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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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”

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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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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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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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”

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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