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Bitcoins And Other Cryptocurrencies As Property?, Kelvin F. K. Low, Ernie G. S. Teo
Bitcoins And Other Cryptocurrencies As Property?, Kelvin F. K. Low, Ernie G. S. Teo
Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law
The hype over bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies has been compared to the tulip mania in seventeenth-century Netherlands. As they have gained popularity, the law has approached the subject warily, mostly from a regulatory perspective. However, there has been no comprehensive consideration of the fundamental nature of a cryptocurrency owner’s private law relation to his cryptocurrencies. Whether or not cryptocurrencies achieve mainstream adoption, this question will inevitably have to be addressed. This paper considers if bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies might be recognised as the subject of property rights by Commonwealth courts and if so, what such rights ought to entail. It …
Smart Contracts: Terminology, Technical Limitations And Real World Complexity, Eliza Mik
Smart Contracts: Terminology, Technical Limitations And Real World Complexity, Eliza Mik
Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law
If one is to believe the popular press and many “technical writings,” blockchains create not only a perfect transactional environment but also obviate the need for banks, lawyers and courts. The latter will soon be replaced by smart contracts: unbiased and infallible computer programs that form, perform and enforce agreements. Predictions of future revolutions must, however, be distinguished from the harsh reality of the commercial marketplace and the technical limitations of blockchains. The fact that a technological solution is innovative and elegant need not imply that it is commercially useful or legally viable. Apart from attempting a terminological “clean-up” surrounding …