Blockstack PBC, a decentralized computing network, announced that it managed to raise more than $23 million in the first-ever U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-approved token offering. Participation from U.S. retail investors Muneeb Ali, co-founder and CEO of Blockstack PBC wrote in a blog post on Sept. 10 that the blockchain-based startup Blockstack has raised more than $23 million in token offerings, which include its SEC-qualified token offering and its offering to investors outside the United States. Retail investors in the U.S. were able to partake for the first time in a token offering qualified by the SEC. More than …

Caymans Island-registered cryptocurrency exchange Blackmoon plans to list encrypted messaging app Telegram’s forthcoming Gram token via a partnership with Swiss crypto custodian Gram Vault. According to a Finance Magnates report on Sept. 10, Blackmoon — which was founded as a traditional financial products provider before launching crypto trading services — plans to boost liquidity by enabling users to purchase Gram tokens using bank cards. Gram Vault claims its clients among biggest investors in Telegram ICO By any stretch, Blackmoon is not a household name in the cryptocurrency space. Yet the clients of its partner for the listing — the fully …

A couple of years back, the term “exit scam” became synonymous with the crypto industry. This was at a time when the market (at large) was replete with a number of cash grab ventures that looked great on paper but had little to no substantive value to back them up. In its most basic sense, an exit scam can be thought of as a fraudulent scheme wherein the organizers of an initial coin offering (ICO) or a similar fundraising avenue disappear with their investors' funds after acquiring a sizeable sum of money. In this regard, during November 2017 — a …

It has been almost a decade since Dan Senor and Saul Singer penned “Start-Up Nation,” their ode to the Israeli tech sector. The book, which chronicles much of Israel’s success as a small but potent innovation force that spans countless industries, highlights the immense technological knowhow and seemingly fearless energy that supports the country’s thriving startup culture. Nearly a decade later, Israel has not missed a beat in terms of capitalizing on the biggest trends in technology. From cybersecurity to artificial intelligence and machine learning, Israel’s legion of innovators is tackling problematic areas felt in numerous sectors with its own …

The crypto community has seen a tectonic shift in fundraising trends: from the decline of initial coin offerings (ICOs) to the hype around security token offerings (STOs) and then the rise of initial exchange offerings (IEOs). The inclination for fundraising seems to evolve every year. Similarly, 2019 brought with it a new way for crypto businesses to launch their tokens. Fundraising is the key to any business to take off. Crowdsourcing trends have taken off globally across all sectors, especially in the decentralized world of cryptos — though the way to crowdsource changes as technology progresses and as society progresses. …

Former blockchain firm ConsenSys’ ventures head Kavita Gupta joined security token project Dusk Network. As industry news outlet The Block reported on Aug. 30, Gupta joined Dusk Network, an Amsterdam-based startup trying to help companies tokenize their equity shares. Dusk Network co-founder Mels Dees claims that the company is also working with a regulated European stock exchange and have partnered with a major cryptocurrency exchange. Fundraising for private companies Gupta, who worked at McKinsey, HSBC and the World Bank, believes that security token offerings (STOs) can address various impediments that keep private companies from tapping into public markets. Per the …

Earlier this week, BitPAC — conceivably the only active crypto-centric political action committee (PAC) — announced its plans to hold an initial coin offering (ICO). The committee will reportedly issue a utility token called Politicoin, which will then be used to support its candidates running for public office. So, can PACs become a gateway for cryptocurrency-based contributions in United States politics while select states and high-profile nominees like Hillary Clinton explicitly refuse to accept digital assets during political campaigns? PACs, Super PACs and Super Super PACs: What are they? In the most basic sense, PACs are organizations that raise and …

The United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) recently resolved a complaint regarding advertising of Bitcoin (BTC) from the BitMEX crypto derivatives exchange. According to the ASA, the website showed Bitcoin graphs with misleading price dynamics since January 2019. The ASA received four complaints, each accusing the platform of being misleading about Bitcoin investment profitability. The court satisfied the complaints. However, this was not the first time that a state took a tough attitude toward advertisement of cryptocurrencies. Here is an overview of how cryptocurrencies are advertised — or not — in the world right now. Ban, no freedom The first …

Global revenues for blockchain technology are expected to hit $10 billion by 2023. Tech market advisory firm ABI Research published its findings regarding global revenues from blockchain technology on Aug. 28. Per ABI, investments in the space continue to swell despite the decrease in initial coin offering (ICO) activity, due in large part to venture capital (VC) funding blockchain infrastructure development. Venture capital funding a major factor ABI says that VC is catching up to ICOs as a form of funding, with 620 rounds totaling $3.1 billion last year, up from 153 rounds at $850 million the year before. ABI’s …

BitPAC, the first ever Bitcoin (BTC) political action committee (PAC), will expand its candidate supporting program with an initial coin offering (ICO), Coindesk reports on Aug. 28. Utility token, not a thing of value Dan Backer, who founded BitPAC back in 2014, revealed that the committee will issue a utility token dubbed Politicoin, which will be used to support the PAC and its candidates running for public office. Backer emphasized that the upcoming Politicoin is a utility token, which will not function as a store of value, explaining that the purpose of the project is to provide token holders with …

United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton says he won’t make exceptions in securities law for cryptocurrencies, but he won’t stand in their way either. SEC rule changes ‘ain’t happening’ Bloomberg published an interview with Jay Clayton on Aug. 27. According to Clayton, he has no desire to change securities laws, either to include or exclude digital assets for regulation. In his own words: “I think a lot of people got excited that somehow we would change the rules to accommodate the technology and they invested their time and effort thinking that would happen [...] I have …

Upon its inception, Bitcoin was envisioned as a borderless currency that could be used by its owners without being affected by the regulatory impositions of any centralized agency or government body. And while this idea in itself is quite grand, the fact of the matter is that today's crypto owners (across the globe) are subject to varying tax restrictions on their digital holdings by local regulatory bodies. Also, over the course of the past few months, a number of tax agencies around the globe, (such as the United States Internal Revenue Service) have been in the process of creating new …