I think, Metaverse, token economy, tokenization, NFTs, and DiFi.

Similar to an earlier answer, I would assume that the intersection of these terms might be a fruitful area for future research. For instance, how blockchain or NFTs can be applied in a Metaverse. It might be possible to identify different types of synergy, here, based on how the role of blockchain in a Metaverse looks like (e.g., Blockchain as the enabler of a Metaverse vs. Blockchain as a supporter).

Erik Karger I agree that the use of blockchain for NFTs in the Metaverse is a great topic. I know that our colleagues at the University of Nicosia are currently working on hands-on projects in this area.

Dear Horst Treiblmaier,

I mainly copied my answer from last year and adapted it a little bit as I still see the same issues as last year to be open research questions.

In security research, interest in blockchain topics is slightly decreasing since two or three years as there already exist several fundamental results regarding security properties of blockchains. Currently, there is not much work regarding token economy and NFTs. I guess this might change. However, I think these topics are interdisciplinary topics, therefore I do not expect much pure security research regarding this topics.

In 2022, more and more second layer protocols and privacy features gained focus in security research, such as scaling protocols, cross chain transactions, and private consensus algorithms. There were also improvements for classical BFT consensus algorithms. I expect that we will see a lot of security research into this direction also in 2023.

Still, the topic of accountability in blockchain rises: Many new papers in the blockchain sector base their security on accountability instead of traditional "preventive" security. In many legal requirements, it is necessary to undeniably identify acting parties which potentially misbehave, not only in transactions, also parties, e.g., involved in the consensus mechanism of a blockchain. Having accountability in combination with privacy in blockchains is not fully solved so far.

Best regards,

Mike

Dear Mike Graf, I fully agree with you that the topic of security is here to stay. After all, we are talking about information technology, and there is no bulletproof system. As far as the interest in blockchain is concerned, I guess that this depends a lot on the community. While technology-oriented communities have been working on blockchain for quite some time, more applied communities still need to understand the (potential) implications.

You raise a great point here regarding the trade-off between accountability and privacy. I am looking forward to seeing how this will work out in the future.

Best, Horst

It is difficult to predict with certainty what the major research topics in the fields of blockchain, token economy, metaverse, NFTs, and CBDCs will be in 2023, as these fields are constantly evolving and new developments and challenges are likely to arise. However, here are a few potential research areas that could be of interest in 2023:

Sumit Banik I agree that it is hard to predict which topics will emerge as the most important ones, but it is also important to give some pointers. Your suggestions are indeed highly relevant topics and will hopefully attract major attention.

In my opinion, despite the fact that it may be a bit difficult to predict for 2023 at this date. But something that is very specific and clear. This is the issue that due to the creation and exponential growth of information and variables related to them, the said items will definitely be very widely used and will also intersect in many fields.

AI-Blockchain projects will lead in 2023. Thats my opinion.

I’m my opinio, regarding the current hype about artificial intelligenc, researchers might focus on the role of AI in accelerating advancement and adoption of NFT, metaverse, blockchain and so on. In tourism for instance, we might see metaverse destination projects secured by blockchain, with improved content and interaction using AI tools like ML, DL, TL and NLP.

On the other hand I think ethical challanges alongside psychological and social impacts related to tokenization, metaverse and blockchain will be investigated.

DAOs and the automation of business ownership with the assistance of AI

Blockchain, Token economy such as popular tokens ERC20, ERC720, and NFT's in decentralized application will be major research topic areas in 2023.

In 2023, the expanding area of blockchain, token economies, metaverse evolution, NFTs, and CBDCs remain ripe for extensive research opportunities. Within this evolving landscape, significant research focuses arise, encompassing decentralized finance (DeFi) risk handling and interoperability, governance and standardization of NFTs, complexities linked to CBDC integration and monetary policies, privacy and security issues in the metaverse, solutions for scaling and sustainability in blockchain, regulatory structures for token economies, and interdisciplinary inquiries into ethical considerations alongside AI and IoT integration. As the year comes to an end, we have indeed witnessed deeper exploration of these spheres, prioritizing practical applications, regulatory assessments, and societal implications, stressing collaborative efforts among academia, industry, and regulatory entities to propel substantive progress in these fields.

I have also contributed recently two articles;

Article Comprehensive analysis of non-fungible tokens valuation and ...

Article Non-fungible token valuation exposed: US Generally Accepted ...