On Thursday, Kaye Scholer, the New York City-based law firm specializing in life sciences and financial services, held a seminar for many of its clients as an introduction to Bitcoin both as an asset as well as a technology.
Intended as an introductory session, the seminar included topics talking about what virtual currency is, the federal and state regulations and financial opportunities associated with Bitcoin, among other topics.
The presenters were Evan L. Greebel, a partner at Kaye Scholer; Keith McGowan, a partner at BDO; Cameron Winklevoss, co-founder and president of Gemini; Tyler Winklevoss, co-founder and CEO of Gemini; and Peter Van Valkenburgh, Research Director at Coin Center. The event was moderated by Kathleen Moriarty, a partner at Kaye Scholer.
“Kaye Scholer is a market leader in representing companies and entrepreneurs in the fintech space. Evan Greebel, Kathleen Moriarty and I joined that fintech team in July and are bringing our own Bitcoin and blockchain expertise to bear in New York, Silicon Valley and beyond," said Gregory Xethalis, counsel in the Corporate Division at Kaye Scholer, in an interview with Bitcoin Magazine.
"The event was an opportunity to introduce our practice, and Bitcoin itself, to Kaye Scholer clients who are in the process of learning what Bitcoin will mean for Wall Street, both as an asset class and a technology.”
Van Valkenburgh explained in simple terms how the bitcoin blockchain works, including how the mining fee helps secure the network, and the risks that overregulation could have on the sector. The Winklevoss brothers touched on the long-term possibilities for Bitcoin both as a technology as well as an asset. Tyler Winklevoss explained how bitcoin could replace gold as a store of value because humanity may begin mining metals in space, where there is an oversupply of the same precious metals humans value for scarcity.
Overall, there were 65 attendees at the event ranging from individuals at large financial institutions (some that have already been active in the space), private hedge and private equity fund advisers and fintech professionals.
And while Kaye Scholer is the law team that has worked with the Winklevoss brothers on Gemini and the ETF, this was not an event to advertise Gemini.
“While trading professionals certainly would have an interest, it wasn’t a Gemini pitch so much as a Bitcoin informational session,” explained Xethalis.
This event is the first in a two-part series. While this event focused on the Bitcoin blockchain, the firm is holding a second one to focus in on blockchain technology as a whole.
“Tonight was intended to be an introduction to Bitcoin as an asset and technology,” Xethalis explained. “We are hosting a roundtable on November 5th
that will include panelists from premier Wall Street companies that are exploring the blockchain and investors in blockchain-focused companies. That seminar will focus on the financial systems adoption of blockchain technologies for routine and complicated financial transactions.”
Jacob Donnelly is a full-time product manager and freelance journalist covering stocks, business, and bitcoin. He runs a weekly digital currency and blockchain newsletter called Crypto Brief.