Bill Ardinger has published an article at CoinDesk.com on New Hampshire legislation to clarify the legal status of “Decentralized Autonomous Organizations.” DAOs are potentially revolutionary enterprises that use blockchain technology to allow widely-distributed groups of participants to conduct governance and other transactions over the Internet. The legal status of DAOs under current laws is highly uncertain. The New Hampshire legislation (HB 645) would clarify this legal status by treating a DAO as an enterprise distinct from its participants and administrators, and providing limited liability to its members. Bill served as the Chair of Governor’s Commission on Cryptocurrencies and Digital Assets, which issued its final report in December 2022. The lead recommendation in this Commission report was that NH should clarify the legal status of DAOs. Bill is actively supporting the enactment of HB 645 to continue New Hampshire’s role as a leading jurisdiction for innovation in blockchain technologies.
