ICOs

The Texas State Securities Board issued three emergency cease and desist orders Tuesday, Sept. 18, to shut down a Russian cryptocurrency scam, charge DigitalBank and two principals for threatening immediate and irreparable harm to the public, and charge a...

ETH, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain network, has surged by more than 33 percent in the past 4 days, despite the expectations of investors for ETH to continue its downtrend below the $200 support level. Since Sept....

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is charging two crypto-related entities with registration failures, in what it considers a first for both enforcement actions. TokenLot Hit with Unregistered Broker-Dealers The first to be hit with charges is Michigan-based TokenLot,...

After a long period of silence and uncertainty, the U.S. government has stated that at least two initial coin offerings (ICOs) are not exempt from security laws. Howey vs SEC The ruling comes after ICO participants from Recoin and...

The cryptocurrency bear market of 2018 has unsurprisingly affected crypto startups looking to raise funds via initial coin offerings (ICO), with two research papers noting a disappointing performance for the novel fundraising method this year. ETH Purge While token...

A Queensland-based investment company has come under the Australian Securities Exchange’s (ASX) radar after seeking over $15 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) for a cryptocurrency exchange. A Suspicious Expansion Earlier this year, Byte Power Group (BPG), a...

The security token offering, or STO as it is better known, has become more commonplace in today’s crypto fundraising market. As we all know, the initial coin offering (ICO) spawned a generation of technology enthusiasts that were looking to...

2017 and 2018 have been phenomenal years for the blockchain ecosystem and digital technology industry. Over $12 billion worth of value has been given to support various blockchain and cryptocurrency projects globally through token crowdsales and thousands of new...

This week, South Korean lawmakers observed the government’s confusing stance on distributed ledger applications, with blockchain technology promoted across the board and ICO projects facing strict crackdowns. In response, Korean representatives have called for new, minimum guidelines on token...

Lost in the excitement and ongoing momentum of the ICO craze is the fact that, despite the crowdfunding model’s enormous potential, we’re still surrounded by risks. To date, there have been thousands of ICOs and token sales, and although...

Since the ICO fervor of 2017, regulators worldwide have increased scrutiny on emerging cryptocurrency projects and investment schemes. On Aug. 28, U.S. regulators released an update on their coordinated cryptocurrency crackdown. NASAA Updates ‘Operation Cryptosweep’ The North American Securities...

The 80 percent correction in the global cryptocurrency exchange market has created a unique setting in the initial coin offering (ICO) market. The development teams of most tokens are now holding more Ethereum in their reserves than their market...

The South Korean National Assembly has kickstarted an “extraordinary” meeting for discussing ICO regulation, cryptocurrency and blockchain frameworks, as well as other steps to support optimal growth of the digital assets sector, Business Korea reported. Korea’s Cryptocurrency Push The...

Big name brands and retail conglomerates, not ICOs, will take Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to the next level, according to ICOx Innovations President Bruce Elliott. Traditional Players Will Propagate Cryptocurrency Usage While Elliott’s company helps introduce companies to the cryptocurrency...

The ICO fervor of 2017 led to an influx of both positive development and fraudulent activity. In an effort to remove scammers from the sector, ECoinmerce, ICO Alert and other industry leaders have formed the Crypto Community Watch program....

Crypto funds have been launching at a record pace, with more than 90 new crypto funds having launched this year alone. At this rate, there will be 165 new crypto funds launched this year, more than the record 156...

The CEO of Switzerland’s largest stock exchange, Thomas Zeeb, speaks on the bourse’s latest strategic decision. Last week, SIX Trading made waves after announcing intent to offer cryptocurrency trading to institutional investors. While the news sparked a bounce in...

After its successful ICO (raising $13.5 mln USD in 10 days) in April 2018, the blockchain for enterprise enabler Unibright is now teaming up with out-of-the-box projects in the field of blockchain. The German-based company aiming to provide smart...

The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs has called for the creation of strict regulations pertaining to initial coin offerings (ICOs). Parliament Members Call for Regulations In a report published Aug. 10, select Members of the European...

An increasing number of blockchain companies are flocking to the initial coin offering (ICO) market to initiate token sales and raise millions of dollars in an unregulated market. According to several local projects, brokers are demanding millions of dollars...

The ICO model will soon be rendered redundant by a series of new token offering models focusing on security, transparency, and regulatory compliance. An explosion of token offering innovation is underway, with several new models emerging as prime contenders...

Fraudulent ICOs have stolen billions in investor capital, damaging market sentiment and capturing negative attention from strong-handed regulators around the world. There’s no doubt that the shape of ICOs is changing–but what role will regulators play in the future...

The intoxicating, late 2017 cryptocurrency market run-up fired blockchain technology and digital currencies directly into the nucleus of the global financial ecosystem–demanding the attention of regulators, speculators and innovators. The culmination of the blockchain led to the widespread realization...

Thailand’s forward-leaning crypto policy has catalyzed rapid blockchain platform development, with the Thai SEC receiving 20 applications for new digital asset exchanges and more than 50 applications for token offerings since launching new regulatory framework in July. The crypto...

Outside cryptocurrencies, developers have created only a handful of useful applications using the blockchain. For example, industries in artificial intelligence, big data companies and logistics, are still trying to figure out how to use blockchain to bring about improvements...

Crypto risk management and inheritance platform Digipulse announced the total burn of all DGPT tokens at the end of 2018, citing speculation-driven fluctuation in token price as the key driver behind the complete elimination of the Digipulse token model....

In contemporary times, the digital and creative industries have fundamental problems with traditional payment processors. Most creators, especially low profile creators, agree that they are not paid what they merit by content publishing platform. And often, it is difficult...

A possible ICO scam is under investigation in South Korea after a much-publicized shipwreck attracted the suspicions of local authorities. Sunken Treasures As reported by local outlet Korea Joongang Daily on August 1, 2018, Seoul-based Shinil Group is facing...

The Chamber of Digital Commerce (CDC), an American advocacy group released a collaborative research effort on July 30, 2018, containing several proposed guidelines to ensure a “responsible growth” of the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry. CDC’s Digital Token Push As published...

Recent reports of privacy-email provider ProtonMail planning an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) for its product were widely circulated in cryptocurrency communities. However, the firm has since refuted such claims. ProtonMail ICO Rumors As per a job listing on ProtonMail’s...

Increasing regulatory oversight in the shifting landscape of cryptocurrencies has introduced a new set of security token markets enabling institutions to join the sector. On July 19, 2018, JPMorgan filed a patent to issue asset-backed tokens on a distributed...

A University of Pennsylvania legal research report concluded Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) have mostly “failed” to reflect on their contractual promises as described in their whitepapers. ICO Projects a Far-Fetched Endeavour Titled “Coin-Operated Capitalism,” the paper was released on...

Famously touted as the “Crypto Valley,” the Swiss city of Zug is losing sheen in favor of other cities and jurisdictions as cryptocurrency startups reportedly face difficulties in administration and governances in the European country. Switzerland Faces Brain Drain...

The 2018 crypto ecosystem is looking significantly different than 2017. Although the values of the most prominent cryptocurrencies are down considerably from their December 2017 highs, new digital currencies issued through ICOs are receiving record investment. Buoyed by the...

Despite China’s widespread crackdown on the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector, an influential, organized crime syndicate member seemingly circumvented strict regulations to issue digital tokens– which local reports estimate raised $750 million “in less than five minutes.” Ex-Triad Member Turns to...

The ranks of "unicorn" companies — privately held start-up companies possessing a current valuation of $1 billion or more — have been infiltrated by a growing roster of crypto organizations that are dramatically rising in value.

Cybersecurity software company Kaspersky Labs examined several instances of cryptocurrency-related crime to determine various tactics used by criminals when attempting to steal digital assets.

Recently there has been extensive coverage about Malta's attempt to become the leading country in the crypto sphere.

In an attempt to stem growing enthusiasm for cryptocurrency trading among the Chinese public, the Chinese government has been cracking down hard of cryptocurrency traders and speculators, banning cryptocurrency exchanges and outlawing ICOs.

In the wake of Bitcoin’s hearty correction, there are now more than 600 cryptocurrencies that have been erased from the marketplace.

A Southern District Court judge in Florida produced a report arguing why Centra Tech’s ICO tokens should be classed as securities. Hit with a class-action lawsuit for violating US securities law, several of the Centra Tech team members already...

Stanford University students demonstrate how multi-million dollar initial coin offerings (ICOs) are not necessary to create working blockchain-related products and solutions. Stanford Focuses on Active Blockchain Development Since 2017, companies from the traditional finance sector and tech industry have aggressively...

The cryptocurrency industry is simply becoming too big to ignore. Federal regulations in the U.S. are beginning to classify ICOs as securities and treating them with equivalent scrutiny. At the state level, Florida is taking action to oversee the cryptocurrency...

With cryptocurrency growing more prevalent in the mainstream, the SEC is taking action to regulate ICOs as securities. On June 18, 2018, the SEC received a court order to freeze the assets of the PlexCoin founders under allegations of...

The US SEC has again clarified its position on both Ethereum and Bitcoin, stating that neither cryptocurrencies are securities. The announcement, made by SEC Corporate Finance Division head William Hinman, has addressed one of the most pressing issues in...

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Thailand announced a regulatory framework for initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency. The details include a list of seven approved cryptocurrencies, fees, and licensing requirements. On May 14th, 2018 the Thailand SEC took...

Since the Bitcoin fervor of last December, SEC Chairman, Jay Clayton, has been declaring that token sales are securities and should be regulated similarly to stocks on public exchanges. Today, the SEC Chairman confirmed his classification of ICOs as...

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has announced a new Associate Director of the Division of Corporation Finance and Senior Advisor for Digital Assets and Innovation, creating an entirely new position that will oversee the application of US securities...

Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies have become a prime target for forward-leaning hedge funds, venture capitalists, and private equity firms in 2018 as the crypto ecosystem rapidly matures. The total number of cryptocurrency funds has skyrocketed over the first half...

Founded in 2017, SHOP is on a mission to decentralize e-commerce by empowering shoppers and brands through the tokenization of personal data. In an exclusive interview with CryptoSlate, Chief Executive Officer at SHOP, John Wantz shared his insights into...

Chinese President Xi Jinping — the leader of the world’s second-largest economy — has described blockchain as accelerating “application breakthroughs.” Addressing the annual Chinese Academy of Sciences conference on May 28, China’s leader hailed blockchain technology as one that...

South Korea’s National Assembly — the legislative body of the East Asian Nation — has officially proposed to allow domestic Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). Nearly eight months after its September 2017 ban on ICOs and cryptocurrency margin trading, the...

A fierce competitor to the Ethereum network, EOS is one of the most popular cryptocurrencies trading on the market today. Block.one, the developer behind EOS, has already raised a record-breaking $4 billion USD from its yearlong ICO ending on June 1....

The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office has just hit the blockchain startup ShipChain, with a cease-and-desist order. ShipChain is a freight logistics platform built on the Ethereum blockchain. The securities commissioner claims the company violated the state’s securities laws. The cease-and-desist order...

Towering at 29,029 feet, Mt. Everest is the world’s highest peak.  First successfully climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, Everest continues to draw almost 1,000 of the world’s best climbers and adventure seekers each...

The initial coin offering paradigm shift may have contributed to 2017’s massive bull run, catapulting cryptocurrency and blockchain technology into the mainstream zeitgeist, but the explosion in ICO popularity over the last year led to the establishment of a...

The thriving prevalence of cryptocurrency investing has become a topic unavoidable by regulatory agencies worldwide. The growing exposure of the cryptocurrency industry to the mainstream public has drawn the attention of investors and scammers alike, leaving many victims to deceptive...

Bing, the search engine owned by Microsoft, is following the lead of other major tech companies by banning ads for digital currencies. As cryptocurrencies began soaring in popularity last year, ads for new projects started appearing across the internet....

2018 has already been a massive year for ICOs – in the first quarter of this year, $6 billion has been raised from initial coin offerings, already surpassing the $5.6 billion raised in 2017. Continuing the impressive tokensales is...

A legislative body within South Korea is moving to lift the government’s ban on initial coin offerings as a group of lawmakers led by Rep. Hong Eui-rak is drafting a bill to legalize ICOs under government supervision. During a...

In January, the popular messaging app, Telegram, announced that it would launch an ICO to fund its Telegram Open Network. This new platform would transcend the apps prowess beyond messages and into mobile payments and other value transactions. In...

Cryptocurrency market observers may be calling for an impending bull run, but despite total market cap surging beyond the $430 billion mark, some financial analysts remain unconvinced. According to investment banking company GP Bullhound, cryptocurrency prices are set to...

Since the rise of altcoins and the evolution of legacy-coins over the last eighteen months, one platform, in particular, has become a hotbed of the new found “experts”: LinkedIn. This article is neither sponsored nor is it meant to...

Arguably the most contentious issue surrounding initial coin offerings (ICOs) is SEC compliance. The crux of the matter lies on whether tokens issued through the blockchain are securities or “utility tokens.” New regulatory actions from the Securities and Exchange...

Raising over $6 billion in the first quarter of 2018, the first three months of ICO contributions have outstripped the total raised in 2017. In the face of crippling market conditions and regulatory blackmail, investors have contributed enough to...

In what may be the industry’s most daring publicity stunt, Germany-based Savedroid’s supposed $50 million exit scam has made an astonishing U-turn. Appearing as a $50 million Houdini act, Savedroid sparked a witch-hunt after vaporizing their website just 12 hours...

Cambridge Analytica was responsible for compromising the data from 87 million Facebook profiles. Following the March scandal, the ex-chief executive bragged about using shell companies and they have been linked to gangsters in Macau for the questionable Dragon Coin project. Now, it has...

It goes without saying that natively digital applications have far more functionality than their counterparts. By being completely programmable, they are free from many of the constraints that limit the functionality of offline applications. Think back to the creation...

Vulnerable to massive data hacks, siloed from effective communication, and frustrating to patients and healthcare providers alike, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are ripe for disruption. Some of EHR’s greatest problems include interoperability, accessibility, and security. From examples like Equifax...

The past few months have been rocky for the cryptocurrency market. Unlike last year, it is rare that we see a day where all coins are in the green. Regardless of your opinion on this market “shift,” one thing...

Eric Ly, a co-founder of LinkedIn, is embarking on a new venture, this time in the blockchain arena. Hub (or the Human Trust Protocol) is a project engaging in the brave task of facilitating trust across the internet. The...

After a year of unparalleled and unbridled expansion, cryptocurrencies are dealing with the implications of governmental oversight and increased regulations. Although global financial leaders set a July timetable for implementing sweeping oversight, there hasn’t been a consensus. Instead, independent...

The standardized SEC-Compliant ICOs exchange platform, CoinList, announced the successful completion of its first round of funding on April 4, 2018. The platform intends to be “a liquid and compliant secondary exchange for securities.” according to what its CEO,...

It is no secret that Japan commands one of the largest crypto user-bases in the world today. Thus in an attempt to introduce more stability and transparency within their digital currency sector, a government-funded research group has set forth...

It seems that the ‘Wild West’ days of token sales are coming to a close, much to the chagrin of scammers and fraudsters. For mainstream investors, however, the SEC’s efforts couldn’t have come soon enough. Whitepapers now come with...

In what is being perceived as a one-sided move, the Russian Ministry of Communications has set forth a new set of ICO regulations under which companies looking to facilitate token sale events will be obliged to guarantee that investors...

South Korea’s leading messaging platform Kakao Corp said on Tuesday that it would delve into overseas markets and expand its offerings using blockchain technology. Joh Su Yong, co-CEO of Kakao Corp, said that it had included a mix of information...

According to latest reports, the South Korean FSC, Financial Services Commission, is planning to support the adoption of various blockchain technologies in order to foster innovation within the country’s FinTech sector. Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily reported that the nation’s...

Messaging giant Telegram has lost its appeal to stop the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) from gaining access to its encrypted data. The ruling states that Telegram needs to share its encryption keys with state authorities so as to...

Overstock has a long history with cryptocurrencies. Back when the dominate conversation surrounding Bitcoin was its lack of integration at major retailers, Overstock accepted the digital currency at its online discount store. Their corporate investment strategy – to hold...

A bill that was tabled last February with the aim of exempting cryptocurrencies from existing property laws has recently been passed by the Wyoming Senate. This news comes in the wake of various governments and regulatory authorities imposing restrictions...

The French financial markets regulator AMF (l’Autorité des marchés financiers) announced it will establish legislation for initial coin offerings. The new legislation for ICOs could be introduced in April, reported French news outlet Les Echos, March 15. Les Echos,...

The U.S. House of Representatives has recently passed the “Regulation A+ Improvement Act” which will allow for a substantial cap increase under which businesses of all sizes will be able to carry out securities offering while still being subject to...

With Facebook and Google revising their advertising policies so as to effectively put an end to all ICO related ads, it has been brought to light that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may have had a big role...

Cryptos came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday this week, with a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee holding a hearing entitled “Examining Cryptocurrencies and ICO Markets.” The hearing, which marked the first time Congress tackled...

Facebook announced at the end of January that cryptocurrency, ICO and binary option ads are now banned from its platform. Google mirrored this move on Tuesday and announced that they will also have a ban on cryptocurrency advertising that...

Amidst intense media speculation, it is being reported that the South Korean government is potentially reconsidering its ICO ban that has been in effect since last September. According to a reputable local newspaper, South Korean financial authorities are in...

The cryptocurrency market is rapidly maturing, with governments around the world developing regulatory frameworks that pave the way for institutional investors to enter the crypto fray. 2017 saw the emergence of financial mechanisms such as futures trading hit the...

Over the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about artificial intelligence, big data and how the two can be brought together for the creation of predictive tools that will empower and benefit businesses and individuals alike. The promise...

Last week, the SEC roiled crypto markets by announcing targeted subpoenas on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) that might be violating securities laws. The actions aren’t completely shocking since the SEC issued several comments in the past few months addressing...

It’s no wonder why the year 2017 was dubbed as the year of the Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs); ICOs refer to a new form of investment vehicle that allows investors from all around the globe to crowdfund new blockchain...

Initial coin offerings, or ICOs, present blockchain-based businesses with an innovative financial model that circumvents traditional funding process, allowing them to access startup capital generated through crowdfunding processes. ICO investors benefit from the opportunity to create significant amounts of...

The popular messaging app Telegram seems on track to reach its goal of raising $1 billion for its ICO to create the TON network. According to new filings, Telegram has already reached its first milestone for its initial coin...

As many countries across the globe continue to crackdown on Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies, Switzerland’s’ official financial regulator has published several guidelines that now allow for ICOs to be treated as securities. ICOs, or Initial Coin Offerings, are...

While people are consuming more media than ever before, the ways that they are doing so is changing. Our lives are increasingly mobile and digital, which has given rise to new opportunities for content consumption. For example, the number...

A brand new crypto startup, LoopX, seems to have completely vanished shortly after raising $4.5 million in their ICO token sale. LoopX advertised itself as a startup with sought to create a platform that is conducive to proprietary trading...

As more blockchains are created, the need for cross-chain smart contracts becomes significantly greater. One of the most talked about initial coin offerings over the past few months has been Wanchain — a platform whose goal is to build...

Although Bitcoin is the preeminent cryptocurrency, it has always been buoyed by Ethereum, a highly valued and differently abled blockchain platform. Unlike Bitcoin, which was developed to facilitate digital p2p transactions, Ethereum is a blockchain platform intended to be...

You would think that the ‘Long Island Blockchain Corp’ news that broke at the end of 2017 would have been a sobering moment. If I had to write a list titled Signs We’re In A Bubble, “watching a company...

In July, The Wall Street Journal declared Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) to be the “new road to startup riches.” So far, ICOs certainly have been. In 2017 more than 100 ICOs have raised close to $3 billion, and they’ve...

A forthcoming ICO from Dragon Corp is testing the limits of risk-taking. The company, led by Chris Ahmad, is planning to launch a $500 million ICO to fund a floating cryptocurrency casino that’s the size of Las Vegas’s iconic...

Flixxo, a startup looking to create a decentralized community for uploading and sharing videos, is working on building processing power into the network. The Gibraltar-based operation has started work with iExec, a blockchain-based cloud computing service that helps overcome...

Cryptocurrencies are mushrooming all over and revolutionary blockchain arrivals make fresh headlines daily. Albeit extremely exciting, it’s proving hard to stay on top of the latest and greatest in a beehive of feverish tech activity and the relentless tick-tock...

Online retail juggernaut Overstock has long been a proponent of cryptocurrencies. Their online platform was one of the first to accept Bitcoin as a payment option, and they are ancillary investors in the cryptocurrencies that they collect. However, at...

Put a celebrity’s name on something, sell loads of it: Job done. The simplest marketing strategy ever invented. Michael Jordan sells the sneaker and George Foreman sells the grill. So how do we tell the uneducated masses about cryptocurrencies?...