Blockchain – Duane Morris and Selvam

February 21, 2024February 21, 2024 by Leon Yee

Mainstream Adoption: The Era of Bitcoin ETFs Begins

By Leon Yee, Yeo Ming Ze and Brian Sim

1. Navigating the Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”) Landscape: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction to Bitcoin ETFs in 2024
On 10 January 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) approved the listing and trading of 11 spot Bitcoin ETFs. This followed a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia where the court held that the SEC’s denial of Grayscale Investments conversion of its Bitcoin trust to an ETF was “arbitrary” and “capricious” given that the SEC had approved a futures-based Bitcoin product. The court found these futures-based ETFs to be materially similar to Grayscale’s Bitcoin ETF such that they should have received the same regulatory treatment. The court’s decision was based on two key points: the underlying assets (Bitcoin futures and Bitcoins) being closely related in that they both track spot Bitcoin market prices and the futures and Bitcoin exchanges having the similar controls in place for detecting fraudulent or manipulative market misconduct.
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July 12, 2023July 12, 2023 by Duane Morris & Selvam

Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Proposed Measures to Regulate DPTSPs and Enhance Customer Protection

I. Introduction

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”) published the “Response to Feedback Received on Proposed Regulatory Measures for Digital Payment Token Services (Part 1)” (“MAS’ Response to the October 2022 Consultation Paper”) on 3 July 2023, announcing new measures for Digital Payment Token service providers (“DPTSPs”) with regards to the safekeeping of customers’ digital assets. The lack of protection and segregation of customer deposits appear to be the chief concern that MAS intends to tackle with their new slate of measures. It is hoped that with the stricter rules in place, it will reduce the risk of loss or misuse of customers’ assets by DPTSPs and facilitate customer’s fund recovery in the event of a DPTSP’s insolvency. This proactive approach demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to creating a more secure environment – taking lessons from the past experiences of renowned crypto exchanges like Voyager and Celsius. These developments lay the foundation for a resilient and trusted crypto space in Singapore. Continue reading “Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Proposed Measures to Regulate DPTSPs and Enhance Customer Protection”

August 17, 2022 by Duane Morris & Selvam

NFT数字资产与知识产权的碰撞

随着诸如NFT（非同质化代币）的数字资产在如今的Web 4.0时代越来越受到关注，相应的知识产权问题也不可避免地产生了。知识产权通常包含专利、著作权、商标与商业机密。但当谈及NFTs时，人们大多注意的是著作权与商标问题。

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August 10, 2022August 17, 2022 by Duane Morris & Selvam

了解新加坡NFT消费者保护

非同质化代币（NFT）是区块链上的加密代币，其可以证明数字资产的所有权和真实性，也可以被看作是有所有权证的数字数据。NFT是不可替代的，因为没有相同的两个NFT，每个NFT都有唯一的识别号和元数据。

作为买卖数字艺术品的一种模式，NFT正变得越来越流行，其允许艺术家将其真实的数字艺术品货币化，否则这些数字艺术品很容易被复制。至关重要的是，NFT可以与数字艺术品和实物艺术品一起证明出处。此外，某些NFT可能涉及卖方向买方提供通行证，该通行证允许NFT持有人获得独家商品或服务，包括活动、订阅、内容或限量版产品。 Continue reading “了解新加坡NFT消费者保护”

August 1, 2022August 1, 2022 by Duane Morris & Selvam

Understanding Consumer Protections for NFTs in Singapore

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are cryptographic tokens on a blockchain that can prove the ownership and authenticity of a digital asset, which can also be considered as digital data with a certificate of ownership. NFTs are non-fungible because no two NFTs are the same and each has a unique identification code and metadata.

NFTs are becoming increasingly popular as a mode to buy and sell digital artworks, permitting artists to monetise their authentic digital artwork, which could otherwise easily be copied. Crucially, NFTs can be used with both digital and physical artwork for establishing provenance. In addition, certain NFTs may involve the seller providing the buyer with an access pass, which allows NFT holders access to exclusive goods or services, including events, subscriptions, content, or limited-edition products.

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May 13, 2022July 25, 2022 by Duane Morris & Selvam

区块链技术和NFT在新加坡的发展和规范

自2008年第一个数字货币比特币诞生以来，区块链技术在各个领域的应用都有了长足的发展。新加坡作为亚洲金融中心之一，也吸引了众多软件技术人员和投资者从事区块链技术相关的金融行业，包括NFT （非同质化代币）。NFT 市场既可以是Axie Infinity这种可以赚取数字资产的游戏平台，也可以是NBA TopShot 这种收藏品交易平台，还可以是Decentraland 和Earth 2这种可以进行数字财产买卖的元宇宙平台。

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May 13, 2022May 13, 2022 by Duane Morris & Selvam

An Overview on Development and Regulations of Blockchain Technology and NFTs in Singapore

Since the birth of the first digital currency, Bitcoin, in 2008, blockchain technology has developed significantly in various fields. As one of the financial hubs of Asia, Singapore has also attracted a wide range of software professionals and investors in the financial services industry involving blockchain technologies and nonfungible tokens (NFT). NFT marketplaces can be either gaming platforms for earning digital assets like Axie Infinity, collectibles trading platforms like NBA TopShot or metaverse platforms like Decentraland and Earth 2 where virtual properties can be bought and sold.

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November 9, 2021April 25, 2023 by Krishna Ramachandra

The Metaverse: The Rise Of The Digital Universe

The metaverse has been on the minds of several practitioners, advisers, corporate strategists and central bankers. But, the Generation Z participants – or zoomers as they are affectionately known as – are not thinking it – they are well into being it, living it and expanding the ever evolving Metaverse. So, if you have not heard about the Metaverse, it’s time for you to elegantly crawl out of your intellectual rock and start to understand the nuances and idiosyncrasies around this metamorphosis surrounding the digital universe. All corporates and businesses need to start re-calibrating their business strategies to cater for the zoomers – who by the way form the largest consumer base presently. And the zoomers will continue to dictate their terms of engagement with all consumer ecosystems, including with the big techs. We are in the zoomer’s realm and the development of their Metaverse epoch is inevitable. In my mind, Ready Player One (and Two) in some form is already here. Continue reading “The Metaverse: The Rise Of The Digital Universe”

March 26, 2021April 25, 2023 by Duane Morris & Selvam

Non-fungible tokens – the rising trend in the world of cryptocurrency?

Non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), a type of digital asset, are the latest crypto talk in town. On 19 February 2021, the NFT featuring the iconic Nyan Cat meme was sold for US$590,000. Barely three weeks later, the world’s most expensive digital art and the most expensive NFT – Mike Winkelmann’s digital art piece “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” – was sold for US$69.3 million, becoming the third-highest auction price achieved for a living artist, after Jeff Koons’ ‘Rabbit’ stainless steel sculpture and David Hockney’s 1972 “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” painting. On 22 March 2021, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s first tweet was sold for US$2.9 million. Most recently, TIME Magazine has released three special edition NFT magazine covers for auction, featuring the topical questions “Is God Dead?”, “Is Truth Dead?” and “Is Fiat Dead?”

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