Tagged: perspective

Perspective: Institutional Adoption of STOs and Digital Assets in 2020

Back in December, I wrote a piece for Coindesk’s Year in Review 2019 entitled “Security Token Offerings Are (Finally) Set for Takeoff in 2020”.  This was before word of COVID-19 became widespread and before many of the cataclysmic events of 2020 were even imaginable.  Thus… Read More

P2P Finance in Post COVID-19 France

How did the pandemic impact the P2P crowdfunding sector, the part of alternative fundraising financed exclusively by individual contributors and retail investors? To answer this question, the French crowdfunding association Financement Participatif France (FPF) together with the state bank, Banque des territoires commissioned a study…. Read More

GROUNDFLOOR CEO Brian Dally Comments on LendingClub’s Decision to Stop Allowing Retail Investors to Participate in Marketplace Loans

Last week, LendingClub (NYSE:LC) filed an 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicating its intent to stop offering retail notes by the end of the year. The leading marketplace lender in the US started as a peer to peer lender but over the… Read More

Digital Assets: How the Pandemic Can be a Catalyst for Innovation in Professional Sports

  Tokenization Provides Endless Possibilities for Teams and their Fans. Professional sports have been deeply stitched into the fabric of American society for well over a century, providing a daily source of joy (or pain if you’re a Mets fan), and serving as a refuge… Read More

CFTC Action Will Have Big Impact on Crypto Exchanges: Attorney Warns Crypto Exchanges that Regulator is Not Afraid to Pursue Big Market Participants

Last week, BitMEX (Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange), a top crypto/crypto-derivatives exchange that is operated by HDR Global Trading Limited, a Republic of Seychelles incorporated entity, was hit with a civil enforcement action emanating from the Commodity Futures Trading Future Commission (CFTC). Simultaneously, a criminal lawsuit by… Read More

Former SEC Senior Counsel Comments on Kik Ruling: Kik Could Have Benefited From Traditional Capital Markets Lawyer

This past week, Kik, a company that raised over $100 million in an initial coin offering (ICO), lost a long legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The courts determined that Kik had raised capital in an unregistered securities offering thus transgressing securities… Read More

Lendit Fintech USA 2020 Day 2/3 – Conversations, COVID and the Show Continues

Hey Fintech enthusiasts, Tim here. The last two days of LendIt just flew by. I have to say that I had made the most amount of meetings and connections during this virtual event than the usual in-person event. Why? I teased that why virtual Lendit… Read More

Lendit Fintech USA 2020 Day 1 – Creativity, Connectivity and Community

Tim here, I gotta be honest with you, I’ve attended a handful of virtual conferences this year and LendIt Fintech USA 2020 by far took the top prize home in my books. The production value is top-notch, from the studio look and feel to the… Read More

European Union Digital Asset Legislation Anticipated to Create Confidence, Open the Market to DLT Innovators

A Discussion with Franck Guiader of Gide 255 Last week, the European Commission adopted a Digital Finance Package along with legislative proposals on cryptoassets (digital assets). The move had been widely telegraphed by the Commission and, in fact, a draft of the crypto regulation was leaked… Read More

Low Taxes, Business Friendly: Wyoming Welcomes Economic Growth Including Blockchain Firms

Wyoming is one of several US states that does not assess a state income tax. In the past few years, there has been an exodus of both individuals and companies to these business-friendly states as people vote with their feet. Wyoming is also one of… Read More

Building the E-commerce Infrastructure for Small Businesses to Thrive in Latin America

The World Bank estimates there are up to 445 million micro, small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world. In Latin America, nearly 90% of all businesses fall into this category. However, many of these businesses operate informally due to a lack of market information… Read More

Wyoming’s Digital Asset Strategy Should Inspire Scotland to Emulate its Success: Report

This past week Kraken, a leading US-based digital asset exchange, was approved by the state of Wyoming for a bank charter. The first of its kind in the state, the Special Purpose Depository Institution (SPDI) means that Kraken Financial will operate pretty much just like… Read More

New Report Says Reg CF is a Success, Highlights Funding by Congressional District: Creates Policy Opportunity for COVID Recovery

A new report pertaining to Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) says the Jumpstart Our Businesses Startup Act (JOBS Act) securities exemption is creating economic success for small business owners in need of growth capital. The report outlines Reg CF utilization by Congressional District – highlighting the… Read More

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Says Bitcoin Falls Short in Payments but Stablecoins May be Useful

Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, spoke at the Brookings Institue in the US this week and he tackled a hot topic: cryptocurrencies. More specifically, Bailey spoke about the efficacy, or lack of, when using certain digital assets in payment transactions. Bailey… Read More

SEC Adopts Massive Changes To “Accredited Investor” Definition

Its official, the “accredited investor” definition, which has not changed significantly since its enactment almost 40 years ago, has been massively upgraded. On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted final amendments to the “accredited investor” definition which fundamentally change and broaden… Read More

Broadening the Reach of Financial Literacy Through Hyper-Personalization

How might hyper-personalization improve your products? Behavioral economics is the field of study which acknowledges that people are irrational beings; as explained by economist Richard Thaler in his book, Misbehaving, humans don’t behave the same way as theoretical decision-makers he calls ‘Econs’, who always make… Read More

It’s Time for the Definition of an Accredited Investor to Change and Allow Greater Access to Individual Investors

Later this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will update the definition of an Accredited Investor – a rule that has been in place for decades. An open meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26, 2020. The current rule allows individuals… Read More

The Top 5 Considerations with Investment Crowdfunding

In recent years, equity (or investment-based) crowdfunding has been a popular alternative source of funding for early and later-stage companies. This is due to the increasing availability of capital and willingness of the general public to invest in innovative companies, the potential efficiency gains for… Read More

Perspective: Why Shark Tank Sucks and Crowdfunding Rocks

A shark is never your friend, even if he or she happens to be carrying big bags of money. After all, sharks eat people.  They do this literally in the ocean and figuratively in shark tank competitions. Best case: they invest in your deal at… Read More

Underserved Small Businesses Have Been Dramatically Impacted by COVID, Improvements to Crowdfunding Can Help

Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee met to discuss how capital markets are serving underrepresented segments of entrepreneurship and small businesses. As we all know, every early-stage firm needs to have access to capital to thrive… Read More

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