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Cryptocurrency or usury? Crime and alternative money laundering techniques

Author

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  • Raffaella Barone

    (Bocconi University)

  • Donato Masciandaro

    (Bocconi University)

Abstract

The article presents a novel dynamic setting to compare old—usury—and new—cryptocurrency—money laundering techniques and uses it for calibration to shed light on their relative role as an effective device for the criminal organizations to clean their illegal revenues. The specialness of the usury contract depends on its role in laundering illegal revenues originating from criminal activities and it is independent from the interest rate level, while the cryptocurrency money laundering is associated with an initial coin offering tool. The calibration compares the leverage effect on the overall capital owned by the criminal organizations triggered by the two money laundering techniques.

Suggested Citation

  • Raffaella Barone & Donato Masciandaro, 2019. "Cryptocurrency or usury? Crime and alternative money laundering techniques," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 233-254, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:47:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s10657-019-09609-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-019-09609-6
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    2. Zijian Wang, 2023. "Money Laundering and the Privacy Design of Central Bank Digital Currency," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 51, pages 604-632, December.
    3. Zoltan Ban & Jan Lansky & Stanislava Mildeova & Petr Tesar, 2019. "A Probe Survey of Bitcoin Transactions Through Analysis of Advertising in an On-Line Discussion Forum," Acta Informatica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(2), pages 112-131.
    4. Donato Masciandaro, 2023. "Politicians, Trust and Financial Literacy: When Do Politicians Care?," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 23206, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    5. Lucia Pellegrina & Giorgio Maio & Donato Masciandaro & Margherita Saraceno, 2023. "Are Bankers “Crying Wolf”? Type I, Type II Errors and Deterrence in Anti-Money Laundering: The Italian Case," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 587-615, July.
    6. Bhimani, Alnoor & Hausken, Kjell & Arif, Sameen, 2022. "Do national development factors affect cryptocurrency adoption?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    7. Giancarlo Giudici & Saman Adhami, 2019. "The impact of governance signals on ICO fundraising success," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 46(2), pages 283-312, June.
    8. Giulio Soana, 2022. "Regulating cryptocurrencies checkpoints: Fighting a trench war with cavalry?," Economic Notes, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA, vol. 51(1), February.
    9. Carolina Guerini & Donato Masciandaro, 2023. "Financial Education between Market and State: Private Commitment, Conflicts of Interest and Public Certification," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 23213, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    10. Muneer M. Alshater & Mayank Joshipura & Rim El Khoury & Nohade Nasrallah, 2023. "Initial Coin Offerings: a Hybrid Empirical Review," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 891-908, October.
    11. Donato Masciandaro, 2023. "Politicians, Trust, Financial Literacy and Financial Education: When Do Politicians Care?," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 23208, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    12. Lucia Dalla Pellegrina & Giorgio Di Maio & Donato Masciandaro & Margherita Saraceno, 2020. "Are Bankers "Crying Wolf"? The Risk-Based Approach to Money-Laundering Regulation and its Effects," Working Papers 444, University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2021.
    13. Ali Acaravci & Seyfettin Artan & Pinar Hayaloglu & Sinan Erdogan, 2023. "Economic and Institutional Determinants of Corruption: The Case of Developed and Developing Countries," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 47(1), pages 207-231, March.
    14. Carolina Guerini & Donato Masciandaro & Alessia Papini, 2024. "Literacy and Financial Education: Private Providers, Public Certification and Political Preferences," BAFFI CAREFIN Working Papers 24223, BAFFI CAREFIN, Centre for Applied Research on International Markets Banking Finance and Regulation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crime; Money laundering; Cryptocurrency; Usury; Banking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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