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Cybercrime on the Ethereum blockchain

Author

Listed:
  • Hornuf, Lars
  • Momtaz, Paul P.
  • Nam, Rachel J.
  • Yuan, Ye

Abstract

We examine how cybercrime impacts victims' risk-taking and returns. The results from our difference-in-differences analysis of a sample of victim and matched non-victim investors on the Ethereum blockchain are in line with prospect theory and suggests that victims increase their long-term total risk-taking after losing part of their wealth, leading to lower risk-adjusted returns in the post-cybercrime period. Victims' long-term total risk-taking increases because they increase diversifiable risk due to victims' post-cybercrime withdrawal from altcoins. At the same time, the reduction in risk-adjusted returns correlates with increased trading activity and churn, due plausibly to managing cybercrime exposure. In the cross-section of Ethereum addresses, we show that the most affluent victims take a systematic approach to restore their pre-cybercrime wealth level, while the least affluent victims turn into gamblers. Finally, a parsimonious forensic model explains a good part of the addresses' probability of being involved in cybercrime, on both the victim and the cybercriminal side.

Suggested Citation

  • Hornuf, Lars & Momtaz, Paul P. & Nam, Rachel J. & Yuan, Ye, 2025. "Cybercrime on the Ethereum blockchain," SAFE Working Paper Series 444, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:safewp:312431
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.5158570
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Johannes Fuchs & Paul P. Momtaz, 2025. "A New Era of Entrepreneurial Finance? Venture Tokenization and Public Markets for Startups," CESifo Working Paper Series 11760, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethereum blockchain; market manipulation; financial fraud; token investment scam; cybercrime; cryptocurrency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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