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A new blockchain-focused lab at the University of Ottawa's Centre for Law, Technology and Society is the latest in a string of new academic efforts to incorporate blockchain into law school curriculum. The University of Ottawa's lab joins schools such as Cardozo Law, Duke and Vanderbilt, among others, currently providing curricular content for law students around blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

University of Ottawa professor of law Florian Martin-Bariteau said the lab evolved out of a spike in student interest that started about a year and a half ago. Initially, students were interested in looking at how Canadian law specifically handled blockchain-based cryptocurrencies. “Since the summer, we have focused on cryptocurrencies under Canadian law because it's in the headlines everyday,” he noted.

Currently, Martin-Bariteau is working with students on a project to map Canadian law that could apply to the use and valuation of cryptocurrencies. Between “anti-money laundering, securities, tax law, there are a lot of issues,” Martin-Bariteau said. A separate line of research at the lab is currently looking at potential applications of smart contracts and blockchain-enabled technology within the practice of law.