Resumen

MIRABILE, Mario. Debating Hawala, Infrastructures and Critical Issues: A Continuum from Hawala to Blockchain Technologies?. CONfines relacion. internaci. ciencia política [online]. 2022, vol.18, n.34, pp.72-92.  Epub 31-Jul-2023. ISSN 1870-3569.  https://doi.org/10.46530/cf.vi34/cnfns.n34.p72-92.

The paper aims to investigate the debate regarding the Informal Value Transfer Systems (IVTS), in particular that of hawala, a trust-based money transfer system. In this regard, analyzing the debate regarding hawala using primary and secondary sources, the paper demonstrates how hawala suffers forms of coercion −particularly after the September 11 attacks in the US−. But also, experts and academics dealing with human rights, the remittance market and financial inclusion advocate for a fair and sustainable development of the hawala system. The article offers a brief overview of the possibilities and main challenges offered by the application of blockchain-based technologies and the societal, institutional and technological issues arising from it. In particular, the paper reflects on the contemporary debate about the hawala system to explain −why at the moment− the category of continuum cannot be considered adequate to describe the relationship between hawala and blockchain technologies.

Palabras llave : remittances; hawala; blockchain; infrastructures; migration.

        · resumen en Español     · texto en Inglés     · Inglés ( pdf )