Politics, Legal & Regulation

Policy and regulations impacting innovations in Finance.

SEC: SBCFAC Expected to Recommend Threshold for Reviewed Financials Under Reg CF Should Rise to $350,000

After discussing the activity of the Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC), has decided to recommend raising the threshold for reviewed financials from $124,000 to $350,000. Currently, reviewed financials cost around $5000 to… Read More

SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee Tells Commission to Make it Easier to Become an Accredited Investor

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) have finally issued their recommendation regarding the definition of Accredited Investors. This definition impacts the Reg D marketplace, an ecosystem that enabled around $3 trillion in funding in 2023. Just about… Read More

SBPA Slams Credit Card Competition Act

A report from the Small Business Payments Alliance (SBPA) finds that the majority of small businesses oppose new government payment network mandates. They believe the Durbin-Marshall bill, aka the Credit Card Competition Act, will disproportionately benefit the top five businesses in the United States by creating a… Read More

American Fintech Council Endorses South Carolina Earned Wage Access Legislation

The American Fintech Council (AFC), an industry association representing Fintech companies, including the largest earned wage access (EWA) providers, has joined with members in a letter to the South Carolina House Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry endorsing legislation to regulate the burgeoning financial service… Read More

SEC Charges Accounting Firm with “Massive Fraud,” May Impact Reg A+ Issuers

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged BF Borgers CPA PC and its owner, Benjamin F. Borgers with deliberate and systemic failures to comply with Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) standards in its audits and reviews incorporated in more than 1,500 SEC filings… Read More

US CFTC Appoints First Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Schedules AI Day

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has scheduled an “AI Day” for today (May 2, 2024). In advance of this gathering, the CFTC has appointed its first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer.  CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam has selected Dr. Ted Kaouk for the new role. Currently,… Read More

SEC Issues Report on Minority, Women Activity Under Reg CF

The Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of the Advocate for  Small Business Capital Formation, has posted a report on minotry and women activity in the Reg CF securities crowdfunding sector. Reg CF is one of the exemptions that enables online capital formation as well as… Read More

Malta Financial Services Authority Concludes Discussions on Future of Securities Supervision

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), through its Financial Supervisors Academy (FSA), recently carried out a session focused on “The Future of Securities Supervision: A 2035 Outlook.” Chaired by MFSA Chief Officer Supervision, Christopher P. Buttigieg, the discussion brought together figures from European Union regulatory… Read More

Crowdfunding: Newsletter Says it Will Name and Shame Reg CF Issuers Who Do Not File Form C-AR

Community Round Ventures says it will create a “naughty list” for firms that raised money using Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) that have not filed their mandated Form C-AR [Annual Report]. Form C-AR is mandated for issuers that use the Reg CF securities exemption. The annual… Read More

CBDCs: Pakistan Is Reportedly Exploring the Feasibility of Launching a Digital Currency

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently stated that the nation’s government is looking into integrating digital currency transactions within the Asian country’s financial ecosystem. While addressing attendees at the World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting held in in Riyadh, Minister Aurangzeb commented on Pakistan‘s efforts… Read More

Bitcoin Jesus: Roger Ver Charged by DOJ with Tax Fraud

Roger Ver, aka Bitcoin Jesus, has been charged with tax fraud. According to a statement by the US Department of Justice, Ver was arrested this weekend in Spain. He has been charged with mail fraud, tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Ver had acquired… Read More

Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao or “CZ” Gets Sentenced to Four Months in Prison

Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) was sentenced to four months in prison last November after pleading guilty. Zhao was also required to pay a $50 million penalty. According to WSJ.com, Zhao told the court he was sorry for his behavior and regretted… Read More

Equitise Loses Crowdfunding License in New Zealand

Earlier this month, Equitise, a securities crowdfunding platform operating in New Zealand and Australia, received an “infringement notice” from the New Zealand Financial Markets Authority (FMA). According to the FMA, Equitise had failed to file its financial statements prior to the deadline, among other concerns about… Read More

Reg CF Issuers Must File Form C-AR by Today

Companies that raised money online using Reg CF or Regulation Crowdfunding must file Form C-AR by today (April 29, 2024). Form C-AR references the required filing of the company’s annual report. While there have been thousands of firms that have leveraged the JOBS Act securities… Read More

Crypto Mixer: zkSNACKs Blocks US Users From Mixing Service, Wasabi Wallet

Crypto mixer zkSNACKs and Wasabi Wallet service is now blocking US citizens from using its service. Crypto mixers have gained the ire of the US Department of Treasury, which believes that they are frequently used by bad actors to cover their tracks for nefarious activities…. Read More

UK’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) Announces Key Appointments

Liz Oakes has been appointed and Carolyn Wilkins has been reappointed as external members of the Financial Policy Committee (FPC), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has announced. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has appointed Liz Oakes as “an external member of… Read More

AsiaVerify Becomes Latest Addition to Detected’s Risk, Fraud and Compliance Ecosystem

-AsiaVerify has become the latest addition to Detected’s growing risk, fraud and compliance ecosystem. Detected’s ecosystem sits at the center of its platform, “gathering data as businesses complete onboarding.” The information collected builds a company profile, “the single source of truth, which is hosted within… Read More

Blockchain Association, Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas File Lawsuit Challenging SEC’s Unlawful “Dealer Rule”

The Citizens Jury Wheel Legal Court Trial Justice Judge Law

Blockchain Association (BA) and the Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas (CFAT) filed a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Northern District of Texas that challenges the SEC’s misguided attacks on the U.S. digital asset industry and the Commission’s arbitrary and capricious… Read More

Challenges for Global Bank Supervision and Regulation Discussed By International Supervisory Community

More than 220 central bankers and banking supervisors representing over 90 different jurisdictions met on 24–25 April, 2024 in Basel for the 23rd International Conference of Banking Supervisors (ICBS). The ICBS included a program to mark the 50th year of the Basel Committee on Banking… Read More

UK Bolsters Law Enforcement Powers to Combat Crypto Crime

The UK government has granted new powers to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and police forces, effective today, to seize, freeze, and destroy cryptoassets involved in criminal activities, Irish Legal News has reported. This regulatory update addresses the increasing exploitation of cryptocurrencies by criminals, including… Read More

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