Title

"DeFi the Odds: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Trade-off Between Financial Inclusion and Crime"

Creator

Jaupi, Daniela

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between decentralized financial inclusion—proxied by cryptocurrency adoption—and crime rates across countries. Grounded in interdisciplinary theories from economics, criminology, and sociology, it examines whether emerging financial technologies serve as tools for economic empowerment or enablers of illicit activity. Using a panel dataset of 55 countries over six years (2019–2024), the analysis employs advanced econometric techniques. The results indicate that while cryptocurrency adoption exhibits a positive association with crime rates, the relationship is statistically insignificant, suggesting that macro-level effects of DeFi-related crime may remain limited during the observed period. Socio-economic factors reveal more robust relationships: higher unemployment rates are strongly associated with increased crime, while higher GDP per capita significantly reduces crime, supporting established criminological theories. Internet penetration and education show unexpected or statistically insignificant impacts, underscoring the complexity of crime dynamics in the digital age. While DeFi offers expanded financial access, it simultaneously poses new challenges for crime prevention and governance.

Keywords

decentralized finance (DeFi)

financial inclusion

crime

Subject

interdisciplinary

Date Available

May 28, 2026

Type

PowerPoint Presentation

Course

HEL 2602 Honors Thesis II

Course Offering Term

Spring semester 2025

Instructor

Vlaseros, Vasileios

Session

Honors Creative Projects

Location

Student Lounge

Event

Year 2026 | 10th Annual Student Research and Creative Arts Symposium