Opinion

December 14, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Barry James  |  

The time has come for crowdfunding to mature – or die, and be reabsorbed by the body politic (or should that be that body corporate). You don’t hear people talk about “the democratisation of finance” much any more. Why is that? We’ve seen growing pains… Read More

December 12, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

2016 brought with it many developments in the crowdfunding industry, most notably the introduction of the long-awaited Title III crowdfunding. While admittedly not all crowdfunding legislation passed  was as influential, there have been significant strides made to improve existing securities regulations and to continue prying… Read More

December 11, 2016 @ 6:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 or HR 3784 passed the Senate on Friday (December 9, 2016) as part of a last-minute legislative push before Congress adjourns for the holiday season. The bill passed the House earlier this year meaning the bill will… Read More

December 11, 2016 @ 11:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Christian Catalini of MIT is out with a new paper – this time on the future of Bitcoin and Blockchain technology.  Catalini may be best known for his work on crowdfunding but with this publication, Catalini has partnered with Joshua Gans of the University of… Read More

December 9, 2016 @ 12:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Gillian Roche-Saunders, a partner at the law firm of  Bates, Wells & Braithwaite in London, works with many of the largest UK alternative finance platforms in operation. She has been highly engaged with the FCA and crowdfunding / P2P platforms regarding compliance and regulatory approval. Crowdfund… Read More

December 9, 2016 @ 10:13 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released their much anticipated interim report on debt and equity crowdfunding. The document addresses both peer to peer lending and investment crowdfunding platforms and the current state of operations as the new approach to capital formation evolves. Andrew Bailey,… Read More

December 8, 2016 @ 5:25 am By Erin Hobey  |  

According to the new report “The Rise of Fintech in China” by DBS and EY, China has outpaced London, New York and Silicon Valley to become the world’s undisputed global fintech leader. Neal Cross, DBS chief innovation officer, indicated that favorable government policies and regulations contributed… Read More

December 7, 2016 @ 1:01 pm By Andreas Barthelmess  |  

Whether Amazon, Airbnb or price comparison websites: In many industries, digitalisation has shifted power to customers in the last ten years. The banking industry, however, has remained resilient against radical changes for a long time. In fact, things like digital transparency and the power of… Read More

December 6, 2016 @ 12:12 pm By Candace Klein  |  

Having just returned to the United States after six months of travel abroad, I feel generally disillusioned.  At first, I couldn’t tell if my discontent arose from the heartbreaking presidential election results; or the fact that I ended up in a new city with a… Read More

December 1, 2016 @ 8:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

One of the frequently touted benefits of peer to peer/marketplace lending is the heightened transparency associated with loan originations processed online.  The financial crisis of the last decade was in part fueled by the disconnect between lender and borrower. As mortgages were securitized, sliced and… Read More

November 30, 2016 @ 3:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

Financial Innovation Now (FIN) has published an open letter to the incoming Trump administration. FIN demanded the President-Elect embrace technology when it comes to financial innovation. FIN is a group that represents several very big names in tech. Think Apple, Google, Amazon and more. Tipping… Read More

November 27, 2016 @ 12:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) published a document this fall that reviewed the growing usage of Bitcoin and other digital currencies in the private sector. While acknowledging there are benefits to “virtual currencies” including lower transaction fees and faster transfer of funds… Read More

November 26, 2016 @ 11:47 am By JD Alois  |  

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA) was created to advocate on behalf of the small companies that greatly benefit from the progressive tax benefits given to investors in UK SMEs.  EISA works closely with HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, Government Ministers, MPs and the… Read More

November 25, 2016 @ 10:25 am By JD Alois  |  

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement contained various boosts to business including acknowledgment of the importance of early stage companies for the UK economy. Chancellor Philip Hammond stated; “By injecting an additional £400m into venture capital funds through the British Business Bank, unlocking £1… Read More

November 23, 2016 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Lawrence Wintermeyer, CEO of Innovate Finance, welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer,  Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement delivered to Parliament today. Wintermeyer said he was “pleased to see a focus on investment, productivity, and digital innovation”. Innovate Finance had called for the UK government to advance on… Read More

November 21, 2016 @ 9:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Singapore is on a mission to become the global leader in Fintech innovation. From fast-tracking the creation of a regulatory Sandbox to launching the largest Fintech hub in the world, Singapore envisions a world-leading ecosystem – not just a regional hub. As part of the… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 5:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

As a growing number of nations around the globe embrace the potential of Fintech to provide superior services to consumers, businesses and the under-banked, one country stands out as lacking in leadership in the evolution of finance. The US has been the epicenter of financial… Read More

November 20, 2016 @ 12:07 pm By Jihoon Yeon  |  

The Amendments to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act (the Capital Markets Act) passed the South Korean Parliament in July 2015 and went into effect on January 25th, 2016, laying the framework for investment crowdfunding in South Korea. The adoption of investment crowdfunding… Read More

November 16, 2016 @ 12:00 pm By Samuel Guzik  |  

With a new administration set to take the reins of power in the White House in January 2017, not to mention a new, Republican appointed Chair of the SEC in the offing, when it comes to the interests of small business’s access to capital, many… Read More

November 13, 2016 @ 6:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

It has been widely reported that Paul Atkins, a former SEC Commissioner and current CEO of Patomak Partners, is the point person in Donald Trump’s transition team for financial regulatory appointments. This is an encouraging sign. Atkins, a Vanderbilt Law School Grad, was an SEC… Read More