Fintech: Law and Regulation

Description

This course will help you to understand what FinTech is, and will examine legal and regulatory aspects of technology-enabled developments in the areas of banking, payments and fundraising. It will also introduce you to blockchain, which is often held up as a signifier for innovation and is seen by many as the door to a distributed, decentralized internet. While some may argue that the promise of FinTech and blockchain is blindingly bright, regulators around the world are facing a heightened pressure to strike a sensible balance between, on the one hand, supportive space for innovation and, on the other hand, adequate consumer protection. In that context, this course also examines the main regulatory and compliance issues surrounding FinTech developments. Finally, the course also analyses the impact that the speed of technological change and the range of new entrants in the financial sector will have on the legal profession. As you will read in Module D, while lawyers should not feel threatened by these developments, it will not be possible for law firms to rise to the new challenges purely by looking within. Rather, lawyers will need to develop at least a basic understanding of technology, while law firms will have to move away from traditional decision-making structures and practices if they want to secure access and exposure to the technologies and skillsets required to operate successfully in the marketplace of the future.