A Month in Review – March 2020

March has, unfortunately, been a dark month for the world.  Nary an industry remains, that has not felt the effects of COVID-19.  Despite this, there were select events over the past few weeks that brought positivity, as the world of digital securities and blockchain marches forward.  This edition of ‘The Digital' highlights a few of the interviews we've completed over the preceding weeks, in addition to a look at how COVID-19 has influenced the sector.

Partnerships + Upgrades

As an SEC regulated security token issuance platform, high hopes are held for TokenSoft.  Led by a strong team, this Californian company caught our attention on multiple occasions in March.  First, for their noteworthy partnership with ‘Hub Security'. Secondly, they managed to develop and launch an upgraded wallet, in an effort to provide users with an intuitive and flexible experience.

TokenSoft Launches Major Wallet Upgrade

TokenSoft Partners with Ex-Military Cyber Firm ‘Hub Security'

Strategic Investments + Raising Capital

While asset classes, such as real estate, have dominated capital generation events thus far in the digital securities sector, there are an increasing number of 'boutique' offerings.  March saw two examples of this, as new events surrounding Bourbon and eco-friendly chocolate took the stage.

Investing in Kentucky Bourbon with Wave Financial

The Nu+ Company – Sustainability with Chocolate and Trees

Bank Activity

From around the world, banks are recognizing that, not only are cryptocurrencies not going away, but that they hold real merit.  March saw both, the Reserve Bank of India and The Bank of Canada, take varying stances towards them.  While India's central bank continues their fight to suppress the technology, Canada appears on the edge of potential adoption, through their own CBDC.

Reserve Bank of India to Petition Supreme Court Ruling on Virtual Currencies

The Bank of Canada Could Issue a Digital Currency in the Future

In The News

The COVID-19 Effect

As the global pandemic known as COVID-19 continues to play out, we took a look at a few of the ways the virus has affected blockchain and digital securities.  From designating essential services, to reallocating mining resources, and the suspension of services – change is afoot.

Vertalo CEO, Dave Hendricks, didn't mince words when commenting on the recent decision by the DTCC to suspend handling of paper-based certificates.

“It’s time for issuers and investors, especially with respect to private assets, to effect digital transformation and improve the resiliency and response time of securities transactions. Only fully digital transfer agents like Vertalo are capable of this sort of step-function improvement.”  Read Here

 ‘The Runway Fund' Looks to Provide Relief for Start-Ups Impacted by COVID-19

While difficult times often lead to innovation, and the advent of new technologies, there are many that suffer greatly.  Young companies, not yet fully established, are particularly susceptible.  Thankfully, there are those that have extended a helping hand, through the creation of a new relief fund.

“Whether you were about to close a funding round, or sign your first revenue deal, we know that COVID-19 has caused unanticipated disruptions and delays that may force you to take some tough decisions and maybe even to shut down.

Our goal is to help you through this tough time and to maximize your chances of survival.” Read Here

Interviews

Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex and Tether

With the volatility recently seen in basically every market, stablecoins have established themselves as more important than ever.  We were fortunate to have completed this exclusive interview with Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Tether and Bitfinex.  While competition for Tether has grown greatly in the past year, this stablecoin remains one of the world's most popular.  Their endurance as a popular choice, is no doubt due to constant innovation – such as the potential for future upgrades including the Lightning Network, and more. Read More

Adam Vaziri, CEO of Blockpass

KYC and AML are critical procedures, required to be completed by basically every reputable company.  As such, there is a definite demand for services which facilitate the processes.  Enter Blockpass – A company led by Adam Vaziri, set on specializing in Identity services. Read More

Marko Hafez, President and CEO of Blockstation

This promising Canadian startup has managed to establish various strategic relationships with regulated stock exchanges.  In this exclusive conversation, we speak with Blockstation CEO, Marko Hafez, and learn more about his experience, and how Blockstation found themselves where they are today. Read More

Thought Leaders

HODL Your Hoopla Over SEC Changes for Exempt Offerings

The first, in a pair of contributions by Matthew Unger (Founder of iComply), examines his take on recent proposals put forth by the SEC.  Should we be excited for potential changes to exempt offerings? Or are we getting ahead of ourselves? Read Here

Why EU Blacklisting the Cayman Islands Matters for the STO Industry

In a second contribution, Matthew Unger of iComply, took a closer looks at the recent treatment of Cayman Islands based companies by the EU.  Is the treatment warranted?  How can companies ensure their AML practices are up to snuff? Read Here

Around the Web

South Korea Passes One of the World's First Comprehensive Cryptocurrency Laws – Techcrunch

While many nations remain undecided on their stance towards cryptocurrencies, South Korea continues to march to the beat of their own drum.  March saw the tech-savvy nation pass new laws pertaining to these virtual assets, potentially providing other nations with a blueprint of feasible approaches.  Read More