Tagged: blockchain

SEC Settlement with BarnBridge DAO and its Founders for Securities Violations Highlights Legal Risks for DAOs and DeFi

SEC Settlement with BarnBridge DAO and its Founders for Securities Violations Highlights Legal Risks for DAOs and DeFi

Matt Stankiewicz, Partner at The Volkov Law Group, joins us for another post discussing how the SEC’s recent settlement with BarnBridge DAO may impact the cryptocurrency industry. Matt can be contacted at [email protected]. On December 23, 2023, BarnBridge DAO (“BarnBridge”) and its founders, Tayler Ward and Troy Murray, agreed to settle charges with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  BarnBridge violated Sections5(a) and 5(c) of...

A Compliance Crisis at NFT Marketplace OpenSea – Transparency on the Blockchain

A Compliance Crisis at NFT Marketplace OpenSea – Transparency on the Blockchain

Matt Stankiewicz, Partner at The Volkov Law Group, joins us for a post on the recent scandal at OpenSea, the cryptocurrency industry’s preeminent NFT marketplace. Matt can be contacted at [email protected]. The crypto industry is abuzz with a recent scandal involving OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace in the industry (for those not in the know, NFT stands for non-fungible token, and the most common use...

Cryptocurrency and the Unbanked: How the Blockchain Can Benefit the Impoverished

Cryptocurrency and the Unbanked: How the Blockchain Can Benefit the Impoverished

I recently came across a paper prepared by students from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs that delves into the benefits that cryptocurrency and the blockchain can provide to the world’s unbanked.  Specifically, the paper discusses how cryptocurrencies can help with “reaching and benefitting the unbanked/underbanked people, who do not make use of traditional financial services, including banks.”  Gemini Trust Company, LLC, one of...

Episode 97 — Matt Stankiewicz Discusses Blockchain Domains and Trademarks with Brad Kam, Co-Founder of Unstoppable Domains

Episode 97 — Matt Stankiewicz Discusses Blockchain Domains and Trademarks with Brad Kam, Co-Founder of Unstoppable Domains

As the blockchain industry continues to grow, we’ll begin to see traditional industries shifting to the blockchain to leverage the technology. Unstoppable domains is a company working to place web domains on the blockchain. Instead of traditional extensions like .com, .net, or .io. Unstoppable Domains will utilize .zil addresses as smart contracts on the Zilliqa public blockchain. This will first provide simple, human-readable crypto wallet...

Episode 93 — Matt Stankiewicz Discusses Data Privacy on Blockchain with ImagineBC CEO Erik Rind

Episode 93 — Matt Stankiewicz Discusses Data Privacy on Blockchain with ImagineBC CEO Erik Rind

Data privacy has become a hot topic lately. Companies have built massive fortunes by selling users’ personal information to the highest bidder. Meanwhile, they often fail to secure that same data while hackers run amok, putting the users at risk.  What’s a person to do?  Enter ImagineBC.  In the ImagineBC community, you’re in control of your personal information – and free to monetize it. Built on...

Episode 88 — Matt Stankiewicz Interview of Liquidity Digital CEO Syed Hussain

Episode 88 — Matt Stankiewicz Interview of Liquidity Digital CEO Syed Hussain

The blockchain revolution is still merely in its infancy.  Liquidity Digital seeks to continue pushing the industry forward, by digitizing securities – stocks, derivatives, real estate, and more – and placing them on the blockchain.  Liquidity Digital is building an ecosystem for the creation of new assets, introducing ways to allocate capital to traditionally underserved areas of financial markets and provide a practical application of distributed ledger...

Episode 50 — Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: Matt Stankiewicz Interview of Jason Davis, CEO of Hoard Invest

  Investing in cryptocurrency is fraught with challenges and inefficiencies. Jason Davis is seeking to solve these problems with Hoard Invest – with a mission to empower anyone, anywhere in the world to hold, track, transfer, and transact with any tokenized asset from their mobile device, privately & instantly. The task in doing so is nothing short of monumental, especially considering the regulatory ambiguity around the industry....

Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Ponzi Schemes

Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain and Ponzi Schemes

When you read and learn about cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum), there are some commentators, politicians and others who characterize cryptocurrencies as a “Ponzi” scheme.  Some countries have banned cryptocurrencies.  The issue of cryptocurrencies, like many other issues, is nuanced, and not so dogmatic.  As I like to say, there are benefits and there are risks.  Let’s address a number of the risks and lay...

Who’s on First, What’s on Second – Who is Regulating ICOs, Cryptocurrencies and Exchange Platforms?

Who’s on First, What’s on Second – Who is Regulating ICOs, Cryptocurrencies and Exchange Platforms?

Abbott and Costello’s famous routine — Who’s on First, What’s on Second — puts cryptocurrency regulation and enforcement risks in perspective.  Here is the classic comedy routine. When new technologies appear on the scene, Washington regulation is sure to follow.  The exact configuration can take years to sort out, especially when it comes to financial products, given the labyrinth of regulatory bodies seeking to lay...

Congress and the Blockchain: The 2018 Joint Economic Report’s Discussion on Cryptocurrency

Congress and the Blockchain: The 2018 Joint Economic Report’s Discussion on Cryptocurrency

Matt Stankiewicz, an Associate at The Volkov Law Group, rejoins us as a guest contributor for another posting on cryptocurrencies.  Matt can be reached at [email protected]. A few days ago, Congress released its 2018 Joint Economic Report.  As many of you know, the Joint Economic Committee prepares this report as a national assessment of the country’s economic status.  The report often assesses the implications of a...