Imagine a world where you could easily register and claim ownership over your original creative works – from music to photos to blogs. Gone would be the days of seeing your work duplicated all over the internet without proper credit and having no way to prove ownership. With the use of blockchain technology, that world … Continue Reading
Alan Cohn and I talk with Laura Shin on her Unchained podcast about the Blockchain Alliance. We also talk about how crime involving Bitcoin is similar to crime involving any new technology, what genuinely new questions are being raised, and how various law enforcement agencies might think about recent developments like the emergence of the DAO … Continue Reading
The Blockchain Alliance was announced last October. Since then it has grown from about 20 to over 50 members, including digital currency companies, law enforcement groups, and regulatory bodies from all over the world. But what has it been up to?… Continue Reading
Following the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, polls show that Americans identify terrorism—more than any other issue—as the most important problem facing the US. In this environment, some media outlets have predicted a pending “crackdown” on digital currencies, particularly by European governments, because of the risk that the technology could be used to fund … Continue Reading
IAPP published my op-ed today on “Why Bitcoin is Good for Law Enforcement.” In it I discuss how with every advance in technology, criminals are early adopters, and law enforcement has to play catch-up. Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology are just the latest examples. But the blockchain actually provides significant benefits to law enforcement … Continue Reading
It’s only been about a week since New York’s outgoing Superintendent of Financial Services Ben Lawsky released the long-awaited “BitLicense” rules for digital currency businesses operating in New York, but it’s not too early to try to assess the potential impact of those rules on the development of Bitcoin-related businesses and emerging financial technologies. The … Continue Reading
Most people who’ve heard of “Bitcoin” know it only as a virtual currency sometimes used by criminals. But there are entrepreneurs, engineers, venture capitalists, and bankers who are betting big on the untapped economic potential of the “blockchain” – the underlying technology that makes Bitcoin run. In a sense, Bitcoin is just the first “app” … Continue Reading