Tagged: perspective

April 20, 2018 @ 3:01 pm By Cali Haan  |  

Well-known “Bitcoin Maximalist” and despiser of ICO’s (Initial Coin Offerings) Tone Vays has lately been so deluged with idiotic requests to advise on ICO’s that he has updated his LinkedIn profile to the following: “I am NOT interested in your ICO/Token Sale. Please send all requests… Read More

April 16, 2018 @ 1:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

Speaking at Vanderbilt University Law School this past week, Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo made some interesting comments. Giancarlo, a Commodore Alum, spoke about the digitization of finance (Fintech) and the subject of virtual currencies. Giancarlo reflected on time spent with… Read More

April 15, 2018 @ 1:49 pm By Aziz Bin Zainuddin  |  

2018 has been a miserable year for cryptocurrencies, as prices have dropped by as much as 70% since their highs since the start of the year. The market capitalization of the entire cryptocurrency market fell from a little over $800 billion in January to a… Read More

April 13, 2018 @ 1:27 am By Cali Haan  |  

French philosopher Roland Barthes once stated, “The world is a forest of signs.” Every object was a sign, he believed, and behind it lay a world of meaning. At at recent blockchain conference in Toronto, one entrepreneur presented her product to help, “Navigate the Token… Read More

April 12, 2018 @ 6:43 pm By Marina Evseeva  |  

As recently noted by Omkar Godbole, only two of the top 25 cryptocurrencies, VeChain’s VET token and Binance coin (BNB), saw gains in the first quarter of this year. That fact really gave me pause for thought. Stepping back from the hype and speculation, in… Read More

April 12, 2018 @ 1:04 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) “stormed” Washington, DC this past week as community bankers from across the country urged much needed regulatory reform. The ICBA pronounced the “excessive and unnecessary regulation is stifling their ability to meet the needs of local communities.” As part… Read More

April 11, 2018 @ 3:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently published a note stating they are aware of a growing number of UK firms issuing cryptocurrencies or digital assets associated with initial coin offerings. These vehicles are currently not directly regulated but the FCA, and other policy types,… Read More

April 9, 2018 @ 10:41 am By JD Alois  |  

In the Fall of 2017, the US Department of Treasury published a document entitled, “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities – Capital Markets.” This comprehensive overview of the current regulatory environment regarding capital formation is probably the best publication I have ever seen produced… Read More

April 8, 2018 @ 9:21 pm By JD Alois  |  

The 36 Annual SEC Small Government Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation took place last November in Austin, Texas. This past week, the SEC published the final report which includes the list of recommendations as prioritized by the participants in this yearly gathering between… Read More

April 3, 2018 @ 4:59 am By Barry James  |  

We are entering the era of the digital token.  Or to put it another way a new kind of frictionless economy based on an a new internet of value. We’re already beyond the point of no-return – the ‘token event horizon’ is already well behind… Read More

April 2, 2018 @ 6:00 am By Andy Bromberg, Georgia Quinn & Regan Bozman  |  

  To date, fundraising has been blockchain’s killer app. In 2017, Initial Coin Offering (ICO) fundraising eclipsed that of traditional venture capital, and in 2018, ICOs have already raised nearly $3 billion in non-dilutive funding. This new form of early-stage financing is incredibly promising, at… Read More

March 29, 2018 @ 6:05 pm By Georgia Quinn  |  

This past week, I had the chance to attend a Fintech focused event put on by the Consulate of France in Manhattan and, honestly, I came away very impressed. For too many years, France did not have much of a reputation in the startup world…. Read More

March 26, 2018 @ 2:33 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

Investment in the cryptocurrency industry is currently dominated by the use of Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs). While SAFTs were a somewhat novel approach when they were introduced, now that cryptocurrency assets have become almost universally deemed “securities” by the SEC, the use of… Read More

March 25, 2018 @ 12:00 pm By JD Alois  |  

There is an ongoing debate in Canada regarding the regulatory approach to financial services. As it stands today, thirteen different financial regulators hold sway when it comes to securities compliance instead of a single national regulator. To the casual observer this makes absolutely no sense… Read More

March 23, 2018 @ 4:55 pm By Raphael Andrade  |  

Late last year, the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários or CVM) spoke about initial coin offerings (ICOs). At that time, the CVM published a frequently asked questions-like notice (see here). The FAQ lays down some introductory aspects on the subject, conceptually… Read More

March 21, 2018 @ 11:50 am By JD Alois  |  

  We recently published an article from John Auckland, from TribeFirst, about HMRC’s new SEIS / EIS guidelines. Since we released this, the crowdfunding platforms met with HMRC to discuss the potential limitations these guidelines might present for companies looking to raise money through crowdfunding, so… Read More

March 18, 2018 @ 10:51 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week, during a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee, subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment, Members of the Committee peppered cryptocurrency / initial coin offering experts with questions regarding the emerging method of online capital formation. While the overall tenor of the discussion… Read More

March 16, 2018 @ 8:55 am By David Felsenthal and Jesse Overall  |  

The Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has reportedly sent a wave of subpoenas and information requests to companies engaged in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The SEC scrutiny is perhaps not surprising, given that, as Crowdfund Insider writes, “if you invest in an ICO, the play… Read More

March 15, 2018 @ 4:00 pm By John Auckland  |  

HMRC’s new stricter guidelines around their Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme / Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS / EIS) may worry some crowdfunding campaigners, but there is a silver lining. SEIS and EIS, both startup investment tax relief schemes, protect up to 80% of your investment into… Read More

March 14, 2018 @ 3:00 am By JD Alois  |  

Last week during the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association of Canada’s annual event, FFCON2018, there was a single presentation that provided a state of Fintech in Canada. Professor Michael King,  from the Scotiabank Digital Banking Lab @ Ivey Business School, delivered an excellent synopsis of what’s… Read More