Politics, Legal & Regulation

January 8, 2018 @ 8:33 am By JD Alois  |  

As we reported this past weekend, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is rumored to be discussing a power cut for Bitcoin miners. Now there is a document circulating on the internet that indicates China wants to shut down Bitcoin mining altogether. While the complete… Read More

January 7, 2018 @ 8:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Anytime I am around a securities attorney (which is quite often) inevitably the 33 Act or the 40 Act comes up in conversation. For normal people (non-attorneys) this legal speak can be confusing, riven by acronyms and stifled by dogma. Yet much of the regulatory… Read More

January 7, 2018 @ 7:00 pm By Pawee Jenweeranon  |  

An initial coin offering (ICO) is an alternative to the traditional models of start-up and other companies to raise capital. In Thailand, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Thai SEC) recently expressed their view on ICOs indicating they realize the potential of ICOs to satisfy… Read More

January 7, 2018 @ 4:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The regulatory drums are getting louder when it comes to initial coin offerings (ICOs). The first shot across the virtual bow was the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Report addressing the DAO and the fact it was an unregistered security. Since last July, there have been… Read More

January 5, 2018 @ 12:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) says it has noticed an increase in initial coin offerings (ICOs) and the solicitation of the general public – including senior citizens. The cautionary statement by the SC was apparently cased by the forthcoming CopyCashCoin ICO that is scheduled to… Read More

January 5, 2018 @ 11:58 am By JD Alois  |  

HM Treasury appointed Charles Randell CBE as the new Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The appointment commences on April 1st and is for a 5 year term. Randell is currently an external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee of the Bank of England and… Read More

January 4, 2018 @ 12:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has published a list of concerns and red flags regarding cryptocurrency investment offers. NASAA is the lobbying group that represents state and provincial securities regulators. Joseph Borg, the Director of the Alabama Securities Commission and current NASAA President… Read More

January 4, 2018 @ 8:01 am By JD Alois  |  

Any US based initial coin offering (ICO) that raised a fair amount of money and did not file for a securities exemption should be quite nervous now. Giga Watt, an ICO that raised $20 million last summer, was hit with a class action lawsuit by… Read More

January 3, 2018 @ 5:41 pm By Gary Schwartz  |  

Blockchain initial coin offerings (ICOs) have democratized capital formation for a new generation of application services. From startups to nation states, tokens are a revolutionary construct that allow for innovative function, value and liquidity. Over the past three years, ICOs have successfully funded the development… Read More

January 3, 2018 @ 9:20 am By JD Alois  |  

A report by Yonhap News says the South Korean government will ban all anonymous transactions in cryptocurrencies as soon as January 20th.  According to the article, only real name bank accounts will be allowed for deposits and transactions on exchanges. Simultaneously, new virtual cryptocurrency accounts… Read More

January 2, 2018 @ 10:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) has announced that its Blockchain, or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), is in effect as of January 1, 2018. Firms using Blockchain to transmit or store value, regardless of the service, must be licensed by the GFSC. Nicky Gomez, Head… Read More

January 1, 2018 @ 11:13 am By JD Alois  |  

The Telegraph is reporting that the Bank of England may have a bespoke cryptocurrency in its sights for 2018. The UK Britcoin, if created, would be a revolutionary shift for the entire banking industry and an innovative leap for the world’s second oldest central bank…. Read More

December 31, 2017 @ 9:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, we visited the roster of FINRA approved Reg CF funding portals which stood at 34. Today, that number has increased by 2 so now it stands at 36 in total. Last week, we discussed the three Reg CF platforms that departed this segment… Read More

December 29, 2017 @ 12:33 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Taiwan legislature has passed legislation that will create a regulatory Fintech Sandbox in a move designed to keep the country up to date on the fast changing financial services industry. Inspired by the UK Fintech Sandbox, the law hopes to stop Fintech firms from… Read More

December 28, 2017 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

EU Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, whose portfolio includes Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, spoke to the FT this week advocating on behalf of a pan-European Fintech license. Dombrovskis is quoted in the broadsheet lamenting excessive bureaucratic barriers that challenge Europe today; “Europe is certainly… Read More

December 27, 2017 @ 9:52 pm By JD Alois  |  

According to a report in TASS, the Russian Ministry of Finance has prepared a draft law that will regulate cryptocurrencies. The basis of the report was an interview of the Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov for Rossiya 24. Siluanov was quoted saying: “The Ministry of Finance has… Read More

December 27, 2017 @ 11:29 am By Jim Borzilleri  |  

The initial coin offering (or ICO) explosion accelerated by Ethereum smart contract technology has resulted in over $3 billion in raised capital in 2017 and garnered the attention of governments worldwide.  The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has taken note.  In their statement on… Read More

December 24, 2017 @ 6:23 am By JD Alois  |  

One of the attractive aspects of Reg A+, as created by the JOBS Act of 2012, is the fact issuers may immediately trade securities following a funding round. This has led to a growing number of SMEs to raise capital under Reg A+ and quickly… Read More

December 22, 2017 @ 12:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Hester Peirce and Robert Jackson were both confirmed by a Senate voice yesterday as Commissioners at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Peirce will immediately begin a term that expires in 2020. Jackson will complete the remainder of a term that expires in 2019. The confirmation… Read More

December 22, 2017 @ 7:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Class action law suits and cryptocurrency based companies are a marriage made in digital heaven. The trickle of legal challenges is turning into a deluge as more and more law firms see opportunity in pursuing questionable securities offerings or corporate actions. Today, the most recent… Read More