Share this article

Bill to Give Blockchain Records Legal Clout Reintroduced in US House

Rep. Soto and Rep. Schweikert call for recognizing blockchain signatures as legal instruments in their new bill.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 10:05 a.m. Published Oct 7, 2020, 4:05 p.m.
Rep. David Schweikert
Rep. David Schweikert

Leaders of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus have reintroduced a bill that would give legal status to blockchain-secured records and smart contracts.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

  • Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) submitted the Blockchain Records and Transaction Act of 2020 on the House floor Wednesday, a measure similar to one introduced in 2018 but which never came up for a vote.
  • The current bill would prohibit individuals from denying an electronic record legal effect "solely because it is created, stored or secured on or through a blockchain."
  • Further, the bill would enshrine blockchain and smart contracts in the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act of 2000, the cornerstone federal law protecting electronics signatures more broadly.
  • The authors said in a statement this would legitimize blockchain records as a legal instrument in interstate and foreign commerce.
  • Several states have already implemented similar provisions, most recently Illinois.

More For You

Solana CME Futures Fell Short of BTC and ETH Debuts, but There's a Catch

Solana CME futures first-day activity compared to BTC and ETH debuts. (CME/K33 Research)

When adjusted for asset market capitalization SOL's relative futures volume looks better, K33 Research noted.

What to know:

  • Solana's SOL futures began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Monday, with a notional daily volume of $12.3 million and $7.8 million in open interest, significantly lower than the debuts of bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) futures.
  • Despite the seemingly lackluster debut, when adjusted to market value, SOL's first-day figures are more in line with BTC's and ETH's, according to K33 Research.
  • Despite the bearish market conditions, the launch of CME SOL futures offers new ways for institutions to manage their exposure to the token, said Joshua Lim of FalconX.