Description:

Session 1: Understanding the business case for crypto assets

The past decade has seen the rapid growth of crypto assets, which are digital assets recorded on a distributed ledger. The success of bitcoin and Co. has not gone unnoticed by the public, and crypto assets seem to be on the verge of mass adoption more than ever. After a bull market in 2021 and a steep bear market in 2022, the recovery in 2023 and 2024 is expected to be followed by another bull market in 2025.

More recently, financial institutions and asset managers have developed new investment products (ETFs, ...), payment service providers are adding cryptocurrencies to their payment platforms, and multinational groups are allocating cash to digital assets as a hedge against inflation and considering cryptocurrencies in their treasury function.

Governments and regulators around the world are looking closely at cryptocurrencies with a view to introducing regulation and, in some cases, adopting cryptocurrencies as legal tender. The recent announcement of a change at the top of the SEC (i.e. the US regulator) is seen as a positive sign, given the SEC's history of legal challenges of the crypto industry.

All of this suggests that crypto assets are worth paying attention to, and that everyone should have a basic understanding of these developments and the opportunities associated with crypto assets.

This workshop provides an overview of the world of crypto assets, how to invest and use crypto assets, and considers the future potential of a young asset class that is here to stay.

Agenda:

Date:  6 February 2025 @ 2 pm – 5 pm

Expected duration:  ca. 2:15h (+ optional 1h)

1.      Introduction

2.      What are crypto assets?

3.      Past (and potential future) performance of Bitcoin and other crypto assets

4.      How to invest in crypto assets?

5.      How can crypto assets be used for payments?

6.      What is the current state of adoption?

7.      What can we expect in the short and medium term?

8.      Optional: Contrasting crypto assets with the FIAT monetary system

Description:

Session 2: Investments in Bitcoin and other crypto assets: Accounting, tax and regulatory considerations

The past decade has seen the rapid growth of crypto assets, which are digital assets recorded on a distributed ledger. The success of bitcoin and Co. has not gone unnoticed by the public, and crypto assets seem to be on the verge of mass adoption more than ever. After a bull market in 2021 and a steep bear market in 2022, the recovery in 2023 and 2024 is expected to be followed by another bull market in 2025.

More recently, financial institutions and asset managers have developed new investment products (ETFs, ...), payment service providers are adding cryptocurrencies to their payment platforms, and multinational groups are allocating cash to digital assets as a hedge against inflation and considering cryptocurrencies in their treasury function.

But how can investment funds invest in crypto assets and multinational corporations integrate crypto assets into their treasury function? How are crypto assets treated from an accounting and tax perspective? What is the regulatory environment for funds investing in crypto assets and what is the position of the CSSF? And what is the new EU reporting framework for crypto assets (CARF, DAC 8)? All these questions will be addressed in this workshop.

Agenda:

Date:  27 February 2025 @ 2 pm – 5 pm

Expected duration:  Ca. 3h

1.      Introduction

2.      How to integrate crypto assets in the treasury function?

3.      Accounting considerations

4.      Tax considerations

5.      Regulatory considerations

6.      Considerations regarding exchange of information (CARF and DAC 8)

7.      Concluding remarks

Speakers:

    Oliver R. Hoor - International Tax Partner at ATOZ Tax Advisers

Oliver R.Hoor is a Partner in the International and Corporate Tax department of ATOZ. He is the Head of Transfer Pricing.

A tax professional since 2003, Oliver has experience in Luxembourg and international taxation with a focus on Alternative Investments (private equity, real estate, infrastructure, private debt), mergers & acquisitions and multinational groups. Oliver advises clients on all direct tax aspects regarding deal structuring, maintenance, reorganisations and exit planning.

Oliver is a member of the tax working groups of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) and the Luxembourg Private Equity Association (LPEA). He is further the Co-chair of the tax and regulatory committee of the Luxembourg Alternative Administrators Association (L3A), a founding member of the Luxembourg Transfer Pricing Association (LTPA) and a member of the International Fiscal Association (IFA).

Oliver is the author of more than 300 articles and books on Luxembourg and international taxation including Transfer Pricing and related documentation requirements, the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) Project and the EU Anti-Tax Avoidance Directives (ATAD 1 & 2), reporting obligations of tax intermediaries (DAC6), current initiatives of the EU Commission in the field of direct taxation (ATAD 3, BEFIT, DEBRA, SAFE, DAC8, …), the OECD Model Tax Convention and Tax Treaties, EU Law and the State Aid investigations of the EU Commission (see www.atoz.lu/media-room). He is a regular speaker at conferences and a lecturer with Legitech and the Luxembourg Institute of Governance (ILA).

Oliver is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Luxembourg (“Expert-Comptable”) as well as a certified German tax adviser (“Steuerberater”). He holds a post-graduate degree in Luxembourg Tax and a degree in Business Administration with a major in Tax from the University of Applied Sciences of Trier (Germany).

  Adrian Sedlo - Partner at Sedlo Law Firm Luxembourg 

Adrian Sedlo is the Founding Partner of Sedlo Law Firm. He is admitted to the Bar of Luxembourg as "Avocat à la Cour".

He has worked for many years at the Luxembourg offices of Clifford Chance and Linklaters and has been partner at leading Luxembourg firms.

Adrian Sedlo has been recommended regularly by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a Leading Lawyer.

For 2019, he has been selected for Best Lawyers by his peers as one of the best lawyers in Luxembourg for his work in Banking & Finance.