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UAE Crypto Litigation: WhatsApp and the Unsigned Contract
The following is an excerpted analysis of topics discussed in the book UAE Crypto Litigation, a treatise on the judicial evolution of digital asset disputes in the United Arab Emirates, available at www.uaecryptolitigation.com. In the fast-paced environment of crypto-trading, formal contracts are frequently neglected in favor of instant messaging. Deals
Russian Spy Satellites Intercepting European Satellite Communications
European space security officials are increasingly concerned that two Russian “inspector” satellites have been used to collect communications associated with multiple European satellites, including traffic linked to government and military users. This has evidently been a sustained pattern over several years, with the alleged consequence being intelligence collection and a
The Private Sector’s Increasing Control on National Security
For much of the last century, national security was treated as a sovereign stack: intelligence, armed forces, and state-controlled strategic infrastructure. The private sector mattered, but mainly as a supplier. That separation is thinning across the world. In a period defined by gray-zone pressure, cyber disruption, and sustained geopolitical competition,
China Unveils Five-Year Space Strategy: Behind What Beijing is Building and Why it Matters
On 29 January 2026, China formally unveiled its next five-year roadmap for its space sector. Led by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (“CASC”), the plan sets out a coordinated national strategy spanning space tourism, orbital digital infrastructure, satellite megaconstellations, deep-space exploration, and space resource development. Unlike earlier plans
War Series: How a U.S. Civil War Naval Doctrine Shapes Modern High Tech Supply Chain Arbitration
In 1863, during the height of the American Civil War, the British barque Springbok was intercepted by the USS Sonoma while sailing toward Nassau, a port in the neutral British Bahamas. The vessel’s manifest listed a cargo of textiles, boots, and saltpeter, goods that were commercially standard and bound for
No Signatory, No Standing: Queensland Court Overturns Arbitrator on Trustee Joinder
The resolution of commercial disputes through arbitration is often praised for its efficiency and privacy, yet its foundational authority remains strictly tethered to the consent of the parties. Unlike the broad jurisdiction of a court, an arbitrator’s power extends only as far as the written agreement allows. This limitation becomes
Taxing Unrealized Crypto Gains: Canada’s Tax Court Guidance to Global Policymakers on Crypto Volatility
The intersection of digital currency and the tax collector has always been a point of friction, but a recent judgment from the Tax Court of Canada has provided a clarifying jolt to the system. In Amicarelli v. The King, 2025 TCC 185, delivered in December 2025, Justice John A. Sorensen
The India–EU FTA Reshapes the Economics of Commercial Space
On 27 January 2026, India and the European Union closed negotiations on a landmark Free Trade Agreement that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly branded the “mother of all deals” (“FTA”). The scale of the FTA is hard to overstate. The EU estimates that tariffs will be eliminated
Blue Origin’s TeraWave: A New Chapter in Satellite Broadband
Blue Origin has announced TeraWave, a high-throughput satellite communications network positioned for enterprise, government, and data-center customers rather than mass-market consumer broadband. What is TeraWave? TeraWave is a planned multi-orbit satellite network consisting of approximately 5,408 satellites in low-Earth and medium-Earth orbit. Its architecture pairs radio-frequency links for broad coverage
Nuclear Reactors on the Moon: NASA and Dept. of Energy Take First Step with MOU
On 13 January 2026, NASA and the US Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced a memorandum of understanding to develop a lunar surface nuclear reactor by 2030, a milestone that could fundamentally change the strategy for sustained human presence beyond Earth. The joint initiative aims to deploy a fission surface power
The Rise of the Shareholder State: When Sovereignty Joins the Cap Table
For the better part of the last thirty years, the global consensus on industrial policy was defined by a specific, somewhat detached architecture. Governments, wary of being accused of “picking winners,” generally limited their interventions to the periphery of the market. They offered tax credits to spur R&D, provided grants
The Constellation Gold Rush: FCC Approves 7,500 Starlink Satellites and China Applies for 200,000 Satellites with ITU
The constellation boom is here and it is a regulatory, spectrum, and orbital-capacity land grab that is playing out two venues that matter more than most operators admit: the Federal Communications Commission (market access, spectrum rights, operating conditions) and the International Telecommunications Union (international spectrum filings and priority). Starlink is
The Cost of Clarity: Inside Binance’s 2026 Terms and the New Dispute Resolution Regime
Effective January 5, 2026, the global cryptocurrency landscape has shifted with Binance’s transition to a fully regulated structure within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), in the United Arab Emirates. In this article we analyze the legal implications of this restructuring for investors. We examine the transition from the ambiguous
China’s 2025 Space Launch Record: A Peek Behind the Curtains
China’s space prram in 2025 offers a clear picture of how the country now approaches access to orbit: methodically, at scale, and with long-term strategic intent. China has been steadily focused on operational consistency. The result is a launch cadence that now rivals many other national programs. How many launches?
Trump’s Executive Order: Commercial Space Stations, Nuclear Reactors on the Moon, and More
On 18 December 2025, as an early Christmas gift for the space industry, President Trump executed Executive Order titled Ensuring American Superiority in Space, ordering several notable changes. Issued one day after the reconfirmation of entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman as the 15th NASA Administrator, this Order reflects the
SpaceX’s Potential IPO: Smaller Space Companies and Governance Necessity
The prospect of a SpaceX initial public offering (“IPO”) listing has revived debate about how regulatory posture shapes company value in the space sector. The company, privately valued at approximately USD 800 billion and considering a potential valuation of USD 1.5 trillion, illustrates a broader transformation in how capital markets
Cosmonaut Removed from SpaceX Flight Mission for Violation of National Security via the ITAR
The recent removal of a cosmonaut from SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission has drawn attention not for its diplomatic implications, but for what it signals about the tightening intersection of human spaceflight and national-security regulation. Reports indicate that the cosmonaut was withdrawn following an alleged violation of U.S. export-control rules, specifically, the
October 2025 Amendments to the UAE Tax Procedures Law and Relevant Federal Supreme Court Case Law
The legislative framework governing taxation in the United Arab Emirates is subject to periodic revision to address evolving administrative requirements and ensure legal clarity. The foundational statute, Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 concerning Tax Procedures (published in Official Gazette Issue 737 on 10-10-2022, effective 01-03-2023), has been subsequently amended.
The Legal Characterization of Cryptocurrency and Contractual Authorization Protocols: Analysis of HoneyBadger Enterprises Ltd. v Bue
The judgment of the King’s Bench for Saskatchewan in HoneyBadger Enterprises Ltd. v Bue, 2025 SKKB 123, provides salient guidance on the interpretation of payment authorization agreements in the context of cryptocurrency transactions and the allocation of loss following third-party fraud. The decision also engages with the persistent question of
War Series: The 1930 Lena Goldfields Precedent and the New Geopolitics of Critical Minerals
The contemporary international order is changing. As the era of globalization yields to a multipolar landscape defined by strategic competition, the control of critical mineral supply chains has emerged as a primary vector of state power. This intensifying struggle, essential for defense capabilities, the energy transition, and technological supremacy, is
Ex NF v Munneke: A Supreme Court of South Australia Analysis of Private Keys, Insolvency, and the Tracing of Corporate Digital Assets
The judgment of the Supreme Court of South Australia in EX NF PTY LTD (IN LIQ) & ANOR v MUNNEKE & ORS [2025] SASC 165 (2 October 2025) represents a significant and forensically detailed application of orthodox corporate law principles to the distinct evidentiary challenges posed by digital assets. While
Employee Liability for Corporate Tax Penalties: A Judicial Analysis of Dubai Court of First Instance Case No. 309 of 2025
The introduction of the UAE Corporate Tax regime, effective from June 2023, has established a new and complex compliance landscape for businesses. With this landscape come novel legal questions regarding accountability. A critical issue is the extent to which an employer, having incurred penalties from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA),
Oman Unveils Commercial Space Framework and Launch Authorization Regime
The Oman Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”) has formally published its directive on Airspace Usage for Launch Vehicle Activities. The directive provides the requirements for launch vehicle activities conducted within or from the territory of Oman. Complementing the directive is a six-page application for operators to seeking to perform a
BC Court of Appeal Affirms Application of Traditional Contract Law to Bitcoin Loan Agreements
The British Columbia Court of Appeal’s decision in Tambosso v. Nguyen, 2025 BCCA 338, provides a salient analysis of how established Canadian contract law principles apply to loan agreements involving cryptocurrency. While the judgment was rendered in chambers on a procedural application to extend time for an appeal, the court’s
Special Reports
Strategic intelligence for high-stakes disputes and critical regulatory frameworks.
Panoramic Tax Controversy United Arab Emirates (Lexology)
This guide on Tax Controversy in the United Arab Emirates, contributed by Wasel & Wasel for Lexology, offers a comprehensive overview of the nation’s framework for tax disputes. It details the core legislation, including the Value Added Tax Law, Excise Tax Law, and Corporate Tax law, and outlines the enforcement powers of the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). The guide explains the mandatory, sequential process for challenging FTA decisions and appeals to the federal courts up to the Federal Supreme Court. Key aspects such as taxpayer rights, the calculation of penalties, the strict “pay now, argue later” principle, and rules of evidence are thoroughly examined. The guide concludes with recent trends, including the UAE’s adoption of the OECD’s Pillar Two framework and influential judicial precedents shaping taxpayer defenses.
A Definitive Commentary on the 2021 ICC Rules of Arbitration Through the Jurisprudence of the United Arab Emirates Courts
A specialized analysis of the 2021 ICC Rules of Arbitration, uniquely framed through the lens of UAE judicial precedent. The commentary is structured article-by-article, citing specific judgments from the Dubai and Abu Dhabi courts where a particular rule was central to the case. It covers a wide range of critical topics, including the effect of the arbitration agreement (Article 6), the constitution of the arbitral tribunal (Article 12), challenges to arbitrators (Article 14), time limits for awards (Article 31), and the decision on costs (Article 38). This text serves as a practical guide offering direct insight into how UAE courts interpret and apply the ICC’s procedural framework in real-world disputes.