In well publicized moves in late 2017, both China and South Korea banned ICOs. Today, the Malaysian finance minister said in an interview that Malaysia will not impose a blanket ban on cryptocurrency trading. At the same time, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that, in a further tightening move, “The South Korean government has been developing a system that is likely to start banning the use of anonymous accounts in cryptocurrency transactions from around Jan. 20 . . . The system is a part of follow-up measures after the government announced last week a set of fresh measures to curb transactions of cryptocurrencies, including a possible closure of cryptocurrency exchanges if necessary, amid growing fears that a bubble over exchanges may be set to burst.”
Cryptocurrency Activity by Asia-Pac Governments
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David Zaslowsky is partner in the Litigation Department of Baker McKenzie's New York office. He helps companies solve complex commercial disputes in arbitration and litigation, especially those involving cross-border issues and Section 1782 discovery. David has a degree in computer science and, as a result, has worked on numerous technical-related disputes, including, most recently, those involving blockchain and artificial intelligence. In April 2025, Attorney Intel named David one of the top 25 blockchain lawyers in the country. He is the editor of the Firm's blockchain blog and co-editor of the firm's International Litigation & Arbitration Newsletter. David has been included for a number of years in the Chambers USA Guide and Chambers Global Guide for his expertise in international arbitration. He also sits as an arbitrator and is on the roster of arbitrators for a number of arbitral institutions. David sits on the Board and chairs the governance committee of the New York International Arbitration Center, and is a founding member of the International Arbitration Club of New York. For over 35 years, he has written and spoken often on the subjects of arbitration and international litigation.