Opinion

June 10, 2024 @ 5:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

An article in WSJ.com has taken aim at Regulation A, or the Reg A+ securities exemption used by firms to raise money online. Reg A+ is one of the securities crowdfunding exemptions available for businesses to pursue an online funding round. Reg A is joined… Read More

June 9, 2024 @ 6:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) told the Commission to make the definition of an Accredited Investor more inclusive. This is not the first time the Committee has advised the Commission to update the definition and make it more rational… Read More

June 6, 2024 @ 7:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. is the only federally-chartered bank not impacted by Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (SAB 121), allowing them to provide custody at scale to institutional clients across the crypto ecosystem. The goal of SAB 121—to ensure that investors are “informed about the… Read More

June 5, 2024 @ 2:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, the Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion Subcommittee, part of the House Financial Services Committee, held a hearing on the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) and the migration to digital securities. The hearing was entitled “Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will… Read More

June 5, 2024 @ 10:35 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) revealed Project Rialto, a review of the potential for wholesale digital currency or using central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the settlement process for foreign exchange. BIS said that decentralized processes using interlinked payment infrastructures might be considered… Read More

June 3, 2024 @ 11:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The term ‘Unicorn’ was first introduced in 2013, as a way to signify the statistical rarity of high-performing startups. Unicorn status today is much more than a financial milestone of around $1 billion; for startups, it’s a recognition of their organization’s disruptive capabilities, unique solutions,… Read More

June 3, 2024 @ 6:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Richard Andrews, KPMG’s head of ESG for financial services, has recently commented on the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) anti-greenwashing rules (AGR), which come into force recently. Andrews noted: “While we expect the FCA to take a pragmatic approach and give authorised firms some leeway… Read More

June 1, 2024 @ 8:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance has recently released its financial services manifesto, outlining key priorities the next government should focus on. David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “The UK’s financial services sector is a global success story and one any future government should seek to partner… Read More

May 31, 2024 @ 4:30 pm By Suki Gao  |  

To the surprise of nobody, female-led SMEs often face significant hurdles in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, primarily due to systemic biases and gender disparities entrenched within financial systems. Studies have consistently shown that women entrepreneurs encounter more challenges in securing financing compared to their male… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has publicly shared a comment on a consultation in the UK. Launched last April, the proposal is for a Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) initiated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England. The deadline for feedback from interested… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 10:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcheck is one of the foundational firms that entered the securities crowdfunding sector, supporting issuers and platforms that enable online capital formation. Crowdcheck is probably the top legal services firm preparing Reg A+ documents for issuers, which the Securities and Exchange Commission must qualify for… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 8:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Karim Haji, Global and UK Head of Financial Services at KPMG, comments on today’s March Money and Credit statistical release from the Bank of England. Karim noted: “A rise in consumer borrowing in March signals that many stretched households continue to battle the cost of… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 11:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Pascal Gauthier, CEO at Ledger, says that the shipping of their new device, Ledger Stax, has begun for pre-order customers. Pascal Gauthier from Ledger notes in a blog post that the first pre-orders will be “shipped over the coming weeks, and new orders will be… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 3:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Colin Cunningham, Head of Tokenization & Alliances at Chainlink Labs, recalls that it was 2008 and he was in the back half of my economics degree when the global financial crisis struck. Insulated from the world behind college walls, Colin Cunningham says he observed former classmates… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 1:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance recently released their latest fraud report. While sharing insights on this key update, the team at Lending Standards Board has provided their perspective on the findings. For background, the LSB is responsible for overseeing the CRM Code, which has reportedly been the “only… Read More

May 26, 2024 @ 2:51 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Every economic cycle has its “currency war,” according to an update from iBanFirst. In the 1920s, France, Germany, and Belgium “devalued their currencies to return to the gold standard, which had been abandoned during World War I.” In the 1930s, major global economies “resorted to… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 12:48 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has posted commentary on the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century (FIT21) Act. First introduced in 2023, the legislation has recently re-emerged, moving forward in the House and a looming floor vote. The legislation aims to clarify the digital… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 12:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has penalized the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE), the operator of the New York Stock Exchange, for failing to notify the SEC promptly of a cyber intrusion. ICE has agreed to pay a $10 million penalty to settle the allegations without… Read More

May 22, 2024 @ 10:45 am By JD Alois  |  

This past week, the California state legislature approved an Artificial Intelligence (AI) bill, SB 1047 that is being described as undermining innovation and hampering the development of the new technology. Joe Lonsdale, founder of Palantir (NYSE:PLTR) – a firm engaged in AI development, slammed the… Read More

May 21, 2024 @ 8:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

KPMG has commented on the important step on the road to ISSB adoption in the United Kingdom. KPMG recently shared key insights on the announcement that the UK Government has established the UK Sustainability Disclosure Technical Advisory Committee. Providing their perspective on the announcement that… Read More