Opinion

June 19, 2024 @ 12:41 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

BlackRock (Nasdaq: BLK) recently noted that there’s broad agreement among portfolio managers that a concentrated group of AI winners “will drive returns over a short-term tactical horizon.” BlackRock also mentioned in a recent market update that US stocks reached record highs and bond yields fell… Read More

June 17, 2024 @ 2:06 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the Tokenization Report  Act of 2024 (HR 8464) was introduced into Congress. The House legislation is sponsored by Representative William Timmons, a Republican from South Carolina. The bill, as it stands today, compels multiple federal authorities to review the potential of taking traditional… Read More

June 14, 2024 @ 10:11 am By JD Alois  |  

The securities crowdfunding industry needs to do a better job of highlighting successes for investors as well as embracing the failures. Entrepreneurship generates enormous benefits for society, but investors backing these early-stage firms are taking on a lot of risk. Most startups fail, and some… Read More

June 14, 2024 @ 8:53 am By Omar Faridi  |  

MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) recently revealed its plan to sell $500 million in convertible bonds in order to finance the purchase of more Bitcoin (BTC). MicrosStrategy, which presently possesses 214,400 Bitcoin (BTC) valued at about $14.5 billion, holds more than 1% of BTC’s total circulating supply. The… Read More

June 12, 2024 @ 12:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

While it should be obvious to everyone, high individual taxes hinder investment and innovation and diminish wealth creation – which can create benefits for all. The flipside to high taxes is a central authority that provides more social services, or entitlements, to the population while… Read More

June 12, 2024 @ 12:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

This past week, WSJ.com published an article that criticized investment crowdfunding, specifically Regulation A (Reg A+). Reg A+ is a securities exemption that enables early-stage or smaller firms to raise up to $75 million. The security exemption requires an issuer to submit documents to the… Read More

June 10, 2024 @ 5:39 pm By JD Alois  |  

An article in WSJ.com has taken aim at Regulation A, or the Reg A+ securities exemption used by firms to raise money online. Reg A+ is one of the securities crowdfunding exemptions available for businesses to pursue an online funding round. Reg A is joined… Read More

June 9, 2024 @ 6:29 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month, the SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee (SBCFAC) told the Commission to make the definition of an Accredited Investor more inclusive. This is not the first time the Committee has advised the Commission to update the definition and make it more rational… Read More

June 6, 2024 @ 7:08 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Anchorage Digital Bank N.A. is the only federally-chartered bank not impacted by Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121 (SAB 121), allowing them to provide custody at scale to institutional clients across the crypto ecosystem. The goal of SAB 121—to ensure that investors are “informed about the… Read More

June 5, 2024 @ 2:08 pm By JD Alois  |  

Today, the Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Inclusion Subcommittee, part of the House Financial Services Committee, held a hearing on the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) and the migration to digital securities. The hearing was entitled “Next Generation Infrastructure: How Tokenization of Real-World Assets Will… Read More

June 5, 2024 @ 10:35 am By JD Alois  |  

Yesterday, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) revealed Project Rialto, a review of the potential for wholesale digital currency or using central bank digital currency (CBDC) in the settlement process for foreign exchange. BIS said that decentralized processes using interlinked payment infrastructures might be considered… Read More

June 3, 2024 @ 11:45 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The term ‘Unicorn’ was first introduced in 2013, as a way to signify the statistical rarity of high-performing startups. Unicorn status today is much more than a financial milestone of around $1 billion; for startups, it’s a recognition of their organization’s disruptive capabilities, unique solutions,… Read More

June 3, 2024 @ 6:44 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Richard Andrews, KPMG’s head of ESG for financial services, has recently commented on the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) anti-greenwashing rules (AGR), which come into force recently. Andrews noted: “While we expect the FCA to take a pragmatic approach and give authorised firms some leeway… Read More

June 1, 2024 @ 8:17 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

UK Finance has recently released its financial services manifesto, outlining key priorities the next government should focus on. David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “The UK’s financial services sector is a global success story and one any future government should seek to partner… Read More

May 31, 2024 @ 4:30 pm By Suki Gao  |  

To the surprise of nobody, female-led SMEs often face significant hurdles in the hyper-competitive global marketplace, primarily due to systemic biases and gender disparities entrenched within financial systems. Studies have consistently shown that women entrepreneurs encounter more challenges in securing financing compared to their male… Read More

May 30, 2024 @ 11:48 am By JD Alois  |  

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce has publicly shared a comment on a consultation in the UK. Launched last April, the proposal is for a Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) initiated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England. The deadline for feedback from interested… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 10:13 am By JD Alois  |  

Crowdcheck is one of the foundational firms that entered the securities crowdfunding sector, supporting issuers and platforms that enable online capital formation. Crowdcheck is probably the top legal services firm preparing Reg A+ documents for issuers, which the Securities and Exchange Commission must qualify for… Read More

May 29, 2024 @ 8:46 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Karim Haji, Global and UK Head of Financial Services at KPMG, comments on today’s March Money and Credit statistical release from the Bank of England. Karim noted: “A rise in consumer borrowing in March signals that many stretched households continue to battle the cost of… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 11:07 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Pascal Gauthier, CEO at Ledger, says that the shipping of their new device, Ledger Stax, has begun for pre-order customers. Pascal Gauthier from Ledger notes in a blog post that the first pre-orders will be “shipped over the coming weeks, and new orders will be… Read More

May 28, 2024 @ 3:12 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Colin Cunningham, Head of Tokenization & Alliances at Chainlink Labs, recalls that it was 2008 and he was in the back half of my economics degree when the global financial crisis struck. Insulated from the world behind college walls, Colin Cunningham says he observed former classmates… Read More