# 5.Regulations

There are still a lot of legal unknowns in this ecosystem, because there are new protocols being coded every day and also because existing [protocols](https://dot-alert.gitbook.io/dot.alert/content/3.operations) are being routinely upgraded. The range of testing environments provided ahead of deployment are mainly used by developers and a few tech-savvy project supporters, not by ordinary users nor regulators.&#x20;

In the Polkadot ecosystem, the **same asset can take on various forms** because of concepts such as:

* canary networks
* system chains
* remark tokens
* cross-chain transfers
* liquid crowdloans
* staking derivatives

Depending on jurisdictions, this modularity can introduce more complexity in regulatory risk management by the holders of parachain tokens.

<figure><img src="https://2458985513-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FL6ALv1GyPrgErCsK1L2I%2Fuploads%2F8twikITbjnxlByqSl0u5%2FR_W3FDot.JPG?alt=media&#x26;token=f3936683-b805-43bd-a7ce-fdd7d23516c5" alt=""><figcaption><p>The W3F has outlined the process through which <a href="https://medium.com/web3foundation/less-trust-more-truth-polkadots-native-token-dot-has-morphed-and-is-not-a-security-b2a8847a70cc">DOT's status evolved from Security to Software</a>.</p></figcaption></figure>

In the end, **compliance** remains the biggest challenge for users, investors, project teams, and VC institutions alike.

**In this section, we cross-reference Polkadot network's technologies with existing legislations and review some essential ecosystem tools for assets management.**&#x20;
