Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
The Security Token Field – The Next Step After the ICO Annihilation?
Forbes |
The crypto space, though promising in a myriad of different ways still has many obstacles to overcome. Bad actors are slowly being weeded out but at an excruciating pace. Ideally, the crypto space would have so much competition, innovation and use cases that the best ideas and best innovators would naturally stand tall. Though 2018 has been a trying year for everyone in the space, 2019 is looking positive as many promising projects are rearing to go. These neophytes, though not experienced are seeking to close the gaps within the crypto space that have lingered since the beginning, namely; security, accountability and transparency and above all, practical implications for the technology.
Countries like Gibraltar, Malta, and Switzerland seeking to build legislative frameworks for these new businesses to operate and thrive in, and give them a home. However, it is a difficult balance; on the one hand to regulate, securitize and make everything compliant, whilst also not stifling budding, inherent innovation. Although everyone recognizes that DLT has huge potential, the time has now come for the space to mature, become regulated and for things be done right. Now is the time to forget the somewhat murky beginnings of Blockchain and embrace this new technology and the great potential it may hold for the future.
In this article we will be discussing three projects in the STO area, a crowdfunding platform, an AI based investment platform and finally a traditional company which is not a typical idea for blockchain.
See: How Blockchain Can Help Marketers Build Better Relationships with Their Customers
One such project which has ambitious plans in the space is Crowd for Angels. This claims to be a regulated, crowdfunding platform that helps companies list their projects and helps them raise capital by way of equity, debt and crypto tokens. They claim to be are one of the first regulated entities in the UK and Europe to allow tokens to be sold through their platform. They recently launched a Sports Investment Security Token Offering where investors can own a share in a Premier League or Serie A club's shirt sponsorship.
The Sports Investor Coin ('SIC') is a Security Token that is expected to populate the world's first sport asset-backed portfolio. The founders run a successful sports marketing business that has brokered millions of dollars in deal value over the last 8 years. According to the founders, the capital raised from the sale of SIC Security Tokens will be used to make strategic acquisitions of sports sponsorship assets on a medium to long-term basis, using the adage of purchasing at wholesale price and selling at retail. These assets will eventually be sold initially through existing sales networks but will eventually be moved onto a digital marketplace.
"Before agreeing to list any project, we ensure the utmost transparency and due diligence to make sure that participants associated with any of the projects are genuine and act in the best interests of the investors with as little risk as possible", CMO Andrew Adcock said.
Crowd for Angels Director Tony de Nazareth said that utilizing the blockchain and tokens to digitize assets allows previously illiquid assets to become liquid and promote a market economy. Investors benefit from greater diversification, transferability, and transparency in decision making with the internet having now penetrated into the traditional financial markets, he added.
Malta is currently rolling out its blockchain and DLT legislation with several companies applying for a VFAA license in order to conduct ICO's and STO's. One of the most interesting as regards the latter is Valora, a Japanese company which aims to revolutionize the way the financial markets operate, or so, they claim.
Valora is a blockchain-based investment matchmaking platform which aims to disrupt the world of traditional investments while also bringing liquidity to the exciting ideas of tomorrow and any business visionaries who wish to make their project or blockchain-based business a reality.
See: Blockchain’s potential will continue to spur public and private investment
Interestingly, it uses artificial intelligence (AI), data and opportunities to present investment opportunities and information to the investor - the investor uses this information to make an informed decision. With 10 years of experience in the investment field, the Valora team are now using Artificial Intelligence to filter the quality of the offered services continuously. With the help of VALORA, investors have a wide array of ROI (return-on-investment) choices in the form of profit share, tokenized assets, bonus exit gains, and development projects. You can also make informed investments whilst choosing from a curated pool of projects. The fact that it is a public blockchain also ensures safety.
Valora's platform also assesses the risk and calculates the percentage of the project that is paid annually to the 3rd party insurer ( such as MIGA). It also enables the best investment opportunities to be more accessible than otherwise would only be reserved to VC Companies, Insiders or Banks. Users also have access to an untapped pool of global investment entities and business individuals.
Valora also claim to have unparalleled levels of liquidity which are also provided by the worldwide investment community. Not to mention the added advantage of investing in crypto-related and Blockchain projects with FIAT (fiduciary) currency. The concept was born when people wanted to invest but within the safety net of an established blockchain project like Ethereum, Cardano and EOS among others.
You wouldn't expect a company that makes the famous red boxes used by British Prime Ministers to go for a Security Token Offering but that's exactly what Wickwar are doing.
Wickwar has been making its exclusive despatch red boxes for over 200 years. This London-based business makes handmade, bespoke items for elite clients. These include Theresa May, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and even the Queen of the United Kingdom, herself.
See: Experts predict the five big fintech trends of 2019
Despatch boxes were originally used by British Members of Parliament to carry documents into the Commons Chamber. Two can now be found permanently in the Chamber on the central table and contain religious texts of the Oath for the day. Frontbenchers (ministers and shadow ministers) deliver their addresses from their side's despatch box. The despatch boxes in use today were gifts from New Zealand and designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to replace the boxes destroyed during bombings in the Second World War.
Now, Wickwar is working on its security token offering (STO) where investors are offered tokens to benefit from the possibility of token appreciation or unlocking the ecosystem’s utility. They are looking to raise funds in UK of about £2 million, eventually being valued at approximately £8 million. Wickwar is fully regulated under UK prospectus regulation with tokens in Ethereum ERC 1400 and tied to shares of 1 token which would be equal to 1 share £1 each. Funds raised will be used to expand the output of the factory and the workshop as well as to expand supply into Asia, due to a recent order of 100 units, where each unit retails for £5000.
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The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Nov 12, 2026 Crypto market cap is calculated by multiplying an asset's reference price by its circulating supply. A token priced at $2 with 50 million units circulating has a market cap of $100 million. The calculation estimates the value of that supply at the reference price; it does not total the money investors deposited. To understand a change in the ranking, examine both inputs and the provider's definitions. A larger number can result from price changes, supply changes, or revised reporting. Establish what the two inputs represent The arithmetic is simple, but neither input is self-explanatory. “Price” may be a reference assembled from selected trading pairs and venues, rather than the last transaction on the exchange you use. A provider may exclude observations or convert quote currencies. Two services can publish different estimates because their source selection and methods differ. Circulating supply is an estimate of units treated as available in the market under a provider's rules. It may differ from the number minted, the total recorded by a contract, or the maximum permitted under a protocol's current design. Locked balances, treasury allocations, burns, and scheduled releases require interpretation. A transparent methodology matters because identical arithmetic can still use ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Risk Compliance And Regtech Financial firms are putting AI agents into production well before giving them broad financial authority. That creates time to set identity, permissions and transaction controls before autonomous execution becomes common. On November 11, 2026, Bank of England Financial Policy Committee external member Jonathan Hall used his final FPC speech to examine what happens when AI agents get more authority inside financial firms. A Bank of England and FCA survey of 196 firms found that 80% already deploy AI agents and another 14% plan to within 12 months. Only 2% reported agents with broad autonomy, and none of those were in trading and payments. Finance is adopting agents quickly, but firms are still keeping people and hard limits around the decisions that can change money, positions or customer outcomes. AI Agents Are In Finance But They Are Not Trading Alone The 2026 Bank of England and FCA survey separates four levels of authority: Decision support lets an agent recommend an action while a person decides and executes it. Constrained execution lets the agent act inside preset rules. Conditional autonomy ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Entrepreneurs Startups Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding And Alternative Funding A small group of large rounds is carrying Canadian venture totals while deal count and growth stage financing remain well below recent norms. On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association published its Q3 2026 venture capital report. Canadian companies raised $4.3 billion across 397 deals through September, only 1% less capital than a year earlier. But 23 rounds of $50 million or more represented just 6% of disclosed deals and absorbed 58% of all venture capital invested. Deal count has also fallen every year since 2021. The national total is holding up far better than the number of companies getting financed. Six Big Rounds Carried 59% Of Q3 Venture Capital Q3 produced $1.35 billion across 129 deals. Capital was 1% higher than Q2, but deal count fell 15%. Six rounds above $50 million accounted for $793 million, or 59% of the quarter’s capital. That's a decent quarter for the companies that closed those rounds, but a weak quarter for everyone else. Mega rounds above $50 million totalled $2.5 billion across 23 transactions ...
November 11, 2026 | NCFA Story Intelligence | Competition And Market Structure, Wealthtech Investing And Trading, Regulation And Policy Canada is cutting bank fees and switching barriers after years of weak competition, high concentration and poor productivity. On November 7, 2026, the federal government proposed something Canadian investors have complained about for years. Banks would no longer be allowed to charge most investment account transfer fees, which typically cost about $150 per account. Ottawa also wants clearer transfer information and tighter timelines for moving investments to another financial institution. The fee matters because leaving can already be slow and frustrating. Receiving firms often reimburse the outgoing charge to win the account. That means a fee collected by the institution losing the customer can become part of the acquisition cost for the institution trying to win that customer. Canada's six largest banks hold roughly 93% of banking assets. The Competition Bureau was warning about barriers facing fintech competitors in 2017. Ottawa began reviewing open banking in 2018. A federal advisory committee later recommended an operating system by January 2023 and warned that government should not delay. January 2023 came and went. Real Time Rail also slipped years beyond its first expected ...
November 10, 2026 | NCFA Fintech Market Insight | Digital Assets Blockchain And Tokenization, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding, Regulation And Policy Funds, Collateral And Settlement Lead Canada’s Near Term Tokenization Opportunity On November 10, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators published its Project Tokenization Phase 1 findings, setting out where Canadian market participants see the strongest commercial opportunities for tokenization and what regulators plan to test next. The report draws on 233 organizations, 21 bilateral meetings and 80 survey responses, along with workshops attended by 281 people in Calgary and 491 in Toronto. Participants put investment funds, private assets, collateral, treasury and settlement infrastructure ahead of public stocks as the strongest near term opportunities. The report also cuts through one of tokenization’s biggest sales pitches. Blockchain can change how an asset is recorded, transferred or settled, but it doesn't automatically create liquidity, investor demand, broader eligibility or stronger ownership rights. Those outcomes still depend on the product, market, legal structure and infrastructure around it. The CSA now plans to take specific projects into Phase 2 through a 120 day public call for proposals. Firms may be able to use existing regulatory processes, tailored regulatory treatment or bounded testing in a ...
Nov 11, 2026 A positive work environment is key for any team that wants to succeed. Team morale is crucial for productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Engaging in activities that lift spirits and strengthen connections can lead to great results. Creating a positive team environment requires creativity, engagement, and some fun. Each activity can strengthen connections, boost motivation, and improve workplace dynamics. When teams focus on strategies to boost morale, they work toward shared success. These activities can lead to lasting memories and help build a stronger team culture. Here are some fun strategies to help improve your team's morale and make the workplace livelier. Fun at the Arcade Visiting an arcade spot is a great way to enjoy time together and build teamwork. Imagine your team facing challenges with various games. Whether it's racing or playing team games, the arcade encourages friendly competition and bonding. These fun experiences can help reduce stress and improve relationships among coworkers. Arcades offer many options to suit diverse interests and skill levels. The lively atmosphere invites everyone to relax and take a break from their daily tasks. Shared laughter and enjoyment can lead to better communication and teamwork when you return to the ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Leadership, Competition, Human Capital, Health A Brokerage Race Beyond $0 Commissions On November 10, 2026, Webull Canada added Nasdaq Basic Canada, giving clients free real time Level 1 quote and trade data across Canadian listed equities. The feed provides best bid, best offer and last sale information for stocks listed on the TSX, TSX Venture, CSE and Cboe Canada. Nasdaq says its consolidated feed can reduce Level 1 market data costs by more than 60% compared with traditional Canadian data packages. Webull isn't first to give Canadian investors free real time information. The more interesting story is how quickly another paid feature is becoming part of the basic brokerage account. Wealthsimple helped normalize $0 trading in 2019, Questrade followed in 2025 and Webull dropped its own commissions in April 2026. With the headline trading fee largely gone, brokers now need other reasons for investors to move money and keep it on the platform. Who Led Canada’s Race To $0 Trading And Free Market Data Wealthsimple Trade launched nationally on March 13, 2019 with $0 commissions on Canadian and U.S. stocks and ETFs. Questrade removed commissions on listed stocks and ETFs ...
November 10, 2026 | Market Activity | Artificial Intelligence And Data, Capital Markets Infrastructure And Funding A Toronto Fintech Riskfuel Analytics Brings AI Pricing Into BBVA’s Global Markets Workflow On November 10, 2026, BBVA deployed Riskfuel Analytics' neural pricing technology inside the pre-trade structuring workflow for autocallable products on its ePricer platform. Riskfuel is a Toronto fintech founded in 2019 that builds AI models for derivatives pricing. BBVA is a global bank with a large corporate and investment banking business. The deployment puts Canadian built AI directly into the calculations used to design complex structured products at a major global bank. Riskfuel's model is trained on BBVA's own pricing engine and uses more than 4,000 market and product inputs. The company says the surrogate was tested against more than 100,000 trades and can evaluate thousands of candidate structures in under a minute. BBVA had already added AI generated investment ideas to ePricer in September. Riskfuel goes further into the workflow by speeding up the numerical pricing work while BBVA's own model remains the reference. How Riskfuel Speeds Up BBVA's Autocallable Pricing Autocallables can depend on volatility, interest rates, dividends, maturity, coupon levels and several barrier conditions. Autocallables are structured investments ...
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