Crypto Assets / NFTs / Web3

SoFi 101

The thesis should explore the new world of Social Finance (SoFi). New apps like Friend.tech provide a new way to connect with influencers who in turn can monetarize such exclusive channels. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. ­

How can tokenization help to improve voluntary carbon offset trading and sales

The thesis should analyze how tokenization can help to improve carbon offset markets. At the moment, there are only few companies active in this emerging market (see more information here, here, and here). Hence, you need to apply a very explorative (case study) approach. Thesis should be written in English. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. 

Crypto betas

The thesis should calculate betas for liquid crypto assets (excluding stable coins). For that purpose, a database with daily crypto assets price data should be obtained. In the next step, a crypto index should be calculated (e.g., based on the top 100 non-stable coins). Finally, the betas are calculated and analysed. Further factors such as size, age, and category should be analyzed. Thesis can be written in English or German. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. 

Price and Volatility Pattern of Crypto Assetss

The thesis should replicate and update publications by Caporale and Plastun (2019) and Baur et al. (2019). An reasonable extension would be to use (non-stable) Altcoins in addition to Bitcoin. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

Stock-to-Flow Valuation: The case of Bitcoin and Ethereum

The thesis should analyze whether the Stock-to-Flow approach is suitable in predicting Bitcoin and Ethereum. Read these sources (1 and 2) to start with. Students should also propose suitable demand factors to enhance the prediction models. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

Overview of the DeFi lending / borrowing market

The thesis should provide an overview of the Defi lending / borrowing market. Please see first information here and general statistics here. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

Overview of Decentralized Exchanges (DEX)

The thesis should provide an overview of decentralized exchanges (DEX) such as Uniswap or Curve Finance. Please see first information here and general statistics here. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

Central bank digital currency (CBDC)
Central banks already issue digital money, but only to a select group of financial institutions. Central bank digital currency would extend this to households and firms. This thesis should examines the proposal for such currency and assesses the opportunities and risks. Related literature can be found here. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

 

Asset management and asset pricing:

Dividend-based investment strategies

The thesis should backtest an applied dividend-based investment strategy (find first information here) using European stock market data. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

CO2 as a new asset class (reserved)

The thesis should conduct a comprehensive investigation whether CO2 certificates can be considered being a new asset class. The thesis should also conduct (simple) portfolio analysis by incorporating CO2-backed assets on top of traditional assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodities. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

 

Credit Risk:

Does DBRS provide soft ratings?

The thesis should discuss whether the fourth largest rating agency in Europe, DBRS, provides ratings that appear relatively soft compared to the top-3 rating agencies. Data needs to be compiled using Bloomberg. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

German SME credit ratings

The thesis should investigate the collapse of the German SME credit ratings. Smaller credit rating agencies such as Creditreform and Euler Hermes were assigning low investment grade ratings to German SMEs. Ex post, default rates were very high compared to firms that were initially rated similarly by the top-3 rating agencies. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

 

Banking:

Case study Wirecard

Thesis should wrap up the case of Wirecard, the first time a DAX 30 company went bankrupt. Please contact Andre Guettler  if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

 

Green finance:

Green Monetary Finance 

The thesis should discuss the pros and cons of Ms. Lagarde's (ECB's president) green push in monetary policy. Related literature can be found here. Please contact Andre Guettler if you are interested. Thesis can be written in English or German.

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