Tag Archives: Securities Token Offering

Securities Regulations 3.0 Digital Token Offerings, ICO vs. STO

Digital Token Offerings & Securities Regulation: Are you an ICO or STO? (the following is courtesy of Prospectus.com LLC) 

A question that is harder to ask than whether asked if your product is butter or margarine. Blockchain token sales (aka initial coin offerings or “ICOs”) reportedly topped $5 billion in 2017, with approximately $1 billion ICO offerings originating in the United States, according to a December 2017 report by Ernst & Young. Blockchain technology has a variety of prospective applications, and blockchain tokens can have a variety of features and functionality. For example, some blockchain tokens may function as a virtual currency, or as a license or right to receive a good or service or to use certain software. Even traditional assets like real estate or stock in a company may be “tokenized.” That said, a token’s characteristics and the manner in which the token is sold drives the determination as to whether US securities laws –as well as a growing universe of securities regulations in other jurisdictions-may be applicable, explaining the more recent industry labeling:“securities token offering” , also known as STO.

Evan Fisher prospectus.com
Evan Fisher, Prospectus.com LLC

While much has been said and much has been written on the topic of securities regulations within the context of digital token offerings, it would seem that many are still clueless (or perhaps have bananas in their ears and blinders on their heads). Evan Fisher, a finance industry veteran  and business plan consultant at Prospectus.com LLC stated, “Of the several dozens of initial conference calls between the staff at Prospectus.com LLC and crypto cool kids seeking white paper writing and/or investor offering document preparation for respective ICOs,  the take away is that many crypto entrepreneurs still suffer from blind eye syndrome and are advancing capital raises in direct violation of established law. ” Adds Peter Berkman, a US securities and real estate attorney who also advises clients of Prospectus.com LLC, “Regrettably, ignorance of the law is not a viable defense strategy for those charged with violating securities laws and/or anti-money laundering laws.” Added Berkman, “the popular argument held by many start-up entrepreneurs in ‘crypto land’ is that their token is not actually a security-which is fine-as long as they’ve set aside several hundred thousand dollars to defend that argument when they wind up wearing court order to appear.”

That said, there should be two rules of thought for those who aspire to advance digital token offerings and who believe they have a great, industry disrupting idea that leverages their fintech fluency and the blockchain ecosystem. First, consider the 3 Duck Rule-If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, regulators will call it a duck and second, advancing the notion that your ‘token’ is a utility device and the pitch to investors is “the value of the token will increase as usage of the token increases”–hence the reason for investing in it-is a thesis that has been advanced by each of the 800+ digital token offerings that have died on the vine before reaching puberty.  Leading many investors to ask in retrospect, “What the f*&k happened to the money I invested?!”  In turn, leading this author to answer: “Your money has been carefully distributed to a variety of real world assets, including luxury homes, vacation homes, cars, NetJet contracts and other toys purchased by the folks who you sent your money to.” If you’re a crypto cool kid and your value proposition is “If we build it, they will come and they will play” and hence,  “its the balls and bats that we provide that will have value and the more folks play, the greater the value of the bat and balls,” we congratulate you for socialistic leanings.

If you’ve got a hot insider tip, a bright idea, or if you’d like to get visibility for your brand through MarketsMuse via subliminal content marketing, advertorial, blatant shout-out, spotlight article, news release etc., please reach out to our Senior Editor via cmo@marketsmuse.com.

On the other hand, sophisticated investors are rapidly losing interest in pitches for digital token offerings that are based on the same premise advanced by dot-com busters–the one that suggested “if we get enough users, we’ll be profitable!” Yes, that proved true for whose business models were based on advertising sales and were able to attract enough eyeballs to appeal to advertisers. And yes, this model has worked beautifully for Alphabet Inc, FaceBook, YouTube and a select universe of others. Yes, you can also go to the dot-com graveyard and locate the thousands of others who never got enough users, or never got advertisers to pay those sites to install a click-able link. In the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, people pay for using a software application on a subscription basis. In the utility token construct, payment to use the software application and those who receive payments is often complex; but investors in the token are generally not sharing in that revenue. They can only look to a return on their investment if a whole bunch of people are using it and if a whole bunch of people are using it, they will need to procure more tokens for continued usage. If  there are a limited number of tokens available for using the application, the value of the token will therefore increase.  Not to suggest the ‘pay-to-play’ model is bad (its arguably a good business model), the rubber meets the road at the point where users don’t want or don’t need to play with your token–because nobody else cares to play with it.

To read the entire article from Prospectus.com LLC, please click here

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Boston Options Exchange to Launch Securities Token Mart

Securities Token Offering to Displace Initial Token Offering Fad; BOX in JV with digital broker-dealer tZero to Create Securities Token Exchange platform

(Redistributed with permission; story from Traders Magazine)-Well, Matilda, the Boston Options Exchange (BOX) is plotting to create the first regulated exchange to list and traffic in securities tokens as a means to legitimatize crypto-centric assets via a just-announced joint venture with Patrick Byrne’s digital-themed broker-dealer tZero. For those who haven’t gotten the memo, Securities Token Offerings aka STOs are the next generation approach to the now de-fangled initial coin offering (ICO) construct–which have been lambasted by securities regulators in nearly every corner of the globe.

Now that crypto cool kids are finally getting the memo: “These are Securities!” ,  the proposed first fully regulated Securities Token Exchange is coming to the US-via the Boston Options Exchange.

tZERO, the digital-themed broker-dealer created by Patrick Byrne and BOX Digital Markets LLC (BOX Digital)-a subsidiary of Boston Options Exchange, announced it has formed a joint venture to launch the industry’s first regulated security token exchange.

Lisa Fall, BOX Digital Exchange
Lisa Fall, Box Digital

On May 18, 2018, the two companies entered into a letter of intent to form an exchange to list and publicly trade security tokens for companies that issue, or convert existing stock to, security tokens. The proposed joint venture would be equally owned by tZERO and BOX Digital, with each having equal representation on the Board of Directors, together with one mutually agreed upon independent director. Lisa Fall, who currently serves as CEO of BOX Digital and as president of BOX Options Exchange LLC, would be the CEO of the joint venture.

“tZERO has proven to be a pioneer in the development and practical use of blockchain technologies for capital markets for a number of years,” said Ms. Fall. “tZERO’s track record and accomplishments in this innovative area, coupled with BOX’s expertise in operating a highly efficient and transparent equity options marketplace, made partnering together an easy decision and we look forward to building a world-class platform for listing and trading security tokens.”

tZERO plans to contribute cash and license tZERO’s blockchain technology for operation of the security token market. BOX Digital will contribute expertise and personnel toward obtaining regulatory approval and operation of the security token market. Approval of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be sought following execution of definitive documentation. Creation of the joint venture is subject to definitive documentation and customary conditions.

“Our partnership with BOX Digital Markets is a significant milestone that will create the first SEC-regulated exchange designed to efficiently trade crypto securities. Lisa Fall’s leadership, reputation and deep experience in the regulated securities exchange industry will be a major asset in achieving this objective,” said Saum Noursalehi, newly appointed CEO of tZERO. “Together, we will continue to work with the SEC as we develop a first-of-its-kind platform that will integrate blockchain capital markets into the current U.S. National Market System.”

“Now that pragmatic securities industry thought-leaders have figured out how to package crypto assets within the construct of a security so as to conform to the US regulatory regime, nobody can dispute the fact the genie is out of the bottle .  “Securities Token Offerings (“STOs”) is a much more palatable approach, making way for a new mantra, “ICOs are dead, long live STOs”, until of course, another shoe drops.”

If you’ve got a hot insider tip, a bright idea, or if you’d like to get visibility for your brand through MarketsMuse via subliminal content marketing, advertorial, blatant shout-out, spotlight article, news release etc., please reach out to our Senior Editor via cmo@marketsmuse.com.

For the full story from John D’Antona Jr. of Traders Magazine, click here

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Goldman Sachs Goes Crypto; Opens Bitcoin Trade Desk

Goldman Sachs, the venerable investment bank and trading house, has been called lots of things, including “Squid.” But nobody on Wall Street can dispute the fact that $GS is uniquely innovative and perhaps, a firm that can smell the trail of money better than its peers and explains why Goldman is opening a bitcoin trade desk. While JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has repeatedly said bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are at worst, the foundation to a Ponzi scheme, and at best, a passing fad, Goldman’s CEO Lloyd Blankfein has a different, more open-minded view. As evidenced by last week’s announcement, Goldman is opening a digital asset trade desk to accommodate a growing spectrum of hedge funds, endowments and foundations that already own digital assets or intend to deploy funds to the alt currency asset class. The new digital asset desk will be led by a fellow named Justin Schmidt, an MIT quant jock who previously worked at several quantitative investment management firms, including a hedge fund connected to The Schoenfeld Group.

jason-schmidt-crypto-trader
Jason Schmidt, Goldman Sachs Crypto Trader

As reported by NYT reporter Nathan Popper, “…While Goldman will not initially be buying and selling actual Bitcoins, a team at the bank is looking at going in that direction if it can get regulatory approval and figure out how to deal with the additional risks associated with holding the virtual currency….Rana Yared, one of the Goldman executives overseeing the creation of the trading operation, said the bank was clear-eyed about what it was getting itself into…”

Ms. Yared said the bank had received inquiries from hedge funds, as well as endowments and foundations that received virtual currency donations from newly minted Bitcoin millionaires and didn’t know how to handle them. The ultimate decision to begin trading Bitcoin contracts went through Goldman’s board of directors.

Whether your company is a fintech startup planning a private placement offering, a crypto concern with a custom token offering that is seeking to raise capital from qualified or accredited investors via an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), a Securities Token Offering (STO)or if you are fast growth firm setting the stage for an initial public offering (IPO), a properly prepared offering prospectus or offering memorandum is required by your investors and industry regulators that govern securities offerings. Issuers seeking expert, yet affordable investor document solutions rely on experts at Prospectus.com.

Goldman has already been doing more than most banks in the area, clearing trades for customers who want to buy and sell Bitcoin futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange.

In the next few weeks — the exact start date has not been set — Goldman will begin using its own money to trade Bitcoin futures contracts on behalf of clients. It will also create its own, more flexible version of a future, known as a non-deliverable forward, which it will offer to clients.

To read the full NYT story, click here.

If you’ve got a hot insider tip, a bright idea, or if you’d like to get visibility for your brand through MarketsMuse via subliminal content marketing, advertorial, blatant shout-out, spotlight article, news release etc., please reach out to our Senior Editor via cmo@marketsmuse.com.

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