A cryptocurrency is a digital currency that makes use of cryptography to regulate the creation and transactions of the exchange unit. Many recently proposed cryptocurrencies are completely decentralized in the sense that it is not created by any central authority and could, in principle, be immune to any central bank’s interferences. Cryptocurrencies have become an important research topic recently, thanks partly to the excitement brought by bitcoin. At present, it is estimated that the transaction volume in cryptocurrencies exceeds 100 million USD per day. At the core of this new advancement is a distributed consensus protocol known as blockchain, a public ledger that acts as the underlying infrastructure to record electronic transactions.
Many technical challenges arise with the rapid development of these new technologies. One of the important questions is to study the security and privacy issues of these virtual currencies. Besides, there is also a pressing need to balance privacy and regulatory requirements. Last but not least, companies and researchers from academia have recognized that blockchain technology can be used to solve other complex problems. There is also a great interest in applying blockchain technology to other applications scenarios.
Topics
The aim of the proposed special issue is to promote research and reflect the security and privacy issues in cryptocurrencies and payment systems, with emphasis on the following aspects, but certainly not limited to:
• Electronic Cash and Payment System
• Bitcoin & Altcoins
• Proof-of-Work
• Auditing in Electronic Payment
• Smart Contract and Financial Services
• Distributed Consensus
• Blockchain Technology
• Applications of Blockchain
• Accountable Anonymity
• Fraud Detection and Forensics
• Legal and Regulatory Issues
• Reputation Systems
