Cryptocurrency and digital assets are approaching something of a tipping point, finding increasing adoption from mainstream institutional players, including major banks, investment funds and other traditional finance players. Government and regulators have thus far declined to introduce any legislation specifically targeted at crypto-assets, instead relying on existing financial services legislation to regulate the space. As a consequence, the regulatory and legal status of the crypto-asset market remains in a state of relative uncertainty. Regulators now appear to have crypto-assets firmly in their sights. ASIC has recently sought to clarify the existing law and guidance around crypto-assets, and further parliamentary reform appears...

You have probably heard the terms "blockchain", "distributed ledger technology", "bitcoin" and "NFTS" being thrown around a lot recently.  But what do these terms mean, why are they important, and what advantages does this technology actually have? The purpose of this article is to introduce you to these concepts and technology, to explain what they are, and how they fit in the blockchain landscape. Key terms Before we dive in, it is first important to understand some of the key terms relevant to this type of technology: Distributed Ledger: At a high level, a distributed ledger is a database, e.g. a digital...

CONTENT WARNING: Please take care.  This article discusses child sexual abuse material. Before proceeding, it is recommended that you strongly consider whether this article is appropriate for you.   You may not be aware, but the link between encryption technologies and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online is increasingly well established. The estimated volume of CSAM, and the number of related reports are growing exponentially.  In 2019, 69.1 million different images were reported to US companies alone. Facebook generated more than 90% of these reports. Research from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children highlights the extreme growth in the number of...

You are probably wondering what Paris Hilton, Edward Snowden and Eminem have in common.  Well, they have all released NFTs.  The market for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is booming right now and is only likely to continue to grow over time as cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology become more accessible. In light of NFTs' exponential growth in popularity, it is essential to understand the legal risks associated with NFTs if you're interested in purchasing NFTs yourself or needing to advise a client. What are NFTs? An NFT is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger that certifies a digital or physical asset as...

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives and that includes domain name arbitration. Without seeking to undermine the seriousness of the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people, this post outlines a few of the ways domain name arbitration has been impacted in the face of the global pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic-related delays The COVID-19 pandemic has arisen as a reason for delays within UDRP proceedings, such as for late filing. Under UDRP Rule 10, Panels have the discretion to make decisions to ensure fairness between the parties - which may include allowing flexibility and time extensions in the case of...