Elgar Encyclopedia of Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and DLT: A New Reference for Finance and Technology Scholars

Regulators are racing to catch up with a technology that changes faster than legislation can move. From central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots to stablecoin oversight to the EU's MiCA framework, the language of crypto finance has outgrown the glossaries built to explain it.

What the Encyclopedia covers

The Elgar Encyclopedia of Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and DLT, edited by Roman Beck (Chester B. Slade Chair, Bentley University), addresses that gap directly. Across 63 peer-reviewed entries, it defines the field's core vocabulary — decentralized finance, smart contracts, consensus mechanisms, tokenization, staking, zero-knowledge proofs — while situating each term in its technical, historical and sociopolitical context.

• Blockchain architecture and cryptographic consensus mechanisms
• The economics of token supply, staking and incentive design
• Governance questions raised by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs)
• Central bank digital currencies and their policy implications
• Current flashpoints: MEV (maximal extractable value), sandwich attacks, quantum resistance, NFTs

Contributors include specialists from Bentley University, the University of Zurich, Copenhagen Business School and the European Commission's DG CNECT — a mix of academic and policy perspectives that keeps the Encyclopedia useful for both classroom and regulatory contexts. As reviewer Mary C. Lacity (University of Arkansas) puts it, the Encyclopedia "anchors key concepts in context, offering a durable foundation amid constant change," resisting the fleeting hype that dates so much writing on this topic.

Who should read it

Scholars and students of economics, finance, business and management, and innovation and technology, as well as policymakers and technology practitioners who need a reliable reference point in a field defined by constant change.

Ordering information

Available now at CLNZ Books. Price includes worldwide shipping. Credit card and PayPal accepted. Institutional orders via Request a Quote.

View Elgar Encyclopedia of Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and DLT on CLNZ Books →
Request a Quote for institutional orders →