Summarize: 

“Crafting the Crypto Economy” by Ava Labs’ Owl Explains and CBER Forum features university thought leaders discussing their research on blockchain topics, especially for policymakers.


Ava Labs has launched “Crafting the Crypto Economy,” a new podcast series under its Owl Explains initiative that spotlights top researchers from leading academic institutions. Episodes feature deep dives into notable research subjects such as lending platform economics, DEX design, NFTs, and much more. The hosts and guests are all members of the Crypto and Blockchain Economic Research Forum (CBER Forum), the leading forum for academics studying the economics, finance, and business of blockchains and cryptoassets.

By highlighting major research efforts, the series aims to unveil useful learning, explain complex topics, and educate a wide range of listeners, from beginners to professionals. Most of all, the podcast will equip lawmakers and regulators with the additional tools and knowledge they need to effectively and sensibly shape workable blockchain policies that maximally benefit all parties.

“Crafting the Crypto Economy” is a joint effort between CBER Forum and Owl Explains. CBER Forum is a well-established collaboration among top academics at leading universities who have been enhancing blockchain economic thought leadership. Owl Explains is a blockchain policy resource from the legal team of Ava Labs, a software provider for the Avalanche blockchain network. Owl Explains has its own podcast, Hootenanny, which has featured guests like US Congressman Mike Flood, UK MP Dr. Lisa Cameron, and European Commission member Peter Kerstens, among many other thought leaders.

Owl Explains focuses on blockchain fundamentals and how they relate to making workable policy and regulation. “Crafting the Crypto Economy” observes the changing blockchain landscape from another vantage point, exploring topics with deep technical understanding and expertise on their wider economic impacts.

The opening lineup of “Crafting the Crypto Economy” guests includes:

Agostino Capponi, Columbia University
Lewis Cohen, DLx Law
Brett Falk, University of Pennsylvania
Ciamac Moallemi, Columbia University
Thomas Rivera, McGill University
Gerry Tsoukalas, Boston University
Quentin Vandeweyer, University of Chicago
CBER Forum and Owl Explains are united in the belief that academic voices have not received the attention they deserve in policy and regulatory circles. Introducing academic voices can raise the level of discussion and help forge more optimal regulatory outcomes.

This effort flows naturally from Ava Labs’ deep academic roots. Founder Dr. Emin Gün Sirer is a former Cornell computer science professor and the former co-director of the school’s Initiative for Cryptocurrencies & Contracts (IC3). Many early employees were students of Dr. Sirer. President John Wu, an alumnus of Cornell and Harvard Business School, is active with both universities and has given the keynote speech at the latter’s blockchain conference. Members of the Owl Explains team routinely guest lecture at law schools and business schools. Ava Labs holds various activities at these universities and numerous others.

In each “Crafting the Crypto Economy” episode, guests review key findings from their academic publications and the broader applications and possible policy implications of their work. The discussion among guests and hosts dissects the ideas and findings of academic research, making it accessible to a broader audience.

The entire first season of “Crafting the Crypto Economy” will drop on November 29. The first season has five episodes. Its hosts are CBER Forum members Fahad Saleh, a Professor of Finance at Wake Forest University, and Andreas Park, a Professor of Finance at the University of Toronto.

“Crafting the Crypto Economy” will be available on all major podcast platforms. You can also listen on the Owl Explains homepage.