Cryptocurrency

The UK government has granted greater powers for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police to seize, freeze and destroy cryptoassets used by criminals, effective today.

Matheson partner Rory O'Keeffe and solicitor Samuel Elliott discuss a recent English court ruling and what it means for cryptocurrency developers. In a significant case for investors in, and developers of, cryptocurrencies and other blockchain assets, the English Court of Appeal delivered judgment i

A&L Goodbody partner Dario Dagostino and solicitor Aisling Ennis provide an update on developments in crypto-asset compliance. In a recent judgment, the English High Court made a number of findings which, going forward, may provide significant assistance to victims of crypto-fraud in recuperatin

Crypto exchange Gemini has become the first and only company to be registered as a virtual asset service provider (VASP) with the Central Bank of Ireland for AML/CFT purposes. The EU's Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive extended anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML

Matheson partners Karen Reynolds and Michael Byrne discuss a recent successful application in the UK courts for service of court proceedings by transfer of an NFT, and consider whether similar applications for substituted service could be on the horizon in Ireland. In a first for the UK courts,

Matheson partner Joe Beashel explains the role of "stablecoins" in the world of cryptocurrency and how they are treated in Irish law. A stablecoin is a form of cryptocurrency which has its value 'pegged' to the value of another currency, commodity, asset or group of same. The purpose of a stablecoin

Regulation of crypto assets must "evolve at a faster pace" to allow Ireland to realise the opportunity to become a "blockchain and crypto hub", the head of Matheson has said. Michael Jackson made the remarks at the conclusion of an event organised by Matheson and UCD Sutherland School of Law yesterd

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are becoming more prominent in divorce proceedings as parties use them to hide their wealth, an English divorce lawyer has said. Ayesha Vardag, who acted for the successful party in Radmacher v Granatino, which reshaped the law on pre-nups in England and Wales, said

The need for clarification of the legislative landscape governing cryptocurrency is one of the world’s worst kept secrets, write Andrew Tzialli and Rachel McCausland. Bitcoin in particular recently earned its place on a global platform by exceeding a $1 trillion market cap and investors (

The safekeeping of digital assets by professional custodians remains uncertain territory. Scottish solicitor Benjamin Bestgen provides an overview. With the increasing popularity of digital assets, parties interested in buying, holding and trading them face a common problem: how can assets like cryp

In excess of €5.6m was returned to the Exchequer as a result of Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) actions in 2018, which also included the seizure of cryptocurrency Ethereum – a worldwide first – according to a new report. Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan laid CAB's 2018 Annual Report b

Naomi Gaston, senior associate at Mills Selig, writes on the importance of security at major cryptocurrency exchanges. It has been reported that users of Canada’s largest Cryptocurrency Exchange, QuadrigaCX are unable to access most of their funds amounting to around C$180m (£105m) as th