Tagged: perspective

January 9, 2019 @ 6:54 pm By Richard van Hooijdonk  |  

Technology has infiltrated our lives, and the wave of digital disruption has impacted various industries. The finance sector is no exception. Since the industry is becoming more complex, relying on traditional methods is no longer enough. In fact, it can do your business more harm… Read More

January 8, 2019 @ 10:45 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Arnold Kling, an economist and adjunct scholar at the Libertarian think tank The Cato Institute, has blogged his reflections on a recent interview with blockchain proponents and tech VCs Andreessen-Horowitz (A-H). Like A-H, Kling was around during the Internet’s nascent phase and made money from… Read More

January 8, 2019 @ 2:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

Fintech Predictions for 2019. Financial innovation continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Startups launch and shutdown with regularity. Traditional financial firms experiment and partner with more agile firms. It’s all about the digitization of finance where services are ubiquitous and instantaneous – all available… Read More

January 7, 2019 @ 8:18 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past week, global consultancy firm McKinsey published a widely read report on the emerging blockchain industry, titled, Blockchain’s Occam problem. In brief, McKinsey said that blockchain is failing to live up to its perceived potential. While billions of dollars are being spent on experimentation… Read More

January 7, 2019 @ 6:00 pm By Lorna Smith  |  

Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) are booming in offshore financial centres. In 2017, only a small minority of cryptocurrency transactions were taking place offshore but just a year later, according to a study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and CryptoValley, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Singapore… Read More

January 7, 2019 @ 5:01 pm By Cali Haan  |  

The President of the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute, Paul Smith, has taken to the media to call out shrinking IPO markets in the US and call for the restoration of fair and secure investment opportunities for retirement savers. Smith points at “alarming changes” in US… Read More

January 7, 2019 @ 11:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

Management consultancy McKinsey & Company have published an elegant analysis of enterprise blockchain called “Blockchain’s Occam,” stating: “A key to finding the value is to apply the technology only when it is the simplest solution available.” Blockchain has been touted as a revolutionary technology capable… Read More

January 2, 2019 @ 11:06 am By Timothy Li  |  

As we head into a market correction, 2019 and beyond will be very interesting for the evolving Fintech industry. This sector of finance saw significant M&A activity and massive fundraising during the 2nd half of 2018 and I predict that we will see more of… Read More

December 26, 2018 @ 8:01 am By JD Alois  |  

EY has published their second annual “Fast Growth Tracker” report that surveys founders and entrepreneurs in the UK. The brief report provides an interesting perspective into the UK innovation economy that is vital to economic growth and prosperity. An interesting finding from the report is… Read More

December 23, 2018 @ 10:09 am By Max Lyadvinsky  |  

Equity crowdfunding platforms have democratized the way that individuals and organizations raise and invest capital, by lowering the previously high barrier to entry for investment. And, ever since these platforms emerged, expectations have been high about the effects that this new utilitarian form of investment… Read More

December 21, 2018 @ 11:59 am By JD Alois  |  

This week, CI reported about a problem for Regulation A issuers (or Reg A+ as it is called). Speaking with Mark Elenowitz, a Wall Street veteran and CEO of Tripoint Global and Bank, he explained a nagging problem for issuers using the security exemption who… Read More

December 20, 2018 @ 6:50 am By JD Alois  |  

Blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) has been a red-hot topic in the financial services industry the past few years. The one-two punch of Bitcoin excitement and the Ethereum fueled revelation of smart contracts and decentralization, caused many to label blockchain internet 3.0. But is… 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

December 17, 2018 @ 6:57 am By JD Alois  |  

The European Crowdfunding Network (ECN) has just published an Open Letter directed towards EU member states and the ongoing debate regarding pan-European crowdfunding rules. Proposed rules would impact, and perhaps improve, the marketplace for both debt and equity crowdfunding. The ECN believes the European Crowdfunding… Read More

December 14, 2018 @ 4:30 pm By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, CI reported that Fintech Robinhood had partnered with another firm to provide checking and savings accounts with a 3% annual interest. That, in itself, is pretty amazing as traditional banks are in the habit of not paying any interest at all in real terms… Read More

December 14, 2018 @ 9:32 am By Onki Kwan  |  

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been actively pursuing all players in the initial coin offering (ICO) space, including companies that have raised money with ICOs, an exchange, people promoting ICOs, and most recently, an ICO investment fund. The SEC’s recent actions are… Read More

December 13, 2018 @ 10:23 am By JD Alois  |  

The CEO of crypto exchange Panxora (formerly operating as First Global) says he is “unhappy” with the US regulatory model. The comments come following the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) request for information on “crypto-asset mechanics” including Ethereum (Ether) and Bitcoin Gavin Smith says he is… Read More

December 5, 2018 @ 12:00 pm By Scott Schirick  |  

November was a busy month for the SEC’s burgeoning regulation of digital assets. In the first action of its kind, the Commission brought enforcement proceedings against the founder of digital asset trading platform EtherDelta for operating as an unregistered securities “exchange.” Ten days later, the… Read More

December 4, 2018 @ 11:17 am By JD Alois  |  

Speaking at Blockland Cleveland yesterday, Congressman Warren Davidson, from Ohio’s 8th District, discussed forthcoming legislation that may dramatically impact the initial coin offering (ICO) industry in the US. Representative Warren said the draft legislation seeks to create a token that can trade but will not… Read More

November 26, 2018 @ 6:30 pm By Christian Hsieh  |  

At the tail end of 2017, all eyes turned to the cryptocurrency industry when Bitcoin’s price soared to reach nearly $20,000 per coin. Articles were written, hands were shaken, and early investors in the digital currency had a very good holiday season indeed. But that… Read More