Podcast appearances and mentions of peter van valkenburgh

A New Law That Could Destroy Open Source Forever SUPPORT MY WORK: Buy a paid subscription to my newsletter at https://www.usermag.co         Support my work on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taylorlorenz To listen to the full episode and get access to more bonus episodes, an ad-free listening experience, and my weekly newsletter, subscribe to my Patreon or Substack

Roman Storm's retrial slides to April 2027. Peter Van Valkenburgh argues prosecuting Tornado Cash's developers cost real ground in zero knowledge cryptography. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsors! Visit 1inch to swap tokenized securities, crypto and more. Simple. Secure. Self-custodial. Whatever asset you're buying - swap it at ⁠http://unchainedcrypto.com/go/1inch-sn⁠ ======================================================== Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared "economic D-Day" on Iran, leaving an open question over whether the sanctions crackdown reaches Uniswap and Ethereum or stops at Iranian exchanges, where humans are in the loop. Kain Warwick and Taylor Monahan take that gap to Peter Van Valkenburgh, executive director of Coin Center, whose defense of the Tornado Cash developers rests as much on zero knowledge cryptography as on sanctions law. They cover the GENIUS Act's freeze and seize rules for the stablecoin secondary market and Roman Storm's retrial, now pushed to April 2027, where speech protections clash with prosecutors' "frying pan" theory of money transmission. The SEC's proposed exemptions, the stalled Clarity Act, and Trump's Hyperliquid all raise the same question: where does decentralization end and regulation begin? Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kain Warwick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Host of Uneasy Money and Founder of Infinex and Synthetix ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Monahan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Co-host of Uneasy Money and Security Expert Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter Van Valkenburgh - Executive Director of Coin Center Timestamps

Roman Storm's retrial slides to April 2027. Peter Van Valkenburgh argues prosecuting Tornado Cash's developers cost real ground in zero knowledge cryptography. ======================================================== Thank you to our sponsors! Visit 1inch to swap tokenized securities, crypto and more. Simple. Secure. Self-custodial. Whatever asset you're buying - swap it at ⁠http://unchainedcrypto.com/go/1inch-sn⁠ ======================================================== Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared "economic D-Day" on Iran, leaving an open question over whether the sanctions crackdown reaches Uniswap and Ethereum or stops at Iranian exchanges, where humans are in the loop. Kain Warwick and Taylor Monahan take that gap to Peter Van Valkenburgh, executive director of Coin Center, whose defense of the Tornado Cash developers rests as much on zero knowledge cryptography as on sanctions law. They cover the GENIUS Act's freeze and seize rules for the stablecoin secondary market and Roman Storm's retrial, now pushed to April 2027, where speech protections clash with prosecutors' "frying pan" theory of money transmission. The SEC's proposed exemptions, the stalled Clarity Act, and Trump's Hyperliquid all raise the same question: where does decentralization end and regulation begin? Hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kain Warwick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Host of Uneasy Money and Founder of Infinex and Synthetix ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Taylor Monahan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Co-host of Uneasy Money and Security Expert Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Peter Van Valkenburgh - Executive Director of Coin Center Timestamps

When should software lose free speech protections?This podcast covers software and the First Amendment, tracing the history from Cold War export controls to recent restrictions on advanced AI models. My goal: the internet's most comprehensive explainer on speech and code, from cryptography to cryptocurrency to AI.In this episode, you'll hear from leading experts on the legal layer of software and free speech:Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director at Coin CenterLaz Pieper, Director of Research at Coin CenterEugene Volokh, First Amendment scholar and Fellow at the Hoover InstitutionJane Bambauer, Brechner Eminent Scholar at the University of FloridaPreston Byrne, Managing Partner at Byrne & StormSam Enzer, partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel and co-chair of CahillNXTBy the end of this episode, I promise you'll be in the top percentile for understanding when code is protected speech, regardless of where you're starting from. (You just might need to listen twice. There's a lot here.)This episode is presented by Altitude, visit Altitude.xyz/law to learn more about their financial operating system.Timestamps:0:00 Anthropic AI export controls6:17 Introduction9:39 Reading the First Amendment10:38 Eugene Volokh on his First Amendment philosophy13:42 The machine gun sculpture: speech vs function19:24 Peter Van Valkenburgh interview25:50 The Cold War, munitions list and Phil Zimmermann29:57 The Bernstein case34:53 Strict scrutiny38:48 The Corley case49:17 Sorrell, Stevens and where the Supreme Court is heading53:25 Preston Byrne on the Supreme Court's AI case57:23 Defense Distributed and 3D-printing1:04:00 Where publication ends and professional conduct begins1:15:20 Lowe v. SEC and the agency line1:45:45 Compelled speech, the IRS broker rule and tobacco labels2:04:17 Laz Pieper on Sorrell and third-party liability2:11:29 Preston Byrne on the GRANITE Act and foreign censorshipNewsletter: Stay updated on emerging tech law for free at lawofcode.fm. https://www.lawofcode.fm/Any feedback on this episode? Or how to improve the podcast? Click here. https://forms.gle/W4d2a5aHuLJjuNdn7Sponsors: Thank you to the Hyperliquid Policy Center and Solana Policy Institute for supporting this podcast.To get in touch with the Cahill team about how any issues discussed in this episode apply to your situation, email mtomsky@cahill.com. Subscribe to Cahill's free client alerts on digital assets and emerging technology at https://www.cahill.com/news/index?search=1&practice=litigation-digital-assets-and-emerging-technology.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or investment advice. Views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of their employers. Listening to this podcast does not create an attorney-client relationship.

The market structure bill introduces a "control" test for DeFi protocols. The problem: nobody agrees on what control means. Figure is giving away $25,000 in USDC. Deposit into Democratized Prime, earn ~9% APY hourly—and every $1 you keep in for 25 days is 1 entry. Enter here Peter Van Valkenburgh of Coin Center sits down with Jessi Brooks and Vy Le to confront a question that will determine which DeFi projects can operate in the United States and which ones can't.  The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act creates a carve-out for non-custodial developers, codifying the principle that if you never hold customer funds, you shouldn't need a money transmitter license. Simple enough on paper.  But Vy presses on the hard cases: what about an admin key, an upgradeable vault, or a pause function built for security? Where exactly does "non-custodial" end and "control" begin?  Meanwhile, Jessi raises the tension the industry rarely wants to discuss. The DOJ just charged cartel brokers moving money through crypto, yet simultaneously dismantled its own enforcement teams.  If Congress clears developers, who pursues the actual criminals? The answer matters for every builder, investor, and victim watching this play out. Hosts: Jessi Brooks, General Counsel at Ribbit Capital TuongVy Le, General Counsel at Veda Guest: ⁠Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center Links: ⁠​​Crypto Market Structure Bill Clears Senate Committee — But the Hard Part Is Still Ahead⁠ ⁠Senators Move to Curb Passive Stablecoin Yields in Market Structure Push⁠ ⁠Mastercard in Talks to Buy Zerohash for $2 Billion: Report⁠ ⁠How the GENIUS Act Creates a Built-In Advantage for Banks and Deposit Tokens⁠ ⁠How Nansen's New Trading Agent Makes It Easier to Follow the Smart Money Onchain⁠ ⁠How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other⁠ ⁠Reading is Fundamental⁠ ⁠Stablecoin for Babies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The market structure bill introduces a "control" test for DeFi protocols. The problem: nobody agrees on what control means. Figure is giving away $25,000 in USDC. Deposit into Democratized Prime, earn ~9% APY hourly—and every $1 you keep in for 25 days is 1 entry. Enter here Peter Van Valkenburgh of Coin Center sits down with Jessi Brooks and Vy Le to confront a question that will determine which DeFi projects can operate in the United States and which ones can't.  The Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act creates a carve-out for non-custodial developers, codifying the principle that if you never hold customer funds, you shouldn't need a money transmitter license. Simple enough on paper.  But Vy presses on the hard cases: what about an admin key, an upgradeable vault, or a pause function built for security? Where exactly does "non-custodial" end and "control" begin?  Meanwhile, Jessi raises the tension the industry rarely wants to discuss. The DOJ just charged cartel brokers moving money through crypto, yet simultaneously dismantled its own enforcement teams.  If Congress clears developers, who pursues the actual criminals? The answer matters for every builder, investor, and victim watching this play out. Hosts: Jessi Brooks, General Counsel at Ribbit Capital TuongVy Le, General Counsel at Veda Guest: ⁠Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center Links: ⁠​​Crypto Market Structure Bill Clears Senate Committee — But the Hard Part Is Still Ahead⁠ ⁠Senators Move to Curb Passive Stablecoin Yields in Market Structure Push⁠ ⁠Mastercard in Talks to Buy Zerohash for $2 Billion: Report⁠ ⁠How the GENIUS Act Creates a Built-In Advantage for Banks and Deposit Tokens⁠ ⁠How Nansen's New Trading Agent Makes It Easier to Follow the Smart Money Onchain⁠ ⁠How the x402 Standard Is Enabling AI Agents to Pay Each Other⁠ ⁠Reading is Fundamental⁠ ⁠Stablecoin for Babies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the boys break down the Crypto Clarity Act's dramatic Senate markup with Coin Center's Peter Van Valkenburgh, covering developer liability concerns, tokenized securities language controversy, the banking industry's war against stablecoin yield. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. Tarun's out this episode, but we're joined by Peter Van Valkenburgh, Principal of Policy at Coin Center and one of the sharpest legal minds in crypto. This week, we're diving deep into the Crypto Clarity Act drama that has DC in chaos mode. What started as crypto's best shot at comprehensive regulation just hit a major roadblock when Coinbase pulled their support hours before the Senate markup. We'll break down the developer liability questions around "control" definitions, the tokenized securities language that has Brian Armstrong fired up, and the stablecoin yield restrictions that have banks and crypto companies at each other's throats. Peter gives us the inside scoop on what's really in this 200-page bill, why Polymarket odds crashed from 80% to 40%, and whether this legislative train wreck can still get back on track. Let's get into it. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

This week the boys break down the Crypto Clarity Act's dramatic Senate markup with Coin Center's Peter Van Valkenburgh, covering developer liability concerns, tokenized securities language controversy, the banking industry's war against stablecoin yield. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. Tarun's out this episode, but we're joined by Peter Van Valkenburgh, Principal of Policy at Coin Center and one of the sharpest legal minds in crypto. This week, we're diving deep into the Crypto Clarity Act drama that has DC in chaos mode. What started as crypto's best shot at comprehensive regulation just hit a major roadblock when Coinbase pulled their support hours before the Senate markup. We'll break down the developer liability questions around "control" definitions, the tokenized securities language that has Brian Armstrong fired up, and the stablecoin yield restrictions that have banks and crypto companies at each other's throats. Peter gives us the inside scoop on what's really in this 200-page bill, why Polymarket odds crashed from 80% to 40%, and whether this legislative train wreck can still get back on track. Let's get into it. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

Peter Van Valkenburgh is the Executive Director of Coin Center, a leading nonprofit research and advocacy group focused on cryptocurrency policy. In this episode, Peter joins The Bitcoin Frontier to explore why defending the right to self-custody is about much more than bitcoin — it's about the future of individual freedom, open-source innovation, and financial privacy. We dig into the parallels between the 1990s “crypto wars” and today's digital sovereignty battles, the threats facing developers of privacy tools, and the constitutional foundations for privacy and property in the digital age.SUPPORT THE PODCAST: → Subscribe → Leave a review → Share the show with your friends and family → Send us an email: podcast@unchained.com → Learn more about Unchained: https://unchained.com/?utm_source=you... → Book a free call with a bitcoin expert: https://unchained.com/consultation?ut...TIMESTAMPS:0:00 – Intro and Peter's journey from acting to bitcoin policy2:00 – Discovering the cypherpunks and the roots of internet freedom4:00 – Entering bitcoin through law school and meeting Jerry Brito6:00 – Founding Coin Center and defining “permissionless innovation”9:00 – The mission: protecting the freedom to build and use open blockchains11:00 – Bitcoin's privacy problem and the legal risks of building privacy tech13:00 – Educating DC: explaining bitcoin to Congress in the early days16:00 – Navigating the SEC, ICOs, and defining what counts as a security18:30 – The evolution from education to constitutional litigation22:00 – Bitcoin as the revival of a “bearer instrument” economy26:00 – The “secret right to cash” and the Fourth Amendment's blind spot30:00 – Privacy, property, and what bitcoin reveals about constitutional limits35:00 – The Keep Your Coins Act and why it matters for financial sovereignty43:00 – The DOJ's shift toward prosecuting developers — and why it's dangerous46:00 – Inside the Tornado Cash and Samurai Wallet prosecutions50:00 – How Coin Center is fighting for software publishing rights54:00 – Legislative progress: Clarity, Keep Your Coins, and BRCA1:00:00 – Lessons from the 1990s encryption wars1:03:00 – How liability protections shaped (and centralized) the internet1:08:00 – The convenience dilemma: why self-custody must become easier1:12:00 – The Bank Secrecy Act, mass surveillance, and new legal challenges1:19:00 – Coin Center's constitutional lawsuits for privacy and association rights1:23:00 – Why the BSA is ripe for reform — and bitcoin's role in that debate1:27:00 – Zero-knowledge proofs, AML, and a future of privacy-preserving compliance1:29:00 – How self-custody wallets enable digital identity and personal sovereignty1:31:00 – Closing thoughts: bitcoin as the foundation for a freer digital futureWHERE TO FOLLOW US: → Unchained X: https://x.com/unchained → Unchained LinkedIn:   / unchainedcom  → Unchained Newsletter: https://unchained.com/newsletter → Joe Kelly's Twitter: https://x.com/josephkelly → Peter Van Valkenburgh's Twitter: https://x.com/valkenburgh 

At DevConnect 2025, Sebastian and Friederike speak with Peter Van Valkenburgh about the rapidly evolving battle for digital rights. Peter challenges the industry's comfort with transparency, arguing that "transparency will destroy neutrality." He uses the history of SWIFT to illustrate how a once-neutral messaging system was captured by geopolitical interests because it wasn't "technically blind" to the data it processed. He argues that for blockchains to survive as global settlement layers, they must be "actually blind" to transactions, making neutrality a technical reality rather than a policy choice.The conversation turns to the aggressive legal tactics currently deployed against developers. Peter highlights the Pereira Bueno case, where prosecutors charged MEV searchers with wire fraud for being "dishonest validators" a concept Peter argues completely undermines the game-theoretic security of permissionless networks. He also breaks down the mixed bag of Tornado Cash litigation. While the sanctions against the protocol were successfully challenged and invalidated for Americans, the criminal conviction of developer Roman Storm for "unlicensed money transmission" sets a terrifying precedent for anyone publishing open-source code.On a constructive note, Peter introduces Coin Center's "John Hancock Project," which advocates for replacing the current, ineffective KYC/AML regime (which seizes less than 1% of illicit funds) with a system based on privacy-preserving attestations and self-sovereign risk scores. Finally, Peter shares surprising optimism regarding the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He notes that under the influence of Commissioners Hester Peirce and Paul Atkins, the agency has shifted from an aggressive adversary to a potential ally, openly discussing the benefits of full asset tokenization and the constitutional necessity of financial privacy.Topics00:00 The Telegram vs. Signal security rant05:15 The "Transparency Paradox": Why transparent Layer 1s cannot remain neutral in the long run10:40 The SWIFT Analogy: How a neutral messaging layer became a politicized settlement enforcer15:50 The Pereira Bueno Case: Why labeling MEV strategies as "wire fraud" threatens all validators23:10 L2 Sequencing Risks: Centralization and the need for "dumb pipes" 28:30 The Failure of KYC: Why 99.8% of illicit funds are missed and the cost of mass surveillance35:00 The "John Hancock Project": Using ZK-proofs and attestations to replace identity surveillance42:15 Tornado Cash Update: Sanctions invalidated vs. the dangerous precedent of Roman Storm's conviction49:00 The SEC's 180: Hester Peirce, Paul Atkins, and the push for tokenized equitiesLinks mentioned in the episode: Gnosis: https://gnosis.io/ Coin Center: https://www.coincenter.orgEpicenter - All Episodes: https://epicenter.tv/Report: Tear Down This Walled Garden: https://www.coincenter.org/tear-down-this-walled-garden/ Pereira Bueno Amicus Brief: https://www.coincenter.org/amicus-brief-mev-wire-fraud/ Peter on X: https://x.com/valkenburghSebastian on X: https://x.com/seb3point0Friederike on X: https://x.com/tw_tter Sponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis has been building core decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem since 2015. With the launch of Gnosis Pay last year, we introduced the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Start leveraging its power today at http://gnosis.io

The Roman Storm trial ended with one guilty verdict, raising big questions about what comes next for developers and open-source protocols. To unpack the implications, I'm joined by Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center. Coin Center is hosting their annual dinner on Thursday, September 25, 2025 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.Timestamps:➡️ 00:00 – Introduction➡️ 01:00 – Explaining the Roman Storm verdict➡️ 03:00 – FinCEN's 2019 guidance➡️ 07:40 – Implications for future regulatory guidance➡️ 14:20 – First Amendment and due process defenses ➡️ 21:30 – Future of peer-to-peer crypto➡️ 27:40 – Coin Center's six-month policy review➡️ 35:30 – The President's Working Group Report➡️ 38:50 – Why crypto must be more than an investmentSponsor: This episode is brought to you by Day One Law, a boutique corporate law firm helping crypto startups navigate complex legal challenges. Visit dayonelaw.xyz to get in touch, or subscribe to their free newsletter for crypto legal updates.Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not legal or financial advice.

47e6GvjL4in5Zy5vVHMb9PQtGXQAcFvWSCQn2fuwDYZoZRk3oFjefr51WBNDGG9EjF1YDavg7pwGDFSAVWC5K42CBcLLv5U OR DONATE HERE: https://www.monerotalk.live/donate GUEST LINKS: TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Monerotopia Introduction. (00:41:20) Monerotopia Price Report Segment w/ Bawdyanarchist. (01:09:34) Monerotopia Guest Segment w/ Bawdy. (01:40:04) Monerotopia News Segment w/ Tux. (01:40:35) Frank Corva post. (01:42:01) Peter Van Valkenburgh post. (01:42:41) Developer arrested over Tornado Cash research. (01:44:35) Bot psyop and FUD attack. (01:45:32) Doug post on X (1). (01:45:47) 51% attack. (01:47:11) Funding sources for Qubic. (01:47:50) SethForPrivacy post. (01:49:57) Qubic is a Ponzi scheme disguised as useful mining? (01:51:58) Lola post. (01:53:52) BCH to XMR. (01:54:47) Doug post on X (2). (01:56:27) Stanford researchers develop brain implant. (01:57:07) Time Adjusted Blockweight. (02:01:27) Monerotopia Viewers on Stage Segment. (04:57:06) Monerotopia Finalization. NEWS SEGMENT LINKS: https://x.com/frankcorva/status/1953893622367105150?s=46 https://x.com/valkenburgh/status/1954923844164280641?s=46 https://x.com/theragetech/status/1955025834055491719?s=46 https://x.com/mgkmshrmbrkfst/status/1955231177817604148?s=46 https://x.com/moneromax/status/1955315404370321768?s=46 https://x.com/nikzh/status/1949903134488203755?s=46 https://x.com/radanne/status/1955365591969304999?s=46 https://x.com/sethforprivacy/status/1955723318457459003?s=46 https://x.com/knighttime53341/status/1955794541384229221?s=46 https://x.com/l0lal33tz/status/1955999616526094716?s=46 https://repo.getmonero.org/monero-project/ccs-proposals/-/mergerequests/604 https://x.com/bandarfaqih/status/1955956403572462056?s=46 https://x.com/douglastuman/status/1956361748635603162?s=46 https://x.com/tuxpizza/status/1956426086327459930?s=46 https://x.com/donttracemebruh/status/1956108520350195862?s=46 https://x.com/bawdyanarchist/status/1956537556532597238?s=46&t=WeY1AyuT6Ir1FNBKKqBeg SPONSORS: PRICE REPORT: https://exolix.com/ GUEST SEGMENT: https://cakewallet.com & https://monero.com NEWS SEGMENT: https://www.wizardswap.io XMR.BAR: https://xmr.bar Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! The more subscribers, the more we can help Monero grow! XMRtopia TELEGRAM: https://t.me/monerotopia XMRtopia MATRIX: https://matrix.to/#/%23monerotopia%3Amonero.social ODYSEE: https://bit.ly/3bMaFtE WEBSITE: monerotopia.com CONTACT: monerotopia@protonmail.com MASTADON: @Monerotopia@mastodon.social MONERO.TOWN https://monero.town/u/monerotopia Get Social with us: X: https://twitter.com/monerotopia INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/monerotopia DOUGLAS: https://twitter.com/douglastuman SUNITA: https://twitter.com/sunchakr TUX: https://twitter.com/tuxpizza

Welcome to BanklessTV, featuring Peter Van Valkenburgh from Coin Center and David Morris of The Rage, freshly back from the SDNY courtroom with the inside scoop on the Roman Storm verdict. In this episode we unpack the split decision—how Storm beat the money-laundering and sanctions-evasion counts yet was found guilty on the hot-button “unlicensed money-transmission” charge—and what that single conviction means for every non-custodial developer in crypto. Peter breaks down the legal tightrope between FinCEN guidance and DOJ prosecution, outlines three clear appeal paths (including the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act), and explains why Roman's case could still become a rallying point for financial-privacy legislation. David shares firsthand color from the trial: jury deadlocks, high-stakes witness drama, and the emotional moment Storm walked free to see his daughter. Join us to hear why this verdict is both a wake-up call and an opportunity, what Congress, the courts, and the next administration might do next, and how the outcome could reshape DeFi, privacy tech, and open-source innovation for years to come. ------

In episode 4 of Bitcoin Politics, special guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center, joins Bitcoin Magazine Political Correspondent Frank Corva to discuss the Tornado Cash trial verdict and analyze what this might mean for legal precedent and the future of financial privacy.Roman Storm of Tornado Cash was found guilty of unlicensed money transmission, a ruling with massive implications for open-source developers. Peter analyzes the outlook for future legal proceedings, breaks down what the means for privacy, code, and the future of Bitcoin and speech.

In this episode, Austin and Peter Van Valkenburgh Coin Center's mission and the critical role of educating policymakers. The discussion spans over Coin Center's inception, its efforts in shaping sound crypto regulations, and its battles against adverse policies. Peter sheds light on Coin Center's ongoing lawsuits, the implications of recent DOJ guidance, and the controversy surrounding meme coins in American politics. Peter also provides insights into future challenges and opportunities in crypto regulation, emphasizing the vital importance of nuanced policies that balance innovation with oversight. Whether you're a crypto enthusiast, policymaker, or just curious about the intersections of technology and regulation, this episode offers valuable perspectives.  

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, and Tom Schmidt chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, we're joined by special guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center, to tackle one of the most pivotal moments in crypto policy. In this episode, we dive into the groundbreaking Fifth Circuit ruling on Tornado Cash, unpack its implications for blockchain privacy, and discuss the challenges noncustodial developers like Roman Storm are facing. We also break down Trump's crypto executive order, the SEC's new direction under Hester Peirce, and speculate on what a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve might mean for the future. Show highlights

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, and Tom Schmidt chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, we're joined by special guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, Executive Director of Coin Center, to tackle one of the most pivotal moments in crypto policy. In this episode, we dive into the groundbreaking Fifth Circuit ruling on Tornado Cash, unpack its implications for blockchain privacy, and discuss the challenges noncustodial developers like Roman Storm are facing. We also break down Trump's crypto executive order, the SEC's new direction under Hester Peirce, and speculate on what a U.S. strategic Bitcoin reserve might mean for the future. Show highlights

The Director of Research at Coincenter, Peter Van Valkenburgh joins us for our final talk at the Bankless Summit with a story that hits close to home about privacy and surveillance. ------

Tornado Cash is a decentralized cryptocurrency mixing service built on Ethereum. Its open-source protocol allows users to obscure the trail of their cryptocurrency transactions by pooling funds together, making it difficult to trace the origin and destination of any given transfer.In August 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department took the unprecedented step of sanctioning Tornado Cash, effectively criminalizing its use by American citizens and businesses. Authorities accused the service of facilitating money laundering, including processing hundreds of millions in stolen funds linked to North Korean hackers. In the wake of the sanctions, Tornado Cash's website was taken down, its GitHub repository removed, and one of its developers arrested in Amsterdam.The crackdown has sent shockwaves through the crypto and privacy advocacy communities. Proponents argue that Tornado Cash is a neutral tool, akin to VPNs or Tor, with many legitimate uses beyond illicit finance. They warn that banning a piece of code sets a dangerous precedent and undermines fundamental rights to privacy and free speech. On the other hand, regulators contend that mixers like Tornado Cash have become a haven for cybercriminals and rogue state actors, necessitating more aggressive enforcement.As the legal and political battle unfolds, Coin Center, a leading crypto policy think tank, has taken up the mantle of defending Tornado Cash and its users. Director of Research Peter Van Valkenburgh, who also serves as a board member for Zcash, joins The Dynamist today to walk through this crackdown and the implications for decentralized finance and open-source software today. Luke Hogg, director of policy and outreach, guest hosts this episode. You can read more from Peter on this issue here.

The approval of Ethereum spot ETFs sent shockwaves through the industry as policymakers pivoted abruptly from threatening to veto FIT21 bill, to a pro-crypto discourse. One could say their hand was forced by the imminent US elections, but Ethereum is now officially classified as a commodity, nonetheless. As the regulatory hurdle seems, for the time being, surpassed, one should not forget the values promoted by the crypto movement from the get-go: decentralisation and permissionlessness. However, everyday users tend to overlook these aspects in favour of a more streamlined user experience. As technology evolves and scaling solutions mature, better UI & UX represent crucial goals in the race for end user adoption.Topics covered in this episode:Crypto regulations: FIT21 & Tornado Cash trialEthereum spot ETFIs Ethereum a commodity or a security?Scaling solutions & end user adoptionThe importance of decentralisationHow Web3 lowers barriers of (permissionless) competitionRegulatory and legal hurdlesEducating ‘normies' & UXTechnology: depoliticising moneyBerlin blockchain week & Dappcon 2024 wrap-upEpisode links:Austin Griffith on TwitterMona El Isa on TwitterPeter Van Valkenburgh on TwitterSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus1: Chorus1 is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst and Brian Fabian Crain.

“The problem is it's this naked delegation of lawmaking authority to the unelected people within Treasury…you want them to have unconstrained power? Shouldn't we just go back to a world where bipartisan legislation in Congress is what is consequential and not just the whims of every next administration?”— Peter Van ValkenburghPeter Van Valkenburgh is director of research at Coin Center. In this interview, we discuss Coin Center's role in educating lawmakers, analysing policy proposals, and advocating for reasonable regulations. Peter talks about their current lawsuits against the US Treasury and IRS, challenging the misapplication of tax and sanctions regulations. We also cover the changing dynamics of political support for Bitcoin and the challenges posed by figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren. - - - - Coin Center has been at the forefront of cryptocurrency policy issues since it launched in 2014. Initially, their work was focused on educating lawmakers about Bitcoin and blockchain technology. They addressed concerns about money laundering, emphasised the importance of privacy and speech rights, and explained the technology's potential. However, over time, Coin Center's work has expanded to include policy research and analysis. The non-profit group now examines how existing laws apply to crypto, and they promote reasonable regulations that protect innovation and constitutional rights. They also engage in lobbying efforts, presenting Congress with preferred solutions to policy problems. When these efforts are unsuccessful, they resort to lawsuits. Currently, they have two lawsuits against the US Treasury and IRS, challenging tax regulations and sanctions that harm privacy rights.In this podcast, we discussed the split opinions regarding crypto in US politics. Peter explained that the narrative around digital assets has shifted, partly due to influential figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren taking an anti-crypto stance, and partly due to the reputation damage caused by various actors in the space. We also discussed the emerging regulatory threats such as the use of the Bank Secrecy Act to impose strict regulations on core infrastructure providers. All of this work obviously has to be paid for. While Coin Center is financially stable, donations are still crucial as there will be more lawsuits and lobbying efforts in the future: for example, Coin Center may raise a future lawsuit challenging legislation that classifies Bitcoin miners as regulated entities. And, you can sign up for Coin Center's newsletter to find out the other ways you can help them play a crucial role in shaping a robust future for digital assets.- - - - This episode's sponsors:Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultUnchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidenceOrange Pill App - Stack friends who stack satsSwan Bitcoin - Invest in Bitcoin with Swan-----WBD753 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.

Peter Van Valkenburgh is director of research at Coin Center. In this interview, we discuss Coin Center's role in educating lawmakers, analysing policy proposals, and advocating for reasonable regulations. Peter talks about their current lawsuits against the US Treasury and IRS, challenging the misapplication of tax and sanctions regulations. We also cover the changing dynamics of political support for Bitcoin and the challenges posed by figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren. - - - - Coin Center has been at the forefront of cryptocurrency policy issues since it launched in 2014. Initially, their work was focused on educating lawmakers about Bitcoin and blockchain technology. They addressed concerns about money laundering, emphasised the importance of privacy and speech rights, and explained the technology's potential. However, over time, Coin Center's work has expanded to include policy research and analysis. The non-profit group now examines how existing laws apply to crypto, and they promote reasonable regulations that protect innovation and constitutional rights. They also engage in lobbying efforts, presenting Congress with preferred solutions to policy problems. When these efforts are unsuccessful, they resort to lawsuits. Currently, they have two lawsuits against the US Treasury and IRS, challenging tax regulations and sanctions that harm privacy rights. In this podcast, we discussed the split opinions regarding crypto in US politics. Peter explained that the narrative around digital assets has shifted, partly due to influential figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren taking an anti-crypto stance, and partly due to the reputation damage caused by various actors in the space. We also discussed the emerging regulatory threats such as the use of the Bank Secrecy Act to impose strict regulations on core infrastructure providers. All of this work obviously has to be paid for. While Coin Center is financially stable, donations are still crucial as there will be more lawsuits and lobbying efforts in the future: for example, Coin Center may raise a future lawsuit challenging legislation that classifies Bitcoin miners as regulated entities. And, you can sign up for Coin Center's newsletter to find out the other ways you can help them play a crucial role in shaping a robust future for digital assets. - Show notes: https://www.whatbitcoindid.com/podcast/the-unconstitutional-attack-on-privacy-with-peter-van-valkenburgh This episode's sponsors: Iris Energy - Bitcoin Mining. Done Sustainably Bitcasino - The Future of Gaming is here Ledger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware wallet Wasabi Wallet - Privacy by default Unchained - Secure your bitcoin with confidence OrangePillApp - Stack Friends Who Stack Sats SwanBitcoin - Invest in Bitcoin with Swan

Alex talks with CoinCenter's Director of Research Peter Van Valkenburgh about the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act and other issues regarding privacy and crypto. Alex also talks with Beimnet Abebe (Galaxy Trading) about markets and macro. This episode was recorded on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. ++ Follow us on Twitter, @glxyresearch, and read our research at www.galaxy.com/research/ to learn more! This podcast, and the information contained herein, has been provided to you by Galaxy Digital Holdings LP and its affiliates (“Galaxy Digital”) solely for informational purposes. View the full disclaimer at www.galaxy.com/disclaimer-galaxy-brains-podcast/

In this episode of Unchained, Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, explains why the IRS's proposed broker rule for tax reporting in crypto could harm the crypto industry as well as the security and privacy of users. He explains how Coin Center thinks the IRS should accomplish its aims, and why that would even work for collecting taxes on DeFi gains.  Additionally, Peter explains why he believes the Bank Secrecy Act might be unconstitutional and how that could potentially affect developers building in crypto.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: What the IRS's proposed broker rule entails for crypto tax reporting and why this could have a negative impact on the industry What responsibilities brokers in the crypto space now face Why the IRS didn't use Congress's amended language from the infrastructure bill Why Peter argues that the IRS's new proposed broker rule on crypto is unconstitutional and the principles at stake The alternative approaches Peter suggests the IRS could adopt for more effective and fair regulation Why Peter has concerns for crypto developers about the potential application of the Bank Secrecy Act What actions Coin Center is undertaking to advocate for changes in the Bank Secrecy Act to better align with crypto realities Why Coin Center is appealing in its lawsuit against the Treasury Department over the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Popcorn Network Guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center Previous appearances on Unchained:  Why the SEC Is Probing Yuga Labs and Coin Center Is Suing Treasury How Coin Center Is Helping Define The 'Big Fuzzy Gray Area' Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Law Why the SEC's Proposed Rules Affecting DeFi Could Violate the First Amendment Links IRS Crypto Regulation Coin Center: Electronic Cash, Decentralized Exchange, and the Constitution The Blockchain Association's letter opposing tax regulations proposed by the IRS CoinDesk: How the Crypto Industry Responded to the IRS Proposed Broker Rule Patriot Act  California Bankers Assn. v. Shultz Bank Secrecy Act Coin Center: Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy Act Tornado Cash Coin Center: U.S. Treasury sanction of privacy tools places sweeping restrictions on all Americans Coin Center is suing OFAC over its Tornado Cash sanction Denial of Coin Center's motion in its case against the US Treasury over OFAC sanctions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coin Center's Peter Van Valkenburgh believes that the U.S. Treasury could use the Bank Secrecy Act in a dark way against crypto developers. In this episode of Unchained, Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, explains why the IRS's proposed broker rule for tax reporting in crypto could harm the crypto industry as well as the security and privacy of users. He explains how Coin Center thinks the IRS should accomplish its aims, and why that would even work for collecting taxes on DeFi gains. Additionally, Peter explains why he believes the Bank Secrecy Act might be unconstitutional and how that could potentially affect developers building in crypto. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.Show highlights | What does the IRS's proposed broker rule entail for crypto tax reporting and why this could have a negative impact on the industryWhat responsibilities do brokers in the crypto space now faceWhy the IRS didn't use Congress's amended language from the infrastructure billWhy Peter argues that the IRS's new proposed broker rule on crypto is unconstitutional and the principles at stakeThe alternative approaches Peter suggests the IRS could adopt for more effective and fair regulationWhy Peter has concerns for crypto developers about the potential application of the Bank Secrecy ActWhat actions Coin Center is undertaking to advocate for changes in the Bank Secrecy Act to better align with crypto realitiesWhy Coin Center is appealing in its lawsuit against the Treasury Department over the OFAC sanctions on Tornado CashThank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Popcorn NetworkGuest | Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin CenterPrevious appearances on Unchained: Why the SEC Is Probing Yuga Labs and Coin Center Is Suing TreasuryHow Coin Center Is Helping Define The 'Big Fuzzy Gray Area' Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency LawWhy the SEC's Proposed Rules Affecting DeFi Could Violate the First AmendmentLinks | IRS Crypto RegulationCoin Center: Report Electronic Cash, Decentralized Exchange, and the ConstitutionThe Blockchain Association's letter opposing tax regulations proposed by the IRSCoinDesk: How the Crypto Industry Responded to the IRS Proposed Broker RulePatriot Act California Bankers Assn. v. ShultzBank Secrecy ActCoin Center:Report Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy ActTornado CashCoin Center:U.S. Treasury sanction of privacy tools places sweeping restrictions on all AmericansCoin Center is suing OFAC over its Tornado Cash sanctionDenial of Coin Center's motion in its case against the US Treasury over OFAC sanctions-Unchained Podcast is Produced by Laura Shin Media, LLC. Distributed by CoinDesk. Senior Producer is Michele Musso and Executive Producer is Jared Schwartz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Unchained, Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, explains why the IRS's proposed broker rule for tax reporting in crypto could harm the crypto industry as well as the security and privacy of users. He explains how Coin Center thinks the IRS should accomplish its aims, and why that would even work for collecting taxes on DeFi gains.  Additionally, Peter explains why he believes the Bank Secrecy Act might be unconstitutional and how that could potentially affect developers building in crypto.  Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights: What the IRS's proposed broker rule entails for crypto tax reporting and why this could have a negative impact on the industry What responsibilities brokers in the crypto space now face Why the IRS didn't use Congress's amended language from the infrastructure bill Why Peter argues that the IRS's new proposed broker rule on crypto is unconstitutional and the principles at stake The alternative approaches Peter suggests the IRS could adopt for more effective and fair regulation Why Peter has concerns for crypto developers about the potential application of the Bank Secrecy Act What actions Coin Center is undertaking to advocate for changes in the Bank Secrecy Act to better align with crypto realities Why Coin Center is appealing in its lawsuit against the Treasury Department over the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash Thank you to our sponsors! Arbitrum Foundation Popcorn Network Guest Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center Previous appearances on Unchained:  Why the SEC Is Probing Yuga Labs and Coin Center Is Suing Treasury How Coin Center Is Helping Define The 'Big Fuzzy Gray Area' Of Blockchain And Cryptocurrency Law Why the SEC's Proposed Rules Affecting DeFi Could Violate the First Amendment Links IRS Crypto Regulation Coin Center: Electronic Cash, Decentralized Exchange, and the Constitution The Blockchain Association's letter opposing tax regulations proposed by the IRS CoinDesk: How the Crypto Industry Responded to the IRS Proposed Broker Rule Patriot Act  California Bankers Assn. v. Shultz Bank Secrecy Act Coin Center: Broad, Ambiguous, or Delegated: Constitutional Infirmities of the Bank Secrecy Act Tornado Cash Coin Center: U.S. Treasury sanction of privacy tools places sweeping restrictions on all Americans Coin Center is suing OFAC over its Tornado Cash sanction Denial of Coin Center's motion in its case against the US Treasury over OFAC sanctions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Van Valkenburgh is the Director of Research at Coin Center. With a diverse background in law, economics, and technology, Peter has dedicated his career to examining the interplay between policy and cryptocurrencies with the goal of fostering a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and safeguards individual rights. Coin Center's mission is to champion the rights of individuals to create and utilize free and open cryptocurrency networks, while upholding the rights to write and publish code form peer-to-peer networks and maintain privacy. To realize its objectives, Coin Center conducts and disseminates policy research, educates policy makers and the media about cryptocurrencies, advocates for well-informed public policy, and participates in litigation to protect digital civil liberties. By nurturing a regulatory atmosphere that supports innovation and personal freedoms, Coin Center plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of blockchain and cryptocurrency. EPISODE LINKS Peter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valkenburgh/ Peter's Twitter: https://twitter.com/valkenburgh Coin Center website: https://www.coincenter.org/ Coin Center on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coin-center/ Coin Center on Twitter: https://twitter.com/coincenter PODCAST INFO Podcast website: https://podcast.pgpforcrypto.org Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pgp*-pretty-good-policy-for-crypto-podcast/id1669504720 RSS: https://feed.pod.co/pgp-for-crypto-podcast HOST INFO Gary Weinstein's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gary_Weinstein_ Gary Weinstein's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyweinstein/ Paul Brigner's Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulbrigner Paul Brigner's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbrigner/ Electric Coin Co. Website: https://electriccoin.co Electric Coin Co. Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElectricCoinCo TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome 01:14 Introduction 03:43 Coin Center: Mission, Education, Research, and Advocacy for Cryptocurrencies 09:24 Journey to Coin Center and a Passion for Technology Law 15:31 The Importance of Electronic Cash and Decentralized Exchanges in Protecting Constitutional Rights 25:37 Dangers of Eliminating Cash and the Impact on Privacy and Individual Rights 28:31 AI, Blockchain, and the Future of Privacy in Electronic Transactions 33:48 The Perils of Aggregating and Weaponizing Personal Information 37:38 The Importance of Advancing Cryptography and Preserving Privacy Rights 43:00 Coin Center's Lawsuits and Defending Privacy Rights in the Cryptocurrency Space 52:25 The Connection Between Software and Speech in the Tornado Cash Case 57:45 Coin Center's Impact on Privacy, Free Speech, and Decentralization if Successful Against OFAC 01:01:45 Balancing Technology Advancements and Educating Policy Makers on Crypto and AI 01:07:31 Promoting Encryption and Privacy in Policy Making and Upholding Constitutional Rights 01:17:21 The Future of Encryption and Privacy Cases in the US Court System 01:22:37 Defending Freedom, Privacy, and Innovation in the US and Europe 01:26:41 Central Bank Digital Currencies: Pros, Cons, and Complexities DISCLAIMER Please be advised that the information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not to be taken as legal or financial advice. The opinions and views expressed by our guests are their own and may not reflect the official stance of the organizations they represent or those of Electric Coin Co. Always consult a legal or financial professional before making any decisions.

The bipartisan RESTRICT Act is an infringement on a host of civil and economic rights that will strangle free speech and cryptocurrencies.

Cobie & Ledger are joined by Rebecca (Chief Legal and Policy at Aave) and Peter (Director of Research at Coin Center) discuss the regulatory landscape in the wake of the FTX failure.

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.    Show highlights: whether there's an over-reliance on the Howey Test and how a token being non-fungible doesn't mean it's not a security what constitutes an investment contract and how it works in the Metaverse the consequences for NFT holders and issuers if the NFTs are considered securities why Coin Center is suing the US Treasury over the Tornado Cash sanctions Who the plaintiffs are whether this lawsuit differs from the one Coinbase is supporting how to solve the issue of bad actors like North Korea using tools such as Tornado Cash to launder money the remedy Coin Center is looking for in the lawsuit against the Treasury  how long the lawsuit could take to be resolved   Thank you to our sponsors!   Crypto.com   Peter Twitter    SEC probe into Yuga Labs Unchained article CrypTones thread on land sales Coin Center lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions Coin Center lawsuit and statement Unchained article  Coinbase Backs Tornado Cash Lawsuit Against U.S. Treasury North Korean hacks Treasury Press release on the sanctions Previous coverage of the Tornado Cash sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No  Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds? The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash? Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant? Preston Van Loon on Ethereum's Merge and His Lawsuit Against Treasury

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.  Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.  Show highlights: whether there's an over-reliance on the Howey Test and how a token being non-fungible doesn't mean it's not a security what constitutes an investment contract and how it works in the Metaverse the consequences for NFT holders and issuers if the NFTs are considered securities why Coin Center is suing the US Treasury over the Tornado Cash sanctions Who the plaintiffs are whether this lawsuit differs from the one Coinbase is supporting how to solve the issue of bad actors like North Korea using tools such as Tornado Cash to launder money the remedy Coin Center is looking for in the lawsuit against the Treasury  how long the lawsuit could take to be resolved Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Peter Twitter  SEC probe into Yuga Labs Unchained article CrypTones thread on land sales Coin Center lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions Coin Center lawsuit and statement Unchained article  Coinbase Backs Tornado Cash Lawsuit Against U.S. Treasury North Korean hacks Treasury Press release on the sanctions Previous coverage of the Tornado Cash sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No  Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds? The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash? Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant? Preston Van Loon on Ethereum's Merge and His Lawsuit Against Treasury

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.  Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.  Show highlights: whether there's an over-reliance on the Howey Test and how a token being non-fungible doesn't mean it's not a security what constitutes an investment contract and how it works in the Metaverse the consequences for NFT holders and issuers if the NFTs are considered securities why Coin Center is suing the US Treasury over the Tornado Cash sanctions Who the plaintiffs are whether this lawsuit differs from the one Coinbase is supporting how to solve the issue of bad actors like North Korea using tools such as Tornado Cash to launder money the remedy Coin Center is looking for in the lawsuit against the Treasury  how long the lawsuit could take to be resolved Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com Peter Twitter  SEC probe into Yuga Labs Unchained article CrypTones thread on land sales Coin Center lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions Coin Center lawsuit and statement Unchained article  Coinbase Backs Tornado Cash Lawsuit Against U.S. Treasury North Korean hacks Treasury Press release on the sanctions Previous coverage of the Tornado Cash sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No  Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds? The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash? Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant? Preston Van Loon on Ethereum's Merge and His Lawsuit Against Treasury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, comes to talk about the SEC probe into Yuga Labs, how to determine whether something is a security, and Coin Center's lawsuit against the US Treasury over the sanctions on Tornado Cash.    Show highlights: whether there's an over-reliance on the Howey Test and how a token being non-fungible doesn't mean it's not a security what constitutes an investment contract and how it works in the Metaverse the consequences for NFT holders and issuers if the NFTs are considered securities why Coin Center is suing the US Treasury over the Tornado Cash sanctions Who the plaintiffs are whether this lawsuit differs from the one Coinbase is supporting how to solve the issue of bad actors like North Korea using tools such as Tornado Cash to launder money the remedy Coin Center is looking for in the lawsuit against the Treasury  how long the lawsuit could take to be resolved   Thank you to our sponsors!   Crypto.com   Peter Twitter    SEC probe into Yuga Labs Unchained article CrypTones thread on land sales Coin Center lawsuit over Tornado Cash sanctions Coin Center lawsuit and statement Unchained article  Coinbase Backs Tornado Cash Lawsuit Against U.S. Treasury North Korean hacks Treasury Press release on the sanctions Previous coverage of the Tornado Cash sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No  Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds? The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash? Given the Sanctions on Tornado Cash, Is Ethereum Censorship Resistant? Preston Van Loon on Ethereum's Merge and His Lawsuit Against Treasury

In this episode, Anna (https://twitter.com/annarrose) explores the topic of the recent OFAC sanctions against Tornado Cash with 2 interviews: One is with TuongVy Le (https://twitter.com/TuongvyLe12), Head of Regulatory and Policy at Bain Capital Crypto (https://twitter.com/baincapcrypto), who previously worked at the SEC and the other is with Michael Mosier (https://twitter.com/M_Mosier_), General Council at Espresso Systems (https://twitter.com/EspressoSys), who used to work at the Treasury, within FinCen and at OFAC itself. For some context: On August 8th 2022, OFAC, a US government department issued sanctions against Tornado Cash, a privacy protocol that uses zero knowledge proofs to provide on-chain privacy. It was the first time that OFAC had sanctioned a set of smart contracts and a decentralized entity for which there's no clear ownership. This is an event which has had a ripple effect throughout the zk ecosystem and will be the topic explored in a series with different members of the community. In these two initial interviews, Anna explores what actually happened legally, what a sanction is, what kind of a tool is this, why it may have been issued and what problem arose from the way it was issued and how this might impact future understanding of zero knowledge tech through a legal lens. _NOTE: Since our recording OFAC has released an FAQ to clarify some of the legal questions raised in our interviews: https://home.treasury.gov/taxonomy/term/1546 _ Here are some additional links for this episode: * Episode 111: Mixers with Tornado.cash (https://zeroknowledge.fm/111-2/) * Episode 166: Coin Center's Peter Van Valkenburgh on regulation (https://zeroknowledge.fm/166-2/) * Episode 191: ZKPs & the Dichotomy of Privacy vs Transparency with Josh & Jill (https://zeroknowledge.fm/191-2/) * Chainanalysis: Crypto Mixer Usage Reaches All-time Highs in 2022, With Nation State Actors and Cybercriminals Contributing Significant Volume (https://blog.chainalysis.com/reports/crypto-mixer-criminal-volume-2022/) * Circle and Coinbase Restrict Movement of USDC Funds From Tornado Cash Addresses Following Sanctions (https://crypto.news/circle-and-coinbase-restrict-movement-of-usdc-funds-from-tornado-cash-addresses-following-sanctions/) * Rep. Emmer demands an explanation of OFAC's Tornado Cash sanction from Sec. Yellen (https://cointelegraph.com/news/rep-emmer-demands-an-explanation-of-ofac-s-tornado-cash-sanction-from-sec-yellen) * What is OFAC? (https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/office-of-foreign-assets-control-sanctions-programs-and-information) * OFAC Press Release on Tornado Cash (https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916) * OFAC Identifies Associated Digital Currency Addresses for the First Time (https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm556) * Treasury Sanctions Russia-Based Hydra (https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0701) * Blender.io Sanctions (https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0768#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,laundering%20of%20stolen%20virtual%20currency.) * The Bank Secrecy Act (https://www.fincen.gov/resources/statutes-and-regulations/bank-secrecy-act) * 311 Patriot Act (https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/terrorism-and-illicit-finance/311-actions) * FinCEN: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (https://www.fincen.gov/) * Application of FinCEN's Regulations to Certain Business Models Involving Convertible Virtual Currencies (https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/FinCEN%20Guidance%20CVC%20FINAL%20508.pdf) ZK Whiteboard Sessions (https://zkhack.dev/whiteboard/) – as part of ZK Hack and powered by Polygon – a new series of educational videos that will help you get onboarded into the concepts and terms that we talk about on the ZK front. ZK Jobs Board (https://jobsboard.zeroknowledge.fm/) has a fresh batch of open roles from ZK-focused projects. Find your next opportunity working in ZK! Today's episode is sponsored by Polygon (https://polygon.technology/). Introducing Polygon zkEVM. Polygon's vision for zkEVM is simple: developers can deploy any Ethereum smart contract to a Layer 2 and benefit from the scaling power of ZK proofs. Public testnet is coming soon! If you'd like to learn more about Polygon zkEVM and stay updated on the latest - fill out the form here. (https://polygon.technology/buildonzkevm) If you like what we do: * Find all our links here! @ZeroKnowledge | Linktree (https://linktr.ee/zeroknowledge) * Subscribe to our podcast newsletter (https://zeroknowledge.substack.com) * Follow us on Twitter @zeroknowledgefm (https://twitter.com/zeroknowledgefm) * Join us on Telegram (https://zeroknowledge.fm/telegram) * Catch us on Youtube (https://zeroknowledge.fm/) * Head to the ZK Community Forum (https://community.zeroknowledge.fm/) * Support our Gitcoin Grant (https://zeroknowledge.fm/gitcoin-grant-329-zkp-2)

Andrew Hinkes, partner at K&L Gates and adjunct professor at NYU, and Martin Koeppelman, co-founder of Gnosis, talk about the sanctions on Tornado Cash, how they will impact Ethereum on the base layer, and the likelihood of having two chains.    Show highlights: the legal meaning of the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash and why it is causing complications how legislation is built for the fiat world, and how in DeFi and crypto there's no clarity  how miners have changed their behavior prior to the Merge whether a proof of work chain or a proof of stake chain would be more censorship resistant whether laws apply to validators in a PoS chain the ways in which the government could provide more clarification  the different entities involved in Proof of Stake the liabilities for each entity in PoS and what secondary liability is how the task of the bidder can be described as a mathematical optimization problem whether Lido is exposed to US regulations how long would it take for a large staker like Coinbase to stop being a validator how a user-activated soft fork works and the conditions in which a fork could happen whether social slashing is enforceable considering it is not in the protocol the likelihood of Ethereum becoming a permissioned system the role of Flashbots' relay code and what it means for Ethereum's censorship resistance how DeFi's exposure to US-based institutions can affect the likelihood of the chain complying with sanctions whether DAI is just wrapped USDC how MakerDAO is trying to be more independent of USDC why US-based companies will choose a conservative path, considering the lack of guidance the importance of educating the regulators  how cash and crypto are the only remaining private payment methods  Thank you to our sponsors!   Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Ava Labs: https://avax.network a16z: https://link.chtbl.com/HObAJQDL?sid=unchained   Andrew Twitter: https://twitter.com/propelforward   Martin Twitter: https://twitter.com/koeppelmann   Previous Coverage of the Tornado Cash Sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No: https://unchainedpodcast.com/is-trm-labs-blocking-addresses-from-defi-protocols-ari-redbord-says-no-ep-387/ Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/tornado-cash-sanctioned-did-the-government-overstep-its-bounds-ep-384/ The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/the-chopping-block-did-ofac-overstep-by-sanctioning-tornado-cash-ep-386/     Social Slashing and Censorship on ETH Axios summary of the situation: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/23/how-transactions-might-be-censored-after-ethereum-changes-next-month   BitMex research on how the sanctions affect Ethereum: https://blog.bitmex.com/ofac-sanctions-ethereum-pos-some-technical-nuances/   Ethermine banning transactions: https://twitter.com/takenstheorem/status/1560690035955011585?s=20&t=59hWdhr8_O-hYA8uYnZJ8w   Nic Carter's article: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/25/if-ethereum-starts-slashing-it-burns/   Eric Wall's article on social slashing: https://ercwl.medium.com/the-case-for-social-slashing-59277ff4d9c7   CoinDesk article: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/08/23/as-censorship-on-ethereum-begins-could-this-open-sourced-code-help-counter-it/?outputType=amp   Hetzner banning Ethereum users: https://twitter.com/koeppelmann/status/1563146729314467840?s=20&t=ubFhCQqrQyHKfflgMHEmJw   Tornado Cash Treasury Press release:  https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,since%20its%20creation%20in%202019 Developer arrested: https://www.fiod.nl/arrest-of-suspected-developer-of-tornado-cash/ Rep. Emmer's letter: https://twitter.com/RepTomEmmer/status/1562084891247902721?s=20&t=9J3c3scVdxsLKVcFovaWdQ Tornado Cash post on compliance: https://tornado-cash.medium.com/tornado-cash-compliance-9abbf254a370 Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/u-s-treasury-sanction-of-privacy-tools-places-sweeping-restrictions-on-all-americans/ Second Coin Center article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/analysis-what-is-and-what-is-not-a-sanctionable-entity-in-the-tornado-cash-case/ Coin Center may challenge the US Treasury's decision to sanction Tornado Cash: https://decrypt.co/107475/coin-center-tornado-cash-ban-court What the sanctions mean for privacy coins: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/09/what-the-tornado-cash-sanction-means-for-privacy-coins/ Celebrities get Dusted: https://decrypt.co/es/107090/tornado-cash-dusts-public-wallets-jimmy-fallon-brian-armstrong-steve-aoki-logan-paul   DAI and USDC Maker forum: https://forum.makerdao.com/t/the-path-of-compliance-and-the-path-of-decentralization-why-maker-has-no-choice-but-to-prepare-to-free-float-dai/17466 https://decrypt.co/107273/makerdao-founder-dai-drop-dollar-peg-tornado-cash-usdc Circle freezes USDC in sanctioned wallets: https://www.theblock.co/post/162172/circle-freezes-usdc-funds-in-tornado-cashs-us-treasury-sanctioned-wallets      Flashbots Flashbots relay open source: https://twitter.com/hasufl/status/1559908331145265156?s=20&t=gtHe5sVetxQXVKfZL2VMYg MEV Boost: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/mev-boost MEV in ETH PoS: https://writings.flashbots.net/writings/mev-boost-call-for-testing Proposer-Builder separation: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/proposer-builder-separation

Andrew Hinkes, partner at K&L Gates and adjunct professor at NYU, and Martin Köppelmann, co-founder of Gnosis, talk about the sanctions on Tornado Cash, how they will impact Ethereum on the base layer, and the likelihood of having two chains.    Show highlights: the legal meaning of the OFAC sanctions on Tornado Cash and why it is causing complications how legislation is built for the fiat world, and how in DeFi and crypto there's no clarity  how miners have changed their behavior prior to the Merge whether a proof of work chain or a proof of stake chain would be more censorship resistant whether laws apply to validators in a PoS chain the ways in which the government could provide more clarification  the different entities involved in Proof of Stake the liabilities for each entity in PoS and what secondary liability is how the task of the bidder can be described as a mathematical optimization problem whether Lido is exposed to US regulations how long would it take for a large staker like Coinbase to stop being a validator how a user-activated soft fork works and the conditions in which a fork could happen whether social slashing is enforceable considering it is not in the protocol the likelihood of Ethereum becoming a permissioned system the role of Flashbots' relay code and what it means for Ethereum's censorship resistance how DeFi's exposure to US-based institutions can affect the likelihood of the chain complying with sanctions whether DAI is just wrapped USDC how MakerDAO is trying to be more independent of USDC why US-based companies will choose a conservative path, considering the lack of guidance the importance of educating the regulators  how cash and crypto are the only remaining private payment methods  Thank you to our sponsors!   Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021 Ava Labs: https://avax.network a16z: https://link.chtbl.com/HObAJQDL?sid=unchained   Andrew Twitter: https://twitter.com/propelforward   Martin Twitter: https://twitter.com/koeppelmann   Previous Coverage of the Tornado Cash Sanctions on Unchained: Is TRM Labs Blocking Addresses From DeFi Protocols? Ari Redbord Says No: https://unchainedpodcast.com/is-trm-labs-blocking-addresses-from-defi-protocols-ari-redbord-says-no-ep-387/ Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/tornado-cash-sanctioned-did-the-government-overstep-its-bounds-ep-384/ The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/the-chopping-block-did-ofac-overstep-by-sanctioning-tornado-cash-ep-386/     Social Slashing and Censorship on ETH Axios summary of the situation: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/23/how-transactions-might-be-censored-after-ethereum-changes-next-month   BitMex research on how the sanctions affect Ethereum: https://blog.bitmex.com/ofac-sanctions-ethereum-pos-some-technical-nuances/   Ethermine banning transactions: https://twitter.com/takenstheorem/status/1560690035955011585?s=20&t=59hWdhr8_O-hYA8uYnZJ8w   Nic Carter's article: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/25/if-ethereum-starts-slashing-it-burns/   Eric Wall's article on social slashing: https://ercwl.medium.com/the-case-for-social-slashing-59277ff4d9c7   CoinDesk article: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/08/23/as-censorship-on-ethereum-begins-could-this-open-sourced-code-help-counter-it/?outputType=amp   Hetzner banning Ethereum users: https://twitter.com/koeppelmann/status/1563146729314467840?s=20&t=ubFhCQqrQyHKfflgMHEmJw   Tornado Cash Treasury Press release:  https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,since%20its%20creation%20in%202019 Developer arrested: https://www.fiod.nl/arrest-of-suspected-developer-of-tornado-cash/ Rep. Emmer's letter: https://twitter.com/RepTomEmmer/status/1562084891247902721?s=20&t=9J3c3scVdxsLKVcFovaWdQ Tornado Cash post on compliance: https://tornado-cash.medium.com/tornado-cash-compliance-9abbf254a370 Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/u-s-treasury-sanction-of-privacy-tools-places-sweeping-restrictions-on-all-americans/ Second Coin Center article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/analysis-what-is-and-what-is-not-a-sanctionable-entity-in-the-tornado-cash-case/ Coin Center may challenge the US Treasury's decision to sanction Tornado Cash: https://decrypt.co/107475/coin-center-tornado-cash-ban-court What the sanctions mean for privacy coins: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/09/what-the-tornado-cash-sanction-means-for-privacy-coins/ Celebrities get Dusted: https://decrypt.co/es/107090/tornado-cash-dusts-public-wallets-jimmy-fallon-brian-armstrong-steve-aoki-logan-paul   DAI and USDC Maker forum: https://forum.makerdao.com/t/the-path-of-compliance-and-the-path-of-decentralization-why-maker-has-no-choice-but-to-prepare-to-free-float-dai/17466 https://decrypt.co/107273/makerdao-founder-dai-drop-dollar-peg-tornado-cash-usdc Circle freezes USDC in sanctioned wallets: https://www.theblock.co/post/162172/circle-freezes-usdc-funds-in-tornado-cashs-us-treasury-sanctioned-wallets      Flashbots Flashbots relay open source: https://twitter.com/hasufl/status/1559908331145265156?s=20&t=gtHe5sVetxQXVKfZL2VMYg MEV Boost: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/mev-boost MEV in ETH PoS: https://writings.flashbots.net/writings/mev-boost-call-for-testing Proposer-Builder separation: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/proposer-builder-separation

TODAY'S

On August 8, 2022, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Tornado Cash, citing allegations it helped North Korea's Lazarus hacker group launder millions of dollars worth of crypto proceeds stolen from various crypto projects over the past few years. Coin Center believe that OFAC has overstepped its legal authority by adding certain Tornado Cash smart contract addresses to the Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons (SDN) List, potentially violating US Americans' constitutional rights to due process and free speech.Peter Van Valkenburgh, Director of Research at Coin Center, joined us for an in-depth look at how OFAC operates, why he believes this sanctioning represents an overreach, what's next for Tornado Cash, and what this means for the rest of the blockchain ecosystem.Topics covered in this episode:An overview of the Tornado Cash caseWhat is the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)?How is it determined who gets on the OFAC list? What happens to you if you're on the list?Does this only apply to US Americans?How does one get removed from the list?What did Tornado Cash do wrong, and what should they have done?Is there an acceptable level of maliciousness within the system?Comparison to PGPWhy Tornado Cash was targeted over other privacy enhancing toolsThe reaction from the crypto ecosystemEpisode links:OFAC - The Office of Foreign Assets ControlCoin CenterTornado Cash on TwitterCoin Center on TwitterPeter on TwitterJoin the Epicenter team!Sponsors:Tally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/458

Ari Redbord, Head of Legal and Government Affairs at TRM Labs, talks about the sanctions on Tornado Cash, and the role of blockchain analytics tools in crypto.    Show highlights: Ari's background as a federal prosecutor and his work for the US Treasury why regulators sanctioned Tornado Cash, according to Ari why the Ronin hack was important for regulators to start taking DeFi hacks more seriously the fact that for the first time the Treasury Department sanctioned software whether the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) messed up whether regulators understood the impact on regular users the role of TRM and blockchain analytics tools in mitigating risk how decentralized applications use tools like the ones provided by TRM to comply with regulations and to block addresses why, if Ari were a regulator, he would focus on regulation guidance whether the sanctions on Tornado Cash are unconstitutional what the future of privacy in crypto looks like and whether the government is going after privacy technologies   Thank you to our sponsors!   1inch: https://1inch.io/ Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021   Ari Twitter: https://twitter.com/ARedbord   Tornado Cash Treasury Press release:  https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,since%20its%20creation%20in%202019 Tornado Cash Sanctioned: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2022/08/08/crypto-mixing-service-tornado-cash-blacklisted-by-us-treasury/ Developer arrested: https://www.fiod.nl/arrest-of-suspected-developer-of-tornado-cash/ TRM Labs blog post:  https://www.trmlabs.com/post/how-defi-platforms-are-using-data-from-trm-labs-to-respond-to-tornado-cash-sanctions Tornado Cash post on compliance: https://tornado-cash.medium.com/tornado-cash-compliance-9abbf254a370 Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/u-s-treasury-sanction-of-privacy-tools-places-sweeping-restrictions-on-all-americans/ Second Coin Center article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/analysis-what-is-and-what-is-not-a-sanctionable-entity-in-the-tornado-cash-case/ Coin Center may challenge the US Treasury's decision to sanction Tornado Cash: https://decrypt.co/107475/coin-center-tornado-cash-ban-court Circle freezes USDC in sanctioned wallets: https://www.theblock.co/post/162172/circle-freezes-usdc-funds-in-tornado-cashs-us-treasury-sanctioned-wallets  Crypto exchange dYdX blocked accounts that received funds from Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/08/11/crypto-exchange-dydx-blocked-accounts-that-received-even-small-amounts-from-tornado-cash/ The possibility of forking Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/08/10/cloning-tornado-cash-would-be-easy-but-risky/ What the sanctions mean for privacy coins: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/09/what-the-tornado-cash-sanction-means-for-privacy-coins/ Tornado Cash laundered $1.5 billion, according to Elliptic: https://hub.elliptic.co/analysis/tornado-cash-mixer-sanctioned-after-laundering-over-1-5-billion/ Celebrities get Dusted: https://decrypt.co/es/107090/tornado-cash-dusts-public-wallets-jimmy-fallon-brian-armstrong-steve-aoki-logan-paul Previous Coverage of Unchained: Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/tornado-cash-sanctioned-did-the-government-overstep-its-bounds-ep-384/ The Chopping Block: Did OFAC Overstep by Sanctioning Tornado Cash?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/the-chopping-block-did-ofac-overstep-by-sanctioning-tornado-cash-ep-386/     Hacks linked to Tornado Cash Ronin: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/15/ronin-hack-north-korea-linked-to-615-million-crypto-heist-us-says.html Harmony: https://decrypt.co/104138/north-korean-attackers-behind-100m-harmony-hack-report Crypto.com: https://www.wired.com/story/crypto-hack-nso-group-security-news/ Nomad: https://decrypt.co/106459/crypto-bridge-nomad-exploited-190m-frenzied-free-for-all Previous Coverage of Unchained: Will the Nomad Mass Looting Change How Law Enforcement Treats DeFi Hacks?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/will-the-nomad-mass-looting-change-how-law-enforcement-treats-defi-hacks-ep-382/  

Welcome to The Chopping Block! Crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, and Tarun Chitra chop it up about the latest news in the digital asset industry. In this episode, Laura Shin, host of Unchained and author of The Cryptopians, also joined the conversation.    Show topics: What Tornado Cash is and why it got sanctioned by the OFAC The difference between Tornado Cash and blender.io  Whether privacy is dead as a category and whether regulators are going after it How these sanctions have a negative impact on the funding of privacy projects How people within the industry can have different points of view, even when they understand the technology Whether the ban of Tornado Cash only means that malicious groups will just go and use other protocols Why regulation by enforcement sucks The asymmetry between the government's sanction and the effort needed to push it back. What changes after the Merge for ETH in terms of centralization Whether some MEV solutions make Ethereum more centralized Why MEV is intrinsic to blockchains and whether it is impossible to get rid of it Why Proposer-Builder Separation is helpful for the network Whether MEV is illegal and the plausibility of major exchanges not extracting MEV Why Facebook has an MEV extraction business model, according to Tarun How some NFT exchanges are not enforcing royalties What Sudoswap is and how it works How the royalties were there to bootstrap the supply side of NFTs Why Tarun thinks music NFTs will never happen The economic reasoning around royalties The differences between NFT marketplaces like OpenSea and Magic Eden Whether NFTs have a real-world use How Dragonfly's acquisition of Metastable brought Laura some old memories Hosts Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at Dragonfly Capital https://twitter.com/hosseeb Tom Schmidt, general partner at Dragonfly Capital https://twitter.com/tomhschmidt Tarun Chitra, managing partner at Robot Ventures https://twitter.com/tarunchitra    Laura Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurashin Episode Links   Tornado Cash Treasury Press release:  https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0916#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Today%2C%20the%20U.S.%20Department,since%20its%20creation%20in%202019 Developer arrested: https://www.fiod.nl/arrest-of-suspected-developer-of-tornado-cash/ Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/u-s-treasury-sanction-of-privacy-tools-places-sweeping-restrictions-on-all-americans/ Second Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/analysis-what-is-and-what-is-not-a-sanctionable-entity-in-the-tornado-cash-case/ Coin Center may challenge the US Treasury's decision to sanction Tornado Cash: https://decrypt.co/107475/coin-center-tornado-cash-ban-court Circle freezes USDC in sanctioned wallets: https://www.theblock.co/post/162172/circle-freezes-usdc-funds-in-tornado-cashs-us-treasury-sanctioned-wallets  Crypto exchange dYdX blocked accounts that received funds from Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/08/11/crypto-exchange-dydx-blocked-accounts-that-received-even-small-amounts-from-tornado-cash/ The possibility of forking Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/08/10/cloning-tornado-cash-would-be-easy-but-risky/ What the sanctions mean for privacy coins: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/09/what-the-tornado-cash-sanction-means-for-privacy-coins/ Tornado Cash laundered $1.5 billion, according to Elliptic: https://hub.elliptic.co/analysis/tornado-cash-mixer-sanctioned-after-laundering-over-1-5-billion/ Celebrities get Dusted: https://decrypt.co/es/107090/tornado-cash-dusts-public-wallets-jimmy-fallon-brian-armstrong-steve-aoki-logan-paul Secretary of State deletes tweet: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2022/08/08/us-secretary-of-state-tweets-deletes-claim-that-crypto-mixer-tornado-cash-is-north-korea-sponsored/ Previous Coverage of Unchained: Tornado Cash Sanctioned. Did the Government Overstep Its Bounds?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/tornado-cash-sanctioned-did-the-government-overstep-its-bounds-ep-384/    MEV What is MEV: https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/mev/#:~:text=Maximal%20extractable%20value%20(MEV)%20refers,of%20transactions%20in%20a%20block. Proposer-Builder separation: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/proposer-builder-separation MEV Boost: https://www.alchemy.com/overviews/mev-boost Flashbots auctions: https://docs.flashbots.net/flashbots-auction/overview   NFTs Why NFT Creators and Collectors Can't Stop Talking About Artist Royalties: https://decrypt.co/107482/why-nft-creators-collectors-artist-royalties NFT Royalties: Why artists love them, and traders don't: https://www.cnbctv18.com/cryptocurrency/nft-royalties-why-artists-love-them-and-traders-dont-14496762.htm  

Jerry Brito, executive director of Coin Center, talks about Tornado Cash, why it was sanctioned, and what this means for privacy in crypto.    Show highlights: what Blender.io is and how it relates to Tornado Cash how hackers have used Tornado Cash to launder money whether the Office of Foreign Assets Control made a mistake, according to Jerry how Americans were affected by the sanctions why Jerry believes OFAC should have done an analysis to estimate how many people would be impacted by its decision whether the sanctions should have been aimed at North Koren wallets and not the protocol whether the sanctions are unconstitutional and whether Coin Center will litigate this how Jerry believes Circle freezing USDC complicated everything what the famous people who received 0.1 ETH from random accounts via Tornado Cash should do  what would happen if someone forked the Tornado Cash code and deployed a copycat smart contract to a new address whether the sanctions signal the beginning of a privacy war on crypto how regulators are applying the same traditional rules with crypto as they use with centralized entities   Thank you to our sponsors!   1inch: https://1inch.io/ Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021   Jerry Twitter: https://twitter.com/jerrybrito   Tornado Cash Tornado Cash Sanctioned: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2022/08/08/crypto-mixing-service-tornado-cash-blacklisted-by-us-treasury/ Coin Center's article authored by Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh: https://www.coincenter.org/u-s-treasury-sanction-of-privacy-tools-places-sweeping-restrictions-on-all-americans/ Circle freezes USDC in sanctioned wallets: https://www.theblock.co/post/162172/circle-freezes-usdc-funds-in-tornado-cashs-us-treasury-sanctioned-wallets  Crypto exchange dYdX blocked accounts that received funds from Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/08/11/crypto-exchange-dydx-blocked-accounts-that-received-even-small-amounts-from-tornado-cash/ The possibility of forking Tornado Cash: https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2022/08/10/cloning-tornado-cash-would-be-easy-but-risky/ What the sanctions mean for privacy coins: https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/2022/08/09/what-the-tornado-cash-sanction-means-for-privacy-coins/ Tornado Cash laundered $1.5 billion, according to Elliptic: https://hub.elliptic.co/analysis/tornado-cash-mixer-sanctioned-after-laundering-over-1-5-billion/ Celebrities get Dusted: https://decrypt.co/es/107090/tornado-cash-dusts-public-wallets-jimmy-fallon-brian-armstrong-steve-aoki-logan-paul   Hacks linked to Tornado Cash Ronin: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/15/ronin-hack-north-korea-linked-to-615-million-crypto-heist-us-says.html Harmony: https://decrypt.co/104138/north-korean-attackers-behind-100m-harmony-hack-report Crypto.com: https://www.wired.com/story/crypto-hack-nso-group-security-news/ Nomad: https://decrypt.co/106459/crypto-bridge-nomad-exploited-190m-frenzied-free-for-all Previous Coverage of Unchained: Will the Nomad Mass Looting Change How Law Enforcement Treats DeFi Hacks?: https://unchainedpodcast.com/will-the-nomad-mass-looting-change-how-law-enforcement-treats-defi-hacks-ep-382/

Peter Van Valkenburgh (@valkenburgh) is the director of research for Coin Center, the leading non-profit focused on the policy issues facing cryptocurrencies. He was previously the Google Policy Fellow for TechFreedom and is a graduate of NYU School of Law, as well as a self-taught designer and coder. In this episode, we discuss Peter's role at Coin Center, the U.S. Constitution & Crypto, and the SEC's definition of an exchange. Show highlights: [1:10] Genesis block [9:20] Writing [13:50] Societal impact [18:00] Decentralization [24:00] Exchanges [29:10] Legal interpretations [34:00] Biden's Executive Order [42:00] Constitutional law [48:45] "Owning" Bitcoin [55:00] Interviewing Edward Snowden [58:30] Advice for recent grads [60:16] Seed oils Links: Peter's writing on Coin Center's website coincenter.org/people/peter-van-valkenburgh/ Seed oil blog: fireinabottle.net/ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review. You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the latest episodes. Disclaimer: Jacob Robinson and his guests are not your lawyer. Nothing herein or mentioned on the Law of Code podcast should be construed as legal advice. The material published is intended for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Please seek the advice of counsel, and do not apply any of the generalized material to your individual facts or circumstances without speaking to an attorney.

Peter Van Valkenburgh, director of research at Coin Center, discusses a proposed rule by the US Securities and Exchange Commission that has massive implications for the free-speech rights of crypto software developers in the US. Show highlights: why an SEC proposal changing the definition of “exchange” could violate the right to free speech of US crypto developers whether the SEC is going after DeFi on purpose – as its 200+ page proposal never mentions crypto or DeFi what precedent Peter has found that should prohibit the SEC from taking away software developers' right to free speech how Peter and Coin Center structured their recent letter of comment to the SEC what the next steps (such as a lawsuit?) should be for the crypto community if the rule goes into effect  why writing software is part of someone's right to free speech what implications the proposed rule could have on AMMs what happens next: when could the rule be put into place? Unchained is hiring!  Find out information on the three openings at Unchained and how to apply here:  part-time remote social media marketing manager: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-part-time-remote-social-media-and-marketing-manager/ part-time remote editorial assistant: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-remote-editorial-assistant/ part-time remote video/audio producer: https://unchainedpodcast.com/seeking-part-time-remote-video-audio-producer/ Announcing The Cryptopians Book Clubs! On April 26th, I will be selling NFT tickets to five 90-minute virtual book clubs in which 22 people can discuss "The Cryptopians" with me and with each other — without worrying about spoilers! Two of the book clubs will also feature special guests.    The sale will go live on Tuesday, April 26, at 1pm ET/10am PT,  and tickets will be $100 each. (The sale will be on Bitski, but the NFTs will not be visible until the sale goes live on the 26th): https://www.bitski.com/@laurashin/created Thank you to our sponsors! Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021     Coinchange: https://coinchange.io    OnJuno: https://onjuno.com/  Galaxis: https://galaxis.xyz/   Episode Links   Peter Van Valkenburgh Coin Center profile: https://www.coincenter.org/people/peter-van-valkenburgh/ Twitter:  ​https://twitter.com/valkenburgh    The SEC Proposal Proposal: ​https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-10#  Comments on the proposal: https://www.sec.gov/comments/s7-02-22/s70222.htm  Coin Center's/Peter's comment: https://www.coincenter.org/a-new-sec-proposal-has-a-serious-change-hidden-within-its-complex-language/ Coin Center blog on its comment: https://www.coincenter.org/a-new-sec-proposal-has-a-serious-change-hidden-within-its-complex-language/  Gabriel Shapiro's comment: https://twitter.com/lex_node/status/1516079145213739013 

Location: Washington D.C. Date: Saturday 4th December Project: American Economic Liberties Project & Coin Center Role: Director of Research & Research Director 2021 has been a monumental year for Bitcoin for many reasons. As a result, Bitcoin has matured in the minds of casual observers: it is now seriously viewed as a viable alternative to other forms of money. Whilst this is a validation for proponents, such a situation is like a fever dream for those who believe in the primacy of the state. China has banned private digital assets. The IMF is concerned about the impact of digital assets on financial stability. On Wednesday, the lead economist at the IMF stated that urgent international coordination is required to implement regulation. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has echoed these comments. There are also concerns from more vocal advocates for democracy. Such people argue there is no such thing as deregulation: someone is always making the rules. The decision is whether such rules are made within the purview of collective agreement, or by unelected and unaccountable powers. This community thinks Bitcoin undermines the state and thereby democracy. Bitcoin is rightly or wrongly associated with an anarcho capitalist ideology. Yet, the Bitcoin community is a broad church. There is a growing sense that a silent majority who still believe in government, but also see Bitcoin as a powerful check on centralised control. They view Bitcoin as second amendment rights for money.  In this interview, I talk to Matt Stoller: author of ‘Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy', about his recent newsletter post ‘Cryptocurrencies: A Necessary Scam?'. To make the case for Bitcoin I am joined by Coin Center's Peter Van Valkenburgh. We discuss the issue of power consolidation, the current crisis with democracy, and the monopoly of money.

Cryptocurrency regulation sits at the intersection of multiple regulatory regimes: financial markets regulators and banking regulators, among many others, have asserted authority over certain aspects of crypto regulation, which has resulted in an overlapping and incomplete regulatory framework that has drawn criticism from both proponents and skeptics of crypto innovation. So, how is cryptocurrency regulated? How should it be regulated? Who should regulate it? Cato's Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives is looking at these questions with a series that examines the roles of different regulators and considers what type of regulatory framework should be adopted to balance the risks and innovative potential of cryptocurrencies.This third panel addresses the role of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in regulating cryptocurrency, focusing on the current state of regulation at the SEC and discussing the benefits and limitations of the SEC's regulation in this space. Join Carol Goforth, Nicholas Losurdo, and Peter Van Valkenburgh in a panel moderated by David Hollerith from Yahoo Finance to discuss the SEC's role in crypto regulation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Location: Remotely Date: Tuesday 22nd December Company: Coin Center Role: Executive Director & Research Director Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary of the United States, is looking to implement a new regulation that would require financial institutions to verify the identity of both senders and recipients of any Bitcoin transaction, over $3000. A few weeks ago, Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong tweeted that Mnuchin was looking to 'rush out' new regulation before the end of President Trump's term in office. This regulation is not without opposition and Coin Center is addressing many concerns with the new rules and the method in which they are being passed. In this interview, I talk to Jerry Brito and Peter Van Valkenburgh, Coin Center Executive Director and Research Director. We discuss the implications of the new regulations, the key issues and what you can do to prevent them from passing.

Location: Skype Date: Monday, 27th January Project: Coin Center Role: Peter Van Valkenburgh & Jerry Brito Welcome to the Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin. Bitcoin can be intimidating for beginners. The protocol is complicated, the community can be aggressive and unforgiving, silly mistakes can lose you money, and it is easy to succumb to altcoin marketing.  Bitcoin does though, offer you the opportunity to hold a new type of monetary asset, one which can't be seized by the government and is censorship resistance and It has the potential to change the way the world.  The goal of What Bitcoin Did has always been about making things simple; there are no stupid questions, and the show is here to help beginners navigate this new world. To kick off 2020, we are launching a special series to help beginners understand Bitcoin. We will be looking at the basics from breaking down the protocol to explaining the economics and discussing the potential societal shift.  Beginners Guide Part 8 - How is Bitcoin Legal with Peter Van Valkenburgh & Jerry Brito Bitcoin is still a relatively new technology. However, it is already a very real threat to government-issued fiat currencies and central banks. This has made regulating Bitcoin a tricky proposition for governments.  China took a hard-line approach to this new asset class and in 2013, banned Bitcoin transactions, and in 2017, the government banned exchanges and ICOs. In Bolivia, there is a unilateral ban on all cryptocurrencies. Other countries have taken a far more progressive view of Bitcoin, embracing it, though often with caution.  Most accepting has been Malta which has created the Malta Digital Innovation Authority; a government body brought in specifically for creating responsible crypto policy. While the regulatory landscape is complex and jurisdiction-specific, regulations tend to apply more aggressively to businesses in the space than users. These laws and regulations that Bitcoin businesses must comply with, however, still have an impact. For example; the majority of exchanges must follow AML/KYC rules which means when buying Bitcoin on an exchange you do give up your privacy.  In Part 8 of the Bitcoin Beginner's Guide and to help explain and navigate the regulatory landscape I talk to Peter Van Valkenburgh & Jerry Britto, the Director of Research & Executive Director at Coin Center a non-profit focused on the policy issues for Bitcoin. We discuss the Bitcoin regulatory landscape and the implications to the users.

This episode features a conversation between Peter Van Valkenburgh - Director of Research at Coin Center, the leading non-profit focused on the policy issues facing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin - and Muneeb Ali, CEO of Blockstack PBC. Peter and Muneeb discuss Coin Center’s mission and recent work, Facebook’s Libra Coin, the case for a true electronic cash, and more. 0:00:50 Peter's bio 0:01:09 Peter: "[Coin Center] was my first big job out of law school." 0:02:58 Muneeb: "You're OG now. When did Blockstack start sponsoring Coin Center?" 0:03:18 Peter: "Coin Center got its start in 2014. We got some really generous runway from a couple of donors who are just individuals who wanted to see a more adult advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. focused on this stuff." 0:04:56 Peter: "Coin Center is supposed to be an independent digital civil lIberties organization that goes and represents the underlying open technologies to Congress or to regulators." 0:06:08 Muneeb: "I simply say [the people at Coin Center]... actually understand this technology and they understand the regulations and the law, which is a rare combination. And they can be the right bridge between this technology and the various regulators or lawmakers." 0:06:29 Peter: "I think that's right. A lot of what we do I often think of as translation." 0:07:13 Peter: "More often than not we're explaining the law to lawyers in this space." 0:08:51 Peter: "There's no company - and all previous financial regulations - almost all - rely on finding a regulated entity and obligating that regulated entity to achieve the policy result that government wants." 0:09:37 Peter: "In the Bitcoin case, who's the issuer of the Bitcoin security?" 0:09:52 Peter: "Who in the Zcash space should be obligated for money laundering compliance?" 0:11:38 Muneeb: "One of my working theories is that Satoshi Nakamoto - whoever that person or group of individuals were - not only understood computer science, distributed systems, applied cryptography, and game theory, they actually knew securities regulation as well and that's why we don't know who is Satoshi Nakamoto." 0:12:42 Peter: "The policy objective that securities law seek to address are correcting the asymmetric information between issuers who are promising things to investors and the investors who've paid money to the investors." 0:13:51 Peter: "There are still the potential for information asymmetries. And I've sort of gotten into this debate with Angela Walch before about whether there's information asymmetries between software developers and the users of a software." 0:15:35 Muneeb: "Speaking of securities regulation I should just make a note here: we have a public filing with the SEC." 0:16:13 Peter: "From my perspective [Blockstack] has taken a really responsible and conservative approach to securities law compliance." 0:17:06 Peter: "I'm not a huge fan of the way we do investor protection in this country because it's very permissioned and it also excludes a lot of investors from participating." 0:18:58 Muneeb: "We actually had you host our Blockstack Summit in Berlin, and you interviewed Edward Snowden there. How was that experience? And has he been more active in the space? Or was that a one off thing?" 0:19:32 Peter: "That experience was awesome - it's still probably one of the craziest things I've ever done." 0:22:36 Peter: "I do think [Edward Snowden] has been quasi-active in the Zcash development community." 0:24:43 Peter: "He's worked on something really cool with the Freedom of the Press Foundation, which is if you have an old cell phone and want to turn it into an alarm system." 0:26:16 Muneeb: "Have you checked out any of the latest stuff that's been built on Blockstack?" 0:26:24 Peter: "I have a real interest in Graphite, which is the Google Docs type app." 0:27:05 Peter: "We've been looking for a long time for some sort of non-Google "Can't Be Evil" alternative to Google Docs." 0:29:29 Peter: "Network effects are a bitch, to put it a somewhat grotesque way. If you're talking about a communication system or a system where people pay each other, the systems that succeeded are not the ones that were best architected." 0:29:55 Peter: "Just look at all the attempts and failures at doing encrypted email." 0:30:16 Peter: "You're just going to default to the one everyone's on, even if it's not great for privacy." 0:32:32 Muneeb: "We're super excited to have [Neal Stephenson] at the 2019 Summit in San Francisco. I think Naval Ravikant is going to have a fireside chat." 0:33:40 Peter: "The Diamond Age describes Zcash." 0:36:01 Muneeb: "Coming back to this idea of decentralized applications - one model I have in my mind was when Linux was starting." 0:38:51 Peter: "Maybe decentralized apps will have their best success early on in those sort of niche enterprise / highly technical persons use-cases." 0:40:16 Peter: "Good luck getting a bunch of lawyers even to this day to group edit a Google Doc, let alone use Graphite." 0:40:24 Muneeb: "I think we knew that Linux won the server wars when even Microsoft started using Linux in their data centers." 0:40:32 Peter: "[Microsoft] has done a total 180, probably because they saw the writing on the wall as far as their consumer software business." 0:40:56 Muneeb: "What do you think of Facebook Libra?" 0:41:05 Peter: "I have a lot of thoughts about Facebook Libra. I should be careful about what I say because I don't want to be unfair." 0:41:30 Peter: "It's a really complicated system they're building that is still nonetheless permissioned. It's a permissioned blockchain." 0:42:29 Peter: "[Libra] is not an open blockchain. It's not a blockchain where anyone can add transactions to the ledger and independently verify the transactions." 0:43:15 Peter: "With Bitcoin, there's a lot of regulations that don't apply because it would be nonsensical to apply them because there isn't a centralized intermediary who you can trust to achieve the policy result you want." 0:43:32 Peter: "With Libra, that's not true at all. There are identified parties who you could trust to achieve the policy result you want." 0:43:56 Peter: "Even if you're an individual, you're not allowed to transact or interact economically with someone on the SDN list, like everyone in Iran." 0:44:42 Peter: "The Libra association is going to be this group of identified persons, which are really just corporations, including Facebook, Visa, and Mastercard. Whose laws are they going to comply with with respect to sanctions?" 0:45:21 Peter: "[Libra's] not censorship resistant cash. It's not really a cryptocurrency. It's just another payment rail. Why build it in such a complicated way?" 0:45:43 Peter: "Another thought is the whole reserve thing. So aside from being permissioned vs permissionless, Lbra is going to be asset-backed." 0:46:36 Peter: "If you are a company that has assets in a reserve, and people are trading - effectively - a pro-rata share of the value of those assets? That sounds like a security to me." 0:47:16 Peter: "And yet, I don't think there's plans to register Libra as a security because, frankly, if you did, it would be very useless as a currency, because it would only be allowed to be traded on securities exchanges." 0:48:09 Peter: "I've never seen such a rapid and aggressive response from members of Congress to a new tech project." 0:49:28 Muneeb: "Do you think the reaction from Washington is linked with some of the antitrust stuff as well?" 0:50:07 Peter: "Maybe they thought, 'This is us proving that we're investing in being less powerful'? Kind of like how they talk about WhatsApp a lot now." 0:51:03 Peter: "People in Congress ... are gonna say, 'This is Facebook, who some of us are already talking about anti-trust issues, and now they want to become the global reserve currency for all payments everywhere?" 0:51:40 Peter: "If any company is going to build a payments tool, they should build cryptocurrencies. I'm just disappointed they didn't basically fork Bitcoin or integrate it." 0:52:13 Muneeb: "That's what they say in the whitepaper, 'We're giving ourselves five years to figure out how to build an open system, but in the meanwhile - because of scalability - the only way to scale to a billion users is to use a closed system." 0:52:54 Peter: "I've heard a lot of people say that Move, the smart contract language [Facebook's] architected, is apparently extremely elegant." 0:53:17 Muneeb: "The motivation for Move is very similar to the smart contract language that we launched yesterday, Clarity." 0:54:38 Peter: "God knows that Solidity has had this particular issue where it's hard to know exactly what you just wrote in a smart contract until you launch it on Mainnet and someone breaks it in the DAO hack example." 0:55:44 Muneeb: "Ethereum is very interesting. They have a large community and kind of started everyone in the industry in a certain direction from a technology perspective. And I believe that most of those things were wrong." 0:57:05 Peter: "Maybe the network effects are just age-based, but it could also be this willingness to push stuff out there maybe before it's fully manicured or even fully compliant with the law." 0:57:51 Peter: "I should disclose that I'm a member of the Zcash Foundation's Board of Directors." 1:00:00 Muneeb: "I swear we're not doing this on purpose, but every decision we make ends up being the exact opposite of Ethereum." 1:04:13 Muneeb: "What's the biggest project you're spending your time on these days?" 1:05:50 Peter: "We were faced around a year and a half ago with, 'What's going to be a big issue in a year or two years? What do we need to start laying the groundwork on from a policy perspective now in order to have good policy outcomes later?'" 1:07:12 Peter: "Bitcoin, I think, ultimately needs to change and be more private and a lot of the privacy coins that we now see were originally proposed as amendments to the Bitcoin protocol." 1:08:38 Peter: "Any of the very public blockchains will ultimately need to find ways to obscure that transaction graph because, otherwise, we're gonna just be giving totalitarian states the best tool for mass surveillance that anyone's ever developed." 1:08:52 Peter: "So, with that in mind, we said 'What are the policy issues here?' And the big ones are anti money laundering law." 1:09:18 Peter: "Bank robbers use getaway cars. Even terrorists use encrypted messaging. This is just a reality, but that doesn't mean we should ban automobiles and encryption." 1:10:06 Peter: "We use the term 'electronic cash' because it's really like cash then. You can send it from one person to another, no one is in between, it's censorship resistant, and it doesn't leave a record." 1:10:23 Peter: "What if we get some sort of overbearing, overzealous response from policy makers that says we can't have these things anymore?" 1:11:51 Peter: "Most people have written about First Amendment issues here: ... if you're writing in computer code... it's still speech." 1:12:44 Peter: "What I don't think is a well enough explored area are the Fourth Amendment issues. The Fourth Amendment in the US says you need a warrant if you're a law enforcement and want to search somebody." 1:13:43 Peter: "Banks have been reporting our entire transaction history to governments whenever they ask, without a warrant, since 1970." 1:14:12 Peter: "The reason why that's constitutional in this context is because people willingingly hand over those records to banks during the regular course of business. ... You lose your reasonable expectation of privacy because your sharing it with a third-party." 1:15:09 Peter: "There's no reason for a developer to have all that private information about the users of their software. There's definitely a reason for a bank to have a bunch of information about the users of the bank." 1:15:48 Peter: "From a constitutional law standpoint... the only reason why it's okay for banks to bulk collect, surveil their users, and report that to government without a warrant, is that they have a reasonable business purpose to collect that information." 1:16:03 Peter: "There's no reasonable business purpose for an open source software developer to collect information about the users of their software - it just doesn't make sense." 1:16:29 Peter: "If it's interesting to your audience, I highly recommend you pick up our report. It's explained much more carefully and you don't need to be a lawyer or to have gone to law school to understand it." 1:17:33 Muneeb: "Where can people find you?" 1:17:37 Peter: "All our work at Coin Center is made public and made available at CoinCenter.org. And we rely on donations from people who are just excited about the technology and want to see good advocacy in DC." 1:18:18 Muneeb: "Blockstack is a supporter and we've been extremely happy with our involvement with Coin Center. They've been super helpful whenever we need them." 1:18:29 Muneeb: "Goodbyes." Peter Van Valkenburgh http://twitter.com/valkenburgh Muneeb Ali http://twitter.com/muneeb Zach Valenti http://twitter.com/zachvalenti See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are starting to matter more and more—to more and more people. Big, sweeping decisions made in Washington D.C. are starting to impact people holding or investing in crypto. And as such, this growing contingent needs representation in the nation's capital. Not only that, but existing legislation is affected by new forms of money. This is where Coin Center comes in. "Coin Center is a non-profit research and advocacy center that is focused on the public policy questions that have emerged thanks to the development of Bitcoin and other decentralized computing platforms like Ethereum, and Dash," explains Coin Center director of research Peter Van Valkenburgh. For technologists and policymakers alike, Coin Center is a central point of contact, the nerve center of crypto in this country. Tune in to learn more about Coin Center, and to hear more from Peter Van Valkenburgh. Be sure to subscribe and review, and if you can, consider donating some Bitcoin to the cause

How does one regulate Bitcoin and other virtual currencies? This is question is puzzling many lawmakers and bureaucrats struggling to navigate a new, decentralized industry that's still in its nascent stage. Isn't the point of Bitcoin not to be regulated? And who would even have jurisdiction anyway? Evan is joined by Peter Van Valkenburgh, Director of Research at Coin Center, a think tank focused on cryptocurrency issues. They discuss the past, present, and future of Bitcoin regulation.