Opinion

September 23, 2019 @ 2:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed its latest complaint targeting another allegedly fraudulent initial coin offering (ICO). According to a release, the SEC has charged Jonathan C. Lucas, the former founder and CEO of Fantasy Market, an online adult entertainment marketplace, with orchestrating… Read More

September 22, 2019 @ 9:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

Several weeks ago, Crowdfund Insider reported on letters being mailed by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to individuals regarding possible taxes owed on crypto trading gains. These “CP2000” letters are largely driven by mandatory reporting from cryptocurrency exchanges. As CI has been told, many of… Read More

September 20, 2019 @ 6:06 pm By Michelle Arney  |  

Big data, mobility, the cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and other tech advancements have stretched the traditional enterprise perimeters of today’s financial organizations. To understand the industry shifts that are taking place, it’s important to explore the new reality of today’s increasingly distributed financial organization… Read More

September 20, 2019 @ 10:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Wefunder, the leading crowdfunding platform using the Reg CF securities exemption, has posted a comment letter on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s concept release authored by Wefunder co-founder and CEO Nick Tommarello. The SEC’s concept release is an ongoing consultation on the current regulatory environment… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 4:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

LendingClub (NYSE: LC), has filled a vacant board of directors position with Michael Zeisser – a former executive with Alibaba. According to a release, Zeisser will serve on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee. Zeisser has an interesting resume. Until April… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 3:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton was interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin during the annual Delivering Alpha event produced by CNBC. During the interview, Chair Clayton took the opportunity to address the shifting landscape of the private markets in comparison to public… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 2:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, Crowdfund Insider covered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement action brought against ICOBox and its founder Nikolay Evdokimov. The complaint by the SEC specifically targeted ICOBox’s own initial coin offering (ICO) and the fact that ICOBox provided services to other ICOs acting like… Read More

September 19, 2019 @ 1:30 am By JD Alois  |  

According to reports, the German cabinet announced its blockchain strategy today. The Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz both said they see huge potential related to blockchain technology. It is believed that the energy sector can benefit from blockchain but the… Read More

September 16, 2019 @ 11:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

Reg CF [Regulation Crowdfunding], the smallest of the three crowdfunding exemptions created by the bi-partisan JOBS Act of 2012, became officially actionable in May of 2016. In that time, hundreds of issuers have raised money on FINRA regulated “funding portals” taking advantage of the internet… Read More

September 15, 2019 @ 8:00 pm By Therese Torris  |  

On September 12, the French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire did not mince words. Libra should not be allowed in Europe, he said. Later, on the same day, Bertrand Perez, the newly appointed managing director and COO of the Libra Association was… Read More

September 13, 2019 @ 4:24 pm By JD Alois  |  

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton tipped his hand a bit regarding the ongoing “concept release” – an SEC review of the private securities exemption ecosystem and how regulated private markets operate.  In a speech delivered at the Economic Club of New York this… Read More

September 12, 2019 @ 2:59 pm By JD Alois  |  

Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has announced a new partnership with R3 to use their Corda platform to power blockchain-based cross border payments. Corda is a permissioned blockchain that has the support of multiple financial services firms and has been experiencing additional traction. The partnership is said… Read More

September 12, 2019 @ 11:29 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets held a hearing entitled “Examining Private Market Exemptions as a Barrier to IPOs and Retail Investment.” The hearing saw a debate on the merits of private securities exemptions, such as Reg D, Reg… Read More

September 11, 2019 @ 3:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently caught up with Steifan Deiss, co-founder and CEO of Blockchain Propulsion, a Switzerland-headquartered global accelerator program for blockchain startups.  Deiss, an MBA graduate from HWZ University of Applied Sciences, shared his views and insights regarding the emerging distributed ledger technology (DLT) industry and… Read More

September 10, 2019 @ 7:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

Tomorrow (September 11), the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets, will hold a must-see hearing on “Examining Private Market Exemptions as a Barrier to IPOs and Retail Investment.”  The Subcommittee is Chaired by Representative Carolyn Maloney. The Hearing incorporates multiple pending… Read More

September 10, 2019 @ 4:55 pm By Maxwell R. Rich  |  

The securities regulatory regime in the United States is one based on the principle of disclosure, disclosure, and more disclosure; only those who can fend for themselves may invest without the benefits of statutorily prescribed disclosure. Therefore in the United States, there are only three… Read More

September 8, 2019 @ 10:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

While much of the discourse revolving around innovation in financial services tackles specific sectors of the industry, such as lending, payments,  or online capital formation, the reality is that the biggest beneficiaries of Fintech may be the underbanked: the millions of people who have never… Read More

September 4, 2019 @ 4:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) has been rebuffed once again in its attempt to stymie looming Fintech banking competition. In a decision issued yesterday (September 3, 2019), the US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered that the CSBS pursuit of a… Read More

September 1, 2019 @ 7:00 pm By Hernan Soler  |  

They say technology is making the world smaller by facilitating shared connections, transactions, and experiences around the globe. One result of this increased global awareness and connectedness is an increased interest in travel. Though the majority of the world has never traveled by plane, the… Read More

August 30, 2019 @ 2:48 pm By Michael B. Saryan and Charles S. Kaufman  |  

Each year, billions of dollars in direct foreign investment flow to U.S. developers and entrepreneurs under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The program gives foreign investors the opportunity to obtain permanent U.S. residency – a green card – if they make a qualifying investment in… Read More