N.H. has long been a bitcoin hotbed; we’re a questions-about-bitcoin-legality hotbed, too
Published: 4/26/2021 5:06:59 PM
Complicated new things often have straightforward old things hidden inside. Case in point: Two unrelated prosecutions in New Hampshire of alleged misdeeds involving one of the most bewildering items in the digital universe, blockchain-based cryptocurrencies.
Although there are plenty of technical, legal and financial details in these cases, at heart they’re simple, say a couple of UNH law school professors whose expertise I sought.
“Just because you call it a playtpus, that doesn’t mean it still ain’t a duck,” said Samson Williams, adjunct professor at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law. “I would go back and reference Tesla. It’s great technology … but the car still has to comply with the rules of the road, which are very well defined. It’s very similar in the blockchain space. It’s a tool … The technology makes it easier to do; however the backend, particularly for consumer protection, still exists.”