Stephan D. Meyer

About Stephan 

Dr Stephan D. Meyer is an internationally recognised expert in blockchain, digital assets, and fintech infrastructures. For over a decade, he has shaped the legal architecture of digital financial and technology systems. 

He received his doctorate summa cum laude for his thesis on the legal classification of tokens and was awarded both the Issekutz Prize and the Professor Walther Hug Prize. For many years, Stephan practised as an attorney and Counsel at MME, structuring complex digital asset ecosystems, DAOs, and innovative capital market infrastructures for national and international market participants. As Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer of Obligate, he developed the world’s first DLT-based platform for electronic promissory notes and a regulated infrastructure for on-chain bonds and structured products with issuance volumes exceeding USD 100 million. He therefore has deep expertise in securities law as well as trading and post-trading systems. As Co-CEO, he also led the company through international venture capital financing rounds. As Co-Founder and Chairman of Nestermind, he is building a rapidly growing AI-based PropTech company. 

Stephan studied in Zurich, London, Paris, and Beijing. He holds an LL.M. in International Business Law and an Executive MBA. He is currently pursuing his habilitation on “Rule of Law by Design” in the context of neural networks and teaches blockchain, smart contracts, compliance, and AI at ZHAW and HWZ. 

He views law as a system for designing digital infrastructures – combining creativity, regulatory precision, and the perspective of an entrepreneur who has personally borne responsibility for product development, financing, and scaling. 

Focus Areas 

Selected Achievements  

Stephan advises and structures leading digital finance and technology models at the intersection of regulation, product design, and capital markets. Selected highlights include: 

• Structuring leading blockchain projects (Layer 1 and Layer 2 ecosystems, token models, DAOs, centralized and decentralized trading systems); 

• Tokenisation of gold, real estate, electricity, equities, bonds, derivatives, and structured products; 

• Co-development of the world’s first DLT-based platform for electronic promissory notes and establishment of a global settlement infrastructure for blockchain-based bonds and structured products; 

• Legal and regulatory structuring of blockchain-based securities issuances exceeding USD 100 million in total volume; 

• Co-Founder of Obligate, scaling the company from inception to a USD 30 million valuation, and Co-Founder of Nestermind, a fast-growing AI-driven PropTech startup; 

• PhD thesis on tokens (summa cum laude and awarded the Issekutz Prize and Professor Walther Hug Prize) and habilitation project on “Rule of Law by Design in Neural Network Training”; 

• Military Legal Advisor (Major) pursuant to Article 82 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. 

 Selected Publications 

• Stephan D. Meyer, Rechte an und aus Blockchain-basierten Crypto Tokens, Zürcher Studien zum Privatrecht, Band 313, Diss. Universität Zürich, Zürich/Genf 2022 

• Stephan D. Meyer, Rivalisierende digitale Güter im Niemandsland des Privatrechts – Möglichkeiten und Notwendigkeit der Begründung absoluter Rechte an Kryptowerten, Sic! 11/2023, 583 ff. 

• Stephan D. Meyer, Dezentrale autonome Organisationen (DAOs) und das Gesellschaftsrecht der Zukunft – selbstdurchsetzende Programme als Exekutivorgane globaler Peer-to-Peer-Gesellschaften, AJP 03/2023, 319 ff. 

• Andreas Furrer & Stephan D. Meyer, Fintech Regulation in Switzerland, in: Marco Cian/Claudia Sandei (Hrsg.), Diritto del Fintech, Padova 2020, 569 ff. 

• Harald Bärtschi, Nicolas Jacquemart und Stephan D. Meyer: Zahlung und Verzug bei virtuellen Währungen, in: Susan Emmenegger (Hrsg.), Zahlungsverkehr, Basel 2018, S. 177 ff.

• Nicolas Jacquemart und Stefan D. Meyer, Globalisierte Digitalisierung– Das Recht im Zeitalter von Blockchains, Patrick Krauskopf / Fabio Barbey (Hrsg.), Internationales Wirtschaftsrecht, Basel 2017, S. 5 ff.

• Thomas Linder und Stefan D. Meyer, Bitcoin, Accounting, und Tax, rechnungswesen & controlling, 04/2017

• Andreas Glarner und Stefan D. Meyer, Smart Contracts in Escrow-Verhältnissen, Jusletter vom 04.12.2017

• Nicolas Jacquemart & Stephan D. Meyer, Der Bitcoin-/Bitcoin-Cash-Hardfork, GesKR 04/2017, 469 ff. 

• Thomas Linder & Stephan D. Meyer, Die steuerrechtliche Behandlung von Bitcoin und anderen Kryptowährungen, Zürcher Steuerpraxis 03/2017, 191 ff. 

• Stephan D. Meyer & Benedikt Schuppli, “Smart Contracts” und deren Einordnung in das schweizerische Vertragsrecht, Recht 03/2017, 204 ff. 

Languages

German, English, French