Is BlockChain Mining Profitable in the Long Run?
Article
Islam, N., Marinakis, Y., Olson, S., White, R. and Walsh, S. 2023. Is BlockChain Mining Profitable in the Long Run? IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. 70 (2), pp. 386-399. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2020.3045774
Authors | Islam, N., Marinakis, Y., Olson, S., White, R. and Walsh, S. |
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Abstract | Blockchain technologies are at the heart of digital innovation and are a harbinger of Industry 4.0. Consequently, popular press and academic researchers alike have focused on its importance. Yet blockchain technologies’ most promising efforts, cryptocurrency and smart contracts, are underpinned by blockchain mining. The blockchain mining service is undergoing change, cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and others are nearing the end of their minting. Smart contracts are in their infancy. The financial impetus for providing the mining service has changed. Here, we add to the literature through a deep financial analysis of blockchain mining regarding its long-term financial viability. Our methods include a financial cost analysis and an analysis of the financial viability of cryptocurrency through focus on Ethereum. It is found that blockchain miners, despite initial profitability, cannot maintain sustainable financial viability without substantial fees. This article is important to those academics who focus on understanding how service technologies and products underpin Industry 4.0. Finally, this article contributes to the practitioners’ decision-making process to embrace blockchain mining as a technological entrepreneur. |
Journal | IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management |
Journal citation | 70 (2), pp. 386-399 |
ISSN | 0018-9391 |
Year | 2023 |
Publisher | IEEE |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2020.3045774 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 15 Jan 2021 |
Feb 2023 | |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 15 Jan 2021 |
Deposited | 17 Nov 2023 |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/8wy8w
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