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Session Chair: Jillian Grennan, UC-Berkeley Discussant: Katrin Tinn, McGill University
Location:Room 610
Presentations
Financial and Informational Integration Through Oracle Networks
Will Cong1, Eswar Prasad1, Daniel Rabetti2
1Cornell University; 2National University of Singapore
Oracles are software components that enable data exchange between siloed blockchains and external environments, enhancing smart contract capabilities and platform interoperability. Using both hand-collected data from hundreds of DeFi protocols and market data for oracle networks, we find that oracle integration is positively associated with total value locked and platform/protocol valuation, triggered by positive network effects in adoption and usage. Our study reveals symbiotic gains from enhanced interoperability across protocols on a given chain and, depending on the mass of integrated protocols, among integrated chains. We also show that oracle integration improves risk-sharing and mitigates contagion; integrated protocols are more resilient than nonintegrated protocols during turbulent periods in crypto markets. We draw parallels between oracle integration and international economics, offering initial insights for regulators, entrepreneurs, and practitioners in the emerging space of decentralized finance.