Blockchain technology, particularly private blockchains, can provide a technological curtain behind which business transactions occur. Still, any anticompetitive practices that stem from private blockchains are subject to...more
8/3/2018
/ Anticompetitive Agreements ,
Antitrust Division ,
Blockchain ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Monopolization ,
OECD ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Sherman Act ,
Trading Platforms ,
Transparency
The Situation: The Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporate Finance, William Hinman, has weighed in on when digital assets will be characterized as securities.
The Result: In...more
6/26/2018
/ Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Ether ,
Goods or Services ,
Howey ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Token Sales
The surge in cryptocurrency activity has led to an increase in attention from enforcement authorities at both the state and national levels. The Texas State Securities Board launched an investigation into cryptocurrency...more
5/15/2018
/ Bitcoin ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Cease and Desist Orders ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Currency ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Foreign Securities ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Registration Requirement ,
Securities Violations ,
State Securities Regulators ,
Token Sales ,
Unregistered Securities
The Situation: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a special unit to bring enforcement actions against several forms of cyber misconduct.
The Result: The Cyber Unit has already brought enforcement...more
12/20/2017
/ Blockchain ,
Digital Currency ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Ethereum ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Token Sales ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Virtual Currency
As interest continues to grow in virtual currencies, blockchain technology and initial coin offerings, governments are evaluating the benefits and potential risks of these innovations, while considering numerous regulatory...more
11/6/2017
/ Bitcoin ,
Crowdfunding ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Currency ,
Ethereum ,
Financial Adviser ,
Financial Markets ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investors ,
Monetary Authority of Singapore ,
Popular ,
Profit Sharing ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities and Futures Act (SFA) ,
Singapore ,
Token Sales
The Situation: Promoters of two recent initial coin offerings face charges of investor fraud brought by the SEC, after allegedly misrepresenting the assets purportedly backing the offerings, exaggerating the amount of funds...more
10/11/2017
/ Asset Freeze ,
Digital Currency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Investment Fraud ,
Investors ,
Misrepresentation ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Fraud ,
Token Sales ,
Unregistered Securities ,
Virtual Currency
As the interest in blockchain technology grows, companies will be confronted with numerous decisions, challenges, and legal issues pertaining to its adoption. Relevant matters include the overall design and control of...more
9/6/2017
/ Australia ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Jurisdictions ,
France ,
Germany ,
Hong Kong ,
Japan ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Singapore ,
Smart Contracts ,
Supply Chain ,
UK
On August 1, 2017, Delaware became the first state to allow corporations to use blockchain technology to maintain corporate records. This development comes almost a year after Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware...more