Politics, Legal & Regulation

October 27, 2017 @ 4:28 pm By JD Alois  |  

“Cybercrime as a Service” is a Growing Problem In the UK, HM Treasury and the Home Office have published a report on money laundering and terrorist financing. As one of the largest economies in the world that is based on global trade and quite open… Read More

October 27, 2017 @ 10:18 am By JD Alois  |  

Deepbridge Capital, a company that provides investment access to small and medium sized UK growth businesses, has shared a wish list regarding the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and measures it would like to see in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s forthcoming… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 11:10 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pumped their regulatory brakes on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) earlier this year. Pointing to the DAO debacle, the Feds said if a tokenized offering is a security it will be regulated, end of story. This  statement was a long… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 10:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has added a new Fintech partnership arrangement with a deal signed with the Swiss Financial Markets Authority (FINMA). Both regulators have been impressively open to financial innovation so an agreement to cooperate on disruptive finance simply makes sense…. Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 6:45 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Co-Director of the SEC Division of Enforcement, Stephanie Avakian, gave a speech today tackling the topic of retail investor protection and cybersecurity. Both issues have always been important missions at the SEC but recent cyber intrusions at the Commission (and elsewhere, unfortunately) have brought… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 11:36 am By JD Alois  |  

The Autorite des Marches Financieres (AMF) in France has launched a consultation on Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) and the issuance of crypto based tokens. In France, according to the document, there have been at least four ICOs to date with multiple other offerings in the… Read More

October 26, 2017 @ 8:45 am By JD Alois  |  

Pending US legislation titled “The Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2017,″ seeks to update criminal money laundering and counterfeiting statutes. As written now, the bill impacts the utilization of any and all cryptocurrencies. Senate Bill 1241, sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley, will define anyone… Read More

October 25, 2017 @ 3:29 pm By Therese Torris  |  

Two main topics of the 6th Annual Convention of the European Crowdfunding Network (ECN) on October 19th and 20th were technology innovation and cross-border finance. The discussions showed that alternative finance has only scratched the surface of its technological innovation’s potential ‒ the potential to… Read More

October 24, 2017 @ 1:02 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

Token Report, a large, transparent database of ICO verified information, today released data on the number of cryptocurrencies actively in use. Of the 226 ICOs in Token Report’s database that have completed, 20 of those tokens, or just under 1 in 10, are actively in use, excluding… Read More

October 24, 2017 @ 9:59 am By JD Alois  |  

Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) has released a comment refernencing a speech by FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg on the importance of small banks and the regulatory burden. The ICBA says excessive regulations is forcing the reduction of community banks – a truism that has… Read More

October 23, 2017 @ 4:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

A law suite between investors and LendingClub (NYSE:LC) received the green light to proceed as a class action from US District Judge William Alsup in California last week. The case stems from investors who purchased shares in the online lender only to see the value… Read More

October 21, 2017 @ 3:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

Boston based law firm Block & Leviton has initiated an investigation into the Tezos Initial Coin Offering (ICO). Tezos raised about $232 million in one of the largest ICOs of all time several months back. Since the date of the ICO the price of Crypto… Read More

October 21, 2017 @ 8:10 am By Therese Torris  |  

On October 20, at its 6th Convention in Vilnius, Lithuania, the European Crowdfunding Network (ECN), the European association of alternative finance platforms, released its Third Edition of the Review of Existing Regulations of crowdfunding and related alternative financing in the 28 countries of Europe, as… Read More

October 20, 2017 @ 10:06 am By JD Alois  |  

iDisclose, a New York based legal technology platform, has announced that Michael Knox, President of private equity firm, Gold Ridge Asset Management, has joined the management team. Simultaneously, iDisclose announced that Knox has made an investment in the company. Specific details of the investment were not… Read More

October 20, 2017 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

Following the first full year of operations of the Fintech Sandbox, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a report outlining lessons learned. The UK has been the trailblazer in the concept of creating a regulatory sandbox to allow innovative financial firms to work… Read More

October 19, 2017 @ 8:00 pm By Scott Andersen  |  

Even with the flexibility provided to Regulation D private placement offerings by Title II of the JumpStart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) data has consistently shown that most Regulation D offerings continue to raise capital under traditional Rule 506(b). … Read More

October 19, 2017 @ 5:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

At Georgetown University today, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika reaffirmed his belief that Fintech s should have the option to apply for a national bank charter or Fintech Charter as it is frequently called. While there was little new in the presentation delivered… Read More

October 19, 2017 @ 11:25 am By Erin Hobey  |  

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, and Al Ansari Exchange, a leading foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer company in the UAE, have established a new partnership to promote and support the growth of FinTech industry in Abu Dhabi… Read More

October 19, 2017 @ 9:41 am By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) published a Primer on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Buried with the document was an interesting statement. The CFTC said “virtual currencies are commodities.” The import of this statement means the CFTC is positioning itself as a… Read More

October 18, 2017 @ 11:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) in New Zealand and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) have re-affirmed their collaboration on the expanding opportunities in Fintech innovation. The two agencies originally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) back in 2012. Since that time, much… Read More