Professor participates in expert group for cryptoassets study

Professor Ryan Clements was one of only two law professors, and the only Canadian law professor, to be interviewed as part of an expert group for a research study by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute on cryptoassets which was published on January 4, 2023.

Cryptoassets: Beyond the hype offers a dispassionate look at cryptoassets from the point of view investment professionals. The paper distills research interviews conducted over the past year with a variety of investment practitioners and crypto experts—some enthusiastic, some skeptical, many cautious but curious. We have sought to go beyond the hype and understand what investment professionals are thinking and doing. The paper offers recommendations for policymakers and investors, while taking no categorical position for or against investing in crypto. Instead, we offer a framework of key issues to consider before investing in crypto, including: valuation, fiduciary duty, custody, and safekeeping of client assets. We believe the market events that have affected cryptoasset markets, including the sudden collapse of FTX, reinforce themes that our interlocutors previously stressed to us and that the paper highlights.