Featured Headlines

June 9, 2024 @ 6:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) told the Commission to make the definition of an Accredited Investor more inclusive. This is not the first time the Committee has advised the Commission to update the definition and make it more rational… Read More

June 8, 2024 @ 9:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Mihkel Stamm, CEO of Estateguru, says that the firm will reach profitability by the end of the year. Estateguru, a real estate-backed crowdfunding platform, announced several decisions this week that should “enable the company, which has struggled with losses in recent years, to end this… Read More

June 6, 2024 @ 7:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), a modern spin on a retail brokerage, has announced the pending acquisition of Bitstamp, a crypto exchange that operates across the EU, US, UK and Asia. Bitstamp is a top 20 crypto exchange, currently ranked 16th in the world by Coinmarketcap. The digital… Read More

June 5, 2024 @ 2:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, the Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion Subcommittee, part of the House Financial Services Committee, held a hearing on the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) and the migration to digital securities. The hearing was entitled “Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will… Read More

June 4, 2024 @ 10:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Watford FC, a Premier League football (soccer) team, is selling shares to investors on Republic and Seedrs. Republic is the largest investment crowdfunding platform in the world. Its acquisition of UK-based Seedrs cemented its top position. The relationship between the two platforms has fostered a… Read More

June 3, 2024 @ 11:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The term ‘Unicorn’ was first introduced in 2013, as a way to signify the statistical rarity of high-performing startups. Unicorn status today is much more than a financial milestone of around $1 billion; for startups, it’s a recognition of their organization’s disruptive capabilities, unique solutions,… Read More

May 31, 2024 @ 4:30 pm By Suki Gao  |  

To the surprise of nobody, female-led SMEs often face significant hurdles in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, primarily due to systemic biases and gender disparities entrenched within financial systems. Studies have consistently shown that women entrepreneurs encounter more challenges in securing financing compared to their male… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has publicly shared a comment on a consultation in the UK. Launched last April, the proposal is for a Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) initiated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England. The deadline for feedback from interested… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 10:35 am By JD Alois  |  

Republic, the largest investment crowdfunding company in the world, has revealed a partnership with niche crowdfunding platform RedCrow. RedCrow is an online investment platform that invests in early-stage healthcare firms. It is part of Alira Health, a healthcare consulting firm. Details of the relationship were not… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 10:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcheck is one of the foundational firms that entered the securities crowdfunding sector, supporting issuers and platforms that enable online capital formation. Crowdcheck is probably the top legal services firm preparing Reg A+ documents for issuers, which the Securities and Exchange Commission must qualify for… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 9:23 am By JD Alois  |  

While everyone knows that digital securities are the future, the path to shift from the analog past to the digital asset future has been a circuitous path. Today, DTCC, Euroclear, and Clearstreem have announced they are working with the Boston Consulting Group to produce a… Read More

May 24, 2024 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is poised to green-light Ethereum (Ether) ETFs after years of pushback. As of this writing, it was not clear as to when these products would commence trading. Earlier this year, the SEC approved spot Bitcoin ETFs for trading after… Read More

May 24, 2024 @ 10:48 am By JD Alois  |  

HNW Lending says it has surpassed £140 million in online lending. As the name implies, HNW means high net worth individuals. Regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, HNW Lending is a peer-to-peer lending platform that enables asset-backed loans for UK-based individuals and businesses, with… Read More

May 24, 2024 @ 10:15 am By JD Alois  |  

Stand with Crypto, an advocacy group that supports appropriate regulation of the digital asset sector, has set up shop in the UK. While the UK is moving forward with bespoke regulation, it has been more challenging in the US. The US House of Representatives recently… Read More

May 23, 2024 @ 2:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US House of Representatives has approved legislation aimed at deterring the use of a central bank digital currency, or CBDC. The CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act (HR 5403) vote was 216 for and 192 against.  22 members did not vote. While all of the Republicans… Read More

May 23, 2024 @ 10:44 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an interpretive rule impacting buy now pay later (BNPL) providers. BNPL providers have emerged as a popular alternative to credit cards, as their interest rates are typically lower than credit cards. At the same time, many platforms… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 7:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

After an impassioned debate by multiple Democrats criticizing the legislation, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21), HR 4763, has been approved by the US House of Representatives. The final vote showed solid support as 208 Republicans were joined by 71… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 7:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

Synapse, a Banking as a Service (BaaS) provider labeled in 2023 as one of the World’s Best Fintech Companies by CNBC, is in the throes of bankruptcy. In just a few short months, things have changed dramatically at Synapse it seems. It has been reported… Read More

May 20, 2024 @ 10:28 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Credit cards have been a cornerstone of consumer payment methods for decades now, and the demand for consumer cards is only increasing. In fact, 43% of Gen Z and millennial consumers are increasing their spending on credit cards, suggesting that the market is both lucrative… Read More

May 17, 2024 @ 10:01 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We spoke to co-founder of PayFuture Technologies Dubai, Zaki Farooq on why businesses should overcome their reluctance to enter emerging markets to tap into a world of opportunity. Emerging markets are one of the fastest developing sectors of the global economy and many new businesses are establishing… Read More