Opinion

July 23, 2021 @ 11:32 am By JD Alois  |  

The Texas State Securities Board is gunning for BlockFi – a leading crypto platform that raised $350 million earlier this year. According to the complaint, the SSB has scheduled a hearing with BlockFi this October to determine if a cease and desist will become effective…. Read More

July 22, 2021 @ 3:21 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Bitcoin will return to its previous highs before 2022 thanks in part to more muted support from notable advocates like Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey and Cathie Wood, deVere Group CEO Nigel Green believes. At the July 20 B Word Conference, Musk, Dorsey, and Wood reportedly… Read More

July 22, 2021 @ 12:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

  Next week, the House Committee on Financial Services will hold a hearing on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). This is not the first Congressional hearing on CBDCs, nor will it be the last. The concept of a digital dollar, issued by a central bank,… Read More

July 21, 2021 @ 11:02 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the European Commission announced an update to the European Union’s anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing (AML/CFT) rules. Part of the update is a requirement that anonymous crypto asset wallets will be prohibited. Additionally, the Commission is creating a new  EU AML Authority (AMLA)…. Read More

July 19, 2021 @ 4:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Jeff Dorman, Chief Investment Officer at Arca – an “institutional-grade” digital assets firm, threw some shade at the world’s largest stablecoin today. Dorman noted in a blog post that he is hearing that several macro and credit funds are trying to short Tether – a… Read More

July 15, 2021 @ 9:46 am By JD Alois  |  

Once again, leading Fintech investment bank FT Partners has played a key role in an outsized funding round in the Revolut transaction. As was reported earlier today, Revolut raised $800 million at a whopping $33 billion valuation. The funding was led by SoftBank – Tiger… Read More

July 14, 2021 @ 3:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioners Elad Roisman and Hester Peirce have joined together in issuing a public statement on Blotics, a firm formerly operating as Coinschedule, and the enforcement action by the SEC that was revealed today. As was previously reported, the SEC has settled charges against the… Read More

July 13, 2021 @ 7:57 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The team at Shojin, an investment firm that aims to unlock institutional-grade investment opportunities in the UK property market for “enlightened investors across the world,” has taken a detailed look at how real estate crowdfunding originated and why they think the future is bright for… Read More

July 9, 2021 @ 12:16 pm By JD Alois  |  

  As anticipated, the Biden Administration has issued an Executive Order that is said to promote competition in the US economy. The order is extensive and includes a list of 72 areas where Joe Biden seeks to change. Included in the list is net neutrality,… Read More

July 8, 2021 @ 10:20 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

Decision-makers in the United States are warming to cryptocurrency for a variety of reasons, including self-interest, GlobalBlock sales trader Alexandra Clark said recently. Senator Cynthia Lummis has encouraged people to buy and hold bitcoin in their portfolios as the billions of dollars in stimulus cannot… Read More

July 8, 2021 @ 1:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

The news regarding China’s crypto exit continues to cascade around the world as the second-largest economy puts the squeeze on Bitcoin mining, crypto trading, and other uses of crypto-assets. Just this week, it has been widely reported that the People’s Bank of China has demanded… Read More

July 8, 2021 @ 9:28 am By JD Alois  |  

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, has sent a letter to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler telling the securities regulator that crypto exchanges may be undermining the SEC’s mission of basic investor protections. Gensler, for his part, has publicly worried that crypto… Read More

July 6, 2021 @ 11:12 pm By Tony Zerucha  |  

A new German law could affect Bitcoin’s price for the better, GlobalBlock sales trader Alexandra Clark believes. German special funds may now invest up to 20 per cent of their funds in cryptocurrencies. If everyone does that, it represents a $415 billion inflow, Clark estimated…. Read More

July 2, 2021 @ 12:42 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak outlined his vision for financial services in the UK. The Chancellor highlighted his goal of maintaining, and growing, the UK’s prominence in the finance industry – including the Fintech sector. Topics covered targeting Fintech included distributed ledger… Read More

June 25, 2021 @ 12:16 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this month, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shared its regulatory agenda for the next couple of years. The list is quite long and includes many areas of the securities industry. At the top of the list, was the exempt offering ecosystem with the… Read More

June 22, 2021 @ 4:14 pm By JD Alois  |  

Brian  Korn has been a regular suspect on the Fintech trail for years. From the early days of online lending and securities crowdfunding, to the more recent rise of digital assets, Korn has provided counsel to emerging firms seeking to benefit from the Fintech revolution…. Read More

June 21, 2021 @ 10:58 am By JD Alois  |  

Late last month, the House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing addressing the topic of capital formation and the state of the US initial public offering market. While several witnesses focused on the rapid rise of SPACs, one witness pointed to the precipitous decline… Read More

June 21, 2021 @ 9:26 am By Omar Faridi  |  

BBVA Switzerland has opened its Bitcoin trading service to all private banking customers. After six months of in-house testing with a certain group of users, BBVA Switzerland has decided to make its first digital asset trading and custody service accessible to all its private banking… Read More

June 18, 2021 @ 4:30 pm By Gustavo Ruiz  |  

With the growing knowledge and adoption of digital banking, many consumers are still learning about the capabilities of contactless payments due to new perceptions of value, security, and availability, creating an ongoing challenge for merchants. Consumers are seeking out simplicity and instantaneous opportunities more than… Read More

June 18, 2021 @ 11:44 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday it was reported that Nutmeg, a digital investment manager operating in the UK, had been acquired by JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM). The Fintech had already partnered with the bank and JPM apparently decided to utilize Nutmeg’s tech as a step to launch a digital-only bank,… Read More