Current Position
Sarah Kreps is Cornell University’s John L. Wetherill Professor, Adjunct Professor of Law and Tech Policy Institute director, and a Bitcoin Policy Institute Senior Fellow. Her professional market is the United States.
Background & Biography
Kreps studied at Harvard, Oxford and Georgetown and served as an active-duty US Air Force officer. Her research connects technology, international politics and national security.
Notable Contributions
In a March 2025 BPI interview, Kreps connected her research on war financing and democratic accountability with questions about Bitcoin and government power. She described a qualitative research project involving interviews about Bitcoin use in non-democratic countries. These are descriptions of her research agenda, not a claim that digital currencies necessarily prevent conflict or eliminate financial exclusion.
The same interview highlighted limits to technological determinism: she noted that governments retain taxation, legal authority and other tools, even when new monetary technologies emerge. This distinction matters when evaluating claims that a network can replace public institutions or remove their influence over financial activity.
Why Katharos.ai Is Following Them
Katharos.ai follows Kreps because the relationship between digital money and state power extends beyond market adoption. Academic work can help test claims about financial autonomy, public accountability and the effects of new technology. Reporting should identify the methods and limits of a study rather than treating an interviewee’s expectations as settled findings.
Areas to Follow
Follow published research on digital currencies and political institutions, the Tech Policy Institute’s public work, and evidence connecting technical design to users’ experiences. Separate interview-based observations from population-wide claims. Track changes in regulation and institutional behavior without assuming that a technology alone determines political outcomes.
Reporting Scope
Coverage concerns public research, academic responsibilities and attributable policy commentary. An institutional affiliation does not make every statement an official university position. Inclusion is not endorsement by Katharos.ai, Cornell, BPI or the subject, and this profile is not investment advice. Private personal details and speculation about financial holdings are outside scope.
Sources for Further Reading
Cornell individual faculty biography — https://government.cornell.edu/sarah-kreps
BPI individual author profile — https://www.btcpolicy.org/authors/sarah-kreps-a338d
BPI interview, 19 March 2025 — https://www.btcpolicy.org/articles/meet-the-fellows-sarah-kreps