Cryptoassets & Digital Assets

4 New Square’s barristers act in complex disputes involving cryptoassets, cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology and digital asset businesses.

Members have experience of commercial disputes, civil fraud and asset recovery, company and insolvency proceedings, international arbitration and collective proceedings involving digital assets. Our work includes disputes concerning Bitcoin and Ethereum, crypto exchanges and trading platforms, shareholders and investors, the recovery and dissipation of cryptocurrency, and Initial Coin Offerings.

Members combine substantial commercial litigation and international arbitration experience with Chambers’ wider expertise in fraud, insolvency and offshore disputes.

Crypto disputes, fraud and asset recovery

Members have particular experience where cryptoassets and digital assets intersect with civil fraud, asset recovery and insolvency. This includes claims concerning the ownership and recovery of cryptocurrency, the dissipation of digital assets, freezing injunctions and receivership orders, as well as shareholder and investment disputes involving crypto businesses.

Members also act in disputes concerning the operation of cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms, and in international arbitration involving cryptocurrencies and digital asset investments.

Recent and significant experience

• Crypto Open Patent Alliance v Wright – the six-week High Court trial concerning Dr Craig Wright’s claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin. The proceedings concerned asserted intellectual property rights in Bitcoin software and blockchain technology and subsequently involved findings of fraud and forgery, injunctive relief and contempt proceedings;
• Laggner v Uphold – a just and equitable winding up petition concerning a crypto investment platform valued in excess of US$1 billion;
• proceedings in the British Virgin Islands concerning the dissipation of Bitcoin and Ethereum, including freezing injunctions and receivership orders;
• an LCIA arbitration arising from an Initial Coin Offering for a cryptocurrency;
• shareholder and investment disputes involving cryptocurrency trading platforms; and
• prospective opt-out collective proceedings in the Competition Appeal Tribunal concerning a cryptocurrency trading platform.