Rojin Nair, Advisor
June 1st, 2021
At Incyub8 Inc, Rojin is focusing on nurturing and guiding various national and international start-[...]
Category Archives: Blockchain, Crypto, Digital Assets, Tokens, Meta, NFTs
Balance celebrates turning five and surpasses $500M of assets under custody
Balance | George Bordianu | Jun 28, 2022
Balance celebrates turning five and surpasses $500M of assets under custody
TORONTO - June 28, 2022 - Balance is proud to celebrate five years in business serving Canadians as the country's top digital asset custodian.
Founded in June 2017, the company introduced its custody services in a closed pilot in August 2018. The public launch followed one year later, the first of its kind in Canada. Having surpassed $500M of assets under custody (over $2.5B ahead of the recent market pullback), this makes Balance not only the oldest Canadian digital asset custodian, but also the largest.
“Our focus since day one has been to build a world-class solution for Canadian businesses. To compete with established giants such as Coinbase and Gemini, we eschewed vending ready-made solutions and instead built our offline and warm infrastructure in-house. It wasn’t an easy challenge. It took us over one year of building and one year of polishing before our public launch. We’re grateful to our early backers at Techstars and Bicameral Ventures for sharing the vision and taking bet on us. The Canadian ecosystem is better off as a result.” - George Bordianu, Chief Executive Officer
See: Crypto Custody: Our Shared Journey Towards Mass Adoption
Since its August 2019 public launch, Balance has grown its client base to include companies that span Canada, certain US states, as well as BVI and Cayman Islands. Balance successfully serves crypto exchanges, OTC and prop. trading desks, neobanks, ATM networks, private funds, market makers, liquidity providers, foundation treasuries, and more.
“The fact that we built our infrastructure in-house allows us to charge 10-25 bps/year and offer free unlimited withdrawals while maintaining positive unit economics. Typical market rates are 30-50 bps/year with an additional 1-5 bps/transfer. Our prospects sometimes have a hard time believing that a small Canadian company built a solution that’s 2-3x more cost effective than what the industry giants offer. Yet we prove it every day.” - Dustin Plett, Chief Sales Officer
To celebrate these milestones and better showcase its product offering, Balance has launched a new online presence at www.balance.ca.
Contact:
Dustin Donley Plett
dustin@balance.ca
+1 (833) 225-7030
View: Original release
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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Research: Ownership of Top 10 Web3 DAOs is Surprisingly Concentrated
Chainanalysis | Team | Jun 27, 2022
Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are a staple of web3. Internet-native and blockchain-based, DAOs are intended to provide a new, democratized management structure for businesses, projects, and communities, in which any member can vote on organizational decisions just by buying into the project.
At a high level, this is how DAOs work:
- DAO founders create a new cryptocurrency, known as a governance token;
- They distribute these tokens to users, backers, and other stakeholders;
- Each token corresponds to a set amount of voting power within the organization. Each token also corresponds to a price on the secondary market, where it can be bought and sold at will.
See: Sounds like a DAO, Looks like a DAO: Introducing the Modern Digital Organization
While this process is often described as a way to decentralize power, governance token data suggests that DAO ownership is highly concentrated.
The concentration of governance token holdings
By analyzing the distribution of ten major DAOs’ governance tokens, we find that, across several major DAOs, less than 1% of all holders have 90% of voting power.
This has meaningful implications for DAO governance:
- For example, if just a small portion of the top 1% of holders worked together, they could theoretically outvote the remaining 99% on any decision. This has obvious practical implications and, in terms of investor sentiment, likely affects whether small holders feel that they can meaningfully contribute to the proposal process.
- Overly concentrated voting power in DAOs can result in decision-making that seemingly contradicts the tenets of decentralization on which web3 is built.
See: Blockchain-based replacement for traditional crowdfunding: DAOs
- For instance, in June 2022, the DAO governing the Solana-based lending protocol Solend faced a problem: Solana’s price was dropping, and if it fell much further, the protocol’s biggest whale user would face a margin call that could render Solend insolvent and send roughly $20 million worth of Solana onto the market, potentially tanking the asset’s price and upending the entire Solana ecosystem. The DAO called a vote to take control of the whale’s account and liquidate its position through OTC desks, rather than the open market.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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FTX Is Not in Active Talks to Buy Robinood but is Impressed With Their Business
TechCrunch | Jacquelyn Melinek | Jun 27, 2022
Crypto exchange FTX is open to partnering with Robinhood Markets, its CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said in a statement shared with TechCrunch.
Bloomberg News reported earlier that people familiar with the matter said FTX was exploring opportunities to acquire Robinhood, but Bankman-Fried denied those claims.
“We are excited about Robinhood’s business prospects and potential ways we could partner with them, and I have always been impressed by the business that Vlad and his team have built,” Bankman-Fried said. “That being said there are no active M&A conversations with Robinhood.”
See: US FTX Crypto Exchange Acquires Alberta-based Bitvo and Plans to Officially Launch in Canada
In a comment to TechCrunch, a Robinhood spokesperson pointed to its dual-class shareholder setup, in which the company’s founders control more than half of its voting power. As such, no deal can be struck to purchase the company without their explicit approval. Given the tenor of the note, TechCrunch doubts that Robinhood’s founding duo are salivating at a chance to sell their business.
After the news broke earlier today on the possibility of an acquisition, Robinhood shares spiked 14% before falling nearly 3% in after-hours trading. Last month, Bankman-Fried shared that he bought a 7.6% stake in Robinhood Markets.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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Osom partners with Solana to launch OV1, a blockchain-focused smartphone
GSMArena | Ricky | Jun 24, 2022
Osom is a privacy-focused tech company that was expected to launch the OV1 smartphone from the team of engineers that built the Essential PH-1. In a turn of events, the OV1 will now be a new blockchain-focused smartphone by Solana Mobile called the "Saga" and it will still be manufactured by Osom.
The Solana Saga will be tightly integrated with Solana’s blockchain, capable of making transaction in web3 and will support holding digital assets including tokens and NFTs.
At an event in New York, the company also introduced the Solana Mobile Stack. This is “a framework for Android allowing developers to create rich mobile experiences for wallets and apps on Solana.” The Solana Mobile Stack SDK is already available for developers.
See: Multiple Payment Methods – Why is it Fundamental to E-Commerce Success?
Interestingly, prospective buyers can pre-order a Solana Saga starting today for a refundable deposit of $100. The Saga will retail for $1000 and those who pre-order may receive a Saga Pass that includes an accompanying NFT and “the first ticket to influencing the direction of the SMS platform. The device is expected to arrive in early 2023 and will initially launch in the US, Canada, EU, and UK.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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English Court Decision Sheds Light on Software Developers Legal Relationship and Duties Owed to Cryptoasset Owners
Linklaters | Ben Packer, Richard Hay, Michael Munk, Sophia Le Vesconte, Bonnie Yeung | Jun 27, 2022
The judgment in Tulip Trading Ltd v Bitcoin Association for BSV and Others sheds light on the legal relationship between the software developers behind various bitcoin networks and their participants. Notably, the court found that there was no case to be made that the developers had a duty to take action to undo the effects of an alleged theft. At the same time, the possibility of other legal duties falling on developers in the future was left open. Players in the crypto markets should be cognisant of this position, amid ongoing market turmoil.
The decision
Earlier this year, the High Court denied a prominent bitcoin holder, whose private keys to substantial holdings were allegedly taken in a cyber-attack, the right to serve a legal claim on a group of developers for failing to take action to restore the lost value into the claimant’s hands.
See: Code is Law Case: A Hamilton teen ‘hacked’ US$16 million in crypto (while he may not be in the wrong)
The case was brought by Tulip Trading Ltd (“Tulip”), which claimed that the defendants were the core developers behind various bitcoin networks and/or otherwise controlled the relevant software, and that they owed the claimant fiduciary and/or tortious duties to rectify the “theft” of private keys by writing and implementing a software “patch” that would restore Tulip’s access to the bitcoin assets. In setting aside permission to serve the claim out of the jurisdiction, Mrs Justice Falk held that there was no serious issue to be tried on the merits of the claim. Last month, Falk J also declined Tulip leave to appeal.
No fiduciary and tortious duties – for now
Falk J rejected the argument that the software developers owed the claimant a fiduciary duty. In particular, she noted that the defining characteristic of a fiduciary relationship is the obligation of undivided loyalty, and if the claimant’s argument were accepted, the steps that the defendants would have to take would be for the claimant’s benefit alone, to the exclusion of other users, to whom the defendants would also owe the same duty and who would have a legitimate complaint against the defendants.
Bitcoin networks are not financial institutions
Tulip argued that bitcoin networks “could be equated with financial institutions”, in the sense that “[f]unds were being entrusted to controllers of the Networks, who profited from their activities, and public policy required the imposition of a corresponding duty of care”, and therefore a duty of care similar to the duty of care on banks established in Barclays Bank v Quincecare [1992] 4 All ER 363 should be imposed on bitcoin networks.
See: tbDEX: Square Releases White Paper Detailing Protocol for a Decentralized Bitcoin Exchange
Falk J was not persuaded by the argument: in particular, she noted that the starting point for the Quincecare duty of care is the relationship of contract and agency between the bank and its customer. It is interesting that such arguments seen in the more traditional financial sphere were being deployed in the context of a decentralised network with no contractual framework, and the court’s rejection of the direct analogy should be welcomed.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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Hong Kong VASP licensing regime starts March 1, 2023 and will be more rigorous than Singapore, the UK and Japan
Herbert Smith Freehills | Hannah Cassidy | Jun 27, 2022
The government acknowledges that the VASP licensing regime will be more rigorous and comprehensive than those in Singapore, the UK and Japan.
The Hong Kong government has gazetted amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO) to enhance Hong Kong’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) regulatory regime. The amendments will be introduced into the Legislative Council (LegCo) for first reading on 6 July 2022. A LegCo brief sets out an overview of the amendments, which follows the consultation conclusions published by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau in May 2021 on the proposed changes (see our 2021 briefing).
VASP licensing regime
- A new licensing regime for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to be administered by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).
- It is proposed that the AMLO amendments relating to the VASP licensing regime will come into effect on 1 March 2023.
- Once in force, any person who seeks to carry on a business of providing a virtual asset service (currently limited to operating a virtual asset exchange (VA exchange)) will be required to apply to the SFC for a licence.
See: Hong Kong’s Web3 ‘Mr. Metaverse’ vs. Mark Zuckerberg
Operating a VA exchange entails providing services through means of electronic facilities where:
- offers to sell or purchase virtual assets are regularly made or accepted in a way that forms or results in a binding transaction; or
- persons are regularly introduced, or identified to other persons in order that they may negotiate or conclude, or with the reasonable expectation that they will negotiate or conclude sales or purchases of virtual assets in a way that forms or results in a binding transaction; and
- client money or client virtual assets comes into direct or indirect possession of the person providing such service.
Virtual assets in scope
The broad definition of “virtual asset” (see below) will capture Bitcoin and “altcoins” as expected. Stablecoins and certain governance tokens will also be in scope. While NFTs are not usually recognised as a medium of exchange accepted by the public, it is possible that they may be brought in scope in the future as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury will be empowered to prescribe by notice published in the Gazette whether a particular asset is to be considered a virtual asset under the AMLO.
See: Do Industry Operators, Researchers, and Regulators Agree On How Big Crypto Crime Is?
“Virtual asset” will be defined under the AMLO as a cryptographically secured digital representation of value that:
- is expressed as a unit of account or a store of economic value; and
- either:
- is used (or is intended to be used) as a medium of exchange accepted by the public, for any one or more of the following purposes – (a) payment for goods or services, (b) discharge of a debt, or (c) investment; or
- provides rights, eligibility or access to vote on the management, administration or governance of the affairs in connection with, or to vote on any change of the terms of any arrangement applicable to, any cryptographically secured digital representation of value; and
- can be transferred, stored or traded electronically; and
- satisfies other characteristics prescribed by the SFC by notice published in the Gazette;
Or alternatively:
- is a digital representation of value prescribed as a virtual asset by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury by notice published in the Gazette.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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Will Top of Digital Wallets Threaten Traditional Credit Card Markets?
Financial Brand | Bryan Yurcan | Jun 27, 2022
Digital wallets are an increasingly competitive space for card issuers. In fact, without 'top-of-wallet' status cardholder activity can plummet. Not only is competition growing among card issuers to be “top of wallet” at the point of sale with these digital wallets, but because of the way consumers tend to use them — keeping fewer digital cards in their mobile wallet than they keep plastic cards in their physical wallets — the balance of power in the card business is shifting.
See: Bitcoin wallet Nunchuk scolds Ontario court over order to freeze crypto assets
Spurred on by habits created during the pandemic, consumers globally, and in the U.S. particularly, sharply increased their usage of digital wallets in the last 12 months, according to a survey from Marqeta. The payments company surveyed more than 4,000 consumers in early 2022 — 2,000 from the U.S., 1,000 from Australia, and 1,000 from the U.K. — on their usage of digital wallets, which the survey described as “a virtual wallet that stores payments information on a mobile device.”
75% of those who were surveyed globally said they have used a digital wallet within the past year. While the U.S. is slightly behind the global average, where 71% reported using a digital wallet within the last 12 months, the rate of adoption is still up from the previous year (64% in 2020).
Convenience Is a Big Plus
Ease of use is another big factor in the increased adoption of mobile wallets. Even those that may consider themselves technophobes find them simple and convenient to use. Cards certainly are not difficult to use, so the convenience bar is high. Yet, payments made with mobile wallets, when used in conjunction with facial recognition, can be very fast.
See: PayPal Finally Allows Users to Transfer Crypto to Other Wallets and Exchanges
In fact, a majority of consumers are so comfortable with using mobile wallets that they say they would be confident only taking their phone with them out shopping and leaving their physical wallet at home. 81% of people surveyed globally said they could make mobile wallet purchases everywhere they wanted to. In the U.S., more than three quarters (78%) of respondents agreed with this, up from 62% in a different Marqeta survey of U.S. consumers in 2020.
Moving Toward An ‘Everything is Currency’ Mindset
Perhaps the biggest differentiator in the quest to be top of wallet will be issuers that enable consumers to use any store of value they own to pay for purchases. This can include loyalty points and crypto holdings. The consumer, says Mitchell, is increasingly thinking of the concept that “everything is currency” and wants a digital wallet experience that enables this.
Continue to the full article --> here
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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