foundation
Q International Foundation’sEconomic Advisory Panel
The Economic Advisory Panel of Q International Foundation is a group of top-ranking academics with a research interest in the economics of decentralized systems. It has been established to facilitate the exchange between economic researchers and practitioners engaged with the Q protocol.
By fostering a strong relationship with the academic community and facilitating both theoretical and empirical research on topics that are of relevance to the Q ecosystem, Q International Foundation aims to increase the body of knowledge related to Q and other decentralized systems while providing a sound economic basis for real-life use cases built on Q.
Meet the Members of the Panel
Prof. Hanna Halaburda
Associate Professor of Technology, Operations, and Statistics
University
NYU Stern School of Business
Selected publications
Halaburda, H., Sarvary, M., & Haeringer, G. (2021b). Beyond Bitcoin: The Economics of Digital Currencies and Blockchain Technologies. Springer Nature.
Halaburda, H., Haeringer, G., Gans, J. S., & Gandal, N. (2020). The Microeconomics of Cryptocurrencies. RePEc: Research Papers in Economics. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27477
Bakos, Y., & Halaburda, H. (2022). Overcoming the Coordination Problem in New Marketplaces via Cryptographic Tokens. In Information Systems Research (Vol. 33, Issue 4, pp. 1368–1385). Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1157
Hanna’s core research interests lie in the study of two-sided markets, with a particular emphasis on platform competition and the influence of technology on corporate strategies. As technology continues to disrupt traditional business foundations, companies must assess and adapt their strategies accordingly. Through her research, Hanna provides valuable insights to the Scientific Advisory Panel of Q, addressing the limitations of conventional wisdom and standard economic analysis in navigating the competitive landscape of technology-driven industries.
Selected publications
Halaburda, H., Sarvary, M., & Haeringer, G. (2021b). Beyond Bitcoin: The Economics of Digital Currencies and Blockchain Technologies. Springer Nature.
Halaburda, H., Haeringer, G., Gans, J. S., & Gandal, N. (2020). The Microeconomics of Cryptocurrencies. RePEc: Research Papers in Economics. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27477
Bakos, Y., & Halaburda, H. (2022). Overcoming the Coordination Problem in New Marketplaces via Cryptographic Tokens. In Information Systems Research (Vol. 33, Issue 4, pp. 1368–1385). Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1157
Dr. William Lehr
Research Associate
University
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Selected publications
Smart Contracts: Myths and Implications for Economics and Financial Regulation, Available at SSRN 4178633, 2022
Smart Contracts, Real-Virtual World Convergence and Economic Implications, TPRC49: The 49th Research Conference on Communication, Information and …, 2021
The Economic Impact of Laws that Weaken Encryption, GR Barker, W Lehr, M Loney, D Sicker, ANU College of Law Research Paper, 2021
William is a telecommunications and Internet industry economist and consultant with over twenty-five years of experience. He is a Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory research scientist at MIT. William’s research is multi-disciplinary, linking economic, technological, and policy questions. Recently, he has developed a strong interest in blockchain and smart contract technologies. Within the Q ecosystem, William is active as a root node.
Selected publications
Smart Contracts: Myths and Implications for Economics and Financial Regulation, Available at SSRN 4178633, 2022
Smart Contracts, Real-Virtual World Convergence and Economic Implications, TPRC49: The 49th Research Conference on Communication, Information and …, 2021
The Economic Impact of Laws that Weaken Encryption, GR Barker, W Lehr, M Loney, D Sicker, ANU College of Law Research Paper, 2021
Prof. David Salant
Professor and Associated Researcher
University
Toulouse School of Economics
Selected publications
“A Primer on Auction Design, Management and Strategy,” MIT Press (2014)
“Sequential Auctions and Auction Revenue,” with Luis Cabral, Economics Letters Economics Letters 176 (March 2019)
“Evolving Technologies and Standards Regulation,” with Luis Cabral, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Vol. 36 (September, 2014)
David has an extensive background in game theory, having completed his Ph.D. in the subject in 1980, and has been actively applying this expertise in both academia and industry and in particularly in auctions. He is the author of MIT Press “Primer on Auction Design, Management and Strategy”. In the past few years, he has been researching blockchain governance structures. Recently, he organized a workshop on blockchain governance at Columbia. He has ongoing research that will provide a game-theoretic analysis of the different blockchain governance structures. Enhancement of the reliability and trustworthiness of blockchains has found that Nakamoto’s main ideas do not adequately account for many of the economic incentives of blockchain participants. Secondly, he is identifying ways in which blockchain governance can be refined to provide security and reliability that is commensurate with the transaction stakes on the chains.
Selected publications
“A Primer on Auction Design, Management and Strategy,” MIT Press (2014)
“Sequential Auctions and Auction Revenue,” with Luis Cabral, Economics Letters Economics Letters 176 (March 2019)
“Evolving Technologies and Standards Regulation,” with Luis Cabral, International Journal of Industrial Organization, Vol. 36 (September, 2014)
Prof. Jeff Strnad
Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law
University
Stanford University
Selected publications
“Economic DAO Governance: A Contestable Control Approach”, axXiv.org, (2024)
“Open Problems in DAOs”, axXiv.org, (2023)
Jeff is a tenured professor at Stanford University Law School, where his interdisciplinary teaching and research bridges the fields of economics, finance, psychology, computer science, and statistics. With a background in teaching topics such as Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies as well as Blockchain Governance, Jeff brings a wealth of web3 knowledge to the table. As a member of Q International Foundation's Economic Advisory Panel, Jeff uses his expertise to provide insight into the intersection of technology, law, business, and policy.
Selected publications
“Economic DAO Governance: A Contestable Control Approach”, axXiv.org, (2024)
“Open Problems in DAOs”, axXiv.org, (2023)
Research Focus of the Panel
The research interests of the members of the Economic Advisory Panel span a wide area of topics. Examples of research areas with direct relevance to the Q protocol are:
- Decentralized Governance for DAOs, DACs and other decentralized protocols and organizations
- Decentralized Finance systems – robustness, parameter selection, stress testing
- Security of decentralized systems, economic incentives, and mechanism design
These research areas are important for the continuous improvement of Q, as they help develop a better understanding of the complex interplay between its users, technology, governance systems, and the wider decentralized economy.
Q International Foundation supports researchers in these areas by providing access to crucial data, a network of like-minded researchers, and direct engagement opportunities with the Q community.
Opportunities for Engagement
If you are interested in contributing to the growth and development of Q, we invite you to explore the following opportunities:
Become a Member of the Economic Advisory Panel
Join our team of experts and share your knowledge in the research areas mentioned above. Let us explore ways in which we can assist you in your research endeavor within the Q ecosystem
Join our University/Student Program
We are always looking to collaborate with universities and students. Learn more about our program and how you can get involved, including the benefits of financial support and access to our research network
Connect on Discord
Join our community of like-minded individuals, share your ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions related to Q and its research areas