April 11, 2018 @ 3:53 pm By JD Alois  |  

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Jay Clayton re-affirmed his commitment to bolster the environment for smaller companies to more easily raise the growth capital they need and to help foster a more conducive IPO market for SMEs. Speaking at an Equity Market Structure Symposium in… Read More

April 11, 2018 @ 3:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently published a note stating they are aware of a growing number of UK firms issuing cryptocurrencies or digital assets associated with initial coin offerings. These vehicles are currently not directly regulated but the FCA, and other policy types,… Read More

April 11, 2018 @ 12:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

Frank Fu, Managing Director at Chinese tech firm Meitu, has invested $2 million in MyDFS. The blockchain based company wants to change how fans play online daily fantasy sports with smart contracts. MyDFS has also brought Fu on board as an advisor to the company. “The… Read More

April 11, 2018 @ 10:59 am By JD Alois  |  

  tZero, the ambitious blockchain based startup launched by Overstock, says its platform is pretty much ready to go. In fact the token trading platform should be ready to trade digital assets this May. tZero and Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne explained what has been accomplished… Read More

April 10, 2018 @ 12:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

LendIt returned to San Francisco this year as it continues with its annual conference which is one of the largest Fintech focused events in the US. This year’s event is a bit different for several reasons. First of all, more traditional banks showed up in… Read More

April 10, 2018 @ 9:08 am By JD Alois  |  

During the 2018 LendIt Fintech conference in San Francisco this week, SeedInvest CEO Ryan Feit delivered a presentation on the current state of securities regulations in regards to initial coin offerings (ICOs). Until recently, much of the ICO activity in the US was completed in… Read More

April 10, 2018 @ 12:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Upgrade, Inc.  has announced a new consumer product entitled “Personal Credit Line.” The new product was revealed during the annual LendIt Fintech conference in San Francisco. The line of credit is designed to combine the low cost, fixed rate and monthly amortization of personal loans… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 10:41 am By JD Alois  |  

In the Fall of 2017, the US Department of Treasury published a document entitled, “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities – Capital Markets.” This comprehensive overview of the current regulatory environment regarding capital formation is probably the best publication I have ever seen produced… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 9:24 am By JD Alois  |  

Blockchain Bundesverband has published an extended version position paper on regulating initial coin offerings (ICOs). This is a follow on publication from a shorter document published this past February. The group seeks to advocate for a regulated market for ICOs in Europe. The aim of this… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 9:00 am By JD Alois  |  

During the DigitalSwitzerland challenge, taking place today (April 9th) in Zurich, Blockchain firm Proxeus, along with IBM and other partners, will complete the legal registeration of a company, from start to finish, in just 3 hours. This is in contrast to the typical 4 to 6 weeks… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 7:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Ocrolus, a Fintech firm that automates the analyzing financial documents, has announced a $4 million Series A investment led by Bullpen Capital. Additional investors include QED Investors, Laconia Capital Group, ValueStream Ventures, and RiverPark Ventures. Also participating in the round were multiple well known names… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 12:03 am By JD Alois  |  

  Prospa, one of Australia’s leading online lenders to SMEs, has appointed Gail Pemberton AO and Fiona Trafford-Walker as Independent Non-Executive Directors to the Prospa Board. Prospa also announced that current Non-Executive Director Greg Ruddock has been appointed to the role of Chairman of the… Read More

April 8, 2018 @ 11:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

Singapore based Marvelstone Group has launched a private equity fund for artificial intelligence (AI) investment. Marvelstone said it will invest in AI startups and projects through Marvelstone Capital, across geographies including the UK, China, Singapore, and Canada. The open-ended fund is targeting a capital raise… Read More

April 8, 2018 @ 9:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The 36 Annual SEC Small Government Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation took place last November in Austin, Texas. This past week, the SEC published the final report which includes the list of recommendations as prioritized by the participants in this yearly gathering between… Read More

April 8, 2018 @ 6:34 am By JD Alois  |  

LendingCoin has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicating its intent to raise $69.5 million to launch a Blockchain based real estate lending platform. The Reg D 506c filed with the SEC indicates that the first sale of $80,000 from four different investors… Read More

April 7, 2018 @ 7:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Longfin Corp. (NASDAQ:LFIN) was hit with a formal request by NASDAQ to provide additional information regarding recent trading activity. The shares were placed on a T12 trading halt on Friday as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a formal complaint against Longfin that included… Read More

April 7, 2018 @ 7:59 am By JD Alois  |  

During the summer of 2017, legislation  was introduced into the Senate that had the potential to kill cryptocurrency innovation. The legislation, entitled “Combatting Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2017,″ (S.1241) contained very confusing language pertaining to “digital currencies.” Since last year, the bill has been… Read More

April 6, 2018 @ 3:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Digital wallet and crypto exchange Coinbase is adding an investment arm to their company. In a blog post, the company announced the creation of Coinbase Ventures – just the latest expansion of the digital asset platform. Coinbase said they are “rooting for the best and… Read More

April 6, 2018 @ 7:18 am By JD Alois  |  

In Finland, investments into startups has hit a record high of €349 million. A report provided by the Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) and the Finnish Venture Capital Association (FVCA) provide the data on the rise in backing early stage Finnish firms. According to the… Read More

April 6, 2018 @ 5:44 am By JD Alois  |  

Templum, Inc., Fintech company focused on the trading of digital assets, has obtained the necessary regulatory approval to purchase Liquid M Capital.  The broker dealer and Alternative Trading System (ATS) will now operate as Templum Markets, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Templum.  The company… Read More