The first 2026 session of the Open Commission on Digital Innovation and Audiovisual (COMINA) of the Paris Bar was held last Thursday around an evocative theme: “Blockchain my heart.”
On this occasion, we had the pleasure of welcoming two distinguished speakers: Mr. Dominique Legeais, lawyer, university professor and recognized author on blockchain matters, and Ms. Cassandre Vassilopoulos, Doctor of Law and General Counsel of Lightning Stock Exchange (LISE), the first tokenized stock exchange in Europe.
A technology born outside the law… now fully embraced by it
Born from a libertarian logic in the wake of the 2008 subprime crisis, blockchain is based on a distributed ledger with no central authority, built on principles of immutability, transparency, and disintermediation.
The discussions highlighted a key observation: blockchain is no longer a free, unregulated space and is now fully invested by the law.
While this architecture originally aimed to bypass the traditional banking system, blockchain has now become a genuine technological “toolbox,” with widely diversified uses.
In the financial sector, blockchain found its first concrete use case with Bitcoin, designed as a peer‑to‑peer payment system enabling value transfers without a central intermediary.
Blockchain is now used for broader applications such as the issuance of crypto‑assets, the tokenization of financial instruments, and the development of stablecoins. More broadly, in the digital economy, it supports the rise of new models, including decentralized platforms, smart contracts, traceability systems, and new forms of fundraising.
A lasting transformation of the legal landscape
In this context, the law is gradually addressing these various uses.
a) The evidentiary value of blockchain
Blockchain‑based timestamping is gradually gaining recognition.
A decision by the Judicial Court of Marseille (TJ de Marseille, 1st Civil Chamber, 20 March 2025, RG 23/00046) confirmed its evidentiary value. In its ruling of 25 March 2025, the First Civil Chamber validated the probative value of blockchain timestamps, considering the facts established in light of two anchoring reports dated 5 May and 15 September 2021. These reports were recognized as admissible evidence to demonstrate the anteriority of a creation and attribute authorship to its creator.
b) Blockchain and artificial intelligence
Although blockchain is not, in itself, an artificial intelligence system, it can integrate AI components.
AI is thus expected to play an increasing role in blockchain platforms, particularly for transaction analysis or the automation of certain decision‑making processes. Blockchain could fall within the scope of the European AI Regulation, especially when used in sensitive sectors (health, finance, education), which may lead to its classification as a high‑risk system.
For more information, you can consult our dedicated article on the AI Regulation (How to Stay in Control of Your AI – Aurele IT).
c) A matter of European sovereignty
Blockchain has also become a strategic issue for the European Union.
The development of stablecoins—most of which are pegged to the US dollar—raises questions about Europe’s ability to preserve its financial sovereignty.
d) Towards increased regulation of decentralized finance
Finally, the discussions addressed upcoming regulatory developments, particularly MiCA 2, which is expected to expand the existing framework to regulate decentralized finance (DeFi), which has so far remained outside the regulatory perimeter.
Legal support as a strategic lever for value creation
We warmly thank our speakers for the richness of their insights and the quality of the discussions.
This conference confirmed that blockchain is no longer a marginal or experimental object. It now stands at the crossroads of business law, digital technologies, and financial regulation. The legal support offered by the firm has become a strategic lever to secure innovation and anticipate risks.
Aurele IT has thus developed cross-disciplinary expertise.
The firm supports a blockchain platform based on a distributed ledger, operating in the intermediation of complex over-the-counter derivatives. It has structured the contractual framework governing relationships between the platform and financial institutions, and ensured the evidentiary reliability of transactions carried out on the platform.
The firm has also developed a service offering focused on contractual analysis of liability issues related to agreements entered into by a crypto-asset exchange platform.
At every stage of blockchain projects, we take into account the implications of the AI Regulation and the GDPR.
Our comprehensive approach makes it possible to manage risks related to liability, investor protection, and compliance.