
Publication
Blue Bonds: Making a splash in the Capital Markets
In 2018, the Republic of Seychelles launched the first-ever “blue bond”, with the support of the World Bank Group and the Global Environment Facility.
In his New York Law Journal Blockchain Law column, Robert Schwinger explains how, when it comes to virtual currencies, digital tokens and other blockchain assets, our legal and political systems are still in the earliest stages of grappling with which regulations and structures would be best suited for encouraging financial technology innovation on the one hand, while providing certainty and serving the public interest on the other.
While courts last year recognized that under existing law virtual currencies based on blockchain platforms could qualify as “securities,” see United States v. Zaslavskiy, No. 17 CR 647, 2018 WL 4346339 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 11, 2018), and/or “commodities,” see CFTC v. McDonnell, 287 F. Supp. 3d 213 (E.D.N.Y. 2018), concern has been growing that these regulatory structures may not be ideal for regulating all digital tokens in all situations. Lawmakers across the country are thus now exploring possible revisions to existing laws and regulations to deal more appropriately with this new asset class.
Robert A. Schwinger explores recent developments in this edition of his New York Law Journal Blockchain Law column.
Read the full article, Changing securities laws and regulations for the digital token age.
Publication
In 2018, the Republic of Seychelles launched the first-ever “blue bond”, with the support of the World Bank Group and the Global Environment Facility.
Publication
On 8 May 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union (the CJEU) delivered its ruling in case C-581/23 (the Ruling), providing guidance on one of the conditions for an exclusive distribution agreement to benefit from the block exemption under Article 4(b)(i) of the 2010 Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (the VBER)1, notably the so-called ‘parallel imposition requirement’.
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Antitrust authorities are increasingly aggressive in pursuing new theories of harm, pushing the boundaries of what amounts to an antitrust violation, and expanding the use of current legislation and regulation to fit a new era of issues.
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