Why Crypto Founders Need a Builder in the Legal Room | Stephan Roberto, Ape Law

What we talked about.

Sunny Ray sits down with Stephan Roberto, who runs Ape Law, a web 3 law firm based in Dubai, to explore the gap between legal advice and the reality of building a crypto company. Stephan explains that technology moves faster than most lawyers can follow, so his firm pairs lawyers with a highly technical team member who translates product details into plain language. He urges founders to define what their product does, who uses it, what any token does, who controls assets, and where it will operate before locking in a legal structure. The conversation covers his Bitcoin mining days in 2012, a mismatch between a written agreement and a smart contract with a single admin, and why regulators in the UAE are unusually open to dialogue. Stephan also describes Project Get Out, a new venture helping Australians relocate to Dubai, and closes with advice on founder agreements, early documentation, and blending the risk averse mindset of lawyers with the experimental mindset of builders.

Lawyers who cannot read the tech cost crypto founders dearly, so Stephan Roberto puts a builder in the legal room.

The questions, and the answers.

What problem is Ape Law solving?

Crypto moves fast, and legal advice often lags a couple of steps behind the technology. Lawyers end up advising on products they do not fully understand. To shorten that gap, my firm has lawyers plus someone extremely technical who breaks down the tech in simple terms, so we can move quickly with the founders we work with.

What should founders understand before locking in a legal structure?

Understand what your product actually does first. Ask who the users are, what the token does if there is one, who controls the assets or decisions, and which markets you will operate in. Then the technical team and lawyers can meet and agree on the same facts. I suggest a one-page summary for your first strategy call.

Can you give an example where the legal design and the smart contract disagreed?

I cannot discuss a specific client, but here is a similar case. The paper agreement said two people had to approve a token transfer. When I analyzed the actual smart contract, one admin had full authority to do transfers alone. That was a clear disagreement between the legal design and what the code allowed.

Which regulator surprised you most once you got inside the room?

The regulators in the UAE surprised me. They are forthcoming and willing to sit down and talk. If you say you want to work with them and be regulated, they will help you figure out the right way to integrate and get licensed. In many other places, regulators say figure it out yourself.

Where do founders wait too long to get their structure right, and what does it cost them?

I have seen projects fail because they started with assumptions, like assuming a structure fit or that the activity was clear when it was not. It is like pouring concrete before agreeing where the rooms go. Your tech stack might be perfect, but if you have not lined up the legals, the foundation is wrong.

What is the most expensive sentence a crypto founder can say to their lawyer?

It is: I do not have a founder agreement in place, and now I have a dispute with the other founders. At that point I have to ask what agreement they actually have. Get as much documentation as you can from day one with the people you work with.

What have builders taught you that law school could not?

Builders view things very differently. Legal tends to take a risk averse, risk adjusted view, while builders lean toward full experimentation and trying different things. They are very different worlds. The skill is understanding how to blend the two and find the happy medium between them.

Why did you start Project Get Out?

I was born and raised in Australia and now live in Dubai, and my own relocation was rougher than what I read online. Many Australians are leaving now, so we help them with planning the move, legal and tax advice, and structuring, coordinating the specialists so people do not repeat my mistakes.