Opinion

June 23, 2023 @ 5:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The European Union has introduced the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC), a new entity that aims to focus on promoting blockchain policy in order to move Europe’s “digital decade” forward in a meaningful manner. The EDIC should become operational towards the end of 2024 and… Read More

June 22, 2023 @ 3:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

Detractors of digital assets, or crypto, typically point to the utilization of crypto to pursue nefarious activities such as money laundering. Rules exist for financial transactions regarding “know your customer” (KYC) and “anti-money laundering” (AML), but they are enforced to various degrees depending on the… Read More

June 22, 2023 @ 1:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of England has raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 bps, increasing from 4.5% to 5%. Today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by 7 to 2 to increase by 50 bps. Two of the members wanted to remain at the current 4.5%… Read More

June 21, 2023 @ 12:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin (BTC) has regained a certain amount of luster in recent days.  In the past 24 hours, Bitcoin has risen from over $27,000 to now topping $30K. Much of this crypto exuberance is due to the announcement that BlackRock had filed to launch a Bitcoin… Read More

June 21, 2023 @ 9:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently caught up with Valerii Brizhatiuk, Chief Product Officer, Co-Founder at Swisstronik, a layer-1 solution designed to build scalable decentralized applications that ensure users’ data protection and privacy, while remaining in compliance with local regulations. According to the project team, Swisstronik is unique because… Read More

June 19, 2023 @ 11:35 am By Omar Faridi  |  

We recently connected with Andrew Saks, who talked about the importance of financial inclusion for the vast majority. Notably, 1.4 billion people remain unbanked, which takes several countries in Southeast Asia to allow a larger virtual currency ecosystem to take root in their countries. The… Read More

June 16, 2023 @ 3:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) has posted its agenda for its meeting next week. Established under Dodd-Frank, the IAC is supposed to represent the interests of individual investors, including smaller ones. In the past, the Committee has largely focused on… Read More

June 16, 2023 @ 9:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The convergence of AI and NFTs has far-reaching implications for the gaming industry. It introduces a new level of customization and creativity for players, enabling them to personalize assets within the gaming space. NFTs, providing the technology for creative ownership, synergize with AI, which breaks… Read More

June 15, 2023 @ 6:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

BlackRock subsidiary iShares has filed an S-1 registration statement for a Bitcoin-based exchange-traded fund (ETF). The iShares Bitcoin Trust aims to reflect the performance of the price of Bitcoin, similar to the other ETFs that have attempted to do the same. To quote the registration… Read More

June 15, 2023 @ 10:07 am By JD Alois  |  

The world’s richest person and top entrepreneur, Elon Musk, is describing ESG, or the Environment, Social, and Governance movement, as the “Devil.” In a Tweet that included a statement by S&P Global that cigarette firm Philip Morris International topped Tesla in its ESG “score,” Musk… Read More

June 13, 2023 @ 11:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Like many in the blockchain and web3 ecosystem, DFINITY says they have been watching recent regulatory developments in the United States with some alarm. As noted in a blog post, the SEC in particular, has been “taking wide-ranging actions across the industry.” DFINITY says they… Read More

June 13, 2023 @ 7:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

DealMaker has emerged as a top online capital formation platform providing services to enable the primary issuance of securities across the full stack of crowdfunding exemptions. This includes Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D. At the same time, due to its base of operations… Read More

June 13, 2023 @ 10:10 am By JD Alois  |  

At today’s opening of London Tech Week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he sees the UK as an “island of innovation.” Sunak reported that the UK has created 134 unicorns in the last ten years, stating that the UK is one of the most “digitally… Read More

June 12, 2023 @ 4:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

DeFi has been suffering from a silent problem for years: a liquidity management gap. The lack of these services has caused a range of issues. It leads to increased price volatility, making executing trades at fair prices challenging and resulting in potential losses for traders…. Read More

June 12, 2023 @ 12:15 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Last week, IOG (which stands for Input Output Global – one of the organizations supporting Cardano (ADA) development) noted that they are aware of the recent complaints by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Binance & Coinbase, which “contain references to the organization, the… Read More

June 8, 2023 @ 11:46 am By JD Alois  |  

As was previously covered, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has proposed new marketing rules for crypto offerings. The rules aim to largely align with current financial product requirements while also incorporating a “cooling off period.” In brief, digital asset investors must acknowledge they can… Read More

June 7, 2023 @ 8:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued new rules for crypto promotions. The rules are said to align with other financial services offerings. CryptoUK, an association representing the UK’s digital asset industry, has issued a statement on the marketing rules. Su Carpenter, Director of… Read More

June 7, 2023 @ 9:35 am By Barry James  |  

Reservations, Threats & Benefits In a recent conversation with Danny Kruger, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, we delved into the Bank of England’s Digital Pound Project and the broader implications of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). This discussion is particularly timely, given that… Read More

June 6, 2023 @ 6:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), Director of Finance Policy, John Berlau, has shared a comment on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement action targeting Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN). Earlier today, the SEC filed charges against Coinbase, alleging that the crypto platform is operating as an unregistered securities… Read More

June 6, 2023 @ 3:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s one-two punch attacking Binance and Coinbase – two of the largest crypto exchanges in the world – may push other crypto marketplaces outside the US. As the US has struggled to craft new regulations to oversee the digital asset marketplace,… Read More