Opinion

November 9, 2017 @ 3:29 pm By Amy Wan and Daniel Rice  |  

Well, here we are again. On November 6, Parity encountered yet another failure, and the result? Reportedly, some $150 to $300 million dollars worth of Ether (we are hearing conflicting reports as to how much ETH has been frozen) is locked down, and we’re hearing… Read More

November 8, 2017 @ 11:00 pm By Jor Law  |  

Initial coin offerings are all the craze, and for good reason.  According to CoinSchedule, over $3 billion has been raised in the first 10 months of October.  The Securities Exchange Commission released an investigative report concluding that DAO tokens were securities, and that scared people… Read More

November 8, 2017 @ 9:34 am By JD Alois  |  

  Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika delivered a speech today discussing the US banking industry. In the speech, Noreika makes an important point: US banks need more competition, not less. He also intimates that mixing commerce and banking can deliver benefits to consumers…. Read More

November 7, 2017 @ 5:00 pm By Therese Torris  |  

  Recently, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) held its first ever conference in Paris. The event underlined the growing importance of ESMA, the European Supervisory Authority for capital markets. Along with the European Commission and the Parliament, ESMA is one of the pillars… Read More

November 7, 2017 @ 2:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Recently someone forwarded a copy of the Tezos Terms of Allocation regarding their spectacularly successful Initial Coin Offering (ICO). To update anyone that has not followed the odyssey of the high profile ICO, Tezos – a self amending cryptographic ledger”, raised $232 million this past… Read More

November 6, 2017 @ 12:17 pm By Samuel Guzik  |  

As a securities lawyer and a sometimes advocate for smart regulation of capital formation, I must confess: When it comes to addressing the current state of the Initial Coin Offering (ICO) marketplace, I believe that market participants face a crisis of growing proportions. No Hype… Read More

November 5, 2017 @ 3:00 pm By Joshua Ashley Klayman  |  

You Can’t Generally Stop Someone From Suing You. In the years before the blockchain buzz, I often would sit in my mentor’s office for conference calls. Even on calls where there was not much for me to add, I always learned from listening to him… Read More

November 3, 2017 @ 10:38 am By Samantha Hurst  |  

Earlier this week, The CME Group announced the upcoming launch of Bitcoin Futures, an event that should drive both liquidity and overall acceptance higher for the popular cryptocurrency. The creation of Bitcoin Futures by CME, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, is a significant validation… Read More

November 2, 2017 @ 9:02 pm By Howard Marks  |  

It is clear with the Tezos Greek tragedy, many Initial Coin Offering (ICO) investors are worried about investing in complex and sometimes shady structures. The founders visiting the Swiss city of Zug to set up their foundation may find their days numbered. The idea to… Read More

November 1, 2017 @ 8:01 pm By Georgia Quinn  |  

  Sober enthusiasm is the way I would describe a recent LAT Blockchain Economic Forum I attended in New York City. Most speakers at the event noted that we are in a crypto bubble referencing the gold rush mentality embracing the Initial Coin Offering (ICO)… Read More

November 1, 2017 @ 7:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

Jerome “Jay” Powell, a current Federal Reserve Governor, appears to be the Trump Administration’s pick to replace current Fed Chair Janet Yellen this coming February. Powell may not have been an obvious selection but much of the media is describing him as a steady hand… Read More

October 31, 2017 @ 5:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Several years back while at LendIt Europe in London, I had the opportunity to sit down with Karen Mills a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Business School Harvard. Mills previously was a Cabinet Member during the Obama Administration from 2009 to 2013. At that time,… Read More

October 31, 2017 @ 11:51 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Fillippo Loreti has returned to Kickstarter for its third campaign. Founded in 2014, when brothers Danielius and Matas Jakutis were researching the luxury watch market with the goal of revolutionizing the luxury industry by offering high-quality luxury products at affordable prices. The believe that a luxury watch… Read More

October 30, 2017 @ 6:13 pm By Joshua Ashley Klayman, Lewis Rinaudo Cohen and Robin Sosnow  |  

On Friday, Crowdfund Insider ran a story entitled “ICOs are Securities: Token Based Offerings Poised for a Rude Awakening as US Regulators May Soon Act”. Raising funds through the sale of digital tokens (commonly known as initial coin offerings or “ICOs”) has garnered tremendous attention… Read More

October 29, 2017 @ 9:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

McKinsey recently published a report on the global banking industry. While stating the financial recovery has helped old finance regain their footing the future is not quite so clear. According to the authors; “New digital entrants are also having an impact on bank performance, particularly… Read More

October 29, 2017 @ 4:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

BrewDog and its Equity for Punks crowdfunding project is at it once again. The Scottish craft brewer is returning to the UK with a securities offer following the end of its US Reg A+ crowdfunding round. To date, BrewDog has raised around £41 million in… Read More

October 29, 2017 @ 4:17 pm By Ido Lustig  |  

What is a world-class risk team and how do you build one? I’m often asked that question as Chief Risk Officer of BlueVine. Like other Fintech lenders, we are intensely focused on risk. Building a world-class risk team has been and will always be a… Read More

October 27, 2017 @ 10:18 am By JD Alois  |  

Deepbridge Capital, a company that provides investment access to small and medium sized UK growth businesses, has shared a wish list regarding the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and measures it would like to see in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s forthcoming… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 11:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pumped their regulatory brakes on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) earlier this year. Pointing to the DAO debacle, the Feds said if a tokenized offering is a security it will be regulated, end of story. This  statement was a long… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 8:45 am By JD Alois  |  

Pending US legislation titled “The Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2017,″ seeks to update criminal money laundering and counterfeiting statutes. As written now, the bill impacts the utilization of any and all cryptocurrencies. Senate Bill 1241, sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley, will define anyone… Read More