The purpose of this paper is to investigate the viability as compared with other financial assets of cryptocurrencies as a currency or as an asset investment. This paper also aims to see which macro variable relates more to the price of cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin. Since the whole concept of cryptocurrencies is quite novel, an attempt has been made to briefly explain the underlying blockchain technology that forms the bedrock of cryptocurrencies. In this study, we use secondary data, i.e., the price history of Bitcoin from September 2014 to September 2021 for the last seven years, captured from trading exchanges. We predicted monthly returns of Bitcoin with that of Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), gold, and Treasury Bonds. Our findings show that Bitcoin has very high volatility compared to S&P 500, Gold and Treasury Bonds. Also, our findings show that there is a positive correlation between Bitcoin’s price volatility and the other three financial assets before and during COVID-19. Hence, Bitcoin is acting more as a speculative asset rather than a steady store of value. This can be drawn from the comparison with the debt market i.e., a Treasury Bond that invests in long-dated (30 years) US treasuries with which Bitcoin shows no relationship. The findings of this study could help with understanding the future of Bitcoin. This has important implications for Bitcoin investors. The current study contributes to the extant literature by providing empirical evidence on long-term social sustainability vis-à-vis supply chain traceability.

Public and private sector financing is essential in the movement of capital to achieve all seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations members by 2030. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is considered the primary source of external financing in the private sector. FDI accelerates the economic growth of any country by mobilising capital, increasing labour productivity, technological advancements, etc. The present paper aims to study the potential effect of FDI on Sustainable Development in Eurasian countries. Our research considers a sample of 78 Eurasian countries, further distinguished by their income classes. Considering the neoclassical theory of FDI, suggests that FDI will lead to economic growth in the recipient country through flows of capital injections, higher labour growth, productivity and technological advancement. In this study, the variables related to government expenditures are considered to predict a positive association with the SDG index variable. We applied a fixed effects regression model to investigate the relation between FDI and SDG index. Our findings reveal that there is a positive and significant effect of FDI on the SDG index. Furthermore, our results also indicate that the role of FDI is more decisive and fundamental the lower the income class of the countries. Our research contributes to the current literature on Sustainable Development. We believe that our research paper will serve as a base for policy recommendations and future research studies on the influence of FDI on sustainable development for Eurasian countries.

This study aims to empirically examine the relationship between cryptocurrency and various facets of the financial system. It seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of how cryptocurrencies interact with, and influence, the stock market, the U.S. dollar’s strength, inflation rates, and traditional banking operations. This is carried out using linear regression models, Granger causality tests, case studies, including the collapse of the Futures Exchange (FTX), and the successful integration of Binance. The study unveiled a strong positive correlation between cryptocurrency market capitalization and key financial indicators like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Consumer Price Index, and traditional banking operations. This indicates the growing significance of cryptocurrencies within the global financial landscape. However, a mild association was found with the U.S. dollar, suggesting a limited influence of cryptocurrencies on traditional fiat currencies currently. Despite certain limitations such as reliance on secondary data, methodological choices, and geographic focus, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, financial industry stakeholders, and academic researchers, underlining the necessity for continued study into the complex interplay between cryptocurrencies and financial stability.

Purpose: This study explores how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interpret and respond to institutional pressures in relation to blockchain-enabled process innovation within green logistics. It examines how coercive, normative and mimetic pressures are perceived by SMEs and how these pressures intersect with internal process capabilities in sustainability-oriented logistics practices. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, comprising 12 SME consultants and 6 SME directors based in the UK Supplementary secondary data from industry reports and consultancy materials were used for contextual triangulation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, guided by institutional theory and business process management (BPM) as interpretive lenses. Findings: The findings suggest that coercive, normative and mimetic pressures are widely perceived as shaping SMEs' engagement with blockchain in green logistics. However, participants reported notable variation in how these pressures are prioritised, influenced by firm size, resources, sectoral context and internal processes. Blockchain was viewed as a tool for transparency, not transformative solution. Practical implications: The study suggests that SME managers and advisors should therefore view blockchain adoption as part of an incremental process transformation rather than a purely technological intervention, while policymakers may consider reducing regulatory uncertainty and supporting skills development to lower adoption burdens. Originality/value: This study contributes an exploratory, context-sensitive account of blockchain adoption in green logistics by integrating institutional theory and BPM as interpretive frameworks. Rather than advancing causal claims, it offers nuanced insight into how institutional pressures and organisational conditions are jointly understood by SMEs.

This study examines the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Financial Reporting Quality (FRQ) and explores the communication implications of reporting quality improvements. A sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design was employed. In the first stage, survey data from 150 finance professionals employed by London Stock Exchange (LSE)‐listed companies were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS‐SEM). In the second stage, a qualitative content analysis of reports and disclosures from 32 LSE‐listed firms was conducted through the lens of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Theory. The findings indicate that CSR is positively and significantly associated with relevance, faithful representation, understandability, and comparability. The qualitative analysis identified five themes: transparency signals, simplification of information, comparative advantage communication, consistency across platforms, and stakeholder‐centric narratives. These themes illustrate how reporting quality may support communication credibility, message clarity and consistency, stakeholder‐oriented communication, and organizational positioning, while such communication outcomes are interpreted as exploratory implications rather than directly measured effects. The study contributes by positioning financial reporting quality as a communication‐enabling mechanism linking CSR initiatives with stakeholder communication processes and by introducing comparative advantage communication as an interpretive insight emerging from the qualitative findings. The findings offer implications for managers, reporting professionals, and policymakers seeking to enhance transparency, reporting quality, and stakeholder communication.

Blockchain technology (BCT) has garnered significant attention as a catalyst for advancing sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, extant research has often relied on single-theory perspectives or has emphasized either technological potential or compliance imperatives, thereby overlooking the complex and context-dependent nature of BCT adoption. This study develops an integrative conceptual framework that synthesizes institutional theory, paradox theory, and the resource-based(RBV) view to elucidate the dynamics underpinning BCT adoption for sustainability in SMEs. The framework posits that adoption is not solely driven by external institutional pressures such as regulatory, normative, and mimetic forces but is fundamentally facilitated by the internal paradoxical tensions SMEs face and their distinctive organizational resources and capabilities. By highlighting the coexistence of opportunity and risk including enhanced transparency, traceability, technical complexity, and environmental impacts this study reveals that SME blockchain adoption is best understood as a dynamic, non-linear, and context-sensitive process. The framework advances the literature by demonstrating how the ability to navigate institutional and paradoxical pressures is contingent upon firm-level learning orientation, adaptive capacity, and resource endowments.