Blockchain, Copyright, and Creative Markets: Reflections from a Research Visit to ZIBR

Can blockchain technology deliver fairer, more transparent licensing systems for creators? And where do the real obstacles lie? These are among the questions Asst. Prof. Dr. Sunimal Mendis brought to her research visit at ZIBR.

During her stay, she engaged with ZIBR researchers across a range of topics — from smart contracts and DAO governance to generative AI and the regulation of decentralized platforms under the EU Digital Services Act.

In her reflection, she offers a nuanced perspective on the promise and limitations of blockchain-based approaches in creative markets — and on what a research stay in Switzerland's Crypto Valley contributed to her thinking.