Blockchains, Virtual Currencies, Smart Contracts and DAO's
Blockchains are distributed ledgers that can provide an immutable record of information, instructions and/or transactions between un-trusted individuals or entities. Blockchains are the fundamental technology underlying virtual currencies such as Bitcoin. Smart Contracts utilize instructions embedded within a blockchain to implement contractual agreements between entities. Distributed autonomous organizations are sets of smart contracts that automate the entire corporate business process.
Ron is the current Chair of the Blockchain and Virtual Currencies Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He has worked on several blockchain/currency legal matters, both as a lawyer and as an expert witness. Ron's experience includes:
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Architecting business IT infrastructure to take advantage of blockchain technology
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Drafting smart contracts, particularly those using the OpenLaw and Clause systems
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Drafting and filing documents of incorporation with states (such as Vermont) that allow blockchain-based LLC's
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Forensically analyzing sets of transactions with a virtual currency to determine where the money went (and how)
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Advising companies how to protect blockchain applications with intellectual property rights
Ron is a frequent speaker on this topic. Here is a list of his most recent presentations:
Tezos and SmartPy: Accessible Smart Contracts on an Upgradeable Platform
This paper was written for the journal "Circuits" that is published by the Computer & Technology Section of the State Bar of Texas in November, 2021.
How Do You Incorporate an Entirely Digital Corporation? (Updated)
This version of the paper was updated to reflect the passage of the Wyoming DAO statute. The presentation of the paper was made on November 5, 2021 in Houston, Texas.
Blockchain-Based Limited Liability Corporations -- What Lawyers Need to Know
These are the slides for the presentation made to the Essentials of Business Law Conference on March 12, 2021.
Incorporating Entirely Digital Corporations
This paper was presented to the Essentials of Business Law Conference on March 12, 2021. A version of this paper was also published in the e-Journal Circuits in 2021.
Facebook’s Libra: What is all the Fuss About?
This article first appeared in the Summer issue of Circuits, the periodical of the Computer & Technology Section of the Texas Bar
Alternate Uses for Blockchains in Business: It's Not Always About the Money
This paper was presented to the Essentials of Business Law Conference in Houston, Texas on March 8, 2018
Blockchains and Smart Contracts: What Lawyers Need to Know
This presentation was made before the 2018 Essentials of Business Law in Houston, Texas on March 8, 2018
Distributed Autonomous Organizations
These are the slides from a presentation made to a joint meeting of the Houston-area chapters of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA) and InfraGuard Tech SIG on January 26, 2017. This presentation addressed cryptocurrencies, blockchains, smart contracts, smart property, distributed autonomous organizations, distributed autonomous corporations and jurisdiction over them.
Alternative Uses for Bitcoin-Technology in Law
This is the paper version of the presentation on Bitcoins and Blockchains that was presented at the Advanced Business Law Seminar in Dallas, Texas on November 17, 2016. This paper is an introduction to blockchains and is intended as a primer for the slide presentation.
Bitcoins and Blockchains
This was presented at the 2016 Advanced Business Law Seminar in Dallas, Texas on November 17, 2016.