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03 December 2021 / Daniel Alexie , Gelu Maravela
Issue: 7959 / Categories: Features , Profession , Cyber
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Crypto pressures

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Could digital currencies be a catalyst for a financial disaster? Gelu Maravela & Daniel Alexie report
  • Devising a regulatory regime for cryptoassets in the UK, the US, or in other major jurisdictions, will be an incredibly complex process that will take considerable time to implement.

In October 2021, one of the deputy governors of the Bank of England (BoE), Jon Cunliffe, gave a speech in which he identified the ‘justifiable and growing concerns around investor protection, law enforcement and market integrity’ in relation to cryptocurrencies. Mr Cunliffe then proceeded to outline ‘a plausible scenario’ which involved ‘a massive collapse in the price of unbacked cryptoassets’.

To mitigate against such an event, the deputy governor referenced calls made by securities regulators on both sides of the Atlantic such as the CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority and the chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission—that there is a need for regulation as a ‘matter of urgency’.

Similar warnings have been issued by prominent US figures. Among them the Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen,

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

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IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

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Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
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A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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