Bridging Blockchain Economics with Flexible Grid Loads

Jiasun Li is the Robert D. Johnston Associate Professor of Finance at the Costello College of Business, George Mason University. A leading academic at the intersection of finance, economics, and computer science, his research focuses on blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency mining economics, and the interaction of flexible computing loads with power grid dynamics.

His work examines how Bitcoin mining and large-scale computing can serve as flexible demand resources — shifting loads to optimize grid reliability, integrate renewables, and even reduce overall carbon emissions under well-designed electricity pricing. Recipient of an NSF CAREER Award (2024–2029), multiple Ethereum Foundation grants, and publications in top journals including the Review of Financial Studies, Journal of Finance, and Management Science, he has analyzed mining pool industrial organization, decentralization forces, tokenomics, and the counterintuitive potential of mining to support cleaner energy systems. He teaches blockchain technologies to MBA and undergraduate students and collaborates with government and industry on blockchain economics research.