A new NBER working paper by Sumit Agarwal and colleagues investigates the diversion of foreign aid through cryptocurrency. The study, which analyzed $238 billion in World Bank aid disbursements across 93 countries from 2018 to 2024, found that aid tranche arrivals correlated with surges in Bitcoin activity. The researchers estimate that 2% to 6% of aid dollars, totaling $1.7 to $4.4 billion, were diverted, primarily through anonymous and newly created wallets on various exchanges. While cryptocurrency facilitates this diversion, its transparent ledger may also aid in detection and recovery. AI
RANK_REASON NBER working paper detailing a new research methodology and findings on cryptocurrency's role in aid diversion. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=0.4]
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- Bitcoin
- Daniel Rabetti
- Eswar S. Prasad
- NBER Working Paper 35655
- Panama Papers
- Peiyi Jin
- Sumit Agarwal
- World Bank
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