June 2, 2023 @ 3:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC), has posted its first agenda following the new incarnation of the Committee with an almost completely new group of members. The agenda for the meeting, available below, includes Member Observations on the… Read More

June 2, 2023 @ 12:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

CarCrowd has topped its funding goal on Seedrs, having raised £620,000 on a £500,003 funding goal. CarCrowd is offering equity at a pre-money valuation of £3.4 million. The EIS-qualified stock sale has garnered the support of 300 investors with just a few days left in… Read More

June 2, 2023 @ 10:31 am By JD Alois  |  

Exit opportunities are vital for the private securities ecosystem to function effectively. Obviously, investors back early-stage firms to generate capital gains, and this typically happens via an acquisition, merger, or public offering. Seedrs is unique in that it offers a relatively robust secondary marketplace to… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 5:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US House of Representatives has passed several bills designed to improve access to capital and to level the playing field for retail investors. The legislation will now move over to the Senate for consideration and, perhaps, then move to the White House to be… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 1:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a statement that “billions” of dollars held on payment Apps may not possess federal insurance. The CFPB said these funds may not be safe during times of “financial stress,” alluding to the recent banking crisis. Rohit Chopra,… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 12:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

MiCA or Markets in Crypto-Assets – the legislation designed to create a regulatory ecosystem for digital assets in the European Union, has officially been signed into law. While the law had been previously approved and the signing is a formality, the legislation is now enforceable,… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 11:30 am By JD Alois  |  

In recent days, Elon Musk tweeted that “commercial real estate is melting down fast. Home values next,” in response to a Tweet about the rapidly declining value of office real estate in Los Angeles and San Francisco, which is selling for less than the amount… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 10:28 am By JD Alois  |  

Stablecoin issuer Circle will launch USDC, its dollar-based stablecoin, on Arbitrum this  June 8th. Circle states that this version of USDC will eventually replace the currently circulating bridged version of USDC that comes from Ethereum – which becomes USDC.e. Arbitrum is a blockchain technology that… Read More

June 1, 2023 @ 9:09 am By JD Alois  |  

Smart Lenders AM has surpassed $2 billion in online loans financed, claiming to be the top European crowdfunding specialist for debt. Smart Lenders, based in Paris, invests in loans originated in online lending platforms in Europe and the US. Loans include both consumer and business…. Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 10:41 pm By JD Alois  |  

On June 1, 2023, new rules regarding digital assets go into effect, which may make Hong Kong a crypto hub. Earlier this month (May 2023), the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) concluded the Proposed Regulatory Requirements for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators. According… Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 10:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

Affirm (NASDAQ: AFRM) and Worldpay from FIS  (NYSE: FIS) have announced a partnership that will make Affirm’s Adaptive Checkout available to Worldpay merchants in a multi-year agreement. Becca Stone, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Affirm, said the partnership would help Worldpay’s merchants drive growth and… Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 5:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) has published a new study on the use of digital assets to facilitate cash-based transfers regarding humanitarian aid. CCAF, part of the Cambridge University Judge School of Business, is the top research entity in the Fintech sector.  The… Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 4:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

EquityZen, a secondary marketplace for private securities, has distributed a post t0utuing the secondary market for private securities during a slow period of primary issuance and funding rounds. Of course, this is to the benefit of EquityZen as it is what the company provides, but… Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 12:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) have announced a move to strengthen policy collaboration on financial services, including digital assets. The announcement was revealed during a bilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. According to… Read More

May 31, 2023 @ 10:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Singapore securities regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), has announced a partnership with Google [Alphabet] (NASDAQ:GOOG). According to a statement by MAS, the regulatory will work with Google Cloud to collaborate on generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to advance the development and use of responsible… Read More

May 30, 2023 @ 5:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued a staff advisory on the expansion of Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) clearing of digital assets. The advisory was said to be driven by the rising interest of DCOs to provide services in regard to crypto. The Advisory… Read More

May 30, 2023 @ 5:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

The economist that publicly stated the internet would never amount to much comparing it to the fax machine – Paul Krugman is slamming Governor Ron DeSantis’ opposition to a digital dollar or a central bank digital currency (CBDC). DeSantis officially announced his candidacy for President of… Read More

May 30, 2023 @ 4:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Former Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) executive Ishan Wahi and his brother, Nikhil Wahi, have agreed to settle charges leveled by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In mid-2022, the SEC announced the charges alleging insider trading. The defendants were allegedly benefiting from information prior to it becoming public… Read More

May 30, 2023 @ 11:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Recently, Ram Ahluwalia wrote an Op-Ed for American Banker that posed a somewhat controversial take on banking. Ahluwalia said outdated banking rules are denying access to Big Tech firms, like Apple and Amazon, who could enter the banking sector and bring loads of capital as… Read More

May 30, 2023 @ 10:46 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged Francis Sabo (aka Ricky Bobby) regarding a $100 million securities fraud ploy. The SEC said that charges were “partially settled” while explaining the defendants included several others who allegedly used social media to manipulate shares of securities… Read More