Doctor Jack Parkin

Jack Parkin’s research focuses on human-machine interaction and its impact on society and the economy. He graduated with a PhD on cryptocurrencies and blockchains from Western Sydney University in 2018 and continues to conduct academic research while consulting for the decentralised ledger technology industry.

Jack’s ongoing research projects include:

• The automation of banking
• Financial technology markets
• Cryptoeconomics and distributed ledger design
• Digital infrastructure politics
• Technology ethnographies
• Cryptographic network cultures

Jack recently worked on a project for a large Australian bank that sought to outline trends of automation in the financial sector as well as the capabilities staff will require when dealing with greater levels of mechanisation. The resultant report described the macroeconomic implications of new labour requirements, built a framework for understanding human-machine interaction in financial workforces, and developed staff training curricula to maximise efficiency and increase resilience.

Jack is also author of the book Money Code Space: Hidden Power in Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Decentralisation published by Oxford University Press where he exposes the many contradictions of blockchain technology and reveals asymmetric concentrations of power. 

This information has been contributed by Doctor Parkin.