Politics, Legal & Regulation

September 11, 2020 @ 6:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has leveled charges pertaining to fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICO) against film producer Ryan S. Felton, rapper and actor Clifford Harris, Jr., or “T.I. or Tip,” and three others who apparently promoted one of Felton’s two unregistered and ICOs…. Read More

September 11, 2020 @ 3:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has posted the agenda for the upcoming Asset Management Advisory Committee (AMAC) meeting scheduled for next week. According to the SEC, the meeting will include a discussion of matters in the asset management industry relating to (1) the ESG… Read More

September 11, 2020 @ 1:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

Have you ever wondered which countries are working on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and where they stand in the process? Are they simply doing research or is there a pilot program in the works? Or maybe there is a digital currency live and in… Read More

September 11, 2020 @ 8:27 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), has noted that money facilitates both transactions and relationships. According to the former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chair, money may be considered “an expression of sovereignty.” Lagarde, whose comments came during the recently held Deutsche… Read More

September 10, 2020 @ 9:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Middle Eastern country of Bahrain has identified key focus areas to further develop its economy. The nation’s government has outlined a national strategy for supporting digital commerce. Zayed Alazayani, the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister, stated that the Kingdom will be introducing new laws… Read More

September 9, 2020 @ 9:36 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Vietnam reportedly doesn’t have enough skilled professionals needed to support the growth of the nation’s Fintech focused economy. The Southeast Asian country is home to more than 96 million residents, making it the world’s 15th most populous nation. Its GDP stands at around $250 billion…. Read More

September 8, 2020 @ 11:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

In a public statement, the Association of Online Investment Platforms (AOIP) has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to move quickly and to improve the regulatory environment to support small businesses during the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. Addressed to SEC Chairman Jay Clayton, and… Read More

September 8, 2020 @ 10:25 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The Consumer Data Right (CDR) legislation in Australia has been introduced to enhance the nation’s modern banking sector. It’s also supposed to make it easier to match or compare different financial products across a range of industries in the country, according to Senator Jane Hume,… Read More

September 8, 2020 @ 12:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

Reg CF continues to grow in popularity as a securities exemption utilized by smaller firms to raise much-needed growth capital. Reg CF is the smallest of the three different crowdfunding exemptions but has perhaps garnered the most popular interest due. An issuer must utilize either… Read More

September 7, 2020 @ 9:07 am By JD Alois  |  

Open Banking, a concept that is widely discussed but understood by relatively few, is an attempt to enable customers to control their own data while requiring financial services to allow access to this data, when approved, to foster a more robust and competitive financial services… Read More

September 5, 2020 @ 2:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

Singapore recently completed a pilot program for a blockchain-based multi-currency payments network prototype. Project Ubin, launched in 2016, engaged with several private parties as well as government entities seeking to better understand the benefits of blockchain technology. The prototype was developed in collaboration with JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) and… Read More

September 5, 2020 @ 2:11 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Senator Andrew Bragg, the Chair of the Senate Select Committee on financial technology and regulatory technology in Australia, recently introduced an interim report which included 32 different recommendations. Bragg noted that as the country tries to cope with its first recession in the past three… Read More

September 4, 2020 @ 3:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, spoke at the Brookings Institue in the US this week and he tackled a hot topic: cryptocurrencies. More specifically, Bailey spoke about the efficacy, or lack of, when using certain digital assets in payment transactions. Bailey… Read More

September 4, 2020 @ 2:43 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The team at Security Token Advisors, a group of professionals that aim to “reinvent” finance with security tokens, reveals that that many “progressive” legislators and regulators have been focused on defining relevant rules and standards for issuing blockchain or distributed ledger tech (DLT)-based financial securities… Read More

September 3, 2020 @ 10:01 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

Its official, the “accredited investor” definition, which has not changed significantly since its enactment almost 40 years ago, has been massively upgraded. On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted final amendments to the “accredited investor” definition which fundamentally change and broaden… Read More

September 2, 2020 @ 2:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

  The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will start processing Fintech applications to become federally chartered firms as soon as this week, according to a report. The acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks has only been managing the regulator since May… Read More

September 2, 2020 @ 1:36 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved an Amended Order of Registration for LedgerX, LLC to clear additional products, subject to the terms and conditions specified in the order, as a derivatives clearing organization under the Commodity Exchange Act. LedgerX previously was approved to… Read More

August 30, 2020 @ 2:44 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Gabriel J. Shapiro, a US attorney focused on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), venture, governance, Infosec, and digital assets, is arguing that it’s pretty much “pointless” to be a lawyer in the crypto and blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) space. He points out that professionals… Read More

August 28, 2020 @ 5:40 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Peer to peer (P2P) lending platforms in the UK received significantly fewer complaints during Q1 2020, according to the Financial Ombudsman. As explained on its official website, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FSO) is “a free and easy to use service that [aims to] settle complaints… Read More

August 28, 2020 @ 4:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House Financial Services Committee has posted its list of (virtual) hearings for the month of September. While always subject to change, the Committee has scheduled a hearing by the Task Force on Financial Technology (Fintech) on digital banking. The hearing entitled “License to Bank:… Read More