Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Category Archives: Fintech and Networking Events
FFCON23: MARCH 28, WEEK 3 AGENDA: ReFi, Sustainability, Purpose
Team FFCON23 | March 27, 2023
Want to get insider access to some of the most innovative advances happening in #fintech. Grab an OPEN ACCESS ticket and enjoy a live virtual event at #FFCON23 with access to all on-demand content! On behalf of NCFA and our valued partners we look forward to seeing you there. More information can be found: https://fintechandfunding.com/
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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FFCON23 Week 2: Congratulations to the Winners of the Fintech Draft Pitching Competition!
Team FFCON23 | March 23, 2023
Congratulations to the 2023 Fintech Draft Winners!
Pre-Revenue Winner: KUMO (profile)
Post-Revenue Winner: DEAGLO (profile)
Congratulations to the 2023 Fintech Draft Pitching Competition Winning companies who competed against a total of 6 shortlisted finalists at the 8th annual FFCON23: REGEN pitching competition which was held digitally on March 21, 2023.
The FFCON Fintech Draft is an annual competition designed to identify and feature emerging and high growth fintech startups and scaleups. All shortlisted finalists delivered short presentations (5-7mins), followed by Q&A from esteemed judges, and crowdvote before being selected as winning companies – Congratulations to the WINNING COMPANIES and to everyone who participated!
Who did the winners compete against? Checkout the Shortlisted finalists 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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Should the SEC Be Allowed to Wage an Unsupervised Dirty War on Crypto?
Cato Institute | Jack Solowey and Jennifer J. Schulp | Mar 6, 2023
Image: Cigar Emperor Ltd
Congress must both defend its oversight authority and give American crypto developers, entrepreneurs and users a clear path to lawfully carry on their business. Providing a common‐sense disclosure framework for asset‐backed stablecoins is the place to start.
- On Feb. 9, the SEC settled allegations that Kraken’s “staking‐as‐a‐service” program constituted the illegal sale of unregistered securities. Then the SEC sent a Wells notice to stablecoin issuer Paxos, indicating a potential future enforcement action over its Binance USD token (a Binance‐branded asset designed to keep a 1:1 peg with the U.S. dollar), which the commission apparently also alleges is an unregistered security.
- And Gensler indicated in a recent interview that basically every crypto project — “everything other than Bitcoin” — could have an SEC target on its back.
- The SEC maintains it is merely enforcing existing registration and disclosure requirements on crypto tokens and services it considers securities. But this is misleading for two reasons.
- One, the applicability of securities laws to the projects at issue — Kraken’s staking service and Paxos’s BUSD stablecoin — is, at the very least, contestable. Even more so if the idea is that every crypto token other than Bitcoin is to be considered a security.
- Two, a regulator interested in getting consumers the best disclosures about new products, including stablecoins, would provide clear guidance on how to do so. The SEC hasn’t.
- Gensler’s comments also could imply that he views even highly decentralized tokens, like Ether, as securities. This is inconsistent with previous comments by SEC officials, as well as the idea that securities laws are to address managerial risks — hallmarks of centralized bodies, not decentralized software protocols.
See: Gary Gensler, Chairman of the SEC Speech
- Lawmakers have a vital role in restoring administrative accountability.
- In a Feb. 14 Senate Banking Committee hearing, Republican Senator Tim Scott told the hearing, “If Chairman Gensler is going to take enforcement action, Congress needs to hear from him very soon.” Across the aisle, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has voiced similar sentiment: “I have many concerns about Chairman Gensler and his approach to this space.”
- Oversight would be most welcome. Congress should go a step further by legislating, first providing a practical registration path for stablecoins.
- The SEC shouldn’t be left in the shadows to try to snuff out Americans’ work on and access to a new class of technology. As House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry has recognized, the future of digital assets “is a major political and economic question that must be decided by Congress.”
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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Share for a Chance to Win FREE #FFCON23 Virtual Event Tickets – Kicking off Next Tuesday March 14!
NCFA FFCON23 | March 9, 2023
FFCON23 Share on Social for Chance to Win Free Tickets
#FFCON23 is coming up fast with the first of our virtual events happening next Tuesday, March 14th. This session will feature incredible presentations from speakers, like King Leung, Head of Fintech at Invest Hong Kong, Layial El-Hadi, Executive Director with Fintech Cadence, and Alex Tapscott, Co-Founder of the Blockchain Research Institute, amongst many other incredible talents. Through our HopIn platform, you’ll also have the opportunity to take part in networking sessions with fellow attendees and visit our many sponsor and partner booths.
As a part of the lead-up to this exciting event, NCFA will be holding a social media contest for the chance to win FREE tickets to attend. In order to be entered to win, all you’ll need to do is share any of our event posts or create one of your own through your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn personal or company page, tag @NCFACanada, and use #FFCON23. Winners will be contacted prior to the event.
If you’re interested in purchasing tickets, please click here: https://fintechandfunding.com/tickets/
We look forward to seeing you there!
Team FFCON23
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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NCFA’s Annual Flagship Fintech and Funding Conference and Expo to Host Immersive 5 Week Hybrid Program
IBN Media Partner Release | March 8, 2023
TORONTO, March 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via CryptoCurrencyWire -- The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (“NCFA”), a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members across Canada, announced that it will host the 8th Annual Fintech & Financing Conference and Expo (“FFCON23: REGEN”) in a hybrid format every Tuesday afternoon from March 14 to April 4, 2023.
FFCON23 WEEK1: March 14
Expert Digital Finance Innovation Speakers
All Speakers | Program | Pitching | Partners | Tickets
The hybrid conference will conclude with an in-person event on May 31st, 2023, in the bustling city of Toronto, which offers an ideal location as a leading hub for disruptive technologies and financial innovation, and is well-known for its thriving startups and highly educated workforce. The remaining sessions will be conducted in a friendly, business-oriented and cybersecure digital environment.
Now running in its eighth year, FFCON23: REGEN brings together marquee market players, established thought leaders and industry experts with a view to propel Canadian fintech businesses forward, explore emerging opportunities, exchange strategies on negotiating headwinds and to strengthen the national and cross-border fintech ecosystem.
The event offers a once in a year opportunity that can be truly transformative for businesses by facilitating meaningful conversations with experts from fintech, open banking, blockchain, digital assets, web3, metaverse, decentralized finance, virtual commerce, capital markets innovation, payments, wealthtech, regtech, crypto, emerging tech and alternative finance sectors. FFCON23: REGEN will leverage deep domain know-how in regenerative finance and thinking to benefit investors, business owners and broader stakeholders.
Vote: Checkout and vote for your favourite FFCON Fintech Draft Shortlist Companies
Attendees will be immersed in the accelerating fintech landscape over once-a-week but deeply interconnected sessions in March and April 2023. Budding entrepreneurs, investors, financial institutions, government officials and major financial stakeholders will engage in lively debates and insightful knowledge-exchange activities to drive the ideas of the future and shape deeper collaboration between industry peers. Sessions will delve deep into a wide spectrum of the hottest multidisciplinary themes, including fintech, embedded finance, AI/ML, ReFi, DeFi, GreenFi, GameFi, crypto, DAOs, alternative assets and funding sources, lending, cyber security, decentralization and privacy, digital identity and payments.
As a tech and channel agnostic event, attendees will have the rare opportunity to interact with the who’s who of Canadian fintech and funding all under one umbrella, and build a robust educational foundation by learning directly from pioneers and industry veterans across the latest financial technologies, investment approaches, emerging regulations and best practices.
At the heart of proceedings, the event will feature a packed-roster of over 50 renowned speakers such as James Wallace, Chairman, DIGTL; Alex Tapscott, Co-founder, Author, VC, Blockchain Research Institute; King Leung, Head of Fintech, Invest Hong Kong; Sharon Karuga Kinyanjui, EMEA Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa, WorldRemit; Pam Draper, President & CEO, Bitvo; and Shidan Gouran, Executive Chairman, Bluesphere Ventures.
Highly engaging sessions will be presented through a variety of precisely catered formats, including open discussions, deep dives, inspiring keynotes, expert interviews, intimate fireside chats, wide-ranging debates, and dedicated breakout streams.
With each format optimized for business efficiency and durable rapport-building, attendees will be privy to key insights and real-time strategies to strengthen the intrinsic value of their businesses, absorb lessons from innovative ventures and participate in prime networking events with myriad stakeholders. This forum will also facilitate the launching and scaling-up of fintechs, as well as exploration of strategies to future-proof businesses in turbulent economic conditions.
See: Canada’s Open Banking Journey: Taking inspiration from Australia’s Consumer Data Right with Kate O’Rourke, Treasury’s First Assistant Secretary for the CDR
Inspired by sports league drafts, the annual FFCON Fintech Draft will provide a unique platform for growth-oriented fintech startups and scaleups to be reviewed by expert scouts, while offering senior management with invaluable exposure to investors, media, prospective buyers and partners, as well as the chance to win exciting prizes.
Via tailored e-booths, participating companies will also showcase state-of-the-art product and service innovations to an audience of highly connected and industry-savvy attendees. The event offers a great low-cost exhibitor opportunity to drive recognition, connect with potential investors, collaborate with prospective mentors or even identify that next key employee who will prove pivotal to growth.
FFCON23: REGEN is a must-attend event that will pave the way to craft new ventures, drive growth and leave attendees inspired to take the next big step. By networking with Toronto’s foremost investors and business people, attendees will foster lasting relationships with key stakeholders and explore potential synergies to commercialize the next great fintech and funding ventures. The event series is at the cutting-edge of promoting vital industry education and high-powered networking. Each event presents limitless learning and partnership opportunities with diverse parties, including specialist investors, key influencers, well-established industry networks, exciting startup founders, leading regulatory bodies and influential economic development agencies.
To register and explore different ticket options, visit https://fintechandfunding.com/tickets/
To view the detailed agenda, visit https://fintechandfunding.com/ffcon23_program/
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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Brookings Event Jan 17, 2023: When Financial Institutions Become “Too Big to Manage’ (or Fail)
Brookings | Jan 6, 2023
On January 17, 2023 Brooking's event will feature remarks from Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu on regulating management of large financial institutions.
Following the keynote, a panel of experts featuring Doug Elliot, partner at Oliver Wyman; Susan Ochs, senior fellow at the New America Foundation and founder of the Better Banking Program at the Aspen Institute; and Ron Feldman, vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will engage more deeply in these topics.
Event Overview
Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST
- When financial institutions become “too big to fail,” insolvent or illiquid organizations are allowed to continue operations at the expense of individuals.
Much law, policy, scholarship, and regulation has addressed this issue, but what if the institutional problems are a function of organization and management, not capital and illiquidity?
See: Top Economist says Headed for a ‘Profound Economic and Financial Shift’
What is the role of financial regulators in overseeing the management and operations of the organizations they regulate?
How can our financial system remain resilient while allowing private financial institutions latitude to make managerial and organizational decisions that carry risk, reward, and are necessary to sustain the flow of financial opportunity our society requires?
Register for this online or in-person event --> 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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Dec 15, 2022: Techstars Toronto Winter 2022 Demo Day
Techstars Toronto | Sunil Sharma | Dec 7, 2022
We are excited to invite you to Techstars Toronto's seventh Demo Day Showcase! Join us on December 15th at 12:00 PM EST to meet the 12 companies graduating from the 2022 Winter Cohort.
This Demo Day Showcase will give the investor community a look at 12 companies poised to disrupt industries and change the world through their technology. With our incredible network of mentors, investors, and partners across Canada already in place, Techstars Toronto sets out to bring the world’s best to Canada.
This class spans from Canada to Africa. Investors take note, these companies mean business. Their traction and team size are seldom seen at this early stage, and their valuations are starting to soar, and surpassing a combined $100M USD already, which we believe is just the start.
Techstars Toronto Winter 2022 Demo Day
Dec 15th 12:00pm — 1:00pm EST
Register for this online event
Learn more about each of our 12 companies:
Raenest - Modern financial management tool for African remote workforce talent and global businesses.
Fez - Perfecting the last mile, one delivery at a time.
Renda - Providing fulfillment and logistics infrastructure that enables and empowers E-Commerce businesses to process large-volume orders across Africa.
Simpu - A unified customer communication & precision marketing platform for businesses.
Klas - An all-in-one platform for live learning.
StageKeep - A collaborative tool for creators to easily manage, design, and review the pre-production logistics, rehearsals, and videos for performance productions saving stakeholders time and money.
Ever.ca - Reimagining Financial Services for Canadians.
LaborHack - A captive marketplace connecting artisans to certifications and jobs as well as laddered services including payments, savings, micro-credit, and micro health insurance.
Mamy Eyewear - Building the future of eyewear in Africa through powerful brands and tech.
Glover Technologies - The Leading Digital Assets Marketplace Providing Seamless Opportunities For Africans.
Speak Ai - Turn your language data into insights – fast and with no code.
GIGXPAD - An African financial asset platform that focuses on simplifying the processes of saving, investing, and spending value globally.
Register for the event --> Now
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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