You’re building on-chain in the British Virgin Islands. Whether what you issue counts as a financial product decides most of what follows.
Information, not advice
This page is information, not legal advice about your matter. A retainer begins only when a lawyer confirms it.
Start here
Work out what your asset legally is, first
Licensing, marketing and custody all follow from that answer, and the VASP Act decides whether you have to register at all.
What to work through, in order
Characterising the asset
Whether the asset falls under the Securities and Investment Business Act, the VASP Act, or neither. Most projects here are shaped by the VASP registration question rather than securities law.
Custody and who holds the keys
Custody of virtual assets for others is a registrable activity under the VASP Act, with segregation and controls expectations attached.
Tax treatment
There is no income, capital gains or corporation tax locally, but economic substance requirements apply and investors are taxed where they are resident.
Next steps
What happens if you go ahead
Scoping call
Written scope and fixed-fee quote
Engagement, once a lawyer confirms
Who would handle it
Offices
New York
450 Park Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York NY 10022
San Francisco
28 Geary Street, Suite 625 #133, San Francisco CA 94108