Blockchain + Antitrust

The Decentralization Formula

Thibault Schrepel，荷兰VU阿姆斯特丹大学跨国法律研究系副教授和美国法典中心的教职员工，美国斯坦福大学

This innovative and original book explores the relationship between blockchain and antitrust, highlighting the mutual benefits that stem from cooperation between the two and providing a unique perspective on how law and technology could cooperate.

‘As our world becomes increasing digital, both law and code become central to management of rights and access to justice. The two modes of management are often seen as being in conflict, but increasingly far-sighted scholars like Prof. Schrepel are seeing that there are opportunities for synergy. This book is a clear step forward in building a system of digital law that works, and a must-read for those concerned about our digital future.’
– Alex ‘Sandy’ Pentland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

‘从公元前1754年的汉堡守则到物联网和人工智能的互联网，本书都深入了解法律和技术，区块链和反托拉斯。它为区块链辩论和实用用例提供了高度赞赏的贡献，这些案例通常在理论讨论中非常需要。’
– Theodor Thanner, President of the Austrian Federal Competition Authority, Austria

“基于Schrepel对法律和技术辩论的扎实理解，本书提供了一个独特的框架和重要指南，以通过许多方式思考反托拉斯法律和区块链技术可以是互补的，并从协作中创造效率。”
– Roland Vogl, CodeX - The Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, US

‘Packed with stimulating suggestions and insights, this is the first book exploring the role of competition law in regulating blockchain. Thibault Schrepel skillfully blends an accessible examination of the technology at play with a discussion about how competition law should be applied to both control and support its development.’
– Giorgio Monti, Tilburg University, the Netherlands

‘Traditional financial payment systems run by banks or by tech companies such as PayPal have natural network effects, and are held to be open to some degree of monopoly. Blockchain systems, because they are highly distributed and transparent, are often said to be free of such tendencies. Thibault Schrepel argues this isn’t true: blockchains may foster anticompetitive practices in many ways. As our economic world moves increasingly into cryptocurrencies and blockchain transactions, Schrepel’s analysis and suggested remedies are both timely and important.’
- W. Brian Arthur，美国圣达菲研究所

‘Data and Antitrust have become a hot button issue. However, as of yet there is little legal scholarly writing on the topic of how blockchain with its promise of data integrity will change this debate. This book tries to do precisely that, and is an incredibly useful read for any legal scholar interested in the digital space.’
– Catherine Tucker, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US

‘Thibault Schrepel’s Blockchain + Antitrust: the Decentralization Formula, is an eminently readable and satisfying examination of the history, technology, and incipient law of Blockchain – from its historical roots in a libertarian search for order, to its complex and often misunderstood internal workings, and finally to the abundant legal concerns that might loom in the future. This book is particularly helpful for someone who needs to be guided through Blockchain’s most important technical and operational elements.’
- 宾夕法尼亚大学法学院和美国沃顿商学院的赫伯特·霍文坎普（Herbert Hovenkamp）

‘By reducing transaction costs and facilitating trust among parties to transactions, blockchains reduce the need for centralized legal structures in economic activity. They also make transactions less transparent to regulators and can be used to harbor anticompetitive practices. Hence they contribute to deconcentrating economic structures and, simultaneously, raise challenges for competition law enforcement. However, competition authorities can also benefit from the blockchain technology in their enforcement activity. Thibault Schrepel in this path-breaking book explores the evolving complex relationship between blockchain and antitrust and the ways they can benefit from one another. This forward-looking and fascinating analysis is a must read for anyone interested in one of the most important technological development of our time.’
– Frederic Jenny, OECD Competition Committee, France

‘反托拉斯与新兴区块链技术有很多共同点。Schrepel博士在这两个领域之间的关系中一直处于研究的最前沿。正如本书所讨论的那样，他对反托拉斯法律区块链技术之间的互惠关系的充满希望的方法将有助于确保最大程度地实现区块链提高效率的承诺 - 即降低网络成本和提高透明度的成本。此外，这本书在讨论区块链属性及其促进反竞争危害的能力（由反托拉斯法律取决于反托拉斯法）的能力以及展示法律和新兴技术如何生活中的能力既出色又有出色的工作。和谐对消费者的利益。作为司法部反托拉斯分部负责人，我为此而感到自豪，使该部门加入了Schrepel博士关于该主题的学术项目，并期待他对这个重要的新兴领域的持续贡献。
- 美国司法部反托拉斯司Makan Delrahim

‘这本书是同类的第一本书。Schrepel的工作无疑将吸引寻求对区块链的教学介绍的抗毒者。对于任何读者来说，对技术驱动的世界中的法律和公共政策的未来也将更加普遍。必须阅读的。’
– Nicolas Petit, European University Institute, Italy

‘Blockchain technology has been offered as a solution to any number of problems, and sometimes – to its detriment – as a panacea. Here, Schrepel follows the thread of decentralization to explore this technology alongside the goals of antitrust law. It's a worthy provocation, even as blockchains’ value, and future, are hotly contested.’
– Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard University, US