Opinion

March 21, 2019 @ 5:20 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Tide Foundation just launched a data marketplace aimed at making privacy profitable. Tide’s blockchain protocol seeks to address costly GDPR compliance, compensation and data accuracy issues to drive a new consensual data economy. “While we all deserve a human right to privacy, we’re witnessing the disastrous results of… Read More

March 21, 2019 @ 2:00 am By JD Alois  |  

The American Bar Association (ABA) has published an extensive treatise on the US regulatory environment pertaining to cryptocurrency and other digital assets. In brief, the 353 white paper is a must-read review of current law and treatment by regulatory authorities such as the Securities and… Read More

March 20, 2019 @ 5:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

Lyft is in the midst of preparing an initial public offering (IPO). This IPO is one of the most anticipated public offerings of the year. The ride-share platform is not only testament to the entrepreneurship of its founders and the creativity and risk-taking intrinsic to… Read More

March 20, 2019 @ 3:29 pm By Cali Haan  |  

The man accused of killing 50 people at a New Zealand mosque and hospitalizing dozens more, including a 2-year-old child, claims in his lengthy “manifesto” that he made money from Bitconnect, a now-collapsed cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that ripped off participants for billions of dollars. In… Read More

March 19, 2019 @ 7:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

CipherTrace is a cryptocurrency cyber assurance and compliance firm that has recently formed some interesting partnerships. In February, CipherTrace was backed by $15 million in venture funding to help fulfill its mission on crypto security. In January, CipherTrace published a report on the global cryptocurrency… Read More

March 17, 2019 @ 2:25 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Alex de Vries, Digiconomist.net founder and a blockchain specialist at PwC’s Experience Centre since 2015, has produced an important report on the Bitcoin network’s extreme energy consumption and waste production, which far exceed that generated by regular banking. De Vries conclusion that Bitcoin should “follow… Read More

March 17, 2019 @ 1:45 pm By Martin Baker  |  

George Joyner has Puerto Rico in his blood. The Commissioner of the Office of Financial Institutions is a veteran player who has spent his whole career in the fast-growing banking and, latterly, FinTech industry in the US territory of Puerto Rico, with the exception of… Read More

March 16, 2019 @ 11:25 am By Cali Haan  |  

Citing a “growing interest” amongst the public in “blockchain-based digital assets,” the Malaysia Securities Commission has issued a proposed regulatory framework for the issuance of ICO’s (initial coin offerings) and is asking for the public’s feedback. The proposal actually contains many cogent suggestions that improve… Read More

March 13, 2019 @ 9:15 pm By Richard Mandel and Erik Noyes  |  

We interviewed several entrepreneurs who ran successful Reg CF campaigns – as well as two equity crowdfunding platforms – to break down the ins and outs of running a campaign. The bottom line? According to our review, you’re off base if you think equity crowdfunding… Read More

March 12, 2019 @ 9:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) issued their legislative agenda for the 116th Congress. Buried within their priorities were the Association’s concerns pertaining to emerging Fintech services. Fintech has the capacity to provide better services for both consumers and businesses – typically… Read More

March 12, 2019 @ 5:43 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Companisto, the largest German crowdfunding platform, successfully closed its INVEST grant self-funding round over the weekend. 520 investors rallied and raised €4,833,195 during the campaign. Crowdfund Insider reached out to the Companisto regarding the raise: “We think our financing round and Ameria’s financing round are a… Read More

March 7, 2019 @ 1:00 pm By Linh Bergen-Peters  |  

The number of women-owned businesses has been steadily increasing globally. Despite this, accessing finance to start or grow their business remains a struggle for many women. A study by the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Kansas City found that women are less likely… Read More

March 3, 2019 @ 9:00 am By Aubrey Hansen  |  

Internet messaging services are big business today, with some of the biggest names in tech involved, but for most people, the dream is a secure, fully encrypted service that will keep users information completely safe. That dream isn’t shared by various governments and those tasked… Read More

March 2, 2019 @ 8:50 am By Jen Nash  |  

On heels of many tumultuous months in the space, dare I say even a few scary months in the crypto space, I’m looking forward to what should be a superbly boring rest of 2019. Whether it’s traditional financial market leaders buying into the space, a… Read More

March 1, 2019 @ 7:25 am By JD Alois  |  

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has posted the new members of the regulator’s Fintech Advisory Committee (FAC). The FAC ostensibly advises the OSC on developments in the Fintech space while providing perspective on challenges facing emerging fintech firms. While there remains some overlap from last… Read More

February 28, 2019 @ 10:12 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last September, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a statement on their proposed regulatory sandbox – a concept trailblazed by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and since embraced by multiple regulators around the world. At the time of the earlier announcement, the CFPB… Read More

February 26, 2019 @ 9:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week Crowdfund Insider attended the KoreSummit in Miami – a security token focused event. The opening presentation was delivered by David Weild, a former Vice Chairman of NASDAQ and now CEO of his own firm Weild & Co. Weild, a staunch proponent of the… Read More

February 25, 2019 @ 5:57 pm By Therese Torris  |  

Recently, the French Crowdfunding Association (Financement Participatif France or FPF) published their annual crowdfunding barometer. The report indicated that alternative finance continues to grow in France but when you separate equity crowdfunding, this segment indicates a decline. Crowdfund Insider published an article on the FPF… Read More

February 25, 2019 @ 9:42 am By JD Alois  |  

There has been growing chatter that Square (NYSE: SQ) may soon receive approval regarding their application to become an Industrial Loan Company (ILC) which is similar to a bank. The change of leadership at the FDIC has set a more positive tone for Fintechs and their… Read More

February 24, 2019 @ 6:57 pm By Hussein Ahmed  |  

Recent disruption in financial services has been driven by several factors – technologically savvy and connected customers, tighter government regulations, aggressive new Fintech market entrants and more. However, another potentially huge disruptor has been bubbling below the surface for several years now and is finally… Read More