DATA SNAPSHOT: Is PE embracing blockchain?

IQ-EQ's recent report shows that private equity fund professionals still aren't using blockchain technology for investor dealings, but a number of respondents are optimistic about its future in the industry.

Fund administrator IQ-EQ surveyed 121 private equity fund professionals and found that around half believe that blockchain technology will have a significant impact on the fund management industry in the future.

“The emergence of blockchain has caused a wave of excitement across the financial world with numerous applications being developed and tested in a range of areas,” IQ-EQ wrote in its report.

Partners Group is one firm to have deployed blockchain tech. You can read an interview with their chief technology officer Raymond Schidrig here.

However, most firms are still hesitant to embrace the technology, with 97 percent of respondents saying they don’t currently use blockchain technology for investor dealings.

Lawyers from Proskauer citied Blockchain-related disputes as being one of 2019’s biggest legal risks. “Regulatory scrutiny surrounding blockchain-based technology – such as crypto-currencies and initial coin offerings – has increased over the last year, and will likely continue to build,” they told pfm in February.

If you want primer on how the tech could be applied to PE, check out this piece.