In this essay, we utilize our personal experience with two “data points” (namely policymakers and students) to argue that all levels of government need to re-evaluate current approaches to the regulation of emerging technologies. More specifically, governments need to delegate much of the...

Over recent decades, the on-going “digital revolution” has transformed many aspects of everyday life. Think of the increased power and shrinking size of personal computers and smartphones; the global expansion of the Internet and the new forms of social interaction that have been created; and,...

Advocates of blockchain believe that distributed ledger technologies can provide us with a technological infrastructure to challenge the concentrated power of tech giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, and create a more equitable, sustainable and decentralized world. This paper considers...

There is something special about venture capital. And this “special something” goes beyond the large financial returns that can come from investing in successful start-ups. At its core, venture capital is about identifying the life-changing innovations of tomorrow and then facilitating the...

Over the last decade, FinTech – broadly defined as the use of new technologies to compete in the marketplace of financial institutions and intermediaries – has disrupted the financial services sector. In this paper, we revisit the question of how banks and regulators should respond.We argue...

We live in a world that has historically been dominated by centralized, hierarchical organizations. Such organizations are characterized by (i) a centralized source of authority; (ii) a formal hierarchy with clearly defined “roles”; and, (iii) standardized operational systems and procedures...

In a technology-driven, digital world, many of the largest and most successful businesses now operate as “platforms.” Such firms leverage networked technologies to facilitate economic exchange, transfer information, connect people, and make predictions. Platform companies are already...

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the possible future uses and benefits of blockchain platforms and related technologies, such as smart contracts. This has led to talk of a “blockchain revolution.” Much of this discussion was triggered by the recent “crypto-hype.” We...

The legal profession is one of the most disrupted sectors of the consulting industry today. The rise of Legal Tech, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, and, most importantly, blockchain technology is changing the practice of law. The sharing economy and platform companies...

Disruptive innovation creates increasing regulatory challenges. The reason for this is simple: Regulation is usually reactive, responding to facts. However, we currently live in a world of data, not facts. Regulation must therefore be proactive and dynamically responsive to data and trends. This...