The 2015 “Bits Bites Plastic: The New World of Electronic Payments and E-Currency” symposium explored the legal and business implications of the boom in electronic payment systems and digital currencies (from Apple Pay and Bitcoin to novel payment apps).

This event assembled a panel of investors, attorneys, and academics to “weigh in” on the fast-changing landscape of e-payments and cryptocurrency. Panelists included Michael Borrus (XSeed Capital), Robert Claassen (Kaye Scholer/Camp One Ventures), Avin Arumugam (JPMorgan’s digital payments team), Thomas Brown (Paul Hastings, fintech practice), and Prof. Michael Katz (economist at UC Berkeley). They discussed topics such as the regulatory uncertainty around Bitcoin, the advent of mobile payment platforms, and how traditional banking laws are adapting to fintech innovation.

Given the shorter time frame, the symposium was a focused panel discussion rather than a multi-panel conference. Insights from this event fed into BBLJ’s online blog and note topics. The panel’s consensus was that legal frameworks were lagging behind fintech innovations – a theme BBLJ would continue to monitor (Notably, one year later, in 2016, Berkeley Law launched a Fintech speaker series, building on interest generated at this symposium).

Details

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2015

Time: 12:45 – 1:45 pm

Venue: Room 132, Boalt Hall, Berkeley, California 94720