The European Blockchain Observatory and Forum, which launched in February, is a European initiative to accelerate blockchain innovation and the development of the blockchain ecosystem within the EU and so help cement Europe’s position as a global leader in this transformative new technology.

Created as a European Parliament pilot project, the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum is being run under the aegis of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT). Partners include ConsenSys (general contractor), the University of Southampton, the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University, University College London, and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences.

Policy & Framework Working Group

• The Blockchain Policy and Framework Conditions Working Group will look at cross-technology and cross-industry issues to define the policy, legal and regulatory conditions needed to promote the regulatory and legal predictability necessary for larger-scale deployment of blockchain applications. This analysis will consider issues ranging from smart contracts and protection of personal data to legal recognition of blockchains and token economics. The Working Group will also examine issues around technology and ecosystem development, including interoperability, scalability, sustainability, cybersecurity and energy efficiency.

I was recently selected as a member of this working group, along with 29 other European experts on the question of blockchain technology, law and policy.