Opinion

February 22, 2022 @ 8:17 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Peter Gaffney, the Head of Research from Security Token Advisors, notes that a security token investor is an “interesting blend” of what exists in the markets today. Gaffney pointed out that it is not necessarily someone “fully fixated” on decentralization or four-digit yields. But it’s… Read More

February 21, 2022 @ 3:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

On the one-year anniversary of the Kalifa Review of Fintech, 70 Fintech leaders have published an open letter in support of the industry demanding the UK government do more to promote and support innovative financial services. The Kalifa Review was designed to be a roadmap… Read More

February 20, 2022 @ 2:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

Writing in advance of President’s Day, Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) Senior Fellow John Berlau posits an interesting opinion. Berlau, a frequent commentator on policy that impacts financial services, says George Washington, the first US President and Revolutionary War hero, would have likely had “a fondness… Read More

February 20, 2022 @ 11:57 am By JD Alois  |  

OpenSea is in the midst of figuring out an attack on its platform that appears to be a phishing scheme according to tweets by the company and its CEO. At some point yesterday, OpenSea stated that a phishing scam had caused 32 users to sign… Read More

February 18, 2022 @ 8:03 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Market prices have been rising in the US at the fastest pace in 40 years — an inflation rate of 7.5% YoY compared to December’s 7%. And the overall impact of inflation has “broadened beyond pandemic-related goods and services,” the team at digital asset firm… Read More

February 17, 2022 @ 2:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week the SEC’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee held a meeting to discuss the definition of an Accredited Investor. This definition decides who can, and who cannot, access certain private securities offerings – all based on an income or wealth metric. It does… Read More

February 16, 2022 @ 6:14 pm By Jairo Riveros  |  

Each day, about 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65, qualifying themselves for Medicare and—traditionally—retirement. Retirement presents a significant shift for many Americans as they transition their financial reliance from wages to accumulated wealth and settle into their golden years. Retirement also presents a major shift for… Read More

February 16, 2022 @ 9:28 am By JD Alois  |  

In a speech delivered to the European Parliament, Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), stated that a decision on a digital Euro will be made by 2024. The ECB decided to launch the investigation phase of the digital euro project in… Read More

February 15, 2022 @ 10:10 am By JD Alois  |  

The Kalifa Review of Fintech was published almost one year ago. The document was constructed to help guide the UK in its mission of supporting and promoting its prominence as a global Fintech hub. The UK has long been a vital financial center – second only to… Read More

February 14, 2022 @ 5:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

Commissioner Hester Peirce has once again come to the defense of a Fintech innovator pertaining to the settlement announced today in regards to BlockFi –  a large crypto platform. As was reported earlier, BlockFi must pay $100 million in penalties to both the SEC and… Read More

February 13, 2022 @ 12:38 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) is not simply just another neobanking platform, according to a Bank of America (BoA) analyst. SoFi provides services to several different neobanks via its Galileo platform, which the BoA analyst said is an important “differentiator.” BoA analyst Mihir Bhatia pointed out that… Read More

February 12, 2022 @ 11:40 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) held a meeting to discuss the definition of an accredited investor. As CI has frequently covered in the past, this definition determines who may, or who may not, participate in Reg D securities offerings…. Read More

February 10, 2022 @ 8:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is watching. It likely will not be long before the first enforcement action against a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) issuer is announced. The 80+ enforcement actions the regulators have taken to date on cryptocurrency, digital assets, and Initial Coin… Read More

February 7, 2022 @ 5:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee will hold a meeting later this week (February 10) where it will address an important topic when it comes to access to capital for early-stage firms. Following an update from the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation,… Read More

February 6, 2022 @ 11:55 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Digital transformation has worked its way through the bedrock of many industries, from Netflix’s transformation of cable and blockbuster video to Uber’s considerable influence over the ways we access transportation services. Meanwhile, the property market has remained “relatively immune” to such changes. However, Roxana Mohammadian-Molina,… Read More

February 4, 2022 @ 3:20 pm By Martin Cheek  |  

The role that cryptocurrency plays in money laundering is hotly debated. Some say that the anonymity afforded by currencies like Bitcoin makes it easier for criminals to shift funds undetected, while others argue that the blockchain and it’s unchangeable, publicly visible ledger actually provide far… Read More

February 4, 2022 @ 12:47 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

India is to tax and regulate Bitcoin and crypto after previously considering a ban, which could be the next step towards making it legal tender in the country, suspects deVere Group CEO Nigel Green. Green’s assessment comes as Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a… Read More

February 4, 2022 @ 10:08 am By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published an updated Q&A on the pan-European crowdfunding rules. Updated rules, called European Crowdfunding Service Providers Regulation (ECSPR), became actionable last November but questions remain and European member states are still sorting things out. To help… Read More

February 2, 2022 @ 10:55 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The team at Security Token Market (STM) notes that cryptocurrencies have been an exciting yet “controversial” center of discussion heading into 2022. Virtual currencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and 8,000+ others have “maneuvered their way into everything from traditional Wall Street boardrooms, to innovation hubs in Silicon… Read More

February 2, 2022 @ 9:53 am By JD Alois  |  

While multiple countries around the world are pushing forward with a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and the US is reviewing the pros and cons, one prominent DC-based think tank is telling public officials not to move forward on a digital dollar. The Competitive Enterprise… Read More