November 20, 2025
Dear Readers,
On behalf of our entire Journal, I am pleased to present the Fall 2025 Issue of Volume XXXII of the Richmond Journal of Law & Technology (JOLT). The theme for our first issue is Legislative Reform in the Digital Age, featuring three emergent, technology-focused articles that represent our focus on the continually developing intersections of law and technology.
The first article, written by John M. Beaman, a Juris Doctor candidate at Texas A&M University School of Law, explores the unsettled question of whether real estate-backed cryptocurrencies should be governed by real property law or securities law and explores the consequences of that choice for the crypto industry. It focuses on four key areas—property tax administration, virtual real estate rights, digital rights, and regulation—while urging federal legislators and regulators to develop a cohesive securities-law framework for this emerging sector.
The second article, authored by Carson Lloyd, a PhD Researcher at the University of Birmingham and Visiting Lecturer at Birmingham City University, analyzes how blockchain technology, particularly in the healthcare sector, challenges existing U.S. privacy frameworks and how courts and legislatures at both the federal level and in California have responded to these concerns. It explores the potential of the Fourth Amendment’s mosaic theory of privacy, as well as federal healthcare privacy regimes and California’s CCPA and CPRA, to address the data protection issues raised by blockchain-based systems.
Finally, the third article, written by Claira L. Cooper, a Juris Doctor candidate at the University of Richmond School of Law, examines how Section 230’s blanket immunity for internet providers intersects with the rise of online extremism on gaming-adjacent platforms, focusing in particular on extremist activity and real-world harms linked to Discord. It argues that Section 230, in its current form, allows platforms to avoid moderating illegal conduct and calls for reform to better protect children and curb online extremism.
On behalf of JOLT, I would like to extend our thanks to the authors for partnering with JOLT to produce thoughtful, forward-looking scholarship. We take great pride in the quality of the articles in this issue and are profoundly grateful for the efforts of both the authors and staff members. I would also like to thank our faculty advisor, James Gibson, and Professor Jessica Erickson, for their guidance and support throughout the completion of our first issue.
We hope you find our Fall 2025 Issue both innovative and practice-shaping. We look forward to continuing our commitment of exploring the intersection of law and technology and supporting more excellent academic work in 2026.
Sincerely,
Kaitlin A. Hutson
Editor-in-Chief, Volume XXXII
ARTICLES
Why Securities Law, Rather Than Real Property Law, Should Govern Real Estate-Backed Cryptos
by John M. Beaman
by Carson Lloyd
The Discord Dilemma: Section 230’s Free Pass for Internet Providers Sanctioning Online Extremism
by Claira L. Cooper