Blockchain infrastructure firm Blockstream announced the launch of its security token platform in a press release shared with Cointelegraph on May 15. Per the announcement, the new Liquid Securities platform is a solution for businesses to issue security tokens on the Liquid Network. Blockstream Chief Security Officer Samson Mow claims that while businesses are willing to issue tokenized securities, platforms such as Ethereum are not the right choice because of their scalability, privacy and reliability limitations. Blockstream claims that its platform is more suitable for such use: “Now, with the launch of Liquid Securities, businesses can quickly issue Liquid-based security …

Many economists argue that the root causes of the 2008 global financial crisis have yet to be addressed comprehensively, or that measures taken have been exhausted, such as the extent to which quantitative easing was used, which has been put forward by the deputy director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Some argue that the efforts to address the causes of the crisis have actually made the system more — rather than less — susceptible to a catastrophic collapse. On the heels of the recent yield curve inversion, finding new solutions that address the causes of the 2008 crisis are …

White paper writers are earning up to $50,000 per job, according to a Decrypt investigation published on April 22— but the freelancers involved have accused some startups of misleading investors. The writers told the website as part of its two-week investigation that completing a paper can take up to eight months and cost between $1,000 and $50,000, with most of the work found via platforms such as LinkedIn and Upwork. Many of those interviewed alleged they were “constantly required to fabricate and exaggerate facts.” Adefemi Yusuff Adegoke, one white paper writer, noted that some startup figures amount to fraud — …

Since July, Thailand and its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have voiced their intent to legalize the local initial coin offering (ICO) market and open it to startups. On Dec. 1, 2018, however, Cointelegraph reported that the Thai SEC declared Thai-related security token offerings (STOs) in international markets to be illegal and said that it will take appropriate legal action against companies that attempt to distribute STOs created in Thailand to overseas markets. Tipsuda Thavaramara, the deputy secretary of the Thai SEC, reportedly said: “The regulator will have to consider how to deal with STOs for issues such as share …

Changpeng Zhao, the CEO and founder of top crypto exchange Binance, has underscored that exchange-hosted token offerings are no less subject to regulatory hurdles than their initial coin offering (ICO) predecessors. The CEO, better known in the industry as “CZ,” made his remarks in an interview with Bloomberg on April 10. As previously reported, so-called initial exchange offerings (IEOs) have latterly emerged as an alternative model of token offering wherein a centralized crypto exchange acts as a form of underwriter. The exchange generally operates sales and ostensibly vets both the projects themselves and prospective investors. In the interview, CZ emphasized …

A subsidiary of Swiss cybersecurity and blockchain firm WISeKey has raised $7 million in an pre-funding round prior to launching a security token offering (STO), the company confirmed in a press release on April 11. WISeCoin, which came into being in August last year, plans to conduct the STO in Q2. Responsible for managing all of WISeKey’s blockchain initiatives and operations, the vertically-integrated platform intends to raise a total of 17,587,527 Swiss francs ($17,563,695) to expand its activities. These include the use of various disruptive technologies, specifically focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT) given WISeKey’s major presence as a …

The Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC) has issued a second guidance note concerning security token offering (STO) regulation, dated April 8. In the document, the FSC declared that security tokens are considered digitally represented securities as defined in the Securities Act of 2005. As a consequence, when STOs are conducted in or from Mauritius, the offering is regulated by local security regulations, including the requirement for a prospectus. The regulator also notes that, while no STO can take place without its prior approval, there are exceptions for when a token issuer needs authorization. Those exceptions include offerings meant for sophisticated …

The bear market has not been easy on the crypto market, especially when it comes to initial coin offerings (ICOs). The demand for small-value tokens issued by relatively unknown projects — some of which eventually might or might not turn out to be viable investments — has been dying out, and the days of “to the moon” meme seem to be well behind. Now, people who jumped on the ICO bandwagon a bit too late are looking for a way out. Enter Ivan Komar, the 21-year-old owner of a startup called “Sponsy,” who is trying to sell his project on …

Hong Kong's securities regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued official guidance on security token offerings (STOs), in a statement published on March 28. The guidance aims to clarify the legal and regulatory requirements for parties engaging in STO-related activities. The document opens with a proposed working definition of a security token and sale, noting that: “STOs typically refer to specific offerings which are structured to have features of traditional securities offerings, and involve Security Tokens which are digital representations of ownership of assets (eg, gold or real estate) or economic rights (eg, a share of profits or …

Digital asset services provider AlphaPoint has upgraded its security token solution designed for institutional clients, according to a press release obtained by Cointelegraph Thursday, March 28. The company that provides services to private equity, real estate, funds, and other institutional investors is now offering to issue asset-backed security tokens for its clients. AlphaPoint believes that tokenization will increase liquidity for high value asset classes. As per the announcement, the updated service will allow institutions to create and trade tokens securely and privately. AlphaPoint said that its new security token service is already used by a real-estate private equity firm Muirfield …

The owner of a startup that never launched its initial coin offering (ICO) is trying to sell the project on eBay for $60,000, according to an offer on the e-commerce website that expires Friday, March 29. The startup, named “Sponsy,” is described as a blockchain project that is fully prepared to launch both ICO and security token offerings (STO). The author of the offer claims that the project was audited by an investment firm and approved by investment bankers. Moreover, the advertisement states that the solutions developed by Sponsy comply with European Union and United States regulations. In addition, the …

A crypto company has launched a new product that focuses on the tokenization of real-world assets, such as property, art and commodities — a venture it believes will transform the way the world invests, trades and transfers value. DGTO is the latest offering by Darico, and the firm says its service provides business owners and developers with “all the tools needed to tokenize assets into security tokens,” including legal and technical expertise as well as sales and marketing strategies. The parent company claims that its tokenization platform says it is in contact with regulators in different jurisdictions to ensure that …