9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction
9:10 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
What (Useful) Lessons Did We Learn From the Crypto Bankruptcies?
Let’s face it, 2023 didn’t reveal bankruptcy to be a terribly productive place for crypto companies. Most cases ended without reorganization, M&A transaction, or other forms of business preservation. Further, the costs were staggering, and many customers/clients found themselves with dashed expectations. What happened? And, more importantly, how can the industry mature and grow from this experience?
- Robert Stark – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Ken Aulet – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- David Brill – Managing Director, FTI Consulting
- Mohsin Meghji – Founder and Managing Partner, M3 Partners
- Yesha Yadav – Professor of Law, Associate Dean, Vanderbilt Law School
9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.
Fireside Chat with Chris Cheung of TenSquared and Matthew Richardson of Brown Rudnick
This discussion will cover the role blockchain technology can play in solving the challenges to data privacy and data integrity caused by emerging AI technologies, and legal concerns and regulation surrounding both.
10:20 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Brief Break
10:40 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Solutions for Controlling Blockchain and Crypto Liabilities
Blockchain based digital assets, such as cryptocurrency, present a number of risks intertwined with the technology. Many do not fit neatly into traditional risk and insurance solutions. This panel will discuss how to identify and address these issues, to avoid being left with no solutions.
- Dan Healy – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Mark DiMichael – Forensic Accountant, Citrin Cooperman
- J. Gdanski – CEO and Co-Founder, Evertas
- Sandra Ro – CEO, Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC)
11:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
DAOs, “Decentralization” and the Emergence of the BORG
This panel will discuss recent caselaw and legal developments in the area of decentralization, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and legal liability. Panelists will explore the emergence of cybernetic organizations (“BORGs”) as an emerging and alternative framework for thinking of decentralization and governance of autonomous and semi– autonomous systems.
- Stephen Palley – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Fatemeh Fannizadeh – Strategic Advisor, Swarm Foundation
- Alex Golubitsky – Founder, MetaLeX
- Jason Schwartz – Partner, Fried Frank
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 1:40 p.m.
Fireside Chat with Kristin Smith of Blockchain Association and Hailey Lennon of Brown Rudnick
Kristin Smith is the CEO of the Blockchain Association, an organization dedicated to promoting a pro-innovation policy environment for the digital asset economy. The Blockchain Association’s nearly 100 members include the sector’s leading investors, companies and projects, working together to support a future-forward, pro-innovation national policy and regulatory framework for the crypto industry. This fireside chat will explore pending legislation, litigation and policy initiatives that threaten to negatively impact the cryptocurrency space and what the Blockchain Association and other groups are doing to prevent that.
1:40 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Digital Asset Fund Formation
This panel will discuss the current digital asset fund market, types of digital asset funds, market terms and regulatory issues.
- Sage Revell – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Sarah Brennan – General Counsel, Delphi Ventures
- Larry Florio – General Counsel, 1kx
- Grant Gilliam – Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Ten31
- Dr. Sachin Jaitly – Partner, Morgan Creek Capital Management
2:20 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Compliance/Regulatory Updates
The cryptocurrency industry moves faster than evolving regulations can keep up with. This new technology also poses unique complexities to preventing money laundering, fighting terrorist finance and other illicit activities. This panel will discuss trends, headline news and future predictions of where risk and compliance practices are heading for the U.S. and the U.K. markets and how companies can best manage fraud detection and prevention.
- Clara Krivoy – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Ian Weinstein – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Mike Carter – Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
- Ayana Murphy – Director, Global Advisory, Refine Intelligence
3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Networking and Coffee Break
3:20 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Deal Making and M&A
Is it the best of times or the worst of times? We’ve had a long crypto winter where investment and acquisition deal making dramatically slowed. But as the price of cryptocurrencies has recovered, will a robust market return? Or has it returned and investors are already too late? This panel will discuss current trends in crypto dealmaking, the state of the market, which companies are getting funded, and what the market might look like this cycle.
- Scott Smedresman – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Neil Foster – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Marty Bent – Managing Partner, Ten31
- Serge Kassardjian – Founder, 6MV
- Toby Lewis – Chief Executive and Founder, Novum Insights
4:00 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
Decentralized Front Ends
In the wake of the 0x, Deridex and Opyn settlements with the CFTC, and amid rumors of enforcement against and a lack of clarity in relation to DEX operators by the SEC, protocol developers are looking at ways to deploy decentralized exchange technology without actually requiring centralized infrastructure of any kind at any layer of the stack. This panel will look at how three different projects approach the technical problem of removing all intermediaries, including removing providers of website front ends or limiting the scope of front-end provision, to ensure users can continue to enjoy the benefits of DeFi.
- Stephen Palley – Partner, Brown Rudnick
- Bryant Eisenbach – ApeWorX
- Gene Hoffman – Chia Network
4:40 p.m.
Closing Remarks
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Networking Reception
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