In its second action involving NFTs, the SEC targets an offering tied to fundraising and promises of future value.
On September 13, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a cease-and-desist order (the...more
The viability of DAO structures draws attention after a judge declares that a decentralized autonomous organization is a “person” under the law.
On June 8, 2023, the US District Court for the Northern District of...more
Decentralization is the key innovation enabled by blockchain technology, and can have significant technological, economic, and legal implications for web3 companies and protocols. Decentralization remains hard to grasp and...more
In a major Web3 trademark infringement case, NFT creators prevail over those with a bad-faith intent to profit.
On April 21, 2023, Yuga Labs, the original creators of the Board Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) non-fungible token...more
5/19/2023
/ Blockchain ,
Cybersquatting ,
Domain Names ,
Ethereum ,
Fair Use ,
Free Speech ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Lanham Act ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks ,
Unclean Hands
In granting the SEC’s motion for summary judgment, a federal court ruled that sales of LBC tokens were securities transactions.
On November 7, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prevailed in a motion for...more
A complaint filed in federal court will test the boundaries of protection from liability for individuals behind decentralized autonomous organizations.
On May 2, 2022, a putative class action was filed in the US District...more
5/11/2022
/ Blockchain ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Liability ,
Corporate Veil ,
General Partnerships ,
Hackers ,
Jurisdiction ,
Limited Liability Company (LLC) ,
Negligence ,
Partnerships ,
Phishing Scams ,
Piercing the Corporate Veil ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Respondeat Superior ,
Securities Tokens
Popular and institutional interest in digital assets, decentralized applications, NFTs, and blockchain technology skyrocketed, and regulators sprinted to catch up.
For the digital asset markets, 2021 was a banner year....more
1/25/2022
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Capital Raising ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Regulatory Agencies ,
FinCEN ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Startups ,
Unicorns ,
Venture Capital
Gary Gensler asserts the SEC’s broad powers over digital assets, and puts consumer protection at the forefront.
On August 3, 2021, Gary Gensler, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), gave a speech on...more
8/13/2021
/ Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Exchange-Traded Products ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Stablecoins ,
Token Sales