Dear listers, Blockchain technology is no doubt revolutionary but in regards to criminal activities there is a case for increased liability by stakeholders so that we have trust over the use of the platforms. There is evidence that distributed ledger technology can be tweaked to have permissions and there may be a case for the creation of a semblence of compliance to assist in crime prevention. The above may be radical but we need to start thinking of how we can try catch up with the technologies from a regulatory and compliance point of view. Regards, Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu Lawyer-FinTech and ICT Policy Dear Listers BlockChain Technology is in its infancy the world over. From the US to China to Europe, countries and players haven't really figured out how to play this ground breaking Technology when it comes to regulation. It doesn't help that the Technology is marred by the criminal elements that use Bitcoin to launder money and generally use it to hide from law enforcement agencies. For example Kidnappers and Denial of Service Hackers insist on being paid by Bitcoins because of its potential anonymity. However, criminals since time immemorial have always conducted their activities using mainstream financial engineering methods and tools to hide their ill gotten wealth. Should we confine a Technology that has the biggest potential to positively impact the world in a way not seen since the advent of the internet to criminality because it is being used by criminal elements? Or should we harness its great potential while mitigating its darker side? Many of us know that the Internet has a darker side - The dark web, where activities like Mass Identity Theft, Child Pornography and DDoS Ransoms routinely happen. This hasn't stopped it becoming mainstream and being unequivocally a force for good. http://weartv.com/news/local/dark-web-542017 So why then is the conversation around Bitcoins, other cryptocurrencies and the Technology that makes them possible so marred in controversy? The article below and a research linked therein seeks to answer some of these questions. https://t.co/ZV903HSohf However, even as we read global stories on BlockChain we must chart our own path. This will take players from diverse backgrounds and motivations to pull together to ensure we are not left behind and we harness the full potential of BlockChain Technologies to advance ourselves. *Ali Hussein* *Principal* *Hussein & Associates* +254 0713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~ Aristotle Sent from my iPad _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/ Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/ mailman/options/kictanet/chemukoechk%40gmail.com The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.