Opinion

January 9, 2018 @ 10:30 pm By David M. Adlerstein and Joshua Ashley Klayman  |  

“Photography is more than a medium for factual communication of ideas. It is a creative art.” – Ansel Adams The past year has witnessed a flurry of remarkable “initial coin offerings,” or ICOs.  The pending KODAKCoin digital token sale jointly announced by Kodak and WENN… Read More

January 7, 2018 @ 8:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Anytime I am around a securities attorney (which is quite often) inevitably the 33 Act or the 40 Act comes up in conversation. For normal people (non-attorneys) this legal speak can be confusing, riven by acronyms and stifled by dogma. Yet much of the regulatory… Read More

January 7, 2018 @ 4:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The regulatory drums are getting louder when it comes to initial coin offerings (ICOs). The first shot across the virtual bow was the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Report addressing the DAO and the fact it was an unregistered security. Since last July, there have been… Read More

January 5, 2018 @ 3:42 pm By Joshua Klayman  |  

Oh the excitement!  Oh the frustration! Each day, more and more people are becoming aware of digital tokens generally, and an ever increasing number of them have begun the journey into purchasing some of those tokens.  But a lack of mechanical technological know-how may leave… Read More

January 4, 2018 @ 9:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Ron Suber is one of the best known names in the marketplace lending world and a staunch champion of the future of online lending. For many years, Suber was President of Prosper – a leading platform that targets the consumer lending sector – mainly… Read More

January 3, 2018 @ 5:41 pm By Gary Schwartz  |  

Blockchain initial coin offerings (ICOs) have democratized capital formation for a new generation of application services. From startups to nation states, tokens are a revolutionary construct that allow for innovative function, value and liquidity. Over the past three years, ICOs have successfully funded the development… Read More

January 1, 2018 @ 7:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

2018 is here and 2017 is in the rear view mirror getting smaller by the minute. In the world of Fintech, the past twelve months have been momentous as new innovations in finance have risen in prominence while others, once promising, have waned. So what… Read More

December 31, 2017 @ 9:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, we visited the roster of FINRA approved Reg CF funding portals which stood at 34. Today, that number has increased by 2 so now it stands at 36 in total. Last week, we discussed the three Reg CF platforms that departed this segment… Read More

December 28, 2017 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

EU Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, whose portfolio includes Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, spoke to the FT this week advocating on behalf of a pan-European Fintech license. Dombrovskis is quoted in the broadsheet lamenting excessive bureaucratic barriers that challenge Europe today; “Europe is certainly… Read More

December 28, 2017 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Darren Marble is CEO and founder of CrowdfundX – a firm that provides a modern spin on financial marketing for the new world of Fintech and online capital formation. Early on, Marble recognized the potential of Reg A+ crowdfunding in the US, as created by Title… Read More

December 27, 2017 @ 11:29 am By Jim Borzilleri  |  

The initial coin offering (or ICO) explosion accelerated by Ethereum smart contract technology has resulted in over $3 billion in raised capital in 2017 and garnered the attention of governments worldwide.  The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken note.  In their statement on… Read More

December 26, 2017 @ 9:13 am By Julien Courbe  |  

It would be nice if digital transformation were something that firms could buy, like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all solution. What makes sense for one firm could be exactly wrong approach for another. But as we’re predicting that a lot of… Read More

December 24, 2017 @ 2:00 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

P2Binvestor CEO Krista Morgan founded P2Binvestor in 2012 with a mission to help growing businesses succeed. Morgan is not only CEO of a fast growing Fintech, she is also the cohost of the podcast “Women Who Startup Radio”, an ardent mentor to other women entrepreneurs… Read More

December 22, 2017 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin is tanking. The world’s most popular cryptocurrency has entered a steep dive following a peak of around $20,000 per BTC, Bitcoin now stands under $13,000 representing a serious collapse following the sugar high rush of speculative euphoria in recent weeks. Most all other prominent… Read More

December 21, 2017 @ 11:45 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

“We are asking everyone in our community to take responsibility for their part. We ask all of our filmmakers to make a public facing statement about how their project is increasing inclusion in entertainment. We make it very clear to our audiences that what we… Read More

December 18, 2017 @ 2:23 pm By Joshua Ashley Klayman & Jay G. Baris  |  

  This article is written by the authors solely in their personal capacities, and the views expressed are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any other person.  This article does not constitute, and should not be relied… Read More

December 15, 2017 @ 12:00 pm By Barry James  |  

Appearing on the BBC’s news flagship Newsnight the head of the UK’s regulator, the  FCA’s  Andrew Bailey, has drawn mainstream attention to Bitcoin and the world of cryptocurrencies while admitting that they have yet to understand what he called an ‘odd commodity’. While  the BBC’s… Read More

December 14, 2017 @ 10:56 am By Erin Hobey  |  

David Siemer, Co-Founder of Wavemaker Partners, a cross-border venture capital firm, dual headquartered in Los Angeles and Singapore, published his State of Crypto Global Overview. In recent months, Siemer deliberated the implications and impact of cyptocurrency on global industry and economic organization, as well as the… Read More

December 13, 2017 @ 1:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

This is interesting. The UK Department for International Trade has shared a statement on the UK and US Trade and Investment Working Group. According to public officials, “the UK and US will work together to prepare the ground for a future [Free Trade Agreement] once the… Read More

December 11, 2017 @ 11:00 am By Erin Hobey  |  

EquityZen, a New York-based Fintech firm that operates a secondary marketplace for company-approved transactions in pre-IPO stock, has a mission: to improve the way startup employees are paid by unlocking the value of their equity compensation in a way that benefits all key players, including the… Read More