• Transitioning from being a funds and crypto lawyer to launching a very unique business capitalising on a small window of opportunity.
• What Englebert is – FCA authorised to approve crypto asset promotions in the UK.
• What crypto asset promotions are and how Englebert goes about authorising promotions.
• Experience with the FCA’s approach to crypto asset promotions.
• Why Englebert sought FCA authorisation, reflections after the first few months and future trends.
• Why Englebert is “building in the open” and open sourcing a lot of resources.

Key takeaways:

• Why going deep down the rabbit hole of all things related to blockchain and crypto is essential as a lawyer and beneficial for clients
• Why Brazil is a market leader in embracing crypto
• How Brazil’s central bank payment system was received and helped drive adoption of crypto
• How Brazilian regulators and tax authorities are approaching crypto
• Why crypto lawyers need to be skilled across many areas of law to properly advise clients
• Crypto trends in Brazil

 Key takeaways:

• Why managing up to 18 jurisdictions in cross-border M&A deals puts Zach in a strong position to advise on complex multi-jurisdictional crypto projects
• How being a degen can make for a good crypto lawyer who understands the space and client requirements
• Why crypto structures need to be separate and self-sustaining businesses and what that means for founders
• The landscape ahead in the US and globally for this space
• The risk of projects focusing too much on regulatory compliance and not enough on tax

Gidon Ross, Partner at Harris & Trotter, joins us to discuss:

• How Harris & Trotter, an accounting firm with 80+ years of pedigree, has emerged as a leading digital assets service provider for transactional advisory, tax structuring, accounting and bookkeeping.

• Market trends and demands for sophisticated service providers and how Harris & Trotter has risen to the challenge.

• What to look for when recruiting passionate, enthusiastic and capable people.

• How to position for longevity and sustainability in 2024.

Learn more about H3, our new user-friendly platform that allows you to browse and connect with service providers here: https://h3web3.xyz/

This episode was recorded during CoinAlts on 3 November 2022 and was edited as the FTX insolvency unfolded. Our sympathies to all those affected by this event and we are working with our clients to protect them against the fallout where we can.

Key Takeaways:

• Disney is seeking legal counsel to navigate NFTs, DeFi, and web3 – with a huge IP stable this could be an exciting development.
• If national currencies collapse, could crypto take their place?
• Smart contracts and decentralisation aren’t making lawyers redundant – in a fast-moving regulatory environment they’re more important than ever (but we would say that).

Key takeaways:

• Ripple Labs and the SEC may finally be looking for a quick end to their long-running dispute.
• Many popular tokens have a vast, enthusiastic following that can make it challenging to understand the crypto environment. Do your own research when looking to invest.
• Will the Ethereum Merge lead to more interest in ETH over other altcoins and NFTs?

Key takeaways:

• A lawsuit has been brought against OFAC alleging they have overstepped their authorities by sanctioning tech. By not taking a tech neutral approach, they have arguably overstepped their authority, as tech such as Tornado Cash has been used for legitimate purposes.   
• Ethereum announces moving to proof of stake model from proof of work – from mining to operation of validators by those who stake their tokens. This arguably affects the fundamental economics by changing Ethereum to a deflationary token.
• DAOs don’t exist as a legal entity in its own right. Be sharp about who you want to sue and why if things go wrong, and what your lawyers can and can’t do when setting things up – DAOs are a very niche area.

Adriana is a freelance senior art director, fashion digital NFT artist and consultant, based in London. Maria is a producer, digital entrepreneur, and co-founder of Shiny, a boutique NFT ecosystem with a focus on empowering women in the digital space. You can learn more about Adrianna's work at adrianaillustration.com and Maria's at Shiny NFT.

In part one of this two-part series, Phil, Adriana, and Maria define NFTs, what this emerging technology means for artists, and the value of the #NFTcommunity in supporting women in the digital asset space.