Digital Assets, Web3 & NFTs
The dawn of the Web3 era is being driven by digital asset platforms and development teams creating fungible tokens, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and new ways for individuals and businesses to interact, such as decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and the Metaverse. Whether you’re developing blockchain-based technologies, incorporating them into your business functions, or working to stay ahead of shifting trends, we can help you understand how these advancements will impact your future success.
Crypto Assets, Blockchain, and FinTech
The legal and business issues around open-source blockchain protocols, applications, and fungible tokens can be thorny, with regulations changing quickly. As your partner, our team will guide you through the transactional, regulatory, and corporate issues you’ll face when operating a Web3 or FinTech business or projects involving the industry.
We offer clients:
- Regulatory Analysis and Advocacy: Correct regulatory classification and treatment of proposed products and services and development and implementation of regulatory strategies, including dialogue with the SEC, CFTC, FINRA, NFA, CFPA, and other regulators.
- Development of Crypto and Blockchain-Related Products: Structuring and bringing these products to market, such as blockchain-enabled trading of securities tokens, fungible token generation events, and NFT projects and platforms.
- Compliance Counseling: Compliance with laws and regulations applicable to the blockchain sector beyond securities and commodities laws, including taxation, banking, money transmission, and commercial law.
- Business and Transaction Planning: Nimble business and transaction planning, including the appropriate use of exemptions and off-shore vehicles, to maximize your business opportunity and mitigate risks.
- TradFi Fintech Deal-Making and Advice: M&A, capital raising, and all necessary legal advice associated with buying, selling, financing, and operating traditional finance companies such as registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, futures commission merchants, and registered exchanges.
- Protecting Innovations: Pursuing local or global intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, to protect new uses, applications, features, and products.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse
Distinct from other blockchain applications but powered by the same technology, the use of NFTs beyond transferring digital files and collectibles is poised to continue growing. Metaverse projects are using NFTs to revolutionize the way that consumers interact with brands and experiences, and as you explore how or whether to incorporate NFTs or the Metaverse as part of your business, we can advise you on trademark and copyright issues, patents, licensing, data sharing, securities, banking and derivatives laws, consumer protection laws, privacy regulations, contract drafting and enforcement, and other concerns.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
DAOs are transforming business by facilitating decentralized corporate governance, commonly relying on fungible tokens, NFTs, and the Metaverse for governance, vitality, and global reach. We are advising clients in the rapidly emerging area of DAO legal issues, including choice of domicile, entity formation, corporate governance, securities and derivatives analysis, liability risk, and equity integration.
