Opinion

May 24, 2018 @ 1:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

Potential legislation is currently being circulated that may create a new Fintech Council to advocate on behalf of innovation in the financial services industry. The bill, entitled the “Financial Technology Act,” would mandate the creation of a “Federal Financial Technology Council.” (FFITC) As the language… Read More

May 24, 2018 @ 8:47 am By JD Alois  |  

Christopher Woolard, Executive Director of Strategy and Competition at the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), delivered a speech today on the hot topic of cybersecurity, crime and financial services. Delivered at a “TechSprint” in London, Woolard said it was time to bring regulators and tech specialists… Read More

May 23, 2018 @ 4:08 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Robert J. Shiller, Professor of Economics at Yale and winner of a Nobel Prize for his work on financial bubbles, has come out yet again against Bitcoin stating that it may be just another failed currency experiment. In his article entitled, “The Old Allure of… Read More

May 22, 2018 @ 10:47 pm By JD Alois  |  

On the same day the North American Securities Administrators Assocation (NASAA) announced “Operation Cryptosweep” – a coordinated enforcement action targeting fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair J. Christopher Giancarlo delivered a speech to NASAA members. Within his prepared remarks, Giancarlo stated;… Read More

May 21, 2018 @ 10:12 pm By Jim Borzilleri  |  

Earlier this month Hester Peirce, a commissioner of the SEC, delivered a powerful speech in LA that bodes well for the future of cryptocurrency regulation. She addressed the challenges she faces as a regulator of the financial sector, and shared her own philosophy regarding initial… Read More

May 21, 2018 @ 4:41 pm By Alan Yong  |  

Recently during a television interview, world-renowned investor and well-known Bitcoin cynic Warren Buffet described Bitcoin as “rat poison squared”. Buffett made the comment while responding to questions about Bitcoin’s meteoric and highly-publicized growth in the last five years. It would be an easy matter to… Read More

May 18, 2018 @ 2:39 pm By Gene Grant  |  

Several news reports this month have pointed to a slowdown in the crypto token issues that have been used to finance early stage companies, and the reports predicted that the increased regulatory activity echoing around the globe will serve as a deterrent to further growth…. Read More

May 17, 2018 @ 6:37 pm By Cali Haan  |  

    In a morning talk Monday at the massive cryptocurrency conference Consensus, economist James Bullard, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, challenged the vision of a muliti-coin paradise espoused by ICO (Initial Coin Offering) marketers. His thesis in a… Read More

May 16, 2018 @ 10:19 am By JD Alois  |  

Andrew Bailey, Chief Executive of the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), addressed the regulator’s business plan for the coming year in a speech this week. Touching upon innovations in financial services, Bailey stated; “Fintech and Big Data are transforming financial services. We will seek to… Read More

May 14, 2018 @ 7:01 pm By Cali Haan  |  

  Blockchain has been called “The Foundation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Umpteen conferences are now being devoted to explaining it. Hundreds of cottage firms have emerged claiming blockchain expertise. Enterprises, hearing that Bitcoin will compete with their payment or other systems have been spending millions… Read More

May 13, 2018 @ 8:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

Towards the end of April, SEC Commissioner Robert J. Jackson Jr. delivered a heartfelt speech in Cleveland about the decline of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the US. While there has been much debate regarding the cause of this decline (with some questioning whether it even… Read More

May 10, 2018 @ 11:09 am By Cali Haan  |  

On May 8th, venture capitalist Tim Draper, Bitcoin software developer Jimmy Song and crypto hedge fund manager Kyle Samani engaged in a tense debate about the viability of enterprise blockchains and supposed utility of “crypto asset” ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). Draper began by invoking the… Read More

May 8, 2018 @ 12:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

“The regulator should be careful not to try to control the development of new technologies.” – Hester Peirce, SEC Commissioner SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce delivered a fascinating speech in LA today, addressing the challenges of innovation in the financial services sector while providing insight into… Read More

May 7, 2018 @ 12:33 pm By Timothy Li  |  

  In two of my previous articles, “The Top Ten Fintech Predictions for 2018” and “Top The Fintech Predictions for 2017”,  I predicted a few things to come including The End of Privacy, Vertical Integration and What’s Your Advantage where I visualized Facebook, Snapchat, Tesla,… Read More

May 7, 2018 @ 11:05 am By JD Alois  |  

The State of New York is may create a new regulatory hurdle, and associated cost, for online lenders. A bill (Senate Bill S8340) sitting in the New York State Senate now, will create a limited state charter for internet lending. Sponsored by New York State… Read More

May 7, 2018 @ 8:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Warren Buffet, the founder of Berkshire Hathaway and a legendary investor, is no fan of cryptocurrency. Speaking with CNBC this week during their annual shareholder meeting, Buffet told Becky Quick that bitcoin is “rat poison squared.” Not exactly a compliment. Buffet believes that “cryptocurrencies will come… Read More

May 6, 2018 @ 4:15 pm By Alan Yong  |  

  The so-called dotcom era that lasted from 1997 to 2001 was an epic period for tech industry hype. It was a veritable Wild West for tech-oriented businesses, where it sometimes seemed like investor money all but grew on trees for the many start-up firms… Read More

May 6, 2018 @ 2:42 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Ripple Labs, the company behind the cryptocurrency Ripple (XRP), are facing a class action lawsuit filed by an investor, Ryan Coffey, who alleges the company sold it’s cryptocurrency tokens to the public in violation of US securities laws. The filing also claims the company has… Read More

May 6, 2018 @ 11:25 am By Cali Haan  |  

On Thursday, “Alternative financial and economic news” producer Crush the Street posted an interview on YouTube with documentarian Tim Delmastro, who has released a new documentary on Bitcoin called “Bitcoin: Beyond the Bubble.” The following is a transcript of highlights from the interview: “I made… Read More

May 6, 2018 @ 9:09 am By JD Alois  |  

In a speech delivered by UK FCA Competition Director Mary Starks, the public official addressed the topics of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Regarding blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT), Starks was more optimistic. Regarding cryptocurrencies, or “cryptoassets” as she labeled them, she was more circumspect…. Read More