Politics, Legal & Regulation

June 13, 2017 @ 8:10 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury is out with its first report in a series addressing regulatory reform regarding the financial services industry.  Due to the enormity of the task, Treasury will divide its review of the financial system into a series of reports. While Fintech… Read More

June 11, 2017 @ 10:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) is out with a report on the evolving Fintech sector and the authors are prodding regulators to work more closely together in a regional approach. ASIFMA is based in Hong Kong and while Hong Kong is… Read More

June 10, 2017 @ 2:22 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past week the House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, part of the Energy and Commerce Committee, held a hearing on Fintech innovation as part of their disruptors series. During the hearing several witnesses delivered prepared statements to the Committee members and one clearly… Read More

June 9, 2017 @ 9:56 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that Acting Director of the Division of Enforcement Stephanie Avakian and former federal prosecutor Steven Peikin have been named Co-Directors of the Division of Enforcement. The SEC’s Division of Enforcement is the agency’s largest unit with more… Read More

June 9, 2017 @ 8:59 am By JD Alois  |  

  The Monetary  Authority of Singapore (MAS) has inked another Fintech agreement. This time MAS as signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of Supervisors of Banks of the Americas (ASBA). The ASBA helps to develop and promote bank supervisory practices throughout the… Read More

June 8, 2017 @ 10:38 pm By JD Alois  |  

Dodd-Frank has proven to be a horrible act of legislation. A reactionary swipe directed towards the financial services industry following the calamity known as the Great Recession, many portions of the law have not yet been fully enacted. The new regulations are simply too convoluted… Read More

June 7, 2017 @ 2:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

Response Specifically Targets, AI, Crowdfunding, Blockchain, Regtech & More. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has responded to the European Commission consultation paper on “Fintech: a more competitive and innovative financial sector”. The ESMA welcomed the initiative to take a stock-take of the EU’s… Read More

June 7, 2017 @ 2:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has published a consultation on the regulation of Robo-Advisors or “Digital Advisory Services.” The consultation will close on July 7, 2017. The MAS proposal seeks to support innovation in financial services by recognising the unique characteristics of digital platforms…. Read More

June 7, 2017 @ 1:31 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is out with an FAQ to supplement a Bulletin (2013-29). Several of the items address Fintech specifically, as well as marketplace lending. This is part of the ongoing adjustment in the financial regulatory space where policymakers… Read More

June 5, 2017 @ 9:25 am By Joshua G. Hamilton, James H. Moon & Bret M. Geckeler  |  

Crowdfunding regulations were enacted with the goal of providing small businesses access to capital without imposing arduous registration and disclosure burdens.[i]  In that regard, the regulations have shown significant promise. Commentators have rightfully highlighted the substantial benefits to both issuers and investors based on their… Read More

June 4, 2017 @ 1:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

There were several interesting presentations at the most recent SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC) meeting last month.  One of the reports came from the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) – the group that represents and lobbies on behalf of state… Read More

June 2, 2017 @ 3:19 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Jay Clayton published a request for comments today tackling a controversial topic. Chair Clayton addressed the Department of Labor’s “Fiduciary Rule” that deals with the conduct of investment advisors and broker dealers. It will also impact… Read More

June 2, 2017 @ 1:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US House of Representatives will consider Dodd-Frank replacement legislation next week. The bill, HR.10 or “the Financial CHOICE Act,” is designed to ameliorate and remove the detrimental effects created by the Dodd Frank law. The complicated Dodd-Frank rules were signed into law as a… Read More

June 2, 2017 @ 10:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Diane Feinstein have joined together in drafting legislation that may impact the cryptocurrency world. The Senate Bill, as it stands now, is designed to “strengthens criminal laws against money laundering – a critical source of funding for terrorist organizations, drug… Read More

June 1, 2017 @ 12:07 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Bank of England is out with some data on the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS). The FLS seeks to encourage more lending to the UK economy than would have been the case in the absence of the plan.  The current Extension allows participants to… Read More

May 31, 2017 @ 5:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has scheduled a symposium in New York City to discuss Blockchain or Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Blockchain has powered the growth of digital currencies and since the advent of Bitcoin, Blockchain has stolen a growing amount of attention as… Read More

May 31, 2017 @ 11:40 am By JD Alois  |  

During a hearing of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament, Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank, addressed the hot topics of Fintech and Blockchain technology (Distributed Ledger Technology or DLT). In prepared remarks, Draghi spoke about the economic… Read More

May 30, 2017 @ 2:25 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

What was previously a relatively innocuous industry sector, the financial technology (or “Fintech”) industry has exploded over the past few years. With the litany of new Fintech startups and existing Fintech businesses, and even Fintech specific incubators and accelerators popping up, the Fintech revolution is… Read More

May 27, 2017 @ 11:41 am By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) has scheduled their next meeting for June 22, 2017, from 9:35AM to 2:35PM at the SEC Headquarters. The meeting is open to the public but will be live-streamed on the SEC website as well. As always, the public is… Read More

May 26, 2017 @ 7:45 am By JD Alois  |  

The UK housing market has struggled for years as high demand has challenged supply. The markets have reacted naturally by driving housing costs up. Home buyers and renters have struggled to keep up. London has become one of the most expensive property markets in the… Read More