Abstract
Few things seem so opposite to each other as the highly innovative blockchain technology and the ancient land registration sector, in which one traditionally feels thrown back into the pre-digital era. However, for some believers this unlikely pair might be on its way to form one of the world’s new power couples. This contribution aims at analyzing blockchain technology in land registration matters from a material legal point of view. First, some blockchain land registration initiatives are discussed. Second, the possibilities of blockchain technology for land registration are evaluated on the basis of two variables: the lacunar or complete nature of a land register and its negative or positive nature. In doing so, Belgian, French and German law will be taken into account, offering a thorough civil law perspective on the matter.
This paper is the abbreviated and updated version of an earlier paper on this topic: Verheye (2017, pp. 441–477). See also in Dutch on related topics: Verheye, Verslype, and Danneels (2018, 109 p); Verheye (2018, pp. 212–238). See also, for instance, the special issue of the European Property Law Journal on this topic that appeared in 2017.
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Notes
- 1.
Decree of 30 October 1935 modifying the publicity regime.
- 2.
Decree nr. 55-22 of 4 Januari 1995 holding the reform of the immovable publicity, Journal Officiel de la République Française 7-1-1955.
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Verheye, B. (2020). Land Registration in the Twenty-First Century: Blockchain Land Registers from a Civil Law Perspective. In: Lehavi, A., Levine-Schnur, R. (eds) Disruptive Technology, Legal Innovation, and the Future of Real Estate. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52387-9_7
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