Blockchain and Digital Assets

Carnegie Sterns: Blockchain & Digital Assets Practice

Carnegie Sterns’ global Blockchain & Digital Assets Group comprises more than 100 attorneys across multiple legal disciplines in key financial centers worldwide. Our integrated, cross-disciplinary approach enables us to provide sophisticated, strategic counsel on the full spectrum of blockchain and digital asset matters. We advise clients on token structuring, fund formation, investment strategies, financial regulation and registration, international tax planning, stablecoins and asset-backed digital instruments, infrastructure and technology applications, software licensing and development, mining operations, securities compliance, cryptocurrency exchange operations and trading, and blockchain-as-a-service platforms.

As the industry continues to evolve—with innovations such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), staking protocols, and other emerging technologies—our team remains at the forefront, offering clients cutting-edge legal insight and regulatory guidance grounded in practical experience.

A Multidisciplinary Legal Framework for Digital Innovation

Our firm’s multidisciplinary capabilities allow us to proactively address the wide range of legal challenges presented by blockchain and digital asset technologies. Our dedicated team includes seasoned attorneys with backgrounds in securities law, commodities regulation, broker-dealer compliance, fund and entity formation, financial services regulation at both state and federal levels, technology licensing, intellectual property, privacy and cybersecurity, and taxation.

Carnegie Sterns also draws upon the deep bench of our Government Law & Policy Practice, which routinely advises government entities and municipalities on evolving regulatory frameworks, model standards, and policy development related to blockchain and digital assets.

Strategic Counsel for Blockchain and Smart Contract Deployments

As blockchain and smart contract technologies introduce automated processes across new domains, our attorneys advise clients on appropriate standards and implementation protocols to ensure regulatory and evidentiary compliance. We help clients navigate uncertainties surrounding:

• Regulator and auditor access to blockchain and smart contract data

• Certification, authentication, and reporting of control mechanisms

• Retention, production, and authentication of records for dispute resolution

We are also actively engaged in analyzing emerging privacy and cybersecurity obligations associated with blockchain platforms, and we assist clients with preparing for legal, contractual, and regulatory requirements surrounding user data and smart contract deployment.

Digital Assets, Cryptocurrencies, and NFTs

With the growing adoption of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and other digital assets as fundraising vehicles, payment methods, and functional components of blockchain ecosystems, Carnegie Sterns offers tailored legal strategies to help clients capitalize on opportunities while managing risks. We evaluate each initiative through the lens of securities compliance, regulatory oversight, market volatility, and structural integrity.

Our team remains vigilant to legislative developments, regulatory trends, enforcement actions, and technological shifts in the digital asset landscape. Whether advising on compliance, structuring, commercialization, or risk management, our attorneys bring deep experience in:

• Securities and commodities regulation

• Capital formation and financing

• Data privacy and cybersecurity

• IP protection and licensing

• International regulatory guidance

Our Practice Capabilities Include:

• Contractual Structuring & Implementation

• Corporate, Fund Formation, Venture Capital & Capital Raises

• Cybersecurity & Privacy

• Intellectual Property Protection

• Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• Marketplace Lending

• Mergers & Acquisitions

• Regulatory Counseling

• Tax Planning & Structuring

• Technology & Digital Transactions

• Virtual Currency, Digital Assets & NFTs

Cryptocurrency Enforcement Defense

Carnegie Sterns’ Cryptocurrency Enforcement team is composed of former government officials and leading white-collar defense attorneys with extensive experience navigating the evolving enforcement environment surrounding digital assets.

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies—from agencies such as the SEC, CFTC, and DOJ—our team provides trusted counsel on internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, and civil or criminal enforcement matters. Notably, the DOJ’s creation of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) underscores the government’s increasing focus on prosecuting misuse and illicit financial activity involving cryptocurrency.

Our attorneys include former senior officials from the DOJ’s Criminal Division, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), National Security Division, and former SEC enforcement leaders. We represent clients in matters involving:

• Securities and commodities fraud

• Market manipulation

• Sanctions and Bank Secrecy Act violations

• Digital asset compliance and registration

• Internal investigations and government enforcement actions