Tagged: perspective

January 14, 2017 @ 5:23 pm By JD Alois  |  

  The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is still accepting comments on the proposed Fintech Charter for financial firms looking to operate with a federal charter. The deadline was initially set for January 15th but one report says the OCC has pushed the… Read More

January 12, 2017 @ 3:11 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Marketplace Lending Association has called on Congress, and the incoming Trump Administration, to become a catalyst for Fintech innovation and not an obstacle. In a letter addressed to House and Senate leaders, Nathaniel Hoopes, Executive Director of the MLA, asked Congress to move  away… Read More

January 11, 2017 @ 4:54 pm By JD Alois  |  

  SeedInvest is one of the most prominent investment crowdfunding platforms in the US. A full stack funding platform, SeedInvest lists opportunities from issuers under Reg D (both 506c & 506b), Reg A+, and Reg CF.  The platform boasts a solid community of over 140,000… Read More

January 9, 2017 @ 9:05 am By Vincent Basulto  |  

Predicting what will transpire in the coming year is always challenging, particularly in relatively nascent and growing industries such as marketplace lending. While surprises are undoubtedly in store for 2017, indications are that certain trends—the growth of bank partnerships and industry consolidation—will continue and accelerate… Read More

January 8, 2017 @ 5:30 pm By Timothy Li  |  

The following are my top ten Fintech predictions for the coming year. While 2016 has been a momentous period in Fintech innovation there is more to come. 10 – Sensors Internet of Things (IoT), Wearables, Smart Home and Connected Car will bring massive change to… Read More

January 4, 2017 @ 4:43 pm By JD Alois  |  

Financial regulations are often enacted with little concrete definition, to say nothing of quantification, of their costs and benefits. Regulators and economists have little understanding of causal mechanisms that may provide benefits and incur costs. Worse, they often think they know cause and effect, either… Read More

January 2, 2017 @ 4:49 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last year due to time constraints I was unable to publish my list of Crowdfunding/Fintech predictions for 2016. This year I am back once again, for better or worse, peering deep into my crystal ball with a list of prognostications for the coming year. The… Read More

December 30, 2016 @ 9:11 am By JD Alois  |  

Former SEC Commissioner Daniel Gallagher visited the studios of CNBC yesterday to share his perspective on the SEC under the Trump administration.  Gallagher is one of the names being bandied about as the Republican pick for the SEC Chair.  Another possibility is another former Commissioner… Read More

December 29, 2016 @ 7:30 am By Samuel Guzik  |  

The beginning of a new year is typically accompanied by renewed hope and positive expectations. 2017 is no exception.  As a staunch advocate of promoting the interests of small business generally, and smart regulation of capital formation, in particular, 2017 stands out to me as… Read More

December 28, 2016 @ 7:23 am By Scott Andersen  |  

FINRA recently completed a settlement expelling from FINRA membership UFP, LLC, a registered funding portal that operated under uFundingPortal.com.   The matter marks both early and decisive action by FINRA against a registered funding portal operating under Regulation Crowdfunding.  It establishes that FINRA takes seriously… Read More

December 27, 2016 @ 5:01 am By Emma Peck  |  

2016 brought with it many positive developments for startups in terms of capital access and tax policy. Investment crowdfunding finally went live, a number of bills to facilitate capital formation passed the House, and the startup community galvanized around a tax bill that would make… Read More

December 23, 2016 @ 8:19 am By Christian Catalini  |  

With a market capitalization of approximately $12 billion and with the price of Bitcoin reaching towards its 2016 high, Bitcoin is both the most established and the most secure cryptocurrency. Its ascendancy has triggered both a great deal of enthusiasm and a fair share of… Read More

December 22, 2016 @ 2:04 pm By Thomas LeTrent and Aaron Schwartz  |  

Market credibility and an emphasis on better transparency will be two key factors for marketplace lending in 2017. 2017 will be a pivotal year for the marketplace lending (MPL) space as the market will seek stabilization in both confidence and venture funding, following a challenging… Read More

December 19, 2016 @ 7:00 am By David Burton  |  

Capital formation and entrepreneurship improve economic growth, productivity and real wages. Existing securities laws impede entrepreneurial capital formation. To promote prosperity, Congress and a reconstituted Securities and Exchange Commission need to systematically reduce or eliminate state and federal regulatory barriers hindering entrepreneurs’ access to capital…. Read More

December 18, 2016 @ 6:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

During the past 15 years, the number of emerging growth companies entering the capital markets through IPOs has plummeted relative to historical norms. This trend has transcended economic cycles during that period and has hobbled U.S. job creation. In fact, by one estimate, the decline… Read More

December 17, 2016 @ 5:02 pm By Jason Best & Sherwood Neiss  |  

  Brazil has a number of similarities to the rest of the world when it comes to funding startups, small or medium enterprises (SMEs). These business owners either have to fund their businesses themselves, seek capital from close friends or family, Angels, VCs, or for… Read More

December 14, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Barry James  |  

The time has come for crowdfunding to mature – or die, and be reabsorbed by the body politic (or should that be that body corporate). You don’t hear people talk about “the democratisation of finance” much any more. Why is that? We’ve seen growing pains… Read More

December 12, 2016 @ 4:30 pm By Anthony Zeoli  |  

2016 brought with it many developments in the crowdfunding industry, most notably the introduction of the long-awaited Title III crowdfunding. While admittedly not all crowdfunding legislation passed  was as influential, there have been significant strides made to improve existing securities regulations and to continue prying… Read More

December 9, 2016 @ 12:13 pm By JD Alois  |  

Gillian Roche-Saunders, a partner at the law firm of  Bates, Wells & Braithwaite in London, works with many of the largest UK alternative finance platforms in operation. She has been highly engaged with the FCA and crowdfunding / P2P platforms regarding compliance and regulatory approval. Crowdfund… Read More

December 7, 2016 @ 1:01 pm By Andreas Barthelmess  |  

Whether Amazon, Airbnb or price comparison websites: In many industries, digitalisation has shifted power to customers in the last ten years. The banking industry, however, has remained resilient against radical changes for a long time. In fact, things like digital transparency and the power of… Read More