2019 Wyoming Statutes
Title 34 - Property, Conveyances and Security Transactions
Chapter 29 - Digital Assets
Section 34-29-103 - Perfection of Security Interests in Digital Assets; Financing Statements.

34-29-103. Perfection of security interests in digital assets; financing statements.

(a) Notwithstanding the financing statement requirement specified by W.S. 34.1-9-310(a) as otherwise applied to general intangibles or any other provision of law, perfection of a security interest in a digital asset may be achieved through control, as defined in paragraph (e)(i) of this section. A security interest held by a secured party having control of a digital asset has priority over a security interest held by a secured party that does not have control of the asset.

(b) Before a secured party may take control of a digital asset under this section, the secured party shall enter into a control agreement with the debtor. A control agreement may also set forth the terms under which a secured party may pledge its security interest in the digital asset as collateral for another transaction.

(c) A secured party may file a financing statement with the secretary of state, including to perfect a security interest in proceeds from a digital asset pursuant to W.S. 34.1-9-315(d).

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, title 34.1, Wyoming statutes, a transferee takes a digital asset free of any security interest two (2) years after the transferee takes the asset for value and does not have actual notice of an adverse claim. This subsection only applies to a security interest perfected by a method other than control.

(e) As used in this section:

(i) Consistent with subsection (f) of this section, "control" is equivalent to the term "possession" when used in article 9, title 34.1, Wyoming statutes and means the following:

(A) A secured party, or an agent, custodian, fiduciary or trustee of the party, has the exclusive legal authority to conduct a transaction relating to a digital asset, including by means of a private key or the use of a multi-signature arrangement authorized by the secured party;

(B) A smart contract created by a secured party which has the exclusive legal authority to conduct a transaction relating to a digital asset. As used in this subparagraph, "smart contract" means an automated transaction, as defined in W.S. 40-21-102(a)(ii), or any substantially similar analogue, which is comprised of code, script or programming language that executes the terms of an agreement, and which may include taking custody of and transferring an asset, or issuing executable instructions for these actions, based on the occurrence or nonoccurrence of specified conditions.

(ii) "Multi-signature arrangement" means a system of access control relating to a digital asset for the purposes of preventing unauthorized transactions relating to the asset, in which two (2) or more private keys are required to conduct a transaction, or any substantially similar analogue;

(iii) "Private key" means a unique element of cryptographic data, or any substantially similar analogue, which is:

(A) Held by a person;

(B) Paired with a unique, publicly available element of cryptographic data; and

(C) Associated with an algorithm that is necessary to carry out an encryption or decryption required to execute a transaction.

(f) Perfection by control creates a possessory security interest and does not require physical possession. For purposes of article 9, title 34.1 and this section, a digital asset is located in Wyoming if the asset is held by a Wyoming custodian, the debtor or secured party is physically located in Wyoming or the debtor or secured party is incorporated or organized in Wyoming.