Opinion

October 3, 2023 @ 1:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC’s annual Small Business Forum took place earlier this year, and in recent days, the report from the gathering was published. The Forum has taken place for more than 40 years, and while the participants regularly provide good recommendations to the Commission, few will… Read More

October 2, 2023 @ 10:40 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Bitcoin (BTC) price is finally surging and the digital assets markets looks like its beginning to heat up again. Matteo Greco, Research Analyst at the publicly listed digital asset and fintech investment business Fineqia International, has shared key insights with CI regarding the latest… Read More

October 2, 2023 @ 10:11 am By Omar Faridi  |  

At the end of last week we saw a number of updates regarding the push for ETFs, with VanEck readying an Ethereum futures ETF, Ark pushing to win the race for the first spot Bitcoin ETF and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delaying… Read More

October 1, 2023 @ 6:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Frequently, private firms aim to grow and become public companies at some point in their evolution. This is one of the ways you can also provide liquidity for early investors. Yet by becoming a “registered” or “reporting company,” you must comply with a heightened degree… Read More

October 1, 2023 @ 5:47 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Akash Mahendra, Director of Haven1 Foundation, has commented on what the green light for Ethereum (ETH) futures from Valkyrie Funds means for the nascent crypto and blockchain industry. Akash notes that while it’s a cause for celebration, it’s “a different picture for those still waiting… Read More

September 30, 2023 @ 3:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

As of late, financial markets have been gripped with the reality that the US government may be headed toward a shutdown due to Congress’s “inability to pass the federal appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1st,” the team at NYDIG… Read More

September 27, 2023 @ 3:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has published a long list of rule changes it intends to pursue. The complete agenda established by the Commission, under the leadership of SEC Chair Gary Gensler, is available here. One of the rule changes near the top is… Read More

September 27, 2023 @ 9:55 am By JD Alois  |  

  Today, commencing shortly, SEC Chair Gary Gensler will testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee. You can expect a good grilling of Chair Gensler as the Republic-controlled Committee has pushed against his aggressive rule-making agenda that has propelled the SEC into the… Read More

September 27, 2023 @ 9:24 am By Omar Faridi  |  

JPMorgan‘s (NYSE: JPM) UK-based retail bank Chase has reportedly decided to ban crypto-related transactions that are made by its clients, starting from October 16, 2023. This bank says it made the decision because of a significant rise in fraudulent activities and scams. A bank representative… Read More

September 25, 2023 @ 5:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

Speaking at the beginning of last week’s meeting of the Investor Advisory Committee (IAC), SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce went to bat for smaller firms and private securities issuers – once again. The SEC is currently considering making the definition of an Accredited Investor more rigorous…. Read More

September 25, 2023 @ 8:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MakerDAO co-founder Rune Christensen has submitted a proposal to build the project’s upcoming native chain using Solana’s codebase, which led to Vitalik Buterin selling $580,000 worth of MakerDAO’s MKR token in rebellion. The move may be an indication that ecosystem participants want to explore different… Read More

September 24, 2023 @ 8:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

In order to support innovation, financial inclusion as well as the emerging digital financial services ecosystem, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reportedly issued In-Principle Approvals for launching five digital retail-focused banking platforms. Pakistan’s newly approved online banks reportedly include HugoBank, KT Bank Pakistan… Read More

September 23, 2023 @ 10:42 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Roger M. Brown,  the Global Head of Tax Strategy at Chainalysis, notes that on August 25, 2023, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service released proposed regulations that would require domestic and foreign exchanges and other types of “brokers” who “effect sales” of digital assets to (1) collect… Read More

September 22, 2023 @ 10:24 am By JD Alois  |  

During the Securities and Exchange Commission’s meeting of the Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) yesterday (September 21, 2023), a representative from the Angel Capital Association (ACA) gave a compelling presentation advocating on behalf of his industry and why we need more Accredited Investors and NOT fewer…. Read More

September 21, 2023 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering raising the wealth threshold for the definition of an Accredited Investor. Currently, in brief, an Accredited Investor is an individual who earns over $200,000 a year or has a net worth of over $1 million. The net… Read More

September 21, 2023 @ 10:51 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Diego Lizarazo, Director of Developer Relations at Agoric. Recently, Amazon launched Cloud Tools (AMB Access and Query services), which make it easier for developers to create decentralized applications. While this is a step in the right direction, more needs to be… Read More

September 20, 2023 @ 10:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, announced its ambitions in regard to “net zero financing and investment,” outlining their goal of net zero commitments and how they can compel financial services firms to adhere to their ideology. Secretary Yellen said: “Going forward, the… Read More

September 20, 2023 @ 9:16 am By JD Alois  |  

Any longtime Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) watcher understands that it is one of the largest Fintechs in the world with plans to become any bigger. Adding investments and trading makes sense. It is just a matter of time.  Today, there is a report by CNBC quoting those… Read More

September 19, 2023 @ 4:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

The New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) has published “guidance” for the US digital asset industry building upon its already widely utilized Bit Licence rules. Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris issued a statement explaining her goal of prioritizing regulations for “virtual currency policy” to… Read More

September 19, 2023 @ 10:38 am By Nick Morgan  |  

The world of investment banking has witnessed significant transformations over the decades, particularly concerning small-cap IPOs and access to capital. In this Capital Ideas interview with Vince Molinari, the CEO of Fintech.TV and an experienced figure in investment banking, ICAN’s Dara Albright and Nick Morgan… Read More