July 20, 2019 @ 12:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

FINRA, the regulator of broker-dealer in the US, has posted a notice on digital assets encouraging firms to “notify FINRA if they engage in activities related to digital assets.” The notice appears to be more of an extension to en existing request. FINRA states: “Last… Read More

July 8, 2019 @ 3:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Division of Trading and Markets, has joined with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in issuing a statement regarding the custody of digital assets and broker-dealers. Custody of digital assets is a pressing concern for industry participants. Similar to… Read More

July 7, 2019 @ 7:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) is a unique securities rule that allows companies to raise up to $1.07 million from both accredited or non-accredited investors. Created by the JOBS Act of 2012, Reg CF is the smallest of the three online capital formation exemptions. Reg D… Read More

May 4, 2019 @ 4:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has talked up their innovation cred and support of Fintech for years. Under previous Chair Mary Jo White, the SEC held the very first Fintech Forum which saw both industry participants and policymakers engage with each other in collaborative… Read More

April 26, 2019 @ 11:15 am By JD Alois  |  

SeedInvest, one of the leading US-based investment crowdfunding platforms, has received regulatory approval from FINRA to operate a secondary marketplace for securities via an alternative trading system (ATS). SeedInvest is the first traditional crowdfunding platform to receive an ATS license. Providing liquidity for private securities… Read More

April 24, 2019 @ 5:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

FINRA, the lead regulator for broker-dealers in the US, has opened up an Office of Financial Innovation in recognition of the growing importance of Fintech. Haimera Workie, currently a Senior Director at FINRA, will become its inaugural chief. FINRA President and CEO Robert W. Cook… Read More

April 16, 2019 @ 1:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) have scheduled their 2019 National Compliance Outreach Program for Broker-Dealers. The event, taking place in Chicago, is designed to provide an open forum for regulators and industry professionals to discuss topics such as… Read More

March 9, 2019 @ 2:03 pm By JD Alois  |  

The initial coin offering (ICO) / Security Token Offering (STO) continues to endure a period of regulatory uncertainty. As things stand right now, ICOs are securities. End of story. If you completed an ICO after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued the DAO Report… Read More

March 4, 2019 @ 10:01 am By JD Alois  |  

FINRA has given their stamp of approval to the acquisition of SeedInvest by Circle. The crypto focused company announced the purchase of SeedInvest in October of 2018.  The acquisition of a regulated securities crowdfunding platform by the blockchain based Circle represented a seminal turning point… Read More

February 14, 2019 @ 9:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

Periodically, Crowdfund Insider reviews the status of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) the smallest crowdfunding exemption in the US. Reg CF has been in use since May of 2016. According to a recent report published by Crowdfund Capital Advisors (CCA), $194 million has been raised in… Read More

January 31, 2019 @ 8:52 pm By Scott Andersen  |  

On January 22, 2019, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) released its examination priorities for 2019.  At the top of the list was online funding platform compliance with the securities laws. With an uptick in the offer and sale of securities offerings online with Rule… Read More

January 27, 2019 @ 9:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last week, FINRA issued its annual Risk Monitoring and Examination Priorities Letter for 2019. The letter is a reference point as to what FINRA expects to target in the coming year. The missive includes an opening by FINRA President and CEO, Robert Cook, who said… Read More

January 6, 2019 @ 5:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Reg CF (or Regulation Crowdfunding as it is inconveniently called) is a securities exemption that enables companies to raise up to $1.07 million online via a regulated funding portal or broker-dealer. The concept of a funding portal was created alongside the exemption which was part… Read More

December 18, 2018 @ 11:17 am By Doug Ellenoff  |  

This summer, with little fanfare, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) announced some interesting and, in our view, directionally enlightened ideas on potential changes to state securities laws as they relate to secondary market trading. If you aren’t familiar with NASAA, it is a… Read More

November 7, 2018 @ 10:17 am By JD Alois  |  

Recently, at the StartEngine Summit during LA Blockchain Week, CI had the chance to sit down with prominent securities attorney Linda Lerner. Lerner is Senior Counsel at Crowell Moring and a veteran lawyer with deep experience and expertise in securities issuance and regulation of stock exchanges…. Read More

September 21, 2018 @ 4:51 pm By JD Alois  |  

In June, we updated readers on the number of FINRA approved Reg CF portals. At that time the count stood at 41 regulated crowdfunding platforms. As of today (September 21, 2018), that number has now increased to 44 FINRA approved Reg CF platforms as three new… Read More

September 12, 2018 @ 4:25 pm By JD Alois  |  

FINRA has published a white paper on regulatory technology or Regtech developments within the securities industry. Regtech is a hot sub-sector of Fintech as it has the potential to make the job of financial regulators easier while saving time (and money) for the firms they… Read More

September 11, 2018 @ 2:25 pm By Cali Haan  |  

FINRA announced today that it has charged the Massachusetts creator of the “HempCoin” ICO (initial coin offering) with securities fraud and, “the unlawful distribution of an unregistered cryptocurrency security…” FINRA, a Washington, DC-based self-regulatory organization of considerable might that presides over American securities brokers, claims that,… Read More

August 23, 2018 @ 8:43 am By JD Alois  |  

FINRA ( Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) has been doing a series of podcasts, called FINRA Unscripted, for some time now. Their most recent segment covered Fintech posing the rhetorical question as to how regulators are keeping up with the pace of change. In 2017, FINRA… Read More

August 19, 2018 @ 10:14 am By JD Alois  |  

FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), the SRO that oversees all of the broker dealers in the US, has issued an investor alert pertaining to initial coin offerings (ICOs). In the alert, FINRA states: “[We are] issuing this alert to inform investors that investments in digital… Read More