Cryptocurrency in Business: Legal, Tax, and Compliance Strategies for Payments and Token Based Compensation

Tonya M. Evans | Advantage Evans LLC

Tonya M. Evans, Esq. is a global expert in digital assets, fintech, and emerging technology law. A former tenured law professor and award-winning educator, she now leads Advantage Evans Academy & Consulting, providing executive education, legal strategy, and advisory services at the intersection of law, innovation, and financial inclusion. Professor Evans serves on the Digital Currency Group board, writes for Forbes.com and TheHub.news, hosts the Confidently Crypto segment on SiriusXM’s Financially Speaking podcast, and is the author of Digital Money Demystified.

She empowers leaders of legacy corporate and academic institutions to enter, and excel in, the future of business in the new digital economy. She expertly prepares yesterday’s executives for tomorrow’s disruption in web3 and beyond. As an academic, advisor and leadership powerhouse, Dr. Tonya M. Evans stands at the confluence of law, technology, and finance. As a full tenured professor at Penn State Dickinson Law with a prestigious co-hire at the Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, Dr. Evans embodies the pinnacle of academic excellence. She is the proud recipient of the 2023 EDGE in Tech Athena Award for Academic Leadership and holds an esteemed place in the inaugural Forbes Over 50 List (Investment category, 2021). Combining her background in tennis, law, and new technologies, she is a beacon of expertise in intellectual property, blockchain and virtual currency law and policy, entertainment law, and trusts & estates law.

Learn more at ProfTonyaEvans.com.

Nitin Gaur | The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation

Nitin Gaur is a pioneering force in digital asset innovation, currently serving as a Senior Advisor to DTCC Digital Asset. Prior to current engagement, He was the Founder and CTO of LedgerLink, an AI-powered Web2.5 platform focused on bridging traditional finance with decentralized systems.

Previously, Nitin served as Managing Director at State Street, and earlier, as the Founder and Director of IBM Digital Asset Labs, where he helped define enterprise blockchain strategy, standards, and use cases. He also held roles as CTO of IBM World Wire, IBM’s cross-border payment initiative using digital assets, and Founder of IBM Blockchain Labs, where he built and scaled IBM’s blockchain practice. Prior to that, he led as CTO for IBM Mobile Payments and Enterprise Mobile Solutions.

Nitin holds an MS in Management Information Systems and an MBA in Finance from the University of Maryland. He is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and a Master Inventor, with an extensive patent portfolio in fintech and emerging technologies.

Session I – Cryptocurrency in Business: Legal, Tax, and Compliance Strategies for Payments and Token-Based Compensation | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• Background and market insights
  • Current state of crypto in business
  • Why attorneys need to understand this now
• Legal & regulatory framework
  • Classification of digital assets
  • Key regulatory bodies & their jurisdictions
  • Recent enforcement actions & trends
  • Compliance requirements for businesses
• Crypto payment systems for businesses
  • Payment infrastructure & mechanics
  • Advantages & business use cases
  • Legal considerations for accepting crypto
  • Tax reporting & accounting challenges
• Token-based compensation structures
  • Types of token compensation
  • Securities law implications
  • Employment law & wage-hour considerations
  • Tax treatment for employers & employees
  • Drafting token compensation agreements
• Tax implications & planning
  • IRS treatment of cryptocurrency
  • Tax reporting obligations
  • Minimizing tax exposure
  • State & international tax considerations
• Risk management & compliance programs
  • Aml/kyc requirements
  • Cybersecurity & custody issues
  • Disclosure & documentation best practices
• Practical implementation guidance
  • Choosing service providers
  • Building internal expertise
• Conclusion & future outlook
  • Emerging trends to monitor
  • Key takeaways for attorneys
• Q&A session

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Token-Driven Revolution: Rewiring Value Networks and Financial | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• Tokenization and its impact – OR
• Decentralized vs. traditional finance
• Programmable transparency
• Composable liquidity and market innovation
• Institutional-grade interoperability
• Systemic disruption in finance
• Future trends in tokenized finance