February 21, 2019 @ 6:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

Crowdfunding has been legal in Canada for some time now but in Canada, securities are managed and regulated at the provincial level thus creating a bit of a regulatory mishmash which proves difficult and costly to firms. Issuers must be certain to manage any provincial… Read More

February 20, 2019 @ 7:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a reform that would permit potential issuers to gauge investor interest prior to pursuing an offering. According to the SEC, the new rule and related amendments would expand the “test-the-waters” process, currently available to emerging growth companies or “EGCs,”… Read More

February 20, 2019 @ 8:13 am By Helena Murphy  |  

The world of business equity raising is still dominated by men. Melinda Gates wrote in ReCode back in 2017:  “We like to think that venture capital is driven by the power of good ideas. But by the numbers, it’s men who have the keys.”  Gates argued that… Read More

February 20, 2019 @ 7:01 am By Erin Hobey  |  

TrueAccord, an automated debt recovery platform, has partnered with Lenexa, Kansas for its new shared services operation, committed to investing $1.34 million with a plan to expand to over 150 professionals over the next three years across sales, operations and technology functions. “We chose the… Read More

February 18, 2019 @ 8:00 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Today the direct real estate investment platform Groundfloor launched an online public offering enabling any Groundfloor account holder to purchase stock directly from the company. The platform indicated that the online public offering aims to “level the cap table” so members of the public can own… Read More

February 16, 2019 @ 1:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, one of the big Fintech news stories was that JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) was issuing its own stablecoin anointed JPM Coin. The fact that an old school bank was embracing blockchain tech and going crypto caught the attention of traditional finance and disruptive… Read More

February 15, 2019 @ 10:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

There has been a good amount of discussion regarding the decision by Judge Gonzalo Curiel, of the US District Court for the Southern District of California, to grant the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) bid for a preliminary injunction against crypto company Blockvest LLC. Initially, the Court… Read More

February 15, 2019 @ 3:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a relatively obscure filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, tech behemoth Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) indicated its participation in blockchain tech. First uncovered by CoinDesk, the specific filing  Form SD (Specialized Disclosure Report) pertains to Apple’s Conflict Minerals Report for the reporting period January 1, 2018,… Read More

February 15, 2019 @ 8:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Wyoming, a state that is small in population but huge in blockchain aspirations, is continuing to enact laws that are pro cryptocurrency and blockchain. The most recent legislation passed is SF125 – a bill that recognizes property rights for digital assets. Sponsored by State Senator… Read More

February 14, 2019 @ 9:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Periodically, Crowdfund Insider reviews the status of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) the smallest crowdfunding exemption in the US. Reg CF has been in use since May of 2016. According to a recent report published by Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA), $194 million has been raised in… Read More

February 13, 2019 @ 1:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Financial Stability Board‘s (FSB) Randal K. Quarles has touched on the need for a global regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies in a speech delivered in Hong Kong February 10th at the Bank for International Settlements Special Governors Meeting. Quarles is the Vice Chairman for Supervision on… Read More

February 11, 2019 @ 9:00 pm By Michael B. Saryan and Charles S. Kaufman  |  

2017 saw a roaring ICO market, with billions of dollars raised by blockchain-based digital asset issuers selling “utility tokens” in initial coin offerings. As the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) began cracking down on token issuers for failing to follow securities laws, in late… Read More

February 11, 2019 @ 1:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

There have been innumerable cryptocurrency exchange hacks and failures. A combination of poor security protocols and the lure of digital currency which can be easily laundered has engendered hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. The most recent debacle is the collapse of Canadian crypto… Read More

February 11, 2019 @ 8:58 am By Karsten Wenzlaff  |  

The European Parliament Elections are looming in May – and so far, there is no progress in sight regarding the European Crowdfunding Service Provider Regime. It remains unclear whether the Romanian Finance Minister TEODOROVICI will make the conclusion of the negotiation process a priority. The… Read More

February 10, 2019 @ 6:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

Baromètre du Crowdfunding en France 2018 Recently the French Crowdfunding Association (Financement Participatif France or FPF) published their annual report on alternative finance in France. The report, produced in partnership with KPMG, is now in its third year and provides an important snapshot of sector growth for online… Read More

February 10, 2019 @ 1:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a presentation last Friday (along with a Q&A session), SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce discussed innovation, entrepreneurship, and the SEC’s impact on these important aspects of the economy. Delivered remotely to the University of Missouri School of Law, Peirce talked about balancing investor protection while fostering… Read More

February 8, 2019 @ 10:35 am By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week, SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson spoke to Roll Call about the potential for Bitcoin or crypto-based Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Jackson said he is of the opinion that someone will eventually satisfy the standards the SEC have established. But he also added the caveat… Read More

February 8, 2019 @ 2:19 am By JD Alois  |  

In an open letter to Canadian securities regulators, leading investment crowdfunding platform FrontFundr pointed a finger at provincial regulators and their inability to foster a robust ecosystem for online capital formation for early-stage Canadian firms. Signed by Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, who is CEO of FrontFundr… Read More

February 7, 2019 @ 2:20 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Give-with-one-hand to old investors and take-with-the-other from the new seems to be an increasing policy in crypto worldwide, and ga-ga serial cryptocurrency creator and billionaire Brock Pierce now proposes to compensate ripped off Mt Gox investors by creating yet another crypto, “Gox Coin,” Tech Crunch… Read More

February 7, 2019 @ 12:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee is one of the most powerful Congressional committees on the Hill. The Committee oversees not only the entire financial services industry but its policy portfolio also includes other overlapping responsibilities such as Housing, entrepreneurship and international financial organizations. Last election… Read More