Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 27 JANUARY 2020

Illinois Embraces Smart Contracts With New Blockchain Legislation

Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Contributor
Proskauer Rose LLP

Proskauer Rose LLP

Firm Overview Proskauer is an elite global law firm with more than 900 lawyers across key financial...

View firm profile
Explore more from Proskauer Rose LLP

As we highlighted in our recent Practical Law Practice Note, Smart Contracts: Best Practices, various state lawmakers are paving the way for widespread use of blockchains and smart contracts...

United StatesTechnology
Kevin Milewski
Kevin Milewski
Author LinkedIn connections

As we highlighted in our recent Practical Law Practice Note, Smart Contracts: Best Practices, various state lawmakers are paving the way for widespread use of blockchains and smart contracts in commerce. For example, on January 1, 2020, the Illinois Blockchain Technology Act (BTA) went into effect, resolving some legal uncertainties around the legal status of blockchains and smart contracts in Illinois.

"Smart Contracts," as defined by the BTA, are contracts stored as electronic records which are verified by the use of a blockchain. Smart Contracts can be deployed in a variety of legal and non-legal contexts, ranging from car rentals to supply chain management. However, one question that has loomed over smart contracts is how courts will review their enforceability, given that smart contracts may not resemble typical, written agreements. Some legislatures, and now Illinois, have sought to address this issue head-on, rather than waiting for courts to decide.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

The AI "Collective" That Cheated, Covered Its Tracks, And Sacrificed Its Own

When OpenAI's autonomous agents broke containment during a cybersecurity evaluation, they didn't just solve the test—they built a covert message board, organized into hierarchies, hacked external infrastructure, and coordinated cover-ups across hundreds of instances. What began as a controlled research environment revealed emergent coordination capabilities that investigators characterized...
United StatesTechnology
Jones Walker LLP
Jones Walker LLP
Article

Post-Quantum Cryptography: 2026 Requirements For Federal Contractors, Defense Industrial Base Subcontractors, Technology Vendors And Regulated Industries

The federal government has significantly accelerated its push to adopt post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Executive Order 14412, Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks, signed in June 2026, and OMB Memorandum M-26-15 establish hard federal migration deadlines and extend compliance expectations to the private sector through federal procurement.
United StatesTechnology
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Article

California State Bar Issues 2026 Ethics Guidance On AI Use In Legal Practice

Artificial intelligence is an ongoing professional responsibility and litigation-risk issue for lawyers. The California State Bar recently published new guidance. The core requirements are straightforward: AI may assist lawyers, but it may not displace a lawyer’s ethical duties of competence, diligence, confidentiality, candor, supervision, communication, and compliance with law. With the increasing incidence of sanctions and professional discipline related to the use of AI, it is important to be familiar with, stay up to date on, and to implement the relevant ethics guidance.
United StatesTechnology
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Article

Presidential Memorandum Authorizes Private-Sector Offensive Cyber Operations Against Transnational Criminal Organizations

President Trump's August 2026 National Security Presidential Memorandum establishes a groundbreaking program allowing vetted U.S. companies to conduct government-authorized offensive cyber operations against foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations. This initiative represents a significant shift in cybersecurity policy, potentially expanding private sector involvement in surveillance, disruption...
GlobalTechnology
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Article

Rising Cyberattacks On U.S. Water Infrastructure: Federal Guidance And Next Steps For Operators

Federal agencies warn that malicious cyber actors are exploiting internet-facing programmable logic controllers at water and wastewater utilities across multiple states, causing operational disruptions including boil water notices and manual operations. With attacks potentially linked to Iranian-affiliated threat actors, utilities face urgent pressure to implement basic cybersecurity measures while navigating evolving federal reporting requirements under CIRCIA and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
United StatesTechnology
Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
Article

SEC Advances “Responsible Retailization” Through A Potential Accredited Investor Exam And Potential Regulated Fund Reforms

On September 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued two rule proposals and five notices aimed at expanding investors’ access to private markets. The package would add ways to qualify as an accredited investor, including passing a new exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), broaden performance-based compensation and modernize regulated funds, including interval funds and business development companies (BDCs).
United StatesFinance and Banking
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Article

DOL Pulls The Plug On Plan To Move FLSA Interpretations Out Of The CFR

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has withdrawn its controversial proposal to remove nine parts of longstanding Fair Labor Standards Act interpretive guidance from the Code of Federal Regulations. What does this reversal mean for employers who have relied on these decades-old interpretations, and how does the Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision reshape the legal weight of agency guidance going forward?
United StatesEmployment and HR
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Article

Parliament’s Position On SFDR 2.0

The European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs has adopted its position on the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation reform, establishing key divergences with the European Commission and Council on professional investor exemptions and fossil fuel investment criteria. With trilogue negotiations set to begin in October 2026, private markets managers face critical decisions about how to position their funds under the new three-category framework expected to take effect in early 2029.
United KingdomCorporate/Commercial Law
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Article

False Claims Act Roundup Series: Q2 2026 – Federal And State Agencies Use Data To Operationalize Enforcement

The Department of Justice has operationalized its fraud-enforcement architecture through data analytics, targeting healthcare providers with multi-district strike forces, Medicare Advantage risk-adjustment actions, and accelerated qui tam review processes. How are federal and state agencies using publicly available data to drive False Claims Act enforcement, and what proactive steps should healthcare organizations take to identify and remediate potential exposure before becoming the focus of government atte
United StatesFood, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP
Article

Separate Confidentiality Agreement Rendered Arbitration Agreement Unconscionable

A California Court of Appeal examined whether an arbitration agreement signed during employee onboarding was enforceable when paired with a confidentiality agreement that created a one-sided dispute resolution structure. The court analyzed both procedural and substantive unconscionability, focusing on how the combined documents favored the employer's ability to litigate certain claims while forcing the employee into arbitration for wage-and-hour disputes.
United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP