#12 - Preston Byrne: The origins of Ethereum & Bitcoin, DAO trends & much more

A "how to" on building a crypto-law practice.

Preston Byrne (@prestonjbyrne) is a partner at Anderson Kill, where his practice is focused on early-stage high-tech companies, particularly regarding corporate transactions, IP, and other cross-border legal issues. He was previously a co-founder of Monax, the first permissioned blockchain, in 2014.

In this episode, Preston gives a history of his involvement in blockchain, looks at the evolution of DAOs, and gives his perspective on running a crypto practice.

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Show highlights:

[02:10] Preston's introduction to Bitcoin

[13:17] The mutation doctrine: comparing Bitcoin and Ethereum.

[19:43] Important things to keep in mind when building a crypto-law practice

[24:07] Current DAO trends

[34:57] NFTs, crypto, and the broader market

[39:51] Best practices for interacting with crypto clients

[44:32] Why return to the USA after law school in England?

[50:58] Why Preston joined Anderson Kill

[52:45] “The Back of the Envelope”

[56:07] Exposure to cities as a category of risk

[1:00:47] Remote-first lawyers

[1:01:49] How has Preston’s reading shaped his views?

[1:08:52] What advice shaped Preston's career?

[1:11:29] What habits should lawyers establish early on?

Resources:

Sane Society by Erich Fromm

Preston's personal blog: https://prestonbyrne.com/

You can follow Preston @prestonjbyrne and Jacob @JacobRobinsonJD on Twitter.

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