Law Decoded: Government sandboxes, test beds and crypto compromises, Oct. 16-23
These week's news highlighted how governments test new regimes for cryptocurrency, which can be slow but are certainly some kind of progress. A line from immortal comic strip Calvin & Hobbes goes “a good compromise leaves everybody mad.” When it comes to laws governing crypto, authorities are usually asking for pretty major compromises because they are, at their very best-intentioned, trying to work things out. While it’s a fast-developing area of law — honestly a treat to cover — that means it’s fast-developing relative to law, not tech. There is an innate conservatism to anything having....
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The end of the U.S. federal government's fiscal year brought a cascade of major announcements from agencies. Every Friday, Law Decoded delivers analysis on the week’s critical stories in the realms of policy, regulation and law.Editor's noteIn a tweet late last night, President Trump said that he and Melania had tested positive for COVID-19. If you weren’t already aware of that, you may want to catch up on a deluge of wishes for life and death, alongside speculation as to Trump’s announcement being a hoax, before sitting down to this week’s Law Decoded. Or possibly not.Every week leading....
The final Law Decoded moves away from specific news to reflect on the biggest legal issues facing crypto. Editor’s noteLadies and gentlemen, it is bittersweet to welcome you to the final installment of Law Decoded, at least with yours truly at the helm. Though someone may pick this newsletter back up at some point, there are no plans to do so now.Taking advantage of the rose-tinted glasses or maybe the graduation goggles that are in effect for this final newsletter, I will be shaking up the format. As last week’s Law Decoded focused on a few long-standing stories in crypto, this week, I....
A new report from the UK Government Office for Science has recommended a broad government effort to explore and test blockchain and distributed ledger technology. The report, spearheaded by the government's top scientific advisor Mark Walport, contained proposals aimed at pushing for segments of the UK government to pursue applications of the technology. The recommendations include the development of standards for the technology's use; the creation of new roles in the government to demonstrate proofs-of-concept; and the establishment of a roadmap for further exploration and utilization.....
With the election taking all the air out of the room, we look at what new appointments at the DoJ could mean. Every Friday, Law Decoded delivers analysis on the week’s critical stories in the realms of policy, regulation and law. Editor's noteAre you over the election? I’m over the election. But you can bet that as soon as I finish writing this week’s Law Decoded, I will compulsively check up on what’s happening in Georgia and Pennsylvania. And it seems that I’m not alone.Despite the election highjacking the entire news cycle, crypto has not been completely left in the corner. Likely most....
Innovation sandboxes, applying existing frameworks on crypto, and communication between the public and private sectors were included in Ripple's suggestions. Ripple, the company whose executives have often criticized the United States’ seeming lack of regulatory clarity on the cryptocurrency industry, has outlined its own “pragmatic” framework.In a Tuesday post on its website, Ripple released its vision for a regulatory framework aimed at advancing innovation while protecting investors in the United States. According to the firm, regulators need to be encouraged to promote innovation....