Author: Chamber

July 2018: Newsletter Chamber Launches The Foundation Hosts Business Delegation To Singapore Publishes Sandbox Report More

by Chamber

Newsletter: July 2018

  • Campaign Continues to Protect State Smart Contract Innovation
  • Chamber Hosts Premier of Bermuda
  • Chamber Presents at FTC event in Chicago
Campaign Continues to Protect State Smart Contracts Innovation:
One Signature at a Time

Smart contracts, virtual currencies, and their underlying blockchain technology are buzzwords crossing beyond an initial niche group of tech followers and into the mainstream. This exponential growth in awareness of these advancements is piquing the interest of state legislators seeking to bring the power of this technology, and its growing economy, to their states. This includes an effort to confirm that so-called “smart contracts” are valid legal instruments under law. And for all of the benefits of smart contracts on a blockchain – transparency, efficiency, automation, and validation – why shouldn’t they?

There’s just one problem. When it comes to smart contracts, the rules to enable this technology are already in place under existing laws. Specifically, the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN Act) and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) provide an unquestionable legal basis for smart contract technology executing the terms of a legal contract

The Chamber of Digital Commerce released this joint statement in response to Smart Contracts legislation — supported and signed by more than 750 companies and individuals — explaining why new laws for smart contracts are unnecessary.

(Special thanks to Chamber member Jeff Brown of Bonner & Partners for his support in this important state smart contracts campaign.)

Read more here.

Chamber Hosts Premier of Bermuda

In late May, the Chamber was a host to a breakfast discussion featuring the Premier of Bermuda, the Hon. E. David Burt, JP, MP. The Premier shared recent steps Bermuda has taken to advance the blockchain industry, including its innovative steps to establish a regulatory framework around initial coin offerings. Bermuda’s ICO-related related legislation, which was signed in to law in April 2018, is available here.

Pictured (L to R) “Examining Different Cryptocurrency Scams” panelists: Elizabeth Kwok, Bureau of Consumer Protection; Jason Moon, Attorney, Southwest Region; Kyle Burgess, Consumers’ Research; Amy Davine Kim, Chamber of Digital Commerce; Joe Rotunda, Texas State Securities Board; Dr. Marie Vasek, University of New Mexico

Chamber Presents at FTC Event in Chicago:
Decrypting Cryptocurrency Scams

The Chamber’s Global Policy Director & General Counsel Amy Davine Kim participated on a recent panel at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s “Decrypting Cryptocurrency Scams” event in Chicago. The panel, “Examining Different Cryptocurrency Scams,” was moderated by Elizabeth Kwok. During the discussion, Kyle Burgess pointed out that crypto-assets and their underlying technology are not inherently fraudulent. Instead, they are an exciting new form of technology, with a recent spike in attention, and thus attracting many bad actors to practice age-old Ponzi scams and impersonation schemes. Marie Vasek discussed the hallmarks of a scam, such as guarantees of any sort or the promise of high return rates. Joe Rotunda discussed his agency’s approach to policing the burgeoning industry, clarifying that they went after people, not the technology itself and that often times they only had to implement simple investigative measures like cross-referencing white papers for plagiarism in order to uncover scams. Amy Davine Kim discussed the importance of distinguishing between maleficence and honest failure of a platform, and how the Chamber’s work to introduce self-regulatory practices into the token space as a way of enabling regulators to focus on true scams rather than sacrifice bandwidth on bringing legitimate, honest companies into compliance.

Read more and view video of panel here.

2018 Chicago-Kent Block Legal Tech Conference
Aug. 9, 2018, Chicago, ILBlockchain Seattle 2018
Sept. 10-11, 2018, Seattle, WABlockchain Live
Sept. 26, 2018, London, UK Wipfli Community Banking Forum
Oct. 9, 2018, Dekalb, ILGeorgetown FinTech Week
Nov. 5-8 , Washington, D.C.

Chamber Joins BoldTV’s BoldBiz

Chamber of Digital Commerce Founder and President Perianne Boring joined David Grasso and Philip Michael on BoldTV’s Bold Biz to discuss blockchain, tokens and Consensus 2018.

“This is the first time in the history of the world you have access to this informations… as an individual, it’s very empowering to own and control your own information.”

View TV interview here.

Voice of America Podcast

Jason Henrichs and JP Nicols hosted Perianne Boring on its Breaking Banks podcast discussing the trends and challenges surrounding blockchain.

“For me it was super clear the industry deserved a dedicated leader, advocate and resource headquartered in Washington D.C. that was 100 percent focused on policy.”

Listen to podcast here.

Chamber Joins Nasdaq Trade Talks

Chamber of Digital Commerce Founder and President Perianne Boring joined Jill Malandrino on NASDAQ’s Trade Talks at Consensus 2018.

“We’re using our non-profit platform to bring the various stakeholders together to have these important conversations…the responsible way to address issues around the token ecosystem. “

View interview here.

Chamber Supports Blockchain as Digital Assets Come under Increased Regulatory Scrutiny

Global Policy Director and General Counsel for the Chamber, Amy Davine Kim, shares her thoughts on the underlying value of the blockchain technology as a whole in a Morning Consult interview.

“My concern is that, at a national level, we need to work together to also recognize the importance that blockchain technology can bring to government, to industry and to citizens, and then let our enforcement posture be guided by that.”

View full story here.

April 2018: Newsletter Chamber Launches The Foundation Hosts Business Delegation To Singapore Publishes Sandbox Report More

by Chamber

Newsletter: April 17, 2018

  • Chamber Welcomes Discover Financial Services to Its Executive Committee
  • ACT NOW: Protect Smart Contracts Innovation Across States!
  • Successful Third Annual DC Blockchain Summit Concludes (Video)
  • Chamber Publishes Blockchain IP White Paper
Chamber Welcomes Discover Financial Services to Its Executive Committee

Today, the Chamber of Digital Commerce announced the addition of Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) to its Executive Committee, where it will join the Chamber’s efforts to educate, promote and accelerate the adoption of blockchain technologies worldwide. Discover Financial Services is a leading direct banking and payment services company. The company is one of the largest card issuers in the United States and operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. Read press release here.

ACT NOW : Protect Smart Contracts Innovation In the United States!

A handful of state legislatures across the country are amending their state Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) provisions. While well-intentioned, legislation from Arizona, California, Nevada, Tennessee and others will likely cause confusion given that ESIGN and UETA already provide an unquestionable legal basis for smart contract technology executing the terms of a legal contract and do not need to be amended.

“Rather than consulting the ESIGN Act and UETA, can you imagine having to look at each state’s “smart contracts” legislation, and then comparing it to ESIGN and the state’s UETA to ensure there are no gaps or conflicts, and to ensure your particular form of “smart contract” is covered by the new law?”

Protect Smart Contracts Innovation
The Chamber has launched a campaign to help prevent confusion for businesses and their lawyers, who would have to potentially consult multiple sources when conducting business nationwide.

  • Read our smart contracts policy position for detailed information.
  • View our op-ed and webinar on CoinDesk describing the legal risks.
  • Sign our coalition letter which will be sent to state legislatures to advocate for better treatment for smart contacts and blockchain technology.

How can you help? We are inviting all those concerned about the future of smart contracts to sign our coalition letter.

Questions? Email policy@digitalchamber.org.

Successful Third Annual DC Blockchain Summit Concludes

The Chamber of Digital Commerce and Georgetown University’s Center for Financial Markets and Policy brought more than 600 participants to its Third Annual DC Blockchain Summit, held in Washington, DC.

The Summit featured discussions from more than 70 global thought leaders on a range of topics, including: key market developments, initial coin offerings, bitcoin futures and ETFs, trading and investing in cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, legislative and regulatory trends, and more.

Plus, the Chamber of Digital Commerce, Discover Financial Services and Georgetown University’s Center for Financial Markets and Policy teamed up to explore the promise of blockchain technology. The Discover Blockchain Technology code-a-thon took place during an intense 24-hour period, where more than 100 coders and observers were challenged to develop blockchain-based solutions to address digital identity, payments and RegTech. Watch video recap of teams presenting their solutions at the DC Blockchain Summit opening ceremonies.

Chamber Publishes Blockchain IP White Paper

The Chamber released its first white paper from the Blockchain Intellectual Property Council, “A blockchain innovator’s guide to IP strategy, protecting innovation & avoiding infringement.” Prepared by the Blockchain Intellectual Property Council (BIPC), an initiative of the Chamber of Digital Commerce to promote blockchain innovation and help companies better navigate intellectual property decision-making processes, the paper offers background information on the subject of intellectual property (IP) law and provides high-level guidance on how these critical questions impact individual innovators, groups of founders, or entities operating in the blockchain space

Read the white paper here.

Smart Contracts Webinar: Exploring the Legal Risks & Business Benefits of Blockchain
April 18, 20182018 Emerging Technologies and Torts of the Future
April 18, 2018, Seattle, WASynchronize 2018
April 19, 2018, New York, NY Distributed Markets 2018!
April 23, 2018, Chicago, ILFuture Blockchain Summit
May 2-3, 2018, DubaiWomen on the Block
May 13, 2018, Brooklyn, NYConsensus 2018
May 14-16, 2018, New York, NYACAMS 6th Annual AML Risk Management Conference
June 8, 2018

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: SPACECHAIN

WATCH VIDEO: SpaceChain Overview

A new member of the Chamber of Digital Commerce Executive Committee, SpaceChain aims to provide more people access to space. The company recently launched (no pun intended) to create a blockchain-based open-source satellite network to “increase exploration, grow the space community, and solve many issues across various industries from fishing to financial services and mass media,” said Zheng Zuo, co-founder.

Chamber Hosts Congressional Briefing

This week the Chamber hosted a Congressional Briefing on the Oversight of Virtual Currencies, Anti-Money Laundering & Sanctions Compliance on Capitol Hill. The panel included Isabelle Corbett, senior counsel and director of Regulatory Affairs at R3; Kristofer Doucette, director of government affairs at Chainalysis; Amy Davine Kim, global policy director and general counsel at the Chamber; John Roth, chief compliance officer at Bittrex; and Jason Weinstein, partner at Steptoe.

Chamber Provides Comments on CFTC Actual Delivery Interpretation

The CFTC’s recent interpretation of the “actual delivery” exception to registration in the context of virtual currencies is an important issue for the Chamber’s membership and the growing virtual currency industry. The Chamber supports the Commission’s objective for issuing the Interpretation to help advance a healthy ecosystem, support market-enhancing innovation, and protect U.S. retail market participants engaging in the virtual currency marketplace.

Read the Chamber’s comments here.

Chamber Comments on Office of the Prime Minister of
Malta’s DLT Regulatory Framework

The Chamber recently submitted comments in response to the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta’s document, “Malta – A Leader in DLT Regulation.” This document outlines a framework that aims to provide support and guidance to businesses and individuals seeking to operate in distributed ledger technology (DLT), which is a new and exciting economic sector for the island. The Chamber provided comments in support of this effort and to provide legal and regulatory clarity around DLT and related smart contract technologies.

Read the Chamber’s letter here.

CoinDesk Op-Ed

This opinion piece by Perianne Boring is a feature in CoinDesk’s “Crypto and Taxes 2018” series and highlighted the Chamber’s position on taxing virtual currency.

“April, the cruelest month? Quite possibly. Congress should treat virtual currency as an alternative to government-issued currency, giving consumers choice, and expressly exempt convertible virtual currency transactions from investment and capital gains treatment and associated reporting requirements.​”

Read more here.

States May Be Creating “Smart Contracts” Confusion

 

 

Tennessee and Arizona are going out of their way to legally recognize smart contracts, blockchain and distributed ledger technology. According to this article, these states are embracing blockchain-based technologies to attract new investment. “According to Perianne Boring and Amy Kim at the Chamber of Digital Commerce…existing federal and state laws already provide an ‘unquestionable legal basis.”

Read article here.

Why U.S. Crypto Regulation Is Complicated and Confusing

 

 

Perianne Boring and Amy Davine Kim discuss why U.S. regulation calls crypto assets currency, property, commodities and securities, and how that results in agencies enforcing their own laws without a higher level understanding of the technology.

Listen to the podcast here.

December 2018: Newsletter Chamber Launches The Foundation Hosts Business Delegation To Singapore Publishes Sandbox Report More

by Chamber
  • DC Blockchain Summit 2019: Tickets Available Now!
  • Chamber Introduces “Legislator’s Toolkit for Blockchain Technology”
  • BLOG: Chamber Supports Coordinated Approach Among Industry & Regulators Globally
  • Blockchain Alliance Reaches 100 Members (Video: Around the Block)
  • Chamber Named a DC Inno “50 on Fire” Winner
DC Blockchain Summit 2019 Tickets Now Available!

Don’t miss our annual gathering featuring discussions with blockchain businesses, innovators and enthusiasts from around the globe. This year’s DC Blockchain Summit will feature a second stage, networking zone and exhibition hall. Join us for in-depth conversations with policymakers and regulators on the issues impacting the growing blockchain landscape.

Watch DC Blockchain Summit 2018 video recap here.

2019 Keynote Speakers

Early bird discount available until January 1: Register today before prices increase!

Chamber Introduces “Legislator’s Toolkit for Blockchain Technology”

Much legislative activity has occurred at the state and federal level inquiring into and supporting the benefits of blockchain technology. This level of interest shows that U.S. policymakers are starting to realize the importance of blockchain technology, the commercial potential it brings, and the need to support its responsible growth. Nevertheless, more needs to be done. Countries around the world are taking this opportunity to pass legislation and develop regulatory frameworks to encourage blockchain companies to relocate to their jurisdictions. The United States needs to foster that interest and energy to ensure that it remains a leader in technological advancement.

The Chamber is introducing its Legislator’s Toolkit for Blockchain Technology as a resource for state legislators as they explore ways in which to encourage these industries to grow and bring economic and cost efficiency benefits to states.

Read the full blog post introducing the Legislator’s Toolkit here.

BLOG: Chamber Supports Coordinated Approach Among
Industry & Regulators Globally

Recently, almost a dozen global regulators came together to support regulatory harmonization across national borders. The creation of the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) was designed to do just that, to: (i) establish a network of regulators; (ii) facilitate collaboration on policy work and regulatory trials; and (iii) support B2B and B2C cross-border trials. The creation of this new body with a global reach is an important signal that regulators worldwide are both understanding the significant potential of blockchain technology and actively establishing ways to support it. Challenges remain, however, in working out the details of such a collaboration.

Read the full blog post here.

Blockchain Alliance Reaches 100 Members
(Video) Around the Block: Member Viewpoints – Jason Weinstein

The Blockchain Alliance announced it is now comprised of 17 industry members, six U.S. federal agencies and a total of 100 participants all over the world. The Alliance serves as a resource for law enforcement and regulatory agencies by providing educational, technical assistance and periodic informational sessions regarding the use of blockchain technologies.

In addition, the Chamber is kicking off a new Around the Block video series featuring our members, discussing their work and the issues important to them. Blockchain Alliance Director and Chamber Advisory Board Member, Jason Weinstein, describes how the group is working to educate and engage with law enforcement on the benefits of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

Weinstein is a Partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP who previously served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of cybercrime investigations at the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to Weinstein, “Criminals are the earliest adopters of any new technology…” but “bitcoin and other technologies are greater asset to cops than they are to criminals…”

View the video and learn more about the Blockchain Alliance’s work here.

Chamber Hosts “Get Smart on Smart Contracts” Roundtable

 

 

The Chamber recently held its “Get Smart on Smart Contracts” roundtable at DLA Piper in San Francisco to discuss testing and auditing smart contracts, and practical challenges of implementation. The event featured keynote presentations from Rep. Jerry McNerney (CA-09), and Chamber members Rosario Ingargiola, Founder & CEO, OTCXN; Amol Sharma, Director, Token Engineering, OTCXN; Olga Mack, VP of Strategy, Quantstamp; Hal Marcus, Director, Global Legal Evangelist, DocuSign; Paul Sonier, CTO, Dragonchain.

Watch portions of the roundtable here.Digital Asset Investment Forum
Dec. 5, 2018, Washington, DCHyperledger Global Forum
Dec. 12-15, 2018, Basel, SwitzerlandCES: Digital Money Forum
Jan. 8, 2019, Las Vegas, NVSmart Contracts Webinar
Jan. 10, 2019, Washington, DC DC Blockchain Summit 2019
March 6-7, 2019, Washington, DC

Perianne Boring Named to Forbes “America’s Top 50 Women in Tech”

Chamber of Digital Commerce Founder and President Perianne Boring was named in the inaugural Forbes Top 50 Women in Tech list. The list identifies three generations of forward-thinking technologists leading more than a dozen tech sectors across the globe.

Read the article here.

Chamber Featured in American Inno’s “11 Blockchain Startups in 11 Cities” and DC Inno’s “50 on Fire Winners”

The Chamber of Digital Commerce was featured in the American Inno article “11 Blockchain Startups in 11 Cities.” The piece discussed the Chamber’s recent enhancements to its Policy department, a trade mission held in 2018 to the UAE to promote and advocate for blockchain, and its milestones of reaching more than 200 members and turning four as the world’s largest blockchain trade organization.

The Chamber was also recently named a winner in DC Inno’s 50 on Fire list. The list features a collection of the people, companies and organizations heating up DC’s innovation economy across six categories. The Chamber was named a winner in the Government & Advocacy category.

French Version of Canada Press Release

by Chamber

La Chambre de commerce numérique et la Blockchain Association of Canada s’unissent pour élargir leur mission de promouvoir le secteur des chaînes de blocs

La Chambre de commerce numérique et la Blockchain Association of Canada s’unissent pour élargir leur mission de promouvoir le secteur des chaînes de blocs

 

Le 5 février 2019, OTTAWA, ON et WASHINGTON, DC – La Chambre de commerce numérique, la première et la plus grande association commerciale mondiale consacrée aux chaînes de blocs, se joint à la Blockchain Association of Canada (BAC), pour former la nouvelle Chambre de commerce numérique du Canada.

La Chambre de commerce numérique, fondée en juillet 2014, a connu une croissance annuelle de plus de 100 pour cent au cours des quatre dernières années. Aujourd’hui, la Chambre représente plus de 200 entreprises qui investissent dans les technologies des chaînes de blocs ou qui innovent à l’aide de celle-ci.

Tanya Woods, spécialiste d’envergure internationale en stratégie juridique et politique et directrice administrative de la BAC, occupera désormais le poste de directrice générale de la Chambre de commerce numérique du Canada. Elle dirigera les activités de l’organisation de son siège à Ottawa. Son expérience inclut la promotion de l’écosystème d’innovation numérique du Canada, tant à l’échelle nationale qu’internationale, pour le gouvernement du Canada et diverses multinationales telles que BCE, Microsoft et Nintendo.

« L’union de nos deux organisations sous une même bannière envoie un message clair à nos membres respectifs, aux participants de l’écosystème des chaînes de blocs et aux décideurs politiques », explique Perianne Boring, fondatrice et présidente de la Chambre de commerce numérique. « Forte de plus d’une décennie d’expérience en défense stratégique, Tanya est une conseillère de confiance pour la communauté des chaînes de blocs, ainsi que pour les échelons supérieurs du gouvernement canadien. Elle défend ardemment les intérêts de la communauté des chaînes de blocs à travers le pays. »

« Le Canada est un chef de file de la promotion de l’innovation, de l’entrepreneuriat et de l’économie numérique », déclare Mme Woods. « Le gouvernement et les dirigeants du secteur canadien des chaînes de blocs veulent un écosystème solide et coordonné qui est en mesure de collaborer efficacement avec les décideurs politiques pour garantir son succès. »

Plusieurs des innovateurs des chaînes de blocs les plus importants et les plus avant-gardistes sur le plan mondial se trouvent au Canada. Les engagements politiques fermes du pays envers le soutien de l’innovation et de l’économie numérique attirent des innovateurs et des investisseurs du secteur de partout dans le monde.

« Je suis honoré d’avoir été témoin de l’évolution de la Blockchain Association of Canada », affirme Kyle Kemper, président du conseil d’administration de la Blockchain Association of Canada. « Plus tôt cette année, il est devenu évident que nous devions améliorer représentation des acteurs du secteur canadien pour nous assurer que le pays continue de prospérer en tant que pôle important des chaînes de blocs. »

« Le Canada est en bonne position pour devenir un chef de file mondial de l’économie des chaînes de blocs qui est en plein essor », ajoute Don Tapscott, président exécutif du Blockchain Research Institute et membre du conseil consultatif de la Chambre de commerce numérique. « Il est essentiel pour le Canada qu’une communauté locale unie encourage l’adoption de ces technologies et je suis ravi de constater l’investissement de la Chambre de commerce numérique dans l’économie canadienne des chaînes de blocs. »

Au sujet de la Chambre de commerce numérique du Canada

La Chambre de commerce numérique du Canada offre un soutien dédié à l’écosystème émergent en plein essor des chaînes de blocs au Canada. Notre mission est de promouvoir l’adoption et l’utilisation d’actifs numériques et de technologies basées sur les chaînes de blocs.

Dans le cadre d’une initiative de la Chambre de commerce numérique, la première et plus grande association représentant le secteur des actifs numériques et des chaînes de blocs à l’échelle mondiale, nous sommes en mesure d’offrir un accès mondial sans précédent visant à soutenir la croissance de la communauté canadienne des chaînes de blocs. Par l’éducation, la défense des intérêts et une collaboration étroite avec les décideurs, les organismes de réglementation et les acteurs de l’industrie, nous souhaitons créer un environnement propice à l’innovation, à la création d’emplois et à l’investissement au Canada.

Pour en savoir plus sur la Chambre de commerce du Canada, veuillez visiter le site DigitalChamber.org/Canada et nous suivre sur Twitter: @DigiChamberCDN et @DigitalChamber

 

Personne-ressource pour les médias

Canada Version of Press Release

by Chamber

Newsroom

Chamber of Digital Commerce Unites with Blockchain Association of Canada
to Jointly Expand Advocacy Mission (FR)

 

February 5, 2019, OTTAWA, ON and WASHINGTON, DC – The Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s first and largest blockchain trade association, has united with the Blockchain Association of Canada (BAC), which will now be called the Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada.

The Chamber of Digital Commerce launched in July 2014 and has seen more than 100 percent growth for the last four consecutive years. Today, the Chamber represents over 200 companies that are investing in and innovating with blockchain technology.

Tanya Woods — a world-class legal and policy strategist and executive director of the BAC — will now serve as managing director of the Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada, leading the organization’s operations from Ottawa. Woods’ experience includes championing Canada’s digital innovation ecosystem, domestically and globally, for the Government of Canada and for multinational companies including BCE, Microsoft and Nintendo.

“Bringing our two organizations under the same banner sends a powerful message to our respective members, blockchain ecosystem participants, and policymakers,” said Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. “Tanya brings more than a decade of strategic advocacy experience and is a trusted advisor to the blockchain community and the Canadian Government at the highest levels. She is a strong advocate for the Canadian blockchain community.”

“Canada is a leader when it comes to driving innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital economy,” said Woods. “Canada’s blockchain leaders and government would like to see a strong and coordinated blockchain ecosystem that is ready and able to effectively collaborate with policymakers to ensure the industry in Canada will thrive.”

Some of the most prominent and forward thinking blockchain innovators in the world call Canada home. The country’s strong policy commitments to supporting innovation and the digital economy attracts global blockchain innovators and investors alike.

“It has been such an honor to see the evolution of the Blockchain Association of Canada,” said Kyle Kemper, chairman of the board for the Blockchain Association of Canada. “Earlier this year it became clear that we need to elevate representation for Canada’s blockchain stakeholders to ensure that Canada can continue to succeed as a leading blockchain hub.”

“Canada is well positioned to be a global leader in the burgeoning blockchain economy,” said Don Tapscott, executive chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute and advisory board member of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. “It is critical for Canada to have a unified local community driving blockchain adoption and I am pleased to see the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s investment in the Canadian blockchain economy.”

 

About the Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada

The Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada provides dedicated support for Canada’s emerging and rapidly growing blockchain ecosystem. Our mission is to promote the acceptance and use of digital assets and blockchain-based technologies. As an initiative of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s first and largest global trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry, we are able to provide unprecedented global access to support the growth of Canada’s blockchain community. Through education, advocacy, and working closely with policy makers, regulatory agencies and industry, our goal is to develop an environment that fosters innovation, jobs and investment in Canada.

For more information, please visit: DigitalChamber.org/Canada

Follow us: @DigitalChamber and @DigiChamberCDN.

Media Contact

Chamber of Digital Commerce Unites with Blockchain Association of Canada to Jointly Expand Advocacy Mission

by Chamber

Newsroom

Chamber of Digital Commerce Unites with Blockchain Association of Canada to Jointly Expand Advocacy Mission

 

February 5, 2019, WASHINGTON, DC and OTTAWA, ONTARIO – The Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s first and largest blockchain trade association, has united with the Blockchain Association of Canada (BAC), which will now be called the Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada.

The Chamber of Digital Commerce launched in July 2014 and has seen more than 100 percent growth for the last four consecutive years. Today, the Chamber represents over 200 companies that are investing in and innovating with blockchain technology.

Tanya Woods — a world-class legal and policy strategist and executive director of the BAC — will now serve as managing director of the Chamber of Digital Commerce Canada, leading the organization’s operations from Ottawa. Woods’ experience includes championing Canada’s digital innovation ecosystem, domestically and globally, for the Government of Canada and for multinational companies including BCE, Microsoft and Nintendo.

“Bringing our two organizations under the same banner sends a powerful message to our respective members, blockchain ecosystem participants, and policymakers,” said Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. “Tanya brings more than a decade of strategic advocacy experience and is a trusted advisor to the blockchain community and the Canadian Government at the highest levels. She is a strong advocate for the Canadian blockchain community.”

“Canada is a leader when it comes to driving innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital economy,” said Woods. “Canada’s blockchain leaders and government would like to see a strong and coordinated blockchain ecosystem that is ready and able to effectively collaborate with policymakers to ensure the industry in Canada will thrive.”

Some of the most prominent and forward-thinking blockchain innovators in the world call Canada home. The country’s strong policy commitments to supporting innovation and the digital economy attract global blockchain innovators and investors alike.

“It has been such an honor to see the evolution of the Blockchain Association of Canada,” said Kyle Kemper, chairman of the board for the Blockchain Association of Canada. “Earlier this year it became clear that we need to elevate representation for Canada’s blockchain stakeholders to ensure that Canada can continue to succeed as a leading blockchain hub.”

“Canada is well positioned to be a global leader in the burgeoning blockchain economy,” said Don Tapscott, executive chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute and advisory board member of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. “It is critical for Canada to have a unified local community driving blockchain adoption and I am pleased to see the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s investment in the Canadian blockchain economy.”

About the Chamber of Digital Commerce

The Chamber of Digital Commerce is the world’s largest trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Chamber is the founder of the Token Alliance, Blockchain Intellectual Property Council, Smart Contracts Alliance, Blockchain Alliance, Global Blockchain Forum and many other key industry initiatives.  For more information, please visit: DigitalChamber.org, and follow us @DigitalChamber and @DigiChamberCDN.

Media Contact

Calling on the United States to Implement a National Action Plan for Blockchain

by Chamber

Calling on the United States to Implement a National Action Plan for Blockchain

Calling on the United States to Implement a National Action Plan for Blockchain

 

By Perianne Boring, Founder and President & Amy Davine Kim, Chief Policy Officer

The United States is a leader in developing the Internet, in large part, due to its early policy approach to promote innovation. Despite a myriad of transformational benefits that blockchain and digital assets offer for businesses, government, and consumers, the U.S. government has yet to fully embrace a national, comprehensive blockchain strategy.  The opportunity to do so is rapidly slipping away. Other countries are more enthusiastic in embracing blockchain’s numerous benefits and aggressively focus on creating frameworks conducive to furthering blockchain-based innovations and technologies – so much so that innovators are starting to move to friendlier jurisdictions. It’s time the United States take notice of this growing trend and commit to developing its own frameworks to incentivize the development of blockchain solutions for government and industry.

Affirmative Support from the U.S. Government

While our technological progress is clear, it does not automatically follow that America will maintain its preeminence in the blockchain sector. Already, major industrialized nations are making significant advances in promoting and adopting this technology, making a hard run to be the leaders, and obtain the economic value, of this industry.  We must state, clearly and plainly, at the highest levels of government, that blockchain technology offers important progress for business, government, and consumers, and must be nurtured and proactively supported to ensure its success.  We predict 2019 to be a pivotal year for blockchain. But will U.S. policymakers catch up and embrace strategic policies that promote blockchain innovation here rather than abroad?

Congress Steps In

We have seen glimmers of this support through Congressman Emmer’s legislation promoting blockchain and digital currencies, Congressman Schweikert’s legislation promoting the potential promise of blockchain, and Congressmen Soto and Budd promoting American competitiveness, among others.  These bills, first, need to be reintroduced and passed, and second, need to be acted on.

This call for action extends beyond the U.S. Congress to the Administration to ensure that we realize the commercial and economic benefit of this technology. The U.S. Government needs to indicate its support, both in words and in action, for the development of blockchain solutions.

Lessons from the Internet

To maintain our technological and economic leadership, the United States must invest in its development or risk falling behind to countries whose respective governments are embracing the technology and exploring its benefits. Almost two decades ago, the U.S. Government affirmatively recognized this support for the Internet in “A Framework for Global Electronic Commerce.”  That statement recognized that “[m]any businesses and consumers are still wary of conducting extensive business over the Internet because of the lack of a predictable legal environment governing transactions.…” The same is absolutely true today.  Further, “[g]overnments can have a profound effect on the growth of commerce on the Internet. By their actions, they can facilitate electronic trade or inhibit it. Knowing when to act and — at least as important — when not to act, will be crucial to the development of electronic commerce.”  They went on to promote a set of principles and policies to set out a roadmap to facilitate growth of commerce on the Internet.  We need the same visionary support for blockchain today.

Fourth Annual DC Blockchain Summit Returns to Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business to Advocate for the Future of Blockchain

by Chamber

 Fourth Annual DC Blockchain Summit Returns to Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business to Advocate for the Future of Blockchain

 Fourth Annual DC Blockchain Summit Returns to Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business to Advocate for the Future of Blockchain

Congressional Blockchain Caucus Co-Chairs to Deliver Keynote

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 23, 2019 – The Chamber of Digital Commerce, the world’s leading blockchain trade association, will hold the fourth annual DC Blockchain Summit on March 6-7, 2019 in partnership with the Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. The co-chairs of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, U.S. Reps. Tom Emmer, Bill Foster and David Schweikert will take the stage to share their views and priorities for the Caucus. The bi-partisan group serves as a platform for industry and government to foster collaboration and ensure competitiveness on the global stage. “We are calling on governments to publicly recognize the importance of blockchain technology and to develop strategies to foster its development,” said Perianne Boring, Founder and President, Chamber of Digital Commerce. “We invite all those who support this to join us at the DC Blockchain Summit to advocate for the future of blockchain.” Chamber of Digital Commerce members from more than 20 countries will participate in the event. Featured speakers include:

    • Reena Aggarwal, Vice Provost for Faculty and Robert. E. McDonough Professor of Business Administration and Finance, Georgetown McDonough, and Director, Center for Financial Markets and Policy
    • Mark Fisk, Partner, IBM Digital, Public Service Blockchain Leader, IBM
    • Gangesh Ganesan, President & CEO, PeerNova
    • Brad Garlinghouse, CEO, Ripple
    • Michael Hansen, Head of Innovation, Business Technologies, Discover Financial Services
    • John Jacobs, Executive Director and Distinguished Policy Fellow, Center for Financial Markets and Policy
    • Kavita Jain, Director in the Office of Emerging Regulatory Issues, FINRA 
    • Jonathan Johnson, President, Medici Ventures
    • Bernie Moreno, Chairman, Ownum
    • Anoop Nannra, Head of Blockchain, Cisco
    • Matthew Roszak, Chairman & Co-Founder, Bloq

 

The Summit will bring together leading blockchain companies, enterprise executives and policymakers to discuss tokenization, investment in digital assets, smart contracts, enterprise applications of blockchain technology, policy issues and other industry topics.

The event’s Title Sponsor isCisco, an enterprise technology firm and emerging leader in developing trust-based business networks through blockchain. Other DC Blockchain Summit sponsors and participating companies include: Bloq, Discover Financial Services, KPMG, Emergent Technology Holdings, Perkins Coie, PeerNova, DTCC, Deloitte, Ownum, Holland & Knight, IBM, InvestHK, Polsinelli, Fidelity, and BitPay, among others.

Registration is open to the public at dcblockchainsummit.com. Join the conversation on social media by tagging @DigitalChamber and #DCBlockchain. About the Chamber of Digital Commerce Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Chamber of Digital Commerce is the world’s first and largest trade association representing the digital asset and blockchain industry. For more information, please visit: DigitalChamber.org, and follow us on Twitter: @DigitalChamber.

Chamber Media Contact:
 Marie Knowles
+1 202.656.8037
marie@digitalchamber.org  

Around the Block Member Viewpoints: Outlier Ventures

by Chamber

Rumi Morales, Partner, Outlier Ventures, describes in this Around The Block: Member Viewpoints why she became one of the original members of the Chamber of Digital Commerce and her belief in blockchain education, advocacy and proper regulation. Her dedication to the industry has led to the creation of her newest endeavor, Outier Ventures, an investment firm focused on the blockchain ecosystem.

Around the Block Member Viewpoints: Civic

by Chamber

Chris Smith, VP of Development at Civic, discusses the significance of blockchain technology, the importance of following regulation “in keeping the good actors in and bad actors out,” along with Civic’s development of digital identity management  for a global consumer base. According to Chris, some consumers have up to 90 different passwords and explains how blockchain will become “extremely important in protecting and securing one’s identity.