Politics, Legal & Regulation

May 17, 2016 @ 9:24 am By Amy Wan  |  

  Monday, May 16, 2016 is the first day that ordinary people—not just the super rich—will be able to invest in the next Uber or Snapchat. That’s because Title III of the JOBS Act, otherwise known as Regulation Crowdfunding or Reg CF, legalizes retail investment… Read More

May 16, 2016 @ 12:55 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

  Caps off to Title III!  As promised, WeFunder understood the potential of Reg CF and its opportunities for capital formation and entrepreneurship.  Operating an accredited crowdfunding platform since the fall of 2013 and then adding Reg A+ last year, Wefunder has helped fund 110 companies with over… Read More

May 16, 2016 @ 8:36 am By Georgia Quinn  |  

Overview of the regulatory framework Although the Jumpstart Our Business Startups or JOBS Act was passed in April of 2012, the rules implementing Title III of that Act relating to retail investment crowdfunding have been a long time coming. They were finally promulgated on October… Read More

May 15, 2016 @ 9:23 am By Barry James  |  

In August 2014 Chancellor George Osborne set his stall out clearly stating the UK government’s intention to make London the FinTech capital of the world – and so maintain its position as, arguably, the world’s most important financial center in the years to come. It’s… Read More

May 13, 2016 @ 5:05 pm By JD Alois  |  

SEC Chair Mary Jo White was in Peru this past week to participate in the 41st Annual IOSCO conference in Lima. During her visit, White presented as part of a panel entitled “New ways for the Financing of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the… Read More

May 13, 2016 @ 3:56 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Subcommittee on Capital Markets, part of the House Financial Services Committee, has schedule a hearing for Tuesday, May 17th at 2PM entitled “Legislative Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation, Transparency, and Regulatory Accountability”. The Subcommittee will examine the current competitiveness of U.S. capital markets and regulatory… Read More

May 12, 2016 @ 2:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

The bipartisan SEC Small Business Advocate Act of 2016 (HR 3784) sponsored by Representatives Duffy  (R-WI) and Carney (D-DE), cruised through the House of Representatives earlier this year.  The bill seeks to create a firmer voice advocating on behalf of small business within the Securities and Exchange… Read More

May 12, 2016 @ 10:28 am By Erin Hobey  |  

The UK and Singapore have established a “fintech bridge” that will help financial technology firms and investors from each country gain access to the other. Billed as the first of its kind, the bridge enables the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore… Read More

May 11, 2016 @ 12:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies (ACSEC) has announced its next meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 18th at SEC headquarters. According to information provided by the SEC, ACSEC will review and discuss the very important subject regarding the definition… Read More

May 11, 2016 @ 10:37 am By JD Alois  |  

  China is the largest market for alternative finance in the world. According to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF), China delivered over $100 billion in alternative finance, including peer to peer lending and crowdfunding, in 2015.  This was more than a 3X jump… Read More

May 10, 2016 @ 12:29 pm By Erin Hobey  |  

With Title III of the JOBS Act is set to take effect next week, the crowd is opining.  The legislation intends to bring non-accredited investors into the equity crowdfunding fold and make Title III more workable for real estate; RealtyMogul.com CEO and real estate crowdfunding guru Jilliene… Read More

May 10, 2016 @ 11:00 am By JD Alois  |  

  As expected, the US Treasury Department has published a white paper addressing the emerging marketplace lending sector of finance. Entiteled “Opportunities and Challenges in Online Marketplace Lending”, the document follows a “Request for Information” from 2015 where approximatley 100 different platforms and industry observers… Read More

May 9, 2016 @ 1:50 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is accepting applications now for its newly minted regulatory Sandbox.  Applicants have until July 8th to sign up for a chance to be part of a regulatory “safe space” to experiment and challenge existing financial norms. Christopher Woolard, FCA Directory… Read More

May 6, 2016 @ 2:27 pm By JD Alois  |  

A bit over five months after the event occurred, the Securities and Exchange Commission has published the final report on the Forum on Small Business Capital Formation. Each year at SEC HQ, the determined few gather at the SEC to discuss and debate how access… Read More

May 5, 2016 @ 3:57 pm By JD Alois  |  

  This past Tuesday (May 3rd), twenty members of Congress joined to ask the Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, to tread lightly when it came to the emerging marketplace lending industry. The timing of bi-partisan missive is important as Treasury has announced it will… Read More

May 4, 2016 @ 2:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury has announced its intent to release a white paper next week pertaining to their review of the marketplace lending industry (orginally labeled peer to peer lending). The document is expected to encapsulate the many comment letters submitted to Treasury following… Read More

May 4, 2016 @ 12:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month the US Department of Treasury, Division of Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN), announced a proposed rule change that will impact Reg CF crowdfunding portals. Now the concept of a crowdfunding portal is a new approach that was legalized under the JOBS Act… Read More

May 3, 2016 @ 11:44 pm By JD Alois  |  

The “Memorandum of Cooperation on the Establishment and Implementation of the Asia Region Funds Passport”, has now been signed by Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan. Countries yet to sign include Thailand,Singapore and the Philippines. The “MOC” has been called “the most far-reaching multilateral… Read More

May 3, 2016 @ 4:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted amendments to implement the JOBS Act and FAST Act Changes for Exchange Act Registration requirements. These amendments udpate rules regarding thresholds of registration and suspension of reporting under Section 12(g) of the 34 Act. These updates implement provisions… Read More

May 3, 2016 @ 12:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

EBN, a network of over 160 business innovation centres and incubators, has released a statement on the European Commission’s advocacy of investment crowdfunding in providing crucial access to capital for innovative young firms. CEO of the EBN network, Philippe Vanrie, welcomed the report stating; “We… Read More