As Bitcoin’s (BTC) popularity continues to grow, its network built on 1MB blocks struggles to keep up with the growing number of transactions. Two groups within the Bitcoin community, the “Big Blockers” and “Decentralists,” disagree on how to address the blocksize issue. Big Blockers are focused on realizing Bitcoin’s potential to serve as a cash
Anticipating Risks From and Responding to Cryptocurrency Theft
On November 20-21, 2017, Tether, the company behind USDT, a digital token backed by fiat currencies like the dollar and euro, disclosed that a hack resulted in the loss of $30.95 million worth of tokens. The Tether hack illuminates the privacy, reputational, financial and recovery risks associated with issuing, owning and storing digital currencies. These
The SEC Announces Two New Initiatives to Address Digital Token Sales
At the end of September, the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced two new initiatives to address cyber-based threats and protect retail investors. In the press release, the SEC outlined the creation of the Cyber Unit (“Unit”) and the Retail Strategy Task Force (“RSTF”). The Unit will focus on targeting cyber-related misconduct. The RSTF was established
The FCA Speaks Out on Initial Coin Offerings
The initial coin offerings (ICOs) regulatory map has begun to take shape with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Australia offering their opinions on ICOs. The FCA recently stated that ICOs are “very high-risk, speculative investments.” The Dubai
Busy Summer for Distributed Ledger Technology
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and cryptocurrency have been a hot topic this summer. DLT has begun its transition from a proof-of-concept phase, to a real world deployment. Some of the changes over the last six weeks include: Bitcoin splitting into two currencies; the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), and the Monetary
SEC Securities Trading Suspension for Three Blockchain- Related Companies
Digital tokens are now being incorporated into federal and state regulatory regimes. Over the past two weeks, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has suspended the trading of company securities of three publicly-traded blockchain-related companies The first company to be suspended was CIAO Group, Inc. (“CIAU”) due to questions regarding the accuracy of statements pertaining
New State Blockchain Legislation Clarifies Legal Status of the Technology
Nevada is the latest state to clarify blockchain’s legal status under state law. The law, Senate Bill 398, was signed by the governor June 5, and prohibits local governments from imposing taxes or fees on the use of a blockchain; requiring a certificate, license, or permit to use a blockchain; or imposing any other
The UK FCA Publish Discussion Paper on Distributed Ledger Technology
The UK FCA Publish Discussion Paper on Distributed Ledger Technology
Regulators globally are focused on understanding industry consumers’ views on distributed ledger technology’s (DLT) potential risks and opportunities. On 10 April 2017, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a discussion paper DP17/3 on DLT, and followed it with a speech at the Innovate Finance
FTC’s FinTech Forum continues focus on emerging technologies including AI and Blockchain Technologies
The Federal Trade Commission continues its efforts to be the leading federal regulator in the areas of privacy and data security. Its latest FinTech Forum highlights emerging issues relating to blockchain, machine learning, and related tools that increasingly influence how sensitive information about consumers is collected, used, shared and secured. These programs help inform the
Leveraging the Blockchain to Provide an Unalterable, Distributed Ledger for Transactions, Supply Chains and Other Corporate Processes
On Monday, November 14, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) hosted a forum to discuss financial technology (FinTech) innovation in the financial services industry. The summit discussed several topics, but the second panel, titled “Impact of Recent Innovation on Trading, Settlement, and Clearance Activities,” specifically addressed blockchain-enabled distributed ledger technology and its applicability in corporate environments. The panel provided an opportunity for the SEC to highlight blockchain’s potential for assisting companies in meeting compliance requirements, cutting costs with respect to record keeping and tracking assets, and disintermediating transactions.
Corporations have begun to seriously examine the opportunities made available by blockchain-enabled distributed ledger technology beyond digital currency, in areas ranging from financial services and retail supply chains to art and music. Unlike Bitcoin, where the blockchain provides a transfer mechanism and ledger for the intangible currency, digital ledger technology also may provide a distributed, often a privately managed system of records for a wide variety of transactions.
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