Blockchain Technologies
Our team takes an inquisitive approach to technological developments and benefits from a network of legal expertise. Our interdisciplinary, tech-savvy team advises companies on all legal and regulatory issues where financial services and information technology overlap. Our team support clients in the development, implementation and legal protection of new business models, as well as in the distribution and marketing of innovative services and products. Our clients include startups, established financial institutions, large technology companies and investors with a focus on blockchain, DLT and digitalisation.
Taking a holistic approach, we offer you comprehensive expertise in the fields of law of intellectual property, data protection, financial markets, competition, tax, telecommunications, contract, corporate and notary law.
We attach great importance to pragmatic and solution-oriented advice and help you to realistically assess and act on both opportunities and legal risks in this new, digital world.
Our team offers you access to experts in the field of blockchain & distributed ledger technology (DLT) and competent advice on the following interdisciplinary topics:
- Development and implementation of comprehensive structuring, strategies and measures to create, maintain and protect digital business models and platform solutions
- Regulatory reviews (qualification of tokens and business models, licensing and registration requirements in all financial market areas and obtaining no-action letters)
- Coordination with and representation before supervisory authorities (such as FINMA, SNB, SROs, AOs) and courts, conducting relevant preliminary clarifications and proceedings
- Examination of tax structuring options and coordination with the responsible tax authorities for direct and indirect taxes (obtaining tax rulings)
- Comprehensive support for coin/token issuing projects (ICOs/STOs/IEOs/TGEs/etc.) (Company founding, creation of prospectuses and basic information sheets)
- Infrastructure for the global, digitalised economy
- Digitalised capital market, digital (equity/debt) financing structures, tokenisation and documentation
- Fintech, insurtech, regtech and Legal Tech
- Artificial intelligence, machine learning & autonomous systems
- Cyber security
To download our brochure click here.
“Fantastic firm to work with. Would recommend on all fronts”
Publications
Staking Services Regulation in Switzerland
The International Journal of Blockchain Law, Volume 8, March 2024, Global Blockchain Business Council, pages 21 - 25- EN
Cryptoassets & Blockchain 2024 – Switzerland
Lexology GTDT, Getting The Deal Through, Law Business Research, January 2024- EN
IP & Blockchain: Aktuelle Entwicklungen
Präsentation anlässlich des LES-CH Rigi Seminars zum Thema «IP & Blockchain: Aktuelle Entwicklungen und Anwendungsfälle».- DE
Tokenisierung von Immobilien: Hype oder bald Realität?
Präsentation über Anwendungsbereich von Blockchaintechnologie im Immobiliensektor, MLL Legal- DE
Firm News
MLL Legal | Delegation of the United Arab Emirates | Global Blockchain Synergy | Crypto Valley | Zug | 4 March 2024
MLL Legal advised Moflix in its $3.1 Million seed financing round
Reto Luthiger included in Citywealth’s Top 50 Crypto Professionals 2023 Leaders List
Prof. Dr. Andreas Furrer | Referent | ICT – RECHT und PRAXIS | 29.11.2023
Prof. Dr. Andreas Furrer | Nouveau Special Counsel
News Portal
Agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom (UK) on Mutual Recognition in Financial Services
On 21 December 2023, Switzerland signed a first-of-its-kind financial services agreement with the UK (Agreement) after two years of talks which began after the UK left the EU. The Agreement uses outcomes-based mutual recognition of each jurisdiction’s financial services regulatory and supervisory regimes to facilitate cross-border trade in financial services to wholesale and sophisticated clients on the basis of deference, domestic law or other arrangements:
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Swiss Regulator FINMA Introduces New Internationally Leading Staking Services Regulation
FINMA published its new FINMA Guidance 08/2023 “Staking” clarifying the regulatory requirements for providing custody staking services in Switzerland in connection with validation services in proof-of-stake (PoS) protocols. This creates full legal certainty for such services, which brings Switzerland at the forefront in crypto regulations.
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Don’t Panic if the Postman Rings
Important news from the Value Added Tax (VAT) department: The Swiss Federal Tax Administration (SFTA) changed the VAT practice regarding the qualification of native tokens with governance function. All existing rulings concerning the qualification of such tokens are currently re-assessed. The SFTA communicates this practice change by individual letters to taxpayers who have previously obtained VAT advance rulings rather than by public announcement.
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New Update on the Taxation of Crypto Projects from the SFTA – Taxation of DAOs Remains Hidden Topic
On 19 October 2023 the Swiss Federal Tax Administration («SFTA«) provided new guidance on the taxation of blockchain related projects in the updated version of the “Dossier Tax Information: Cryptocurrency”. Further details on the tax treatment of non fungible Tokens, airdrops, staking and the token issuance to employees are presented. Unfortunately, the SFTA remains mostly silent on the taxation of DAOs.
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NFTs and Trademarks – What You Need to Know
«NFT» seem to be the word of the hour. Everyone wants NFTs, many are creating NFTs, some are buying and trading NFTs, few are getting rich off NFTs and even fewer know what an NFT really is. Currently, «The Merge»-NFT is the most expensive NFT ever traded – it was purchased for more than 91 million USD. However, NFTs are a much talked about topic not only because of their sometimes-astronomical purchase prices, but also because several legal disputes have already arisen in connection with NFTs – including over intellectual property rights. We tell you what you need to know, what you need to keep in mind and which questions are currently still unanswered with regard specially to trademark law.
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