Bitcoin has received considerable media attention in recent months as its value soared then retreated, fueling growing speculation regarding its future. Retailers and merchants appear to (wisely) be taking a cautious approach.
Continue Reading Despite Growing Value of Bitcoin, Retailers and Merchants Take a Cautious Approach

In a ruling of particular importance to the digital currency community, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for the first time has definitively ruled that Bitcoin and other digital currencies (also known as virtual currencies or cryptocurrencies) are commodities subject to the CFTC’s jurisdiction. Specifically, in an enforcement action announced on September 17, 2015, the CFTC issued an order against an online platform and its CEO for facilitating the trading of Bitcoin options contracts. We discuss some of the implications of this order below.

Continue Reading CFTC Defines Bitcoin and Digital Currencies as Commodities