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Ingrid Rechtin

Ingrid Rechtin provides strategic legal advice to public and private companies in the life sciences, technology, energy, consumer goods and manufacturing sectors, ranging from start-ups to global corporations.

Her experience includes:

  • joint ventures
  • mergers and acquisitions, including product divestitures
  • venture capital investments (including corporate venture capital)
  • financings, including development funding transactions
  • licensing and complex commercial transactions
  • general corporate matters.

In addition, Ingrid has advised on numerous strategic investments in IP, including acquisitions and divestitures of patent portfolios and complex patent monetization transactions.

New York has enacted the Digital Currency Study Bill, which will establish a digital currency task force and provide the governor and the state legislature information “on the effects of the widespread use of cryptocurrencies and other forms of digital currencies and their ancillary systems in the state.”  The task force will conduct an extensive review of the blockchain industry in New York (with an emphasis on cryptocurrency exchanges), while analyzing the laws and regulations of other states, the federal government, as well as foreign countries. In particular, the task force will provide legislative and regulatory recommendations to “increase transparency and security, enhance consumer protections, and to address the long term impact related to the use of cryptocurrency.”  The task force will submit their findings by December 15, 2020.

This legislation is the latest step by New York to understand and regulate cryptocurrency as well as the blockchain industry.  Clyde Vanel, the primary sponsor for this bill and the Chair of the Subcommittee on Internet and New Technologies of the New York Assembly, stated that “the task force of experts will help us strike the balance between having a robust blockchain industry and cryptocurrency economic environment while at the same time protecting New York investors and consumers.”

New York is not the first state to establish such a task force.  In September 2018, the California state legislature passed a bill that will establish a working group to discuss the potential applications of blockchain technology and how such technology will affect businesses, the government, and other social purpose organizations.  The bill also, for the first time in California, defines blockchain technology as “a mathematically secured, chronological, and decentralized ledger or database.”[1]
Continue Reading New York State Passes Legislation to Form a Cryptocurrency Task Force

California has taken a conservative step on the path to greater regulation of blockchain technology or legal recognition of blockchain-secured data.  On May 18, an amended bill was referred to the State Assembly Appropriations Committee for review that would provide for the establishment of a blockchain working group to evaluate “the potential uses, risks, and