UNIDROIT Principles on Digital Assets and Private Law: Context, Content, Perspectives

This open access book presents the Unidroit Principles on Digital Assets and Private Law (DAPL) with comprehensive context and expert perspectives. The first part introduces the DAPL framework, its development, and future prospects, featuring contributions on its formation and influence. Key figures, including Professor Hideki Kanda and Professor Steven Weise, discuss major issues and highlights, followed by a Q&A with Professor Edwin Smith on integrating digital assets into the U.S. UCC. The “Right of Control” section includes practical exercises and explores its central role in DAPL’s evolution, concluding with an application to verified carbon credits. The following parts offer detailed reflections on each of the 19 Principles. Each reflection follows a consistent structure: the Principle’s text, commentary, illustrative examples, and explanations, all grounded in official Unidroit documents. The book clarifies the rationale, aims, and drafting process behind each Principle, showing their relevance and alignment with international standards. This resource is invaluable for lawmakers, judges, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and students seeking clear guidance on interpreting and applying the DAPL Principles to digital assets law. This work was financed within the framework of the Prometeo 2023 project of the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society (CIPROM/2022/26) “Present and future of the regulation of cryptoassets in the EU [LegalCripto]”, whose principal investigator is María del Carmen Pastor Sempere. The basic ideas contained herein were presented in the author's paper with the same title, given on November 13, 2024 at the IV International Congress on “Unidroit Principles on Digital Assets and Private Law: Context, Content, Perspectives”, organized also by BAES Research Group of the University of Alicante on November 13 and 14, 2024.