Opinion

March 22, 2022 @ 1:22 pm By Jamie Finn  |  

One of the biggest challenges founders and CEOs of startups face is funding: courting angels and VCs, pitch decks, travel, and meetings, getting ghosted, negotiating and swallowing unreasonable terms, eroding control–all at the expense of actually running and growing the business. When you hear the… Read More

March 22, 2022 @ 12:25 am By Omar Faridi  |  

  Cryptocurrency-based lending has emerged as an important trend in the decentralized finance (DeFi) market. However, it faces certain challenges relating to Know Your Customer (KYC) considerations, risk management and risk pricing. This, according to a report from Huobi, which noted that these challenges can… Read More

March 21, 2022 @ 5:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed new rules to compel publicly traded firms to disclose climate-related information. The policy shift has long been anticipated and messaged by the Commission under the leadership of Chairman Gary Gensler. According to the SEC, new rules would… Read More

March 18, 2022 @ 12:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

Congressman Tom Emmer distributed a series of Tweets this past week that is emblematic of the frustration pertaining to the digital asset industry and a recalcitrant Securities and Exchange Commission when it comes to fostering a productive regulatory environment. Included in the Tweets, the Congressman… Read More

March 17, 2022 @ 10:05 am By JD Alois  |  

As inflation rages higher, the Bank of England announced it was raising its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%. One voting member preferred to leave rates unchanged. The BoE said that developments since the February Report are likely to accentuate both the peak… Read More

March 16, 2022 @ 2:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

Financial Technology Association (FTA) CEO Penny Lee has published an Op-Ed on Buy Now-Pay Later (BNPL) services a Fintech service that has suffered from “misinformation.” BNPL services are frequently at the point of sale when a purchaser is given the option for credit to pay… Read More

March 16, 2022 @ 9:25 am By JD Alois  |  

BNP Paribas Securitizaties Services, part of BNP Paribas the bank – the largest bank in France and one of the largest banks in the world, has issued a statement explaining their point of view as to how blockchain (or distributed ledger technology – DLT) and… Read More

March 15, 2022 @ 3:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

Following questions regarding sufficient support in the US Senate, Sarah Bloom Raskin has decided to pull her name for consideration as a Federal Reserve Board Member. Yesterday, Senator Joe Manchin indicated he would not vote to confirm her nomination – potentially leaving the Senate without… Read More

March 15, 2022 @ 11:08 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, the White House issued an Executive Order on digital assets that outline an approach to regulating the emerging industry. While many details remain to be disclosed, and multiple agencies will be involved in building a regulatory strategy, the crypto industry was relieved that… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 6:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

Chainalysis, a leading blockchain/crypto monitoring and data platform used by both private and public entities, shared last week that they are building tools that “make it easier for any organization to integrate sanctions screening for cryptocurrencies into their existing operation.” As has been previously reported,… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 6:03 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

KurateDAO, a database developed on the blockchain, recently announced the close of its $6.85 million seed funding round, which was reportedly led by Polychain Capital. KurateDAO’s mission is to “use economic incentives to curate the world’s information.” Established this year, KurateDAO sees today’s “one size… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 5:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of Russia has taken the extraordinary measure of halting trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange now for a second week. In a public statement, the Bank said there would be no trading from 14 to 18 March 2022 on the Moscow Exchange in… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 3:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier today, the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, of the European Parliament,  adopted its “negotiating position on crypto assets. According to a statement by the EU parliament its goal is to “boost users’ confidence and support the development of digital services and alternative payment instruments.”… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 3:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Sarah Bloom Raskin was selected by President Joe Biden to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Last January, Biden announced his decision to appoint Raskin as Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve. At that time, Biden described Raskin as… Read More

March 14, 2022 @ 11:24 am By JD Alois  |  

David Marcus was previously the head of Facebook / Meta’s (NASDAQ:FB) initiative to create a non-sovereign global digital currency. First branded as Libra, and then as Diem, the digital currency launched with much fanfare but eventually sputtered – largely due to global regulatory pushback that made… Read More

March 12, 2022 @ 6:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The definition of an Accredited Investor determines who may participate in Regulation D (Reg D) private placement offerings. This is an enormous market at over $1 trillion in annual investments and the most popular path for an early-stage firm to raise needed growth capital.  The… Read More

March 10, 2022 @ 11:39 am By JD Alois  |  

Congressman Tom Emmer, a supporter of blockchain technology and crypto in general, has tweeted out his thoughts on the Executive Order on Digital Assets. Published yesterday by the Biden White House, the Executive Order has been widely embraced by the crypto community as doing no… Read More

March 9, 2022 @ 4:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

Bitcoin is rebounding today jumping by over 8% since the early hours of the morning. Industry followers believe that the White House’s Executive Order addressing digital assets has helped to fuel the rise of Bitcoin as well as other cryptocurrencies. Earlier this week it was… Read More

March 9, 2022 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

Earlier today, the White House posted an anticipated Executive Order on Digital Assets. Currently, the interpretation from industry insiders is cautiously optimistic that the Administration is aiming to balance responsible innovation with the obvious benefits of crypto. The Order was not excessively prescriptive but leaves… Read More

March 9, 2022 @ 7:13 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Blend Network recently released its first annual Predictions in Development Finance report. Set out in this report is an analysis of “the challenges and obstacles, but also the opportunities within the market,” the team at Blend Network noted in a blog psst. The development finance… Read More