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Blockchain, Crypto and Household Financial Security: An Introductory Guide for Policymakers and the Social Sector
April 4, 2023
Financial Security Program
In 2022, cryptocurrency went mainstream. Millions of people — including disproportionate numbers of Black consumers — purchased cryptocurrencies for the first time. The scale and swiftness of this development in so many Americans’ financial lives prompted us at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program to set out to learn more, and to begin to seek answers to key questions that might ultimately shape our point of view on what is required to ensure that the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem is both safe and structurally inclusive. Ultimately, we seek to answer a fundamental question: What do crypto and the blockchain mean for the financial security of people in America?
Our own learning journey continues as the crypto and blockchain space continue to evolve at lightning speed. We offer this introductory guide as a learning “short-cut” for other social sector leaders who may benefit from:
An overview of the basics of this new ecosystem
Key use cases that illustrate how the blockchain might shape households’ financial lives
A set of key questions and considerations for how we shape and regulate this ecosystem in service of financial security
Native CDFIs play a critical role in the financial security of local communities and Native reservations. To learn more, we interviewed the leaders of a financial services training fellowship for Native professionals.
Most households experience at least one financial shock in a given year, but there are few comprehensive solutions to help them. How can we solve this persistent challenge?
The Strategy outlines opportunities to improve benefits delivery, particularly through government provided or purchased financial products and services.
This case study takes lessons from the legal field’s efforts to empower Native youth to learn how we can build a financial sector that better serves diverse communities.
