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Prized assets in a brave new (blockchain) world

24 January 2020
Issue: 7871 / Categories: Features
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Cryptocurrencies under common law: are we there yet, asks Valya Georgieva
  • Cryptoassets can be regarded as a form of property and can be subject to long established legal principles.
  • Legislation and further fact-specific interpretation will be required as the use of cryptoassets continues developing.

Over the past few years, blockchain technology has become increasingly important to the global economy, with virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple slowly infiltrating our lives. As these disruptive technologies have evolved, so has the litigation they generate.

Many questions arise in the context of cryptocurrency litigation: how does legal title to a cryptocurrency pass; can cryptocurrencies be held on trust; what legal recourse or remedies exist if cryptocurrencies are exploited for unlawful purposes, what happens in the event of insolvency? All of these questions revolve primarily around establishing the legal status of cryptocurrencies in order to ascertain whether they could be subject to well-established legal principles.

In November 2019, the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce (UKJT), a government commissioned body comprising members of the legal

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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