Blockchain, Digital Assets and Cryptocurrencies

Guiding our clients through the fraught and rapidly evolving legal landscape around blockchain, digital assets and cryptocurrencies.

Summary

Our multinational team with colleagues in the UK, Germany and Hungary have been working in the blockchain space from the time of the industry’s inception, advising the earliest token issuers on US SEC and CFTC compliance matters, in Germany on issuing tokens and advising on BaFIN matters, and in the UK working on the first successful initial coin offering and the first equity issuance settled on-chain.

We have been heavily involved in helping shape the legal and regulatory framework in several jurisdictions for crypto funds, DeFi, Web3, blockchain and cryptoassets. We have an intuitive understanding of the legal and regulatory framework in which our clients operate, and provide pragmatic, focused advice designed to provide concrete solutions for our clients.

We advise crypto funds, DeFi networks, token designers and developers, blockchain platforms, crypto-exchanges, exchanges run using DLT, crypto-custodians, crypto-brokers, crypto-funds, supply-chains, and other participants in the blockchain ecosystem.

The firm’s Crypto Cast podcast [Apple / Spotify] has a global reach with audiences tuning in from across Europe, the United States, Australia, Asia, South America, and Africa. Topics covered in Crypto Cast include DeFi, ICOs and STOs, and an in-depth looks at the crypto industry in different countries.

Our advice encompasses:

• Token structuring
• International tax planning and structuring
• Stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDC)
• NFTs
• Utility tokens
• Digital wallets
• FinCEN registration and money service business licensing finance
• Asset-backed tokens
• Real estate backed tokens
• Infrastructure applications
• Technology licensing and development
• Mining
• Securities law compliance
• Cryptocurrency exchanges and trading
• Blockchain-as-a-service
• Supply-chains
• Crypto investment fund structures
• Staking
• Data privacy and blockchain-related international data transfers
• ‘Travel rule’
• Smart contract coding
• Digital identities
• Encryption, zero knowledge proofs and secure multi-party computation
• DAO establishment and sale
• Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)