All articles by Peter
Analysis: The disappointing denial of Tornado dev’s motion to dismiss
Two victories in our fight against unconstitutional financial surveillance.
Senate Attaches Controversial Crypto Sanctions Bill to Must-Pass Intelligence Legislation
DOJ’s New Stance on Crypto Wallets is a Threat to Liberty and the Rule of Law
Coin Center files court brief in defense of Tornado Cash developer
Amicus Curiae In Support of Roman Storm’s Motion to Dismiss
It’s time to have the conversation: Is the Bank Secrecy Act unconstitutional?
Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy Act
There’s a centuries-old standard that tells us when regulation of crypto is justified
New Tornado Cash indictments seem to run counter to FinCEN guidance
When does a sanction become a seizure? Lessons from the KindHearts case
A Snapshot of the Current Questions and Unsettled Policy Related to Cryptocurrency Taxation
Tornado Cash is no “golem.” It’s a tool for privacy and free speech.
Coin Center is suing OFAC over its Tornado Cash sanction
Does the Merge change how Ethereum is regulated? (No.)
How does Tornado Cash actually work?
Analysis: What is and what is not a sanctionable entity in the Tornado Cash case
U.S. Treasury sanction of privacy tools places sweeping restrictions on all Americans
Comments to the Department of Treasury Regarding Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets
A new SEC proposal has a serious change hidden within its complex language.
New crypto sanctions bill targets publishing code, facilitating transactions
Coin Center amicus brief in Jarrett v U.S.
IRS signals retreat in court battle that could reshape block reward taxation
New bill would hand Treasury blank check to ban crypto at exchanges
How policymakers should think about “staking”
The long-awaited FATF crypto guidance is not as bad as it could have been, but still flawed
Open Blockchains and Decentralized Identity Standards
An unworkable and arguably unconstitutional tax change tucked away in the infrastructure bill
Understanding Bitcoin’s energy use
“Expansive” standards for surveillance threaten human autonomy—our message to FATF
A quick analysis of FATF’s 2021 draft cryptocurrency guidance
Join us in responding to an unfair and discriminatory midnight rulemaking
A Midnight Rule for Cryptocurrency Transaction Reports
The Unintended(?) Consequences of the STABLE Act
There’s no such thing as a decentralized exchange
Two new bills in Congress would clarify agency jurisdiction over cryptocurrency
Are regulators poised to demand cryptocurrency address whitelisting? Probably not.
The ideal regulatory environment for Bitcoin
Congress to IRS: Proof-Of-Stake block rewards should not be taxed as income
Federal regulator: National banks can hold cryptocurrency
Do anti-encryption bills in Congress pose a risk to cryptocurrency?
What’s in the Bitlicense’s 5-year update?
Without privacy, do we really want a digital dollar?
How to trace a virus without surrendering our privacy
A bill focused on stablecoins has been introduced in Congress
IRS Cryptocurrency guidance answers some questions while raising messy new ones
A national alternative to onerous state-by-state regulation of cryptocurrency intermediaries
Don’t make these five common mistakes about blockchains and cryptocurrency.
The differences between Bitcoin and Libra should matter to policymakers
The upcoming FATF interpretive note is not doomsday for cryptocurrency
Comment to Her Majesty’s Treasury on Transposition of the Fifth Money Laundering Directive
FinCEN’s new cryptocurrency guidance matches Coin Center recommendations
Coin Center analysis of SEC cryptocurrency guidance
New regulation would effectively ban crypto exchanges in Mexico
Texas cryptocurrency bill threatens financial privacy
The Constitution Protects Software Developers and Users from Surveillance Overreach
Electronic Cash, Decentralized Exchange, and the Constitution
What can the EtherDelta settlement tell us about how decentralized exchanges are regulated?
Writing and publishing code alone cannot be a crime
The public internet needs public payments infrastructure
The Federal Reserve of St. Louis has published an excellent paper on payment systems and privacy.
An updated Framework for Securities Regulation of Cryptocurrencies
Framework for Securities Regulation of Cryptocurrencies
Understanding Bitcoin’s role in the Russia investigation
What could “decentralization” mean in the context of the law?
Principles for Clarifying SEC Jurisdiction over Cryptocurrencies and ICOs
Why treating all tokens as securities would harm innovation
SEC Commissioner doesn’t want to pick cryptocurrency winners and losers.
SEC’s Clayton: Use of a token can evolve toward or away from being a security
FinCEN raises major licensing problem for ICOs in new letter to Congress.
Money Transmission Licensing is broken. Here’s how to fix it.
Cryptocurrencies are far from unregulated
The Need for a Federal Alternative to State Money Transmission Licensing
Coin Center statement on Long Island money laundering arrest.
How Bitcoin could drive the clean energy revolution.
Munchee Settlement Puts the Utility Token Argument to the Test
Good news: Ethereum’s CryptoKitties are probably not securities.
Coin Center statement on IRS Coinbase order.
How do token sales fit with securities regulations?
What is “open source” and why is it important?
The SAFT is a reasonable approach to securities law when preselling useful network tokens
A token airdrop may not spare you from securities regulation.
Visualizing Digital Currency Regulation State-by-state
Coin Center amicus brief in U.S. v. Coinbase
SEC hasn’t quashed blockchain innovation. Let’s keep it that way
The Uniform Law Commission Has Given States a Clear Path to Approach Bitcoin
The SEC today has said that some tokens can be securities.
The ULC’s model act for digital currency businesses has passed. Here’s why it’s good for Bitcoin.
The Bank Secrecy Act, Cryptocurrencies, and New Tokens: What is Known and What Remains Ambiguous
Securities Laws Aren’t the Only Rules Token Sales Have to Consider
What does it mean to issue a token “on top of” Ethereum?
Sixth Letter to the Uniform Law Commission
The CSBS is suing the OCC to stop the new special purpose national bank charter for fintech firms.
California is back at it; a new (old) virtual currency licensing bill is pending in the Assembly.
The OCC has just taken another step toward a national fintech charter.
Fifth Letter to the Uniform Law Commission
State Digital Currency Principles and Framework
One of bitcoin’s best bets for sound regulation is about to wrap up.
Fourth Letter on the Uniform Law Commission’s Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act
North Dakota’s new money transmission bill fails to define “control” of bitcoins.
ESMA issued their final DLT report but continues to underestimate open networks.
Great news for bitcoin and other blockchain startups from Switzerland today.
What does “permissionless” mean?
Bitcoin innovators need legal safe harbors
Things are looking up for Bitcoin’s biggest regulatory hurdle
Does it matter that different government agencies define Bitcoin differently?
“Blockchain technology” is a buzzword with little meaning. Here’s what matters.
Open Matters: Why Permissionless Blockchains are Essential to the Future of the Internet
Is your cryptotoken a security? This new tool will help you find out.
The OCC has decided to pursue the federal fintech charter for which we have been advocating.
This OCC rulemaking could a make a big difference for digital currency exchanges.
An update from the recent Uniform Law Commission drafting meeting
Third Letter on the Uniform Law Commission’s Uniform Regulation of Virtual Currency Businesses Act
New CFPB prepaid rules leave out Bitcoin, and that’s mostly a good thing.
Could your decentralized token project run afoul of securities laws?
Food for Thought: A Federal Safe Harbor for non-custodial cryptocurrency users
Law enforcement is learning about the benefits of open networks.
New California digital currency bill is a step backwards
Neither the CFTC nor multi-sig are to blame for the Bitfinex hack
A Florida court just dismissed a money laundering case and said that bitcoin isn’t “money.”
Patents for an open source project sound scary, but it makes sense.
The UK’s new blockchain welfare benefits trial has privacy advocates freaking out.
DAOs: the internet is weird again, and these are the regulatory issues
Why we need a federal fintech charter
Slides from Consensus Workshop: Regulating the Blockchain
Second Letter to the Uniform Law Commission
When does a company actually control customer bitcoins?
Why Bitcoin is not the root cause of ransomware
Letter to the Uniform Law Commission
No, FinCEN Policy is not Relevant to the Bitcoin Forking Debate
What are Forks, Alt-coins, Meta-coins, and Sidechains?
What last week’s European VAT ruling means for bitcoin fungibility
Letter to Conference of State Bank Supervisors
Released Today: Updated State Digital Currency Principles and Framework
Freshly Unveiled CSBS Model Regs: Good Goals, Poor Execution
Sponsor of California’s Bitcoin bill responds to critics, here’s our take
BitLicense: It’s not just for New Yorkers
Connecticut and Bitcoin: A legislative question mark
Bitcoin: Risk Factors for Insurance
The 325-year-old Company that’s Learning about Bitcoin
Our thoughts on the BitLicense: California is Winning
Tracking Bitcoin Regulation State by State
Wall Street is using Bitcoin, not just the blockchain.
Coin Center files comment on NY DFS revised BitLicense proposal
Comment on Revised NY DFS BitLicense Proposal
CFPB Proposed Rules Relating to Prepaid Accounts Comment
Coin Center comments on CFPB proposal to regulate digital currencies
Bitcoin: Our Best Tool for Privacy and Identity on the Internet
Bitcoin May Be What Gets Us Real Net Neutrality
Apple Pay isn’t enough to fix a broken payment system
Report: Bitcoin enables unprecedented financial privacy and security
Steady Sentiment and the Problem of Scams
CSBS Virtual Currency Framework Comment
Should You Trust This Secretive Chinese Bitcoin Mine?
Reporting from the EU Parliament: Building an Open Bitcoin Coalition
Coin Center’s new Bitcoin Public Sentiment Survey
Reporting back from the Blockchain Workshops at MIT and Harvard