Politics, Legal & Regulation

May 17, 2017 @ 8:25 am By Therese Torris  |  

On Monday, Emmanuel Macron was officially inaugurated as President of France. He is France’s youngest President ever, and the youngest democratically elected head of State worldwide. He is also a known proponent of Fintech and crowdfunding. To give a bit of background to those who… Read More

May 17, 2017 @ 4:23 am By JD Alois  |  

While there has been some progress in the legislative odyssey of “Crowd-sourced equity funding”, as they call it down under, not everyone is pleased with the current results. VentureCrowd, a multi-class crowdfunding platform providing early stage, property and “crowd credit” finance, has labeled the process… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 10:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

Earlier this week, the Conference on State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) announced their “Vision 2020” initiative. The intent is to provide a solution for emerging Fintech firms and non-bank financial services. Vision 2020 comes after the CSBS sued the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 10:36 am By JD Alois  |  

Doug Ellenoff is one of the most recognizable names in the crowdfunding space. A founding partner of the Manhattan law firm of Ellenoff, Grossman and Schole, LLP, he has spent the last few years acting as a JOBS Act champion and crowdfunding advocate both publicly… Read More

May 16, 2017 @ 9:54 am By JD Alois  |  

Wefunder has sent a letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). On the anniversary of the launch of Title III of the JOBS Act, or Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF), Nicholas Tommarello, co-founder and CEO of Wefunder, has taken a moment to reflect on… Read More

May 15, 2017 @ 3:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

As we reported last week, Maria T. Vullo, the Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services, filed a lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and Keith Noreika, acting Comptroller. The complaint pertains to the OCC”s Fintech Charter…. Read More

May 15, 2017 @ 11:00 am By Samuel Guzik  |  

With the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act having just reached its five year milestone, Regulation Crowdfunding hitting its one year milestone, and the two year anniversary of Regulation A(+) fast approaching, I thought this would be a good time to (briefly) reflect on the… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 6:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The New York Department of Financial Services has filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Manhattan against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The action was taken to challenge the OCC’s initiative to issue national Fintech Charters. Reuters reported the NYDFS legal… Read More

May 12, 2017 @ 8:29 am By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has signed a co-operation agreement with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong. The intent of the agreement is to encourage collaboration that supports Fintech innovation. According to the document, the FCA and SFC will co-operate on information… Read More

May 11, 2017 @ 12:58 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

Innovate Finance, the membership association for global fintech, announced on Thursday it sought support from UK Government, as well as political parties across the spectrum, for its Fintech Election Pledge. While sharing details about the Fintech Election Pledge initiative, Innovate Finance stated: “The United Kingdom’s digital… Read More

May 11, 2017 @ 5:52 am By JD Alois  |  

In his first appearance as the Chair of Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton delivered a brief statement to the members of the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC).  At the meeting, which took place today (May 10, 2017), Clayton told all in… Read More

May 11, 2017 @ 4:36 am By JD Alois  |  

The Australian government crafted updated “Crowd-Sourced Equity Funding” (CSEF) earlier this year.  The new rules will commence on September 29, 2017. But the bill was described as flawed by some as it only allowed  public companies to participate.  In Australia, the vast majority of companies… Read More

May 10, 2017 @ 4:35 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has initiated an inquiry into to best identify the financing needs of small businesses, especially those owned by women and minorities. The agency says that public information on this lending market is inconsistent and incomplete. The Request for Information… Read More

May 10, 2017 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

At the SEC’s meeting of the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC), a presentation was delivered on the slowdown in US IPOs and what could possibly be done to increase the moribund IPO market. In the past ten years, the number of public… Read More

May 10, 2017 @ 8:27 am By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) posted an Investor Bulletin yesterday (May 9) addressing the utilization of “Simple Agreement for Future Equity” commonly referred to as SAFEs. These securities are frequently utilized in equity crowdfunding offers, specifically under the Reg CF exemption. The Bulletin, from… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 4:20 pm By JD Alois  |  

William H. Hinman has been selected as the new director of the Security and Exchange’s Division of Corporation Finance. Hinman recently retired at the law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett in Silicon Valley. The SEC said that Hinman has been a recognized leader in… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 12:34 pm By JD Alois  |  

SAFEs or “Simple Agreement for Future Equity” is a widely utilized security in the investment crowdfunding space. A SAFE is more of an option to invest in a company than anything else. It was created by Y Combinator in 2013 as a founder friendly method… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 8:31 am By JD Alois  |  

The budget announcement by Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison includes a big boost for Fintech. Multiple areas of improvement in the innovative financial sector include, open financial data reforms, reduced barriers for banking licences, an expanded regulatory sandbox and digital currency tax cuts. Morrison also used… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 8:06 am By JD Alois  |  

The Australian government is out with a statement today indicating its intent to position Australia as a global Fintech hub. The announcement was made by Scott Morrison, MP, Treasurer of Australia, and incorporated into the budget announcement. The statement was part of a broader mission… Read More

May 9, 2017 @ 7:26 am By JD Alois  |  

The government of Australia has announced an inquiry into the state of competition in the financial system. The initiative was announced by Treasurer Scott Morrison, MP.  Morrison said the Australian government was committed to ensuring the country’s financial system was innovative and fostered competition. Morrison… Read More