Stricter regulations are coming for new digital currencies in Australia
The Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) has released a guidance paper on the regulatory framework for initial coin offerings (ICOs) in Australia. “ICOs generally operate by allowing investors to use cryptocurrency (such as bitcoin) to purchase coins via the internet for a set period of time,” ASIC said. “The ICOs are often global offerings which can be created anonymously and/or accepted anonymously.” The paper clarifies what type of ICOs would be regarded as a Managed Investment Scheme (MIS), and therefore subject to the Corporations Act. Here’s ASIC on what constitutes an MIS: A managed investment scheme (MIS) is defined within the Corporations Act. Basic indicators of whether an arrangement […]
Bitcoin ‘more than just a fad,’ Morgan Stanley CEO says
Not every Wall Street bank chief is bearish on bitcoin. Morgan Stanley Chief Executive Officer James Gorman takes a more measured view on the cryptocurrency than crosstown rival Jamie Dimon, the JPMorgan Chase & Co. head who earlier this month called it “a fraud” that’s in a speculative bubble worse than tulip bulbs. Bitcoin is “certainly something more than just a fad,” Gorman said Wednesday at an event held by the Wall Street Journal. “The concept of anonymous currency is a very interesting concept — interesting for the privacy protections it gives people, interesting because what it says to the central banking system about controlling that.” The digital currency has […]
‘Robo-adviser’ makes it onto Oxford Dictionaries website
Automated and artificial intelligence-based propositions across the sector will be delighted to see the term ‘robo-adviser’ has made it onto the Oxford Dictionary’s website. A ‘robo-adviser’ (noun) has been defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “an online application that provides automated financial guidance and services”, while the example sentence reads: “a robo-adviser programmed to build wealth over a decade”. The website focuses on current language and practical usage and frequently updates the latest popular words. Please click on the link below to read more…. Source: ‘Robo-adviser’ makes it onto Oxford Dictionaries website – Professional Adviser
Nothing to fear from robo-advice: Magellan
Hamish Douglass believes financial advisers should not fear robo-advice in an era where artificial intelligence and big data can dominate discussion.
Why China’s ban on Bitcoin may be temporary
China’s ban on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may be temporary, to appease international agencies and hardcore communist members ahead of the upcoming Communist Party convention. China’s big government and banks cannot tolerate Bitcoin. It threatens their very existence, as it was previously written in a piece here. That’s in the long term, though, when Bitcoin has the potential to replace the yuan in everyday transactions, and as a monetary asset. At present and in the immediate future, however, the size of the Bitcoin economy is far too small to be a real threat to the Beijing government and the banking system it owns and manages. That’s why something else must […]
Lindsay Tanner, ex-Sydney Swan Ted Richards at Six Park
It would not ordinarily be assumed that former Rudd and Gillard finance minister Lindsay Tanner, and former Sydney Swans AFL star Ted Richards, have much in common, but both have graduated from being heavyweights in their respective fields to unlikely employees at a young fintech start-up, Six Park. The Melbourne-based robo-advice company is plotting to undercut the banks and other rivals through lower fees and smarter financial advice, and is building out a powerhouse team — and app — to do it. It aims to add a human touch to automated elements through an advisory board that supervises the investments. “I’ve never been in a start-up before, but it’s a […]
IRESS invests in leading Australian RegTech Lucsan
Australian technology leaders, IRESS and Lucsan, today announced a partnership that will accelerate the application of RegTech in the financial services landscape. IRESS is making an equity investment in Lucsan: an established, Australian-owned RegTech and data analytics company providing leading technology solutions to a wide range of companies, including Australia’s major banks. Lucsan’s vision is to help financial institutions proactively reduce the ongoing cost of compliance and implement improved practices with its RegTech solutions. The minority equity position will support Lucsan’s own growth strategy as it focuses on expanding its business in Australia and more broadly into international markets. Equity investments by IRESS IRESS was founded in Melbourne in […]
Acorns Australia chief George Lucas on the challenges facing Aussie fintechs, and the future of the industry
Since launching its fintech offerings early last year, Acorns Australia has been embraced by consumers looking for alternatives to traditional financial institutions, but its chief executive and director George Lucas says Australia still has a way to go to improve innovation and support for startups in the space. Acorns is an app that allows users to invest their spare change in five diversified investment portfolios by automatically ’rounding up’ leftovers from small transactions like daily coffee purchases, incrementally investing these roundups and allowing users to track the performance of their portfolios. Acorns Australia was founded in 2015 as a joint venture with Lucas’ company, Instreet Investment Limited and US fintech […]
