Can the Crypto Rating Council, Like, Explain Its Ratings System?

Is it the Facebook effect or teen slang?   “Likes” are slowly but surely wending their way into the crypto ecosystem. VanEck released a “Bitcoin ETF-like” fund recently. In partnership with other exchanges and crypto firms, Coinbase launched a token ratings system with several like-minded criteria. Consider the “investment-like language” criteria. Or, the “securities-like language”… Read More Can the Crypto Rating Council, Like, Explain Its Ratings System?

What Do the Latest SEC Settlements Mean For Crypto Startups?

In the tech industry, it is common for startups to ask for forgiveness and not permission from regulators. The basic idea is to gain user traction or launch a product quickly before building a case for it with regulators. The latest batch of SEC settlements with crypto startups illustrates the effectiveness of this strategy. In… Read More What Do the Latest SEC Settlements Mean For Crypto Startups?

This is More of a Re-launch: A Conversation with Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto About Gemini’s Custody Solution

New York-based cryptocurrency exchange Gemini launched a custody solution aimed at institutional investors yesterday. Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto, Managing Director of Operations at Gemini, says the launch is more of a re-launch of their previous custody solution and an extension of their product and feature set. In this edited interview, she discusses the solution and how it… Read More This is More of a Re-launch: A Conversation with Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto About Gemini’s Custody Solution

The Fallacies of Using Developer Activity to Value Cryptocurrencies

Can you value a company’s stock based on its employee count? In conventional valuation theory, such a metric might be heresy. But the idea is taking holding within the cryptoasset ecosystem. The haphazard and volatile price swings of cryptoassets has left most analysts and commentators scratching their heads to come up with suitable metrics to… Read More The Fallacies of Using Developer Activity to Value Cryptocurrencies

Four Interesting Takeaways From Crypto Miner Hut 8’s Earnings

For an asset class that claims to empower retail investors, cryptocurrencies can be incredibly opaque. The complex and self-involved techno-babble of entrepreneurs and CEOs can easily overwhelm and confuse investors. The scrutiny of public markets provides clarity and a necessary corrective. That is why Canadian crypto mining company Hut 8’s second quarter results recently are… Read More Four Interesting Takeaways From Crypto Miner Hut 8’s Earnings

The Challenges of Auditing Crypto: Grant Thornton Edition

Even as they have gained traction as investment instruments, cryptocurrencies still have several problem areas in their ecosystem. The transparency of blockchain transactions is negated by their complexity and nascence of the underlying technology. For investment firms and financial services companies, new technologies can be problematic because they affect trust and compliance. Chicago-based accounting firm… Read More The Challenges of Auditing Crypto: Grant Thornton Edition