Featured Headlines

February 24, 2021 @ 8:16 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Markus Jun, the founder and CEO of ICON Hyperconnect Public Representative, a leading block validator for the ICON network with $20 million in total staked value, and Hyperconnector, an official accelerator partner of the ICON Foundation & ICX Station Seoul. Markus… Read More

February 23, 2021 @ 11:52 am By JD Alois  |  

During testimony provided at the US Senate Banking Committee hearing today, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell commented on the possibility of launching a “digital dollar” calling it a high-priority project for them. Powell was testifying in front of the Senate Banking Committee as part of… Read More

February 22, 2021 @ 6:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last year, the European Union approved pan-European crowdfunding rules that will apply to all member states thus finally offering a harmonized approach to online capital formation. Crowdfunding advocates and European platforms had long recognized the unnecessary friction intrinsic to raising capital based on national regulations… Read More

February 21, 2021 @ 9:02 pm By André Jasch  |  

The European crowdfunding industry is merging into a harmonized market – with major implications for how companies raise capital and investors access investment opportunities. The opportunities and challenges arising from this were also at the center of the ECN Crowdfunding Convention 2020 (ECN CrowdCon). This… Read More

February 19, 2021 @ 10:44 am By Oliver Woolley  |  

Social media-hyped stocks took a beating on 18th February, with shares of game retailer GameStop (NYSE:GME) closing at around $40. The share price dove from an all-time high of $483 earlier this month, ending a wild ride for amateur investors still holding their position. The… Read More

February 17, 2021 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Committee on Financial Services will hold the first of three hearings on the Gamestop – Robinhood saga that saw hedge fund short sellers compelled to sell positions in a short squeeze driven by collaborative trading that was organized on Reddit. Entitled, “Game Stopped?… Read More

February 16, 2021 @ 7:41 pm By Lee A. Schneider  |  

Fellow DeFi adherents, let’s slow down on the outrage about GameStop (NYSE:GME) and the traditional finance system (TradFi).   Blockchain and DeFi offer lots of advantages over TradFi, but TradFi is not completely broken and DeFi is not necessarily vastly superior.  Two core characteristics make… Read More

February 15, 2021 @ 3:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

MoneyLion, a digital banking Fintech, is the next company to go public via a special acquisition company (SPAC). The deal was announced last Friday where MoneyLion will merge with Fusion Acquisition (NYSE:FUSE) at a transaction value of $2.4  billion and $2.9 billion in equity value… Read More

February 15, 2021 @ 8:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently caught up with Dr. Joshua Ellul, the Chairman of Malta Digital Innovation Authority and Director of Centre for DLTs, University of Malta. Dr. Ellul discussed how blockchain-based smart contracts are streamlining routine business processes. He also talked about his research interests which include… Read More

February 14, 2021 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce in Ontario, Canada, issued its final report as to how to improve capital formation and affiliated economic growth and prosperity. The Taskforce’s goal was to “address the issues of tomorrow’s capital markets with bold and innovative recommendations that… Read More

February 12, 2021 @ 10:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

It’s been over a year since the COVID-19 outbreak brought the world to a halt, and we’re now may be just beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel, due to the increasing availability of testing facilities and the vaccine rollout. However,… Read More

February 12, 2021 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

loanDepot (NYSE:LDI) floated shares today on the NYSE following a significant decrease in its IPO price. The online mortgage lender listed shares at $14 each after previously filing an S-1 indicating its intent to float shares in a range of $19 to $21. The number… Read More

February 12, 2021 @ 9:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is going all-in on Bitcoin as he announced via Twitter that he has requested the city manager to research a vendor to facilitate Bitcoin payments as well as paying employees in Bitcoin. Crypto insiders quickly embraced the move with Anthony Pompliano… Read More

February 10, 2021 @ 10:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Investing in Real Estate: Updated October 8, 2026. Originally published February 10, 2021. Real estate still does what it has always done for patient capital: it can produce cash flow and, over a long hold, appreciation. What changed after 2021 is the path in…. Read More

February 10, 2021 @ 9:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury hosted the U.S. Financial Sector Innovation Policy Roundtable the past two days. Policymakers and regulators, as well as members of the private sector, participated in the meeting to discuss policy issues surrounding Fintech and innovation “fostering economic recovery, competitiveness, and financial… Read More

February 9, 2021 @ 11:20 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Yann Murciano, CEO at online peer to peer lender Blend Network, who had previously explained in an interview with CI last year that we’re witnessing the “democratization of property investing” in the 21st century. As covered in December 2020, the Blend… Read More

February 8, 2021 @ 4:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

The big story today is that Elon Musk’s Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has purchased $1.5 billion in Bitcoin. The information was disclosed in a 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While the exact timing of the purchase was not disclosed, Tesla is most certainly in… Read More

February 8, 2021 @ 10:33 am By JD Alois  |  

  Bitcoin is hitting new highs today fololowing a 10-K filed by Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) that revealed it had purchased $1.5 billion in Bitcoin and may purchase other digital assets in the future. Simultaneously, Tesla said they expect to commence accepting Bitcoin as a method of… Read More

February 7, 2021 @ 11:36 am By Xu Gao  |  

SWIFT and the People’s Bank of China Digital Currency Research Institute Establish a Joint Venture Public records show that SWIFT has recently established a Financial Gateway Information Service Co., Ltd. in China with the People’s Bank of China Clearing Center and the People’s Bank of… Read More

February 5, 2021 @ 1:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently, the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation (OASB) shared a presentation outlining the performance of securities exemptions during 2020. The presentation reviewed the utilization of Reg D, Reg A+, and Reg CF as these are the main avenues to raise… Read More