerings while protecting the security and anonymity of coins by design. Policy makers have historically been good at regulating and appropriating currency innovations that the private sector put out. Effective cryptocurrency regulation however could be a tall order given the amount of international co-operation needed.”

The Exeter MBA’s ‘Leading in the 4th Industrial Revolution’ immerses students in emergent technological innovations. Blockchain applications continue to make headlines as the biggest revolution since the internet, and this month the University welcomed a global leader in research and development of blockchain technologies, nChain Group, to field questions in a discussion panel. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx2Cne2Vw9M

Iconic London Venue for One Planet MBA Event

20 Fenchurch Street – perhaps better known as the Walkie-Talkie Building – was the venue for the latest showcase event organised by the One Planet MBA on the 28th April.

walkie talkie

The ‘walkie talkie’ building at 20 Fenchurch Street

Business Challenges (and developing the talent to solve them)” was the title of the event – kindly hosted by specialist insurance providers Markel International and aimed at exhibiting the talent on offer from the University of Exeter Business School’s flagship programme.

With representatives from a host of organisations in attendance (including Accenture, PwC, Marks & Spencer, The Fairtrade Foundation, Barclays, IBM, Canon, Flock Associates, WWF and BT) – along with One Planet MBA alumni, current staff and students from the programme – the event showcased the One Planet MBA, its achievements and talent and included a keynote speech from Peter Lacy, Global Managing Director, Accenture Strategy, on the Circular Economy – a topic fundamental to the One Planet MBA.

markel

Arriving at Markel

Peter Lacy gave an address (described as “sensational” by one attendee) outlining his vision of how “…incentives and initiatives are needed to rethink economic structure and encourage circular economy…”, thus negating “wasted capacity and under-utilised assets”.  His lecture was followed by a panel discussion involving Govia Thameslink Railway, Coca-Cola Enterprises and IBM on the value they have got out of engaging with the MBA. Continue reading

Launching the MBA’s Business Insights 2020 Workshops for Business Professionals

The One Planet MBA is all about helping professionals and business leaders reinvent Business Insights 2020themselves and thrive in a world that is increasingly volatile, risky, complex, interconnected, resource-constrained and digital. And it is precisely for that reason that we have partnered with Devon and Cornwall Business Council, the South West’s premier business organisation to launch our forward looking and cutting edge series of Business Insights 2020 workshops specially targeted at business professionals threatened by disruption. Each workshop link with individual modules on the MBA programme, and act as an introduction to the topic.

The series kicked off on Wednesday evening and focused on the theme of business model creation.
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