DeFi – short for Decentralized Finance – continues to be a hot topic on the cutting edge of financial trading. The appeal of somehow cutting away from intermediaries to a pure peer-to-peer trading and lending experience has a strong allure for a lot of technologically inclined investors, and as investments in the space grow, the market potential seems huge. But, like … [Read more...] about CFTC Commissioner Urges Caution for DeFi Investors
Regulation
Continuing the Growth of Cannabis Banking
Recreational marijuana is now legal in 16 states - with medical usage legal in 36. It's now a thriving billion-dollar industry in those states -- but it remains in an uncertain position, heavily reliant on cash and with uncertain prospects for banking partners due to the continued federal prohibition. The challenges are more difficult than some industries, to be sure; due to … [Read more...] about Continuing the Growth of Cannabis Banking
Crypto’s Regulatory Imperative
For many FinTechs, particularly those operating in cutting-edge spaces like blockchain and cryptocurrency, regulation has often been seen as a dirty word; something that can only shackle innovation. But lack of regulation in the blockchain and crypto space has often served as a greater restriction than most actual laws can be, creating an air of uncertainty for companies … [Read more...] about Crypto’s Regulatory Imperative
New Charter Law Could Make Illinois a Crypto Leader
Illinois FinTechs may soon have a new opportunity to provide safekeeping of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, in a move that would make the state only the second in the nation to offer this authority to applying companies. A new charter for these “special purpose trust” companies got one step closer to passage through the state legislature Tuesday, with the Illinois … [Read more...] about New Charter Law Could Make Illinois a Crypto Leader
Innovation and Regulation: Building Better International Payments
International trade and commerce are a major piece of the payments industry, with volume only increasing year over year as digital options further connect the globe – and yet, many of the systems that businesses and retail consumers alike rely on to make these payments remain too slow, too complex, and expensive. There’s a growing need to fundamentally rethink the payments … [Read more...] about Innovation and Regulation: Building Better International Payments
What Lessons Can Europe Teach the U.S. about Open Banking?
In late October, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) put out a call for comment on the Dodd-Frank Act Section 1033, looking for input to drive clarifying rulemaking on the act’s language calling for banks to make available consumer information on request from the consumer. In Europe, similar language was part of the PSD2, and led to a new standard in open banking – … [Read more...] about What Lessons Can Europe Teach the U.S. about Open Banking?