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Blockchain and Illicit Activity: Demystifying Assumptions and Lessons Learned for Financial Innovation

[WEBINAR] YBlockchain? Episode 001

Tuesday, Sep 8 2020 at 7:00 - 7:45 pm EDT

YBlockchain

[Webinar] YBlockchain? Episode 001:

Blockchain & Illicit Activity: Demystifying Assumptions & Lessons Learned for Financial Innovation
Tuesday, September 8th at 7:00pm


Join us on Tuesday, September 8th at 7:00pm as Diana Barrero Zalles ‘17 interviews Gregory Lisa, Partner at Hogan Lovells and pro at catching bad guys on the blockchain.  The first use cases of bitcoin were for payments, and criminals embraced the anonymity of the system to fund illegal activities (think of Silk Road).  But the blockchain is also transparent and immutable, allowing sophisticated algorithms to detect and trace these tainted funds, and even identify the individuals behind them.  Greg will walk us through why it doesn’t pay off to hack a crypto exchange because you might not be able to use the money that you stole.  He has great stories of prosecutions and lessons for the emerging field of decentralized financial services (aka DeFi) and fintech overall.

[WATCH] YBlockchain? Episode 001: “Blockchain & Illicit Activity: Demystifying Assumptions & Lessons Learned for Financial Innovation.”
Follow us on Twitter (@YaleICF) and join the discussion! #YaleBlockchain

Speakers

  • Gregory Lisa

    Partner, Hogan Lovells US LLP

    Gregory Lisa is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. and New York offices of Hogan Lovells US LLP specializing in anti-money laundering and other illicit finance issues. In addition to working with established financial institutions, such as banks and credit unions, casinos, and money services businesses, Greg also represents and counsels financial services innovators, including emerging payment and finance systems, virtual currency companies, and other new financial services companies, particularly in the FinTech space. Before joining the firm, Greg was the Interim Director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement at the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Treasury Department’s lead regulator for overseeing and enforcing anti-money laundering laws. During his tenure, he supervised and conducted various investigations, supervisory exams, and enforcement actions across FinCEN’s broad jurisdiction, including large depository institutions, global securities firms, casinos, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other institutions. Prior to his work at FinCEN, Greg served in the Office of Enforcement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). As one of its earliest members, having joined before the actual formation of the CFPB, he helped to “stand up” the Bureau’s enforcement program. Before joining the Bureau, he served for 12 years in the U.S. Department of Justice, first in the Civil Division as a Trial Attorney, and then for almost ten years as a federal prosecutor in the Organized Crime Section, investigating and prosecuting financial crime cases.

  • Diana Barrero Zalles ‘17

    Moderator & Organizer

    Diana Barrero Zalles advises on blockchain innovation, crypto fund investments, and regulation. She has identified best practices and developments from around the world and compiled recommendations for effective blockchain legislation and business models. She also contributes to Global Digital Finance working groups to standardize best practices. She published market research on stablecoins and is working to advance tools in the space in light of decentralized finance developments. Previously, she managed large cross-border transactions with the investment banking offices of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank in Washington DC. She went to the University of Notre Dame and has an MBA from Yale.

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