A Month in Review – September 2019

Digital Securities

While September brought us a decent share of positive news surrounding digital securities, it also saw the culmination of various charges levied by the SEC.  This edition of ‘The Digital’ highlights a few of these instances, in addition to exclusive interviews from industry participants.

Partnerships

Building on an August which saw Vertalo establish partnerships with both, Prime Trust and InvestReady, they continued their expansion into September.  This continuing work, notably, saw the Texas based company integrate insurance services provided by Assurely.
Vertalo Integrates Insurance Software ‘TigerMark’ by Assurely

Spotlighting

While various banks have been dabbling in blockchain for years, this month saw multiple large European banks take large steps forward.  While Spanish bank, Santander, was trialing ETH based bond issuance, Germany’s Boerse Stuttgart launched a digital exchange to search the industry.
Santander Completes Fully Digitized $20M Bond Settlement

Boerse Stuttgart Launches Digital Exchange

Licensure

With industry competitor, Securitize, recieving their ‘transfer agent’ approval last month, U.S. based Harbor had no intention of being left behind.  In mid-September, the issuance platform was successfully designated a Broker/Dealer.  This new title brings various benefits, allowing for new avenues of expansion to be explored by Harbor.

Harbor Square Investments Approved as Broker/Dealer

Down But Not Out

Last month, we touched on the battles being fought by tZERO,, and we will continue to do so here, as the situation has continued to evolve.  While August saw the loss of major investments, along with a CEO, September brought accusations of nefarious activity and lawsuits.

Overstock.com Executives Face Securities Fraud Lawsuit

In Other News

Kik Hunkers Down for Fight with SEC – Shuts Down Messaging App

As the SEC continues to chase down potential offenders, one target has decided to fight back.  Kik, has taken bold moves this past month, as they looks to streamline their operations by shutting down their messenger app.  This is being done to channel their resources towards their fight with the SEC.

The team spoke on the impact this case is having, stating, “These are hard decisions. Kik is one of the largest apps in the US. It has industry leading engagement and is growing again. Over 100 employees and their families will be impacted. People who have poured their hearts and souls into Kik and Kin for over a decade.” Read Here

SEC Zeroes in on ICOBox Activity, Filing Multiple Charges

The SEC has shown that they are not just interested in giant ICOs and large companies.  They have no issue filing charges against anyone committing infractions.  In this instance, their target was ICOBox, and their 2017 ICO.

Michele Wein Layne, of the SEC, stated, “By ignoring the registration requirements of the federal securities laws, ICOBox and Evdokimov exposed investors to investments, which are now virtually worthless, without providing information that is critical to making informed investment decisions.”  Read Here

Interviews

Daniel Liebau, Founder of Lightbulb Capital

In this exclusive interview, we speak with Daniel Liebau.  A multi-faceted individual, Daniel Liebau is not only the Founder of Singapore based Lightbulb Capital, but a Ph.D. candidate, and University lecturer, among other accolades. Read More

Myles Milston, CEO of Globacap 

In this interview, Myles Milston shares his views on the industry, while providing various insights into the goals of Globacap. Read More

Moresh Kokane, CEO of Konkrete 

Here, Moresh Kokane touches on real estate, and how digital securities stand to change the industry. Read More

Education

Titles and Designations Among Industry Participants

We shared this article last month, when Securitize was approved as a transfer agent.  It is still as relevant as ever this month, with Harbor becoming an approved broker/dealer.  This article gives a brief description on what some of these titles and designations entail. Read Here

Around the Web

NBA Rules Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie Can’t Convert Contract into Digital Investment – Bleacher Report

This piece comes from a popular sports outlet, speaking on the NBA and their stance on the tokenization of player contracts.  Blockchain enthusiast, Spencer Dinwiddie, is determined to achieve his goal in doing so. Read More