Cryptoassets and Property Law (Singapore edition)

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Cryptoassets and Property Law (Singapore edition) tackles the question of all questions, i.e., whether cryptoassets are property in the eyes of the law. It

• considers evolving definitions that impact dealing in various forms of cryptoassets;
• delves into how the courts in Singapore are shaping the contours of case law in this largely unregulated space;
• analyses gaps in judicial responses and the existing statutory framework for treating cryptoassets as property; and
• puts forward options to better address those gaps.

With internal and external hyperlinks that direct readers to relevant resources at one-click, this report is easy to navigate and suitable for legal and non-legal professionals alike.

Table of Contents

Understanding cryptoassets

• Legal definition of cryptoassets
• Working definition of cryptoassets

Understanding property law in Singapore

• Real property
• Personal property
• Data and information
• Intellectual property

Understanding cryptoasset judgments by the Singapore courts

• B2C2 Ltd v Quoine Pte Ltd
• CLM v CLN and Others
• Janesh s/o Rajkumar v Unknown Person (“CHEFPIERRE”)
• Other Singapore court decisions
• Understanding the importance of the cryptoasset judgments

Understanding the problems

• The traditional dichotomy
• The Ainsworth test
• Possessing cryptoassets
• Cryptoassets as documentary intangibles
• Cryptoassets as choses in action
• A third category of personal property
• Statutory interpretation

Understanding the options

• Option 1. Make no change to the common law
• Option 2. Expand the existing categories of choses in action and choses in possession
• Option 3. Articulate a third category of personal property

References