Opinion

March 24, 2018 @ 3:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following Telegram. One of the fastest growing messaging / social media platforms in the world is poised to top $1.7 billion with its initial coin offering. This is according to a recent report in… Read More

March 23, 2018 @ 4:55 pm By Raphael Andrade  |  

Late last year, the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários or CVM) spoke about initial coin offerings (ICOs). At that time, the CVM published a frequently asked questions-like notice (see here). The FAQ lays down some introductory aspects on the subject, conceptually… Read More

March 23, 2018 @ 11:05 am By Erin Hobey  |  

ORCA Alliance, an Open Banking platform designed for cryptocurrency users aims to unite fiat and crypto in a single convenient interface, is taking advantage of the European PSD2 directive. Founded by CEO Natan Avidan, ORCA Alliance aims to give its users the possibility to keep and track… Read More

March 21, 2018 @ 11:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

EquityMultiple, a real estate investment platform that caters to accredited investors has bagged general solicitation or accredited crowdfunding. No longer will EquityMultiple publicly promote its real estate offerings online and elsewhere. Previously, EquityMultiple has leveraged Reg D 506c – a new securities exemption created by… Read More

March 21, 2018 @ 11:50 am By JD Alois  |  

  We recently published an article from John Auckland, from TribeFirst, about HMRC’s new SEIS / EIS guidelines. Since we released this, the crowdfunding platforms met with HMRC to discuss the potential limitations these guidelines might present for companies looking to raise money through crowdfunding, so… Read More

March 19, 2018 @ 10:04 am By JD Alois  |  

Christopher Woolard, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority  Executive Director of Strategy and Competition, delivered a keynote speech today at the Innovate Finance Global Summit. Woolard is the defender and champion of the vital competition mandate that has made the FCA a successful financial regulator.  Woolard… Read More

March 19, 2018 @ 7:00 am By JD Alois  |  

The European Commission recently revealed its plan to support Fintech Innovation across Europe – a vital aspect of the EU economy. Included within the plan, was a statement and outline of improving the environment for pan-European crowdfunding. In many ways, investment crowdfunding is core to the… Read More

March 18, 2018 @ 4:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

Global financial firm Allianz recently published a harsh assessment of Bitcoin. Stefan Hofrichter, Head of Global Economics & Strategy at Allianz Global Investors, writing under the category of investment themes and strategies, is of the opinion that Bitcoin is a huge fail. A bubble getting ready… Read More

March 18, 2018 @ 10:51 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, during a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee, subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment, Members of the Committee peppered cryptocurrency / initial coin offering experts with questions regarding the emerging method of online capital formation. While the overall tenor of the discussion… Read More

March 16, 2018 @ 8:55 am By David Felsenthal and Jesse Overall  |  

The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has reportedly sent a wave of subpoenas and information requests to companies engaged in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The SEC scrutiny is perhaps not surprising, given that, as Crowdfund Insider writes, “if you invest in an ICO, the play… Read More

March 15, 2018 @ 4:00 pm By John Auckland  |  

HMRC’s new stricter guidelines around their Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme / Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS / EIS) may worry some crowdfunding campaigners, but there is a silver lining. SEIS and EIS, both startup investment tax relief schemes, protect up to 80% of your investment into… Read More

March 15, 2018 @ 2:17 pm By JD Alois  |  

Innovate Finance, an association that represents the UK’s global Fintech community, has recently published a collection of article discussing the growing sector of innovative finance. Said to be an inaugural publication, the document includes submissions from a selection of “influencers” and “innovators.” The collection is… Read More

March 14, 2018 @ 5:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, during a hearing by the House Financial Services Committee, subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment, representatives queried industry participants on the topic of “Examing the Cryptocurrencies and ICO Markets.” Crypto is a hot item of discussion on Capitol Hill. Both regulators and elected officials… Read More

March 14, 2018 @ 9:27 am By JD Alois  |  

In the early days of investment crowdfunding, many individuals assumed that most capital raised would go mainly to seed funding rounds. Startups that have a choice to bootstrap or raise equity capital from angel investors or risk taking VCs. But today, this is not the… Read More

March 14, 2018 @ 3:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week during the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association of Canada’s annual event, FFCON2018, there was a single presentation that provided a state of Fintech in Canada. Professor Michael King,  from the Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab @ Ivey Business School, delivered an excellent synopsis of what’s… Read More

March 13, 2018 @ 7:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Rise of the CBDC Coin? Perhaps. The Bank for International Settlements have added their $0.02 to the discussion in a recently published paper from the Committee on Payments and Market Infrustructure, Markets Committee. The report entitled Central Bank Digital Currencies (or CDBCs) is the work… Read More

March 13, 2018 @ 2:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) is the leading research authority on global innovations in finance. Over the past several years, CCAF has produced benchmark reports tracking the growth and evolution of all forms of Fintech around the world. These reports have become valued… Read More

March 12, 2018 @ 6:26 pm By JD Alois  |  

Let Fintech Innovation Reign The Head of the European Banking Authority, Andrea Enria, delivered a fascinating speech last week in Copenhagen. Enria addressed the challenge of appropriate regulation when it comes to innovation in finance. Fintech needs freedom to grow and evolve and slapping on… Read More

March 12, 2018 @ 12:40 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

Following the SEC’s recent initial subpoena offerings (pun intended) targeting initial coin offering (ICO) issuers, many believe the SEC might now turn its sights toward some of the gatekeepers involved in the subject ICOs, including the attorneys. Some attorneys practicing in the ICO space have… Read More

March 10, 2018 @ 3:02 pm By Philip Liu  |  

On March 7, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a public statement warning that cryptocurrency coin exchanges were possibly operating as unlawful online trading platforms¹.  The SEC staff noted that “many online trading platforms appear to investors as SEC-registered and regulated marketplaces when… Read More