You are cordially invited to the lecture organized by Department of Management (DM), Faculty of Business and Management (FBM). Details of the lecture are as follows:

Topic: Cryptocurrency as an incentive for user engagement

Speaker:  Dr. Tae Hun Kim, Associate Professor, College of Business Administration, Incheon National University, South Korea.

Time: 2:00-3:00pm, 25 February 2026

Venue: T1-108

Speaker:

Tae Hun Kim is an Associate Professor at College of Business Administration, Incheon National University, South Korea. He received his PhD in Business Administration, with a major in Business Information Systems, from Michigan State University. His research interests include artificial intelligence, data science, and technology value. His research has been published in Information Systems Research, European Journal of Information Systems, Information & Management, Decision Support Systems, and other reputable outlets. He is an Associate Editor for Journal of the Association for Information Systems.

Abstract:

As social media platforms explore new mechanisms to reinvigorate participation, cryptocurrency-integrated systems introduce financial incentives that fundamentally reshape user behavior. Drawing on panel data from a token-based social media platform, we examine how cryptocurrency rewards influence multiple dimensions of user engagement. We find that token incentives significantly increase posting and commenting activity and broaden users’ topical participation. However, these gains come at the cost of lower posting quality and a less positive commenting tone, revealing a trade-off between participation volume and engagement quality. Moreover, cryptocurrency price volatility weakens the motivational effect of rewards and further diminishes content quality, highlighting the sensitivity of engagement outcomes to fluctuating token valuations. Our findings extend research on digital incentives by theorizing cryptocurrency as a novel form of monetized social signal and by demonstrating its differential effects on behavioral quantity versus quality. Practically, the results underscore the need for platforms to carefully design reward structures that balance user activity with meaningful, high-quality contribution.

Please scan the QR code in the poster for registration.