Blockchain and Law at Berkeley

GM! We’re a student-run organization at @BerkeleyLaw . You can also find us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/blockc… Newsletter: tinyurl.com/blockchainlawb… Email: blockchain.law.berkeley@gmail.com Our guest speakers include: Hermine Wong | @herminewong_xyz Paul Grewal | @iampaulgrewal Jai Ramaswamy | @a16z

10/ The Path Forward The future of staking hinges on regulatory clarity. We call on the SEC to protect users, safeguard decentralization, and create the conditions for staking to mature into a secure, transparent foundation for blockchain networks.

9/ One Size Doesn’t Fit All One-size-fits-all regulation will not work. Protocol-native staking, staking-as-a-service, and financialized staking instruments present distinct risks and must be treated accordingly. Tailored rules preserve innovation and investor protection alike.

1/ Staking secures proof-of-stake blockchains—but today’s staking ecosystem is fragmented, opaque, and vulnerable to abuse. Our team at Blockchain and Law at Berkeley (BLAB) submitted a comment to the SEC proposing a regulatory framework that protects investors and preserves innovation.

Blockchain & Law @ Berkeley (BLAB) is pleased to have submitted a comment letter in response to Commissioner Hester Peirce’s request for input titled "There Must Be Some Way Out of Here." We urge the @SECGov to adopt a nuanced approach that distinguishes blockchain layer staking from protocol staking and derivative instruments. We propose targeted reforms including yield caps, fee transparency, standardized definitions, and open-source infrastructure requirements to protect investors while preserving the decentralization and innovation at the heart of blockchain systems. You can find our full comment letter linked below. Special thanks to the BLAB committee members whose thoughtful analysis and collaboration made this letter possible: @KMohebbizadeh , @curiousgurnoor , Joey Yu, Jana Constanze Krahforst, @yi_mcsquared , Erin LEE, Shreeyash Mittal, Giovana Treiger Grupenmacher, @jhavar_varsha

We're looking forward to FtC San Francisco! 🙌 Join us for the two-day event bringing together builders, funders, and researchers to explore how we govern and fund AI, blockchain, and digital infrastructure as public goods. lu.ma/ftc-sf-2025 Thank you @FundingCommons and @TerezaBizkova for supporting us!

And don’t forget to signup for affiliated days - Blockchain Innovation Forum lu.ma/berkeley_block… and other events at LabWeek Public Goods, a decentralized conference in the San Francisco Bay Area, from April 11-16, 2024.

T-24 hours to go… the team is hard at work on finalizing some details, and we are incredibly excited to bring the blockchain community to the Berkeley campus for the Berkeley Innovators Conference. We have some exciting new speakers joining us in addition to our existing speakers and partners, check them out on the agenda below! We’ve added @jasonzhao from @StoryProtocol, @pavel_sinel from @ProjectZKM, @jonathchan from @wilsonsonsini, and @lisaerubin and Andrew Nizamian from @Paul_Hastings. In addition, we have our amazing existing speaker line-up with @FranklinBi from @PanteraCapital, Cooper Scanlon from @movementlabsxyz, @neelsomani from @EclipseFND, Alex Bania from @worldcoin, @jtguibas from @SuccinctLabs, @man_bun_mit from @Starknet, @kendaIIc from @proximityfi, @evayzh from @ritualnet, @stephensonhmatt from @PanteraCapital, JT McGrath from Point72, @RachelRoseB from @deUETH, @KetulJayPatel from @layeredxyz, @0xroylu from @LongHashVC, and @SpencerFarrar from @Theoryvc. Excited for everyone to join us tomorrow in Berkeley! REGISTER HERE: lu.ma/6qmu2dj7

Mark your calendars because during April 11-14, we are hosting back-to-back events from our Blockchain Innovators Forum (BIC), Side Events, to the Funding the Commons Conference 🥳 REGISTER HERE: BIC DAY 1: lu.ma/6qmu2dj7 BIC DAY 2: lu.ma/berkeley_block…

💥 Recap from our @UCBerkeley Tour: A Resounding Success! 💥 The energy at UC Berkeley was electrifying as we delved into the boundless potential of Web3. From innovative projects to insightful discussions, here are the highlights from our unforgettable journey. Check it out!🧵👇 #Web3 #OKXWeb3 #UniversityTour #UCBerkeley #NFTs #BlockchainEducation #CryptoInnovation

At the Berkeley Intelligent & Verifiable App Conference hosted by @0xberkeleylaw and @CalBlockchain during #ETHDenver2024, @JeffRenOKX from OKX Ventures ignited insightful discussions! Appreciate the opportunity to delve into the intersection of law and AI in #blockchain!

@OnePieceLabs @Stanford @StanfordCrypto @UCBerkeley @CalBlockchain @HaasBlockchain @UCLA @blockchainucla Can't wait to welcome everyone at Cal!

1/ Details: • March 13 - April 20 • Top-tier Web3 experts • University NFTs, Job Apps, Trivia Prizes & more 10 Universities on our journey: Mar 13 @Stanford @StanfordCrypto Mar 15 @UCBerkeley @CalBlockchain @0xberkeleylaw @HaasBlockchain Mar 18 @UCLA @blockchainucla Mar 20 @USC @0xBlockchainSC Mar 22 @DukeU @DukeBlockchain March 28 @UW @udubblockchain Apr 11 @nyuniversity @NYUBlockchain Apr 13 @Columbia @BlockchainatCU @ColumbiaFinTech Apr 14 @Harvard @HBSCryptoClub Apr 20 @MIT @MITSloanCrypto Hope to see everyone at each tour!🚀

Build the Future | @okx @okxweb3 University Tours @OnePieceLabs is excited to collaborate with @OKX and @OKXWeb3 for an outstanding series of University Tours with 10 Universities from March 13 to April 20. Covering the West to East Coasts, the goal is to bring Web3 Knowledge and Job Opportunities directly to campuses nationwide. More details here: onepiecelabs.notion.site/Overview-26618… 🧵👇#Web3 #OnePieceLabs #OKX #OKXWeb3 #OKXWallet #UniversityTours #Stanford #Berkeley #UCLA #USC #Duke #UW #NYU #Columbia #Harvard #MIT