Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, have captured the public’s imagination. While cryptocurrencies are interesting, the real impact of Blockchain is the technology it created, blockchain: a combination of technology (distributed computing and cryptography) and economics. Blockchain is just one form of distributed ledger technology (DLT), newer DLT’s make Bitcoin appear primitive. It is hard to downplay the effect that DLT will have on society and in turn the law. This talk will give an overview of blockchain and distributed ledger technology and look briefly at a few of the many areas of law that could be affected including: contract law, company law, insolvency, PPSA, land law, property, trusts, wills, intellectual property, dispute resolution and privacy. DLT also allows the tantalising prospect of code as law.

Alex is a past President of the Asian Pacific Copyright Association and was a board member of Consumer NZ as well as a member of the Governing Council of Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR). Amongst other things Alex is on the Executive of University of Auckland’s Cyber Security Foundry.