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APA

Lambrecht, M., & Larue, L. (2018). After the (virtual) gold rush: is Bitcoin more than a speculative bubble? Internet Policy Review, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.14763/2018.4.1353

American Psychological Association. For more info, see https://www.apastyle.org

Chicago

Lambrecht, Maxime and Larue, Louis. 2018. "After the (virtual) gold rush: is Bitcoin more than a speculative bubble?". Internet Policy Review 7 (4). DOI: 10.14763/2018.4.1353. https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/after-virtual-gold-rush-bitcoin-more-speculative-bubble.

Chicago Referencing Style. For more info, see https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

Harvard

Lambrecht, Maxime & Larue, L. (2018). After the (virtual) gold rush: is Bitcoin more than a speculative bubble? Internet Policy Review,[online] 7(4). Available at: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/after-virtual-gold-rush-bitcoin-more-speculative-bubble [Accessed: 17 Aug. 2026].

Harvard Referencing Style

MLA

Lambrecht, Maxime, and Larue, Louis. "After the (virtual) gold rush: is Bitcoin more than a speculative bubble?". Internet Policy Review 7.4 (2018). Web. 17 Aug. 2026.

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/index.html

Vancouver

Lambrecht M, Larue L. After the (virtual) gold rush: is Bitcoin more than a speculative bubble? Internet Policy Review [Internet]. 2018 [17 August 2026];7(4). Available from: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/after-virtual-gold-rush-bitcoin-more-speculative-bubble

Vancouver Style. For more info, see https://library.vcc.ca/media/vcc-library/content-assets/documents/VancouverStyleGuide.pdf

A cryptocurrency system can be understood as a system intended for the issuance of tokens which are intended to be used as a general or limited-purpose medium-of-exchange, and which are accounted for using an often collectively-maintained digital ledger making use of cryptography to replace trust in institutions to varying extents. Against such a backdrop, the singular term cryptocurrency can mean a token, intended to be used as a general or limited-purpose medium-of-exchange, issued via a cryptocurrency system.

KEYWORDS: Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin

A trustless technology, Bitcoin tries to solve issues of social coordination and economic exchange by relying exclusively on technological means. Is technology alone able to resolve the social and political concerns affecting the Bitcoin network?

KEYWORDS: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Peer-to-peer (P2P)

Contrary to the early view that cryptocurrencies’ decentralisation makes them unregulable, the formation of new intermediaries will guarantee regulators’ ultimate power. The key challenge is how to balance control and innovation.

Ethereum

2

Ethereum: the decentralised platform that might displace today’s institutions

Primavera De Filippi, National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS)
Raffaele Mauro, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

PUBLISHED ON: 25 Aug 2014

Cryptocurrencies have now become commonplace in the online world. Although most of the media attention is focused on decentralised payment systems, the true revolution is happening at a much deeper level, argue Primavera de Filippi and Raffaele Mauro.

Bitcoin is the first decentralised, peer-to-peer network that allows for the proof and transfer of ownership of virtual currencies without the need for a trusted third party. The purpose of this article is to address how we can capture Bitcoin’s potential benefits for the economy while addressing new regulatory challenges.

KEYWORDS: Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Finance, Internet architecture, Internet governance

Internet Policy Review is an open access and peer-reviewed journal on internet regulation.

Scholars, regulators, journalists, activists, and other stakeholders publish in the journal in a variety of formats

Research articles: In-depth scholarly research papers and essays
Concepts: Critical reflections on emerging core concepts of the digital society
Editorials: Contextual or thematic introductions to special issues
Essays: Free-form yet in-depth contentions with issues of academic or social relevance
News: Journalistic reports on events of interest to the Internet Policy Review community
Opinions: Opinion pieces commenting on developments in the realm of internet policy
Open Abstract: Extended abstracts for works in progress that receive public peer review

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Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society Center for Advanced Internet Studies in cooperation with additional partners

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Inclusive by design? Participatory governance and the future of digital public spaces

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