NEW YORK, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The legal landscape surrounding cryptocurrency is complex, rapidly evolving, and often intersects with (and tests) existing traditional legal concepts and rules. A new book from PLI Press, Decrypting Crypto: Digital Assets and Web3 Explained, is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive resource designed to equip lawyers with the technical knowledge and legal context needed to understand the Web3 industry and the unique issues and challenges it creates for lawyers and clients alike.
Authored by Joanna Wasick, a partner at BakerHostetler, the treatise strives to provide insight into the nuanced complexities of this new digital age and offer practical guidance for lawyers. Decrypting Crypto: Digital Assets and Web3 Explained is organized in three sections:
Part I – Providing technical background, with clear explanations of the key components, systems, and tools that help comprise Web3
Part II – Covering the primary U.S. federal agencies that regulate crypto
Part III – Addressing specific legal practice areas that intersect with Web3
“Staying on top of the unique issues faced by clients, courts, regulators, and lawmakers requires an appreciation of the many nuanced components of the overall blockchain ecosystem,” Wasick says. “Unfortunately, misinformation around the technical aspects of this ecosystem abounds, even appearing in court decisions as well as online sources. This book introduces and explains fundamental Web3 components with enough specificity to provide a meaningful foundation for understanding key legal issues.”
In a rapidly evolving legislative landscape, the treatise also provides an understanding of how U.S. regulators impact the law for Web3. In the absence of major crypto-specific legislation, these regulators play a pivotal role in shaping the applicable legal landscape.
Finally, Wasick adds, “Understanding that legal scenarios will vary by practice area, the treatise addresses issues related to tax, estate planning, civil litigation, bankruptcy, international arbitration, and IP. Here, Decrypting Crypto: Digital Assets and Web3 Explained serves as a comprehensive guide to navigating novel legal questions, offering a roadmap for lawyers to address the complexities they may encounter in their practice.”
About the Author: Joanna Wasick is a litigation Partner in the New York office of BakerHostetler, where she represents a diverse range of clients in the digital assets industry, including Web3 entities, startup founders, L1 and L2 creators, and exchanges. As a litigator, Joanna prides herself on developing innovative, effective litigation strategies and distilling complex legal and factual information into clear, persuasive arguments that drive successful outcomes.
Joanna is a founding member of BakerHostetler's Web3 and Digital Assets team and the firm’s Digital and Innovative Markets team. A prolific writer, educator, speaker, and news commentator, Joanna frequently shares her insights on podcasts, CLE programs, and panels focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain law.
About PLI
Founded in 1933, Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI provides accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including top experts across practice areas. Additionally, PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books, and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform and app. The essence of PLI’s mission is a commitment to the pro bono community. Based in New York, PLI also has an office and Conference Center in San Francisco. Visit www.pli.edu to learn more.
CONTACT: Contact: Erin Kinsella Senior Director, Communications ekinsella@pli.edu 347.554.0073
