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Bitcoin and the PPP Puzzle

Author

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  • de Roure, Calebe
  • Tasca, Paolo

Abstract

This paper approaches the PPP puzzle by using the Bitcoin/US Dollar exchange rate. The use of the virtual currency as macroeconomic laboratory allows us to remove frictions that previously impeded the empirical demonstration of the law of one price. We show that price adjustments are still far from perfect due to information asymmetry between agents. Nevertheless, the real exchange rate is stationary and adjusts by 81% within one day. Finally, because of the different speed of information spread, good market arbitrage takes place in the Bitcoin economy but not in the US economy. Thus, we conclude that in a frictionless economy the PPP holds and the speed of arbitrage for the good market depends on the speed of information spread among agents.

Suggested Citation

  • de Roure, Calebe & Tasca, Paolo, 2014. "Bitcoin and the PPP Puzzle," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 59291, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:59291
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/59291/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan M. Taylor & Mark P. Taylor, 2004. "The Purchasing Power Parity Debate," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 135-158, Fall.
    2. Alan M. Taylor & Mark P. Taylor, 2004. "The Purchasing Power Parity Debate," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 135-158, Fall.
    3. Lothian, James R & Taylor, Mark P, 1996. "Real Exchange Rate Behavior: The Recent Float from the Perspective of the Past Two Centuries," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(3), pages 488-509, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Beata Szetela & Grzegorz Mentel & Stanislaw Gedek, 2016. "Dependency analysis between Bitcoin and selected global currencies," Dynamic Econometric Models, Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, vol. 16, pages 133-144.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bitcoin; purchase power parity; silk road;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F31 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Exchange

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