Rethinking the Regulation of Cryptoassets

This thought-provoking book challenges the way we think about regulating cryptoassets. Bringing a timely new perspective, Syren Johnstone critiques the application of a financial regulation narrative to cryptoassets, questioning the assumptions on which it is based and whether regulations developed in the 20th century remain fit to apply to a technology emerging in the 21st.

Johnstone argues that the financial narrative stifles the ‘New Prospect’ for the formation of novel commercial relationships and institutional arrangements, suggesting it is time to think about how to regulate for the development of a polymorphic ecosystem. Johnstone concludes with proposals for reform, positing a new DBA framework that facilitates industry aspirations while remaining sustainable and compatible with regulatory objectives.

Rethinking the Regulation of Cryptoassets will be an invaluable read for policy makers, regulators and technologists looking for a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding cryptoasset regulation and possible alternative approaches. It will also be of interest to scholars and students researching the intersections of law, technology, regulation and finance.