Law graduate wins this year’s Hutton Prize for Excellence 

A recently graduated alumnus from the Law School, has been awarded this year’s Hutton Prize for Excellence for his original and rigorous dissertation exploring governance failure, regulatory accountability and the environmental implications of cryptocurrency mining.

Tom Prismall was recognised with the annual prize for his dissertation titled, A State of Denial: Coal, Cryptocurrency, and Climate Law in Wyoming.

His dissertation was selected for operating across the intersection of environmental law, financial technology governance, and political theory to expose a structured regulatory failure with real consequences for public health, climate accountability, and democratic governance. It was also praised for its high standards of ethical conduct and for its tangible benefit to society.

The Hutton Prize for Excellence is awarded annually to undergraduate or postgraduate students in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences and the Business School. It aims to reward, encourage, and inspire those who place ethical conduct and transparency at the heart of government, business, and professional practice.

“My dissertation was focused on the emerging cryptocurrency regulations in the state of Wyoming, and how this has been impacted by the State’s commitment to fossil fuels and deep-rooted climate change denial.” said Tom, who graduated in July. “I found that these wider political contexts have significantly influenced Wyoming’s cryptocurrency mining regulations, resulting in cryptocurrency mining being used as a mechanism for extending the life of coal-fired generation within the State – a concept that I termed ‘denialism infrastructure’. At its core, the dissertation showcased how regulation focused on technological innovation can result in extensive environmental harms, which were specifically compounded by Wyoming’s wider energy contexts.” 

“Tom’s dissertation is an outstanding piece of scholarship that moves confidently across law, policy, and technology” said Dr Robert Herian, Associate Professor of Law, who was a supervisor to Tom. “Its standout achievement is the concept of ‘denialism infrastructure’, which is a genuinely original contribution that goes beyond existing theories of fossil fuel resistance. Backed by exceptionally thorough research and argued with real clarity and precision throughout, Tom is a very worthy winner of this year’s prize.”

The prize consists of one Troy ounce of gold, formed into a medal, and is awarded following a rigorous assessment process. The judging panel selects the dissertation that best exemplifies the principles of ethics and good governance.

Professor Konstantinos Sergakis, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, added: “Tom’s dissertation models precisely the kind of ethical commitment Mr Hutton’s endowment was established to recognise: a refusal to accept that regulatory gaps are neutral, and a sustained argument that governance must be transparent, accountable, and oriented toward long-term societal benefit rather than short-term economic entrenchment.”