The Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery (CFAAR) Network is excited to announce the launch of its inaugural essay competition, aimed at junior professionals and students. This competition seeks to encourage junior professionals to consider the legal and commercial issues arising from the increased adoption and regulation of digital assets in the UK. CFAAR is looking to reward excellence in research and writing on topics related to this growing field.
The topic of the inaugural essay is:
Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls has said "the law is critical to the mainstream adoption of digital assets and digital trading" in the UK. Discuss.
Participants are invited to submit essays of no more than 1,500 words that demonstrate original thought on the most important issues facing digital asset disputes – whether on legal or regulatory issues, or wider commercial and political implications. Submissions will be judged on their critical analysis of the issues, originality and insight, and the structure, clarity, and narrative. All decisions made by the judges will be final.
The competition is open to qualified lawyers below 5 years PQE / call and other professionals at a similar level and students in any discipline registered with a UK educational institution.
The first place essay will receive a prize of £1,000. Second and third place will receive prizes of £750 and £500. The top three essays will also be published on CFAAR's website.
CFAAR looks forward to receiving insightful and thought-provoking essays from the next generation of digital asset specialists.
Essays must be submitted by email to Tom Rosillo at tom.rosillo@rahmanravelli.co.uk by midnight GMT on [Friday 29 May 2026]. Submissions will be reviewed by the CFAAR committee on an anonymised basis.
CFAAR is a group of professionals comprising lawyers, barristers, forensic accountants, corporate intelligence and asset recovery professionals. It brings together some of the leading names in crypto dispute resolution and advisory with the purpose of developing and sharing best practice in this sphere and placing the UK and common law jurisdictions at centre stage for global crypto dispute resolution.
Contact: Tom Rosillo
Email: tom.rosillo@rahmanravelli.co.uk
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CFAAR Essay Competition 2026 Terms & Conditions
1. Criteria for entrants
1.1 The essay competition is open to anyone who satisfies any one or more of the following criteria at the point at which the competition closes in accordance with rule 1:
(a) a person who is studying as an undergraduate or postgraduate student with a UK educational institution (including a person studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Law, SQE preparation course, barrister training course, or any other pre-qualification course);
(b) a person who is undergoing any period of professional training (a training contract, apprenticeship, pupillage or other professional equivalent); and/or
(c) a junior professional with less than five years' experience (i.e., less than 5 years PQE, 5 years' call, or equivalent).
1.2 The organisers’ decision on qualifying criteria is final. Any questions as to eligibility criteria should be raised with the organisers prior to the deadline for submission.
2. Essay criteria
2.1 Only one entry per person will be allowed per competition.
2.2 The essay must be the sole creation and original work of the entrant. No previously published work will be accepted. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification. The organisers' decision on whether or not an essay contains previously published work and/or plagiarism is final.
2.3 The entrant may use AI / LLM or similar to create or assist with the creation of their essay. The use of AI must be declared in the submission email. Failure to declare the use of AI will result in immediate disqualification. The organisers' decision on whether or not an essay contains the undisclosed use of AI / LLM or similar is final.
2.4 Any essay submitted should:
(a) be of no more than 1,500 words not including the title. The use of footnotes is discouraged but not prohibited. Footnotes are included in the word-count;
(b) be submitted in Word (or equivalent) format only. The essay should not be submitted in the body of an email and/or in pdf format;
(c) not include the author's name, address, contact details, or any information that might identify the author in any section of the essay. The details should be included in the covering email only.
(d) any cases or statutes or other materials referenced in any essay should be fully cited the first time that they are used.
3. Submission of the essay
3.1 Essays must be submitted by email with “CFAAR Essay Competition 2026” in the subject line to tom.rosillo@rahmanravelli.co.uk by midnight GMT on 29 May 2026.
3.2 No entries after this date will be accepted for the competition. The organisers accept no responsibility for delivery or for subsequent safekeeping of any essay entered for the competition.
3.3 The essay should be attached to the email and the attachment should be named as follows: “CFAAR Essay Competition 2026”.
4. Judging and prizes
4.1 CFAAR reserves the right to shortlist essays prior to judging.
4.2 The organisers' decisions on any awarding of any prize in the competition will be final and is not subject to any appeal. Essays will be judged on the following criteria: (i) critical analysis of the issues; (ii) originality and insight; and (iii) the structure, clarity, and narrative of any arguments or positions made. Judging will not be based on the organisers' views as to the merits of the wider issue.
4.3 All shortlisting and judging will be carried out on the basis of anonymised essays.
4.4 The final judges for the 2026 competition will be Nick Price, Dan Wyatt, and Carmel King
4.5 First prize is £[1000]. Second prize is £[750]. Third prize is £[500].
4.6 CFAAR reserves the right, in its absolute discretion and without notice, to withhold any or all prizes offered (including, but without limitation, if insufficient entries are received and/or in its view no essay entered warrants the award of any or all prize(s)).
4.7 Prize-winners will be notified at the CFAAR 2026 Summer Party (Date TBC).
5. Information rights
5.1 In entering the competition, participants grant CFAAR a non-exclusive licence to publish or reproduce, any essay entered for the competition, wholly or in part, in all formats and media, including but not limited to CFAAR's website (www.cfaar.io) and/or CFAAR's LinkedIn page. Participants grant CFAAR the right to omit, alter, paraphrase, or delete any part of any published essay in their absolute discretion for any reason.
5.2 When publishing any essay (or part thereof) CFAAR will give credit to the participant for authorship of their essay. Participants who do not consent to the publishing of their name and / or educational establishment / place of work (as a prize-winner or otherwise) should notify CFAAR by email at the point at which their essay is submitted.
6. Interpretation of the rules
6.1 The decision of CFAAR on the interpretation of these rules or any other matter relating to this competition will be final.
