Association for Digital Asset Markets
Building Trust in the Financial Markets of the Future.
The Association For Digital Asset Markets (ADAM) works in partnership with leading financial firms and regulatory experts to devise a code of conduct for digital asset markets.
OUR MISSION
ADAM exists to foster fair and orderly digital asset markets where participants can transact with confidence.
August 2020 update: ADAM submitted a formal letter to the NYDFS in response to its request for comments to the proposed conditional BitLicense framework. Read the letter here:
ADAM DFS Comment Letter – Conditional BitLicense Framework
Our Mission
ADAM exists to foster fair and orderly digital asset markets where participants can transact with confidence.
The development of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, digital commodities and digital securities, has the potential to revolutionise financial markets. ADAM works with leading financial firms, entrepreneurs, and regulators to develop industry best practices that facilitate safe, secure and efficient digital asset markets.
The Adam Code
Created to promote integrity, fairness, and efficiency in digital asset markets, the ADAM Code of Conduct is intended to inform market participants on best practices and to complement, not replace, existing regulation, part of a long-term effort to define and promote ethical conduct by all digital asset market participants. Click HERE to view the Code of Conduct.
The ADAM Code is divided into principles which guide and define appropriate, professional standards in the following areas:
• Compliance and Risk Management
• Market Ethics
• Conflicts of Interest
• Transparency and Fairness
• Market Integrity
• Custody
• Information Security and Business Continuity
• Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Finance of Terrorism
Why It Is Needed
Ten years after the publication of the Bitcoin whitepaper, the world is still coming to terms with its implications. The rise of digital assets heralds significant opportunities and poses significant challenges to government regulators and market participants.
There remains no clear roadmap for how existing rules apply and what new rules are needed. This is understandable, but nonetheless problematic. At best, the regulatory void creates confusion and ambiguity; at worst, it begets fraud, deters institutional investment and participation, and hinders the significant benefits of digital assets that we are only beginning to contemplate.
Digital assets do not fit neatly into existing regulatory buckets—currency, personal property, securities or commodities—but rather span all of them in interesting and complicated ways. Current government regulation has some jurisdictional gaps and doesn’t cover all areas that are helpful in boosting market integrity. ADAM can help. While it’s not an alternative to government rulemaking or a substitute, a robust code of conduct can complement policymakers as regulations are promulgated.
We have a collective responsibility to work with regulators to bring about the infrastructure this market needs. Ever since the Buttonwood Agreement, market participants have codified rules for themselves. It worked then, and it will work again, in the context of this new asset class.
Our Founding Members
"BitOoda is proud to be a founding member of ADAM, and we look forward to working with the Association to help realize the promise of digital assets. We fully support this pioneering effort to develop standards that will enable the growth of market integrity, capital formation, and consumer protection ."
“The best sustainable global markets are born from fair and orderly participation. Consensus building among industry participants fosters capital formation which ignites growth required for digital asset markets to thrive. We are proud to be working alongside a distinguished team of experts at ADAM to promote these ideals with our peers.”
"To achieve the promise of the digital asset revolution, we need smart policies that will protect investors and consumers, and foster continued innovation. Members of the digital asset community should lead the way to set high standards of conduct, and hold each other to them. The creation of ADAM will do just that, and Cumberland is excited to be part of it."
“As the digital asset market expands and matures, all companies and participants in this sector benefit from a high set of standards for professional conduct and industry self-governance. Galaxy Digital is proud to participate in this important ongoing evolution of our industry by joining with ADAM and advancing the Code of Conduct it has developed.”
“Having been involved since 2013, Genesis has had a first-hand view of the maturation of cryptocurrencies into an institutional asset class. Genesis believes that the formation of ADAM is the next step in this evolutionary process and is proud to be a part of its foundation.”
"Building a consortium to establish global standards and best practices is a critical endeavour. We look forward to working with the leaders in the space in cooperation with regulators to help this industry realize its full potential."
"Firms should feel comfortable when dealing in the digital assets markets and having an industry led group developing practices and standards derived from years of collective experience in other asset classes is a critical step in the evolution of this asset class."
“For this industry to thrive far into the future, it’s imperative that we build trust and confidence. With ADAM serving as a strong foundation, the future of digital asset markets will continue gaining adoption.”
“Accelerated innovation in the development of new financial markets requires clear and objective rules of the road each ecosystem participant can follow. Symbiont believes ADAM will provide the foundation for the development of fair, orderly and open digital markets through productive communication between industry leaders, regulators, and investors. We are proud to be working with digital market pioneers at the forefront of developing this new and exciting market.”
“XBTO wants to operate under a more clearly defined regulatory framework so that we can trade and invest in digital assets with more clarity and less non-investment risk. With our other founding members, we created ADAM to bring about real change that will protect investors and deter bad actors.”
Our Goals
ADAM has four objectives
Membership
ADAM is a broad-based industry group that seeks to include a wide variety of market participants, including trading platforms, custodians, investors, asset managers, traders, liquidity providers, and brokers. Its members are firms that are active in digital asset markets or seek to participate in those markets.
Interested in becoming an ADAM member?
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