Tech Policy Institute
Cornell Brooks School
Research hub
How citizens of authoritarian states secure financial freedom, and how Bitcoin and stablecoins are used worldwide.
This hub, funded by the Human Rights Foundation and the Reynolds Foundation, studies how citizens of authoritarian regimes secure financial freedom. Our work investigates the global use of Bitcoin and stablecoins as tools to counter suppressive financial controls. We leverage this research to create a global adoption index, advising policymakers and industry leaders on effective strategies to secure financial freedom worldwide.
In 2025, Dr. Kreps debuted the Global Bitcoin Adoption Index at the Oslo Freedom Forum, based on 25,000 surveys and 250 interviews. Findings revealed that adoption is driven by financial surveillance, inflation, and need for banking alternatives in regions with unstable financial systems. Dr. Kreps also presented data on global Bitcoin adoption patterns at the Bitcoin Policy Summit, examining how cryptocurrency usage varies across regions and political systems.
Within this hub
The Financial Freedom project investigates the mechanisms of cryptocurrency uptake by individuals in authoritarian regimes. Led by Dr. Sarah Kreps, the research employs novel quantitative and qualitative methods across 12 countries to understand specific adoption, motivations, and usage patterns of Bitcoin and stablecoins. This deep, evidence-based research aims to create a global crypto adoption index for policymakers.
Team
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A collaboration with the Bitcoin Policy Institute and Fedi, examining how public policy and enforcement shape behaviour around privacy technologies.
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Cynthia Tan spent nine weeks at Oxford mapping how law enforcement agencies collaborate on cybercrime, and found cryptocurrency in nearly three-quarters of U.S. financial cybercrime indictments since 2020.
News · Cornell Chronicle
A $1M project led by Sarah Kreps studying financial freedom in countries with authoritarian governments.
