Tag Archives: Crowdfunding

Service Providers

ICO’s – The New Crowdfunding Platform: Caution, Speedbump Ahead.

As reported by the Globe and Mail on October 23 2017, the Ontario Securities Commission (“OSC”) has approved an Initial Coin Offering (“ICO”), to TokenFunder, representing its first foray into the land of crypto crowdfunding.  Responding to the markets appetite for ICO based financing, and the inherent need to develop a regulatory framework within which they will operate, the Canadian Securities Administrators has instituted a twelve month exemption to TokenFunder from the requirement to register as a securities dealer.

This funding platform is not without risk.  The underlying cryptocurrencies issued in conjunction with ICO’s may not be classified as securities. They do not convey ownership rights of a company, as is the case with the more traditional common shares, warrants, or other equity instruments.  Instead, they tend to carry with them access rights to a product or platform which has been or will be developed by the issuing company.  There is no guarantee the initiative(s) will ever be completed or commercially viable.  Furthermore, ICO’s remain in regulatory purgatory while governments, securities commissions and exchanges struggle to understand the ICO model and how best to fairly regulate it.

When a company undertakes to complete an ICO, it creates its own cryptocurrency and sells a portion of it under the terms of the ICO.  In a perfect situation, the company builds its platform, is commercially accepted, and demand for their digital currency surges, resulting in an appreciation of value for those holding their digital currency.

Cryptocurrencies are designed from the start to share some fundamental characteristics of precious metals.  After their initial issuance, the volume of additional cryptocurrency issued in a given series is structured to decline over time, creating what amounts to engineered scarcity.  This, coupled with potential success of the underlying platform which forms the basis of the ICO, can generate exponential growth in value of the cryptocurrency itself.

Perhaps the best known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, introduced January 3, 2009 demonstrates the pinnacle to which all ICO’s strive to achieve. As of November 7, 2017, each Bitcoin in circulation is valued at CAD$9,510 each, benefiting from a wildly successful platform, and engineered scarcity, coupled with worldwide acceptance as a conveyance and store of value.  It’s important to note, however, that Bitcoin was first on the scene in 2009, prior to the explosion of the ICO crowdfunding demand.  While Ontario has just now approved its first one, the number of ICO’s worldwide has exploded, showing no signs of slowing any time soon.   With so many cryptocurrencies and platforms emerging, it is uncertain what the impact on individual investors will be as engineered scarcity, one of the fundamental pillars of the cryptocurrency model, is challenged by an explosion of digital currency entrants.

Bitcoin now finds itself facing challenges as its own success has sparked scrutiny.  More and more, digital currencies are utilized as the monetary conveyance of choice for criminal activity.  Many countries have begun the process of formulating policy with respect to cryptocurrencies and ICO’s, with a few restricting or banning outright certain cryptocurrency or ICO activity. As these digital currencies exist outside the influence of governmental monetary policy with central banks unable to manage what may soon prove to be a significant element of the money supply, regulatory concern continues to mount.  Furthermore, with significant and rapid appreciation in value, comes the question of unsustainable demand, further strengthening the mandate of the regulators.

As the OSC blazes its path towards regulating ICO’s in Ontario, investors find themselves faced with opportunity and a degree of uncertainty as the nature and extent of these regulations are as yet unknown.

This story was written by Robert Suttie, Vice President of Marrelli Support Services Inc. and featured in Service Providers magazine.

Learn more about Marrelli at http://www.marrellisupport.ca// and on the CSE website at http://thecse.com/en/services/services-for-listed-companies/marrelli-support-services-inc

Industry Insights

Angels & Devils: The promise and pitfalls of crowdfunding for capital raising

The following views and opinions presented in this post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of CSE – Canadian Securities Exchange.

Crowdfunding conceptLove it or hate it, crowdfunding looks like it is here to stay. Although the debate on whether crowdfunding is ultimately beneficial or harmful is still ongoing, it appears that major stakeholders from investor groups to securities regulators are beginning to take the idea of crowd-sourced capital raising seriously.

Fairness is a Two-Way Street

Like most promising ideas, the devil, it seems, is in the details.

The spirit of crowdfunding espouses greater access to investing opportunities by smaller, non-accredited investors.  On the other hand, the rules currently in place are designed around curbing widespread participation in “risky” investments.

Striking a balance between investor participation and protection is no easy feat. This balancing act directly impacts industry’s ability to access capital while meeting disclosure requirements.

To be considered as an alternative to current methods of capital raising, crowdfunding needs to be in-line with existing controls on capital raising in a heavily regulated and highly structured capital market infrastructure. After all, the premise is that crowdfunding should increase the ‘fairness’ of market participation.  In the spirit of ‘fairness’ however, that should mean that crowdfunding doesn’t undermine the existing regulatory checks and balances put in place to protect both investors and industry.

Exactly how stakeholders will come to some consensus of balancing participation and protection is still being ironed out. One of the voices in the ongoing conversation about crowdfunding in Canada is the well-respected angel investor, Mike Volker.

A Moving Target

In a recent blog post – entitled “Crowdfunding = Going Public“, Volker presents a picture of an evolving capital-raising landscape in which crowdfunding will essentially mirror the existing landscape but in a much more fragmented way.

Volker’s article highlights the key issues confronting crowdfunding and makes several interesting points.

First, it simply is not fair to exclude investors based their economic standing (ie. the 99%), and that fundraising should be more democratic and inclusive of “non-accredited investors”. (Note the recently implemented “Existing Security Holder Exemption” is a step in the right direction).

In addition, Volker challenges the assertion that fraud is the bigger culprit for investors losing money, pointing instead to businesses failures that plague early stage companies. Simply put, the overriding risk that investors must take-on when making an investment in an early-stage company is that the company or idea simply won’t succeed.

Regardless of fairness or risk,  the main point Volker highlights is that capital is being left on the sidelines as a result of the current system. Non-accredited investors are being held out of the market, due to regulation, and not able to participate in the high-risk, high-reward investments extended to the “wealthy” 1%.

Crowdfunding Hurdles

Letting non-accredited investors participate in earlier stage deals is a key driver behind crowdfunding, but as Volker points out, implementation will be a challenge.

Three points in particular stand out:

  • Share registration and logistics of shareholder management;
  • Standardized continuous disclosure, and
  • Enabling liquidity for investors.

Volker tallies all of the above points and comes to the conclusion that innovations at the stock exchange level, similar to what the CSE has undertaken, could be a good answer to the questions that crowdfunding is trying to answer.

Specifically, with innovation, existing infrastructure can enable companies to efficiently raise growth capital from the public while enabling all investors with adequate, continuous disclosure within a regulatory framework that is fair to all parties involved.

Change is Inevitable

The writing on the wall is clear. There is an appetite by both investors and companies to connect and participate in capital flow in ways that the current system just isn’t providing. Whether this participation need is met by crowdfunding or via existing channels, it is clear that the angels and demons would be better served preparing for change rather than arguing over it.

To read Mike Volker’s full post, click here: http://mikevolker.com/crowdfunding-going-public/