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Law and Blockchains

In: The Palgrave Handbook of Technological Finance

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen McKeon

    (University of Oregon)

  • Derek Edward Schloss

    (Collab+Currency)

Abstract

Digital currency is both global and decentralized and existing legal structures do not always map cleanly to this new technology. Further, digital currency is just one of many types of assets that will be recorded and transferred on blockchains. In this chapter, we review the literature on various aspects of the legal environment around blockchain applications such as smart contracts, cryptocurrencies, tokenized securities, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). We synthesize how these novel structures and assets are treated with regard to tax law, intellectual property (IP) law, and securities law. We focus primarily on U.S. law, but comment on the global legal environment where applicable.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen McKeon & Derek Edward Schloss, 2021. "Law and Blockchains," Springer Books, in: Raghavendra Rau & Robert Wardrop & Luigi Zingales (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Technological Finance, pages 311-335, Springer.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-030-65117-6_13
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-65117-6_13
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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