Decrypting Virtual Currency Regulation

Please note that space is limited and you must RSVP to get into the building

Over the past several years, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin have made headlines -- first as an untraceable currency used largely by criminals, then as an easily lost asset as exchanges such as Mt. Gox collapsed after security breaches, and more recently as a tech savvy investment as venture capitalists began to pour capital into cryptocurrency companies. As cryptocurrencies have gained in popularity and acceptance, governments and regulatory bodies have struggled with the question of categorizing them as something for which regulations already exist (such as a currency, a security, or a commodity) or if it is something entirely different for which new regulations need to be created.

This panel will explore the shifting perceptions of Bitcoin (from the currency used to purchase illicit goods and services on the dark web, to having its own physical exchange down the street from the NYSE) and the various regulatory regimes impacting cryptocurrencies, including New York's BitLicense (http://www.dfs.ny.gov/legal/regulations/bitlicense_reg_framework_faq.htm).

Moderator:

Houman B. Shadab (http://www.nyls.edu/faculty/faculty-profiles/faculty_profiles/houman_shadab/), Professor of Law at New York Law School and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Taxation and Regulation of Financial Institutions

Speakers:

Carol Spawn Desmond (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-spawn-desmond-26349510), Managing Director at SEC Compliance Consultants, Inc.

Gregory Xethalis (http://www.kayescholer.com/en_US/professionals/xethalis_gregory), Counsel at Kaye Scholer LLP

Jay L. Hack (http://www.gdblaw.com/jay-hack), Partner at Gallet Dreyer & Berkey, LLP

Sponsored by Clio (https://www.goclio.com/).