Faculty
Christian Catalini is the founder of the MIT Cryptoeconomics Lab, and a Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School.
Christian is a also co-creator of Diem (formerly Libra), and the chief economist of the Diem Association.
Christian was previously the Theodore T. Miller Career Development Professor at MIT, and Associate Professor of Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management at the MIT Sloan School.
Christian's research focuses on blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies, and he previously worked on the economics of equity crowdfunding and startup growth, and the economics of scientific collaboration.
He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management), and MSc (summa cum laude) in Economics and Management of New Technologies from Bocconi University, Milan.
His research has been featured in Nature, Science, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, WIRED, NPR, Forbes, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, VICE news and the Washington Post among others.
Christian has presented his work at a variety of institutions including Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, London Business School, New York University, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, the Federal Reserve Bank, the US Treasury, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the World Bank, the IMF, the White House OSTP, and a number of central banks and regulators.
Roche, Maria P., Alexander Oettl, and Christian Catalini. Management Science. Forthcoming.
Catalini, Christian, Alonso de Gortari, and Nihar Shah. Annual Review of Financial Economics Vol. 14, (2022): 117-135. Download Preprint.
Catalini, Christian, Wanyi Li, Alonso de Gortari, and Andrew Lilley, MIT Sloan Working Paper 6821-22. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management, February 2022.
Catalini, Christian, and Scott Kominers. TechREG Chronicle, February 2022.
Catalini, Christian, and Nihar Shah, MIT Sloan Working Paper 6820-21. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management, November 2021.
Catalini, Christian, and Scott Duke Kominers. American Banker, October 22, 2021.
New research from MIT Sloan finds that physical distances within 20 meters lead to more knowledge spillover among startups.
"Crypto turns today's walled gardens into open infrastructure anyone can build and compete on."
"In this piece, we highlight three fundamental costs that Web3 technology can potentially reduce."
We tend to overestimate how quickly technology can change our lives in the short term and underestimate how much in the long term.
Christian Catalini and Antoinette Schoar ... who have done extensive studies of the sector say the "digital gold" argument is overblown.
This course provides you with a balanced perspective of the crypto space. Over eight weeks, you’ll gain insights into the economics of blockchain technologies, including digital assets, stablecoins, DeFi, NFTs, and Web 3 applications. You’ll also learn about the future of blockchain technology and the possibilities that lie ahead in the crypto space — from finance to the metaverse.
This eight-week online program offers you the opportunity to explore macroeconomics from a business perspective, guided by renowned economist Professor Roberto Rigobon.
