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Yale University Investing in 400 Million Cryptocurrency Fund

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Yale University Investing in $400 Million Cryptocurrency Fund

More Institutional Money Could Be on the Horizon

Cryptocurrency, Investing–Yale, one of the most prestigious Ivy League universities in the United States, is reportedly apart of the investment group that is helping to raise $400 million for a massive new cryptocurrency fund.

According to a report by Bloomberg published on Friday with information supplied from an anonymous source familiar with the situation, the university is trying its hand in cryptocurrency via the fund ‘Paradigm,’ which is reported to be helmed by Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, Charles Noyes of Pantera capital, and former Sequoia Capital partner Matt Huang. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported on the departure of Huang from Sequoia, making the move in order to join with Ehrsam in the creation of the new fund.

While this has been the first reported time that Yale has invested into cryptocurrencies on such a massive scale, the school has had its influence felt in a number of different industries, from Puerto Rican bonds to timber in New Hampshire, as reported by Bloomberg. Among the more interesting details listed in the report is the finding that Yale’s $30 billion endowment–the second largest among U.S. educational institutions–has earmarked a whopping 60 percent of its investment capital in 2019 for “alternative investments” which includes, among other things, “venture capital, hedge funds and leverage buyouts.” Added to the list now appears to be cryptocurrency, with a potential for other blockchain enterprises and even promising initial coin offerings (ICOs).

For now, the fund being led by Ehrsam is planning to invest in early stage cryptocurrency-based projects, novel blockchain designs and digital asset exchanges. Given the timing of the report, which comes just days after Coinbase was valuated at a colossal $8 billion–which would make the company one of the most valuable U.S. startups–the landscape of cryptocurrency exchanges appears to be immensely profitable and largely untapped. Earlier in the year, BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo became the youngest self-made billionaire in the history of the United Kingdom. Changpeng Zhao, the active CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, announced that his company was on pace to eclipse $1 billion in profits by the end of 2018, despite it being an abysmal year for the valuation of the crypto markets.

Bloomberg points out that Yale’s $30 billion endowment, managed by David Swensen, is one of the few institutional investors to move into cryptocurrency this year, as the entire market finds itself in a bear cycle that has seen value plummet from the last all time high. Despite the opportunity and overnight fortunes that have characterized much of the last several years for cryptocurrency, institutional investors, on a whole, have been reluctant to put capital in to the markets to the degree that most current investors are anticipating.

The common refrain of “institutional money” is coming will not only signal legitimate interest in both the market and technology of cryptocurrency, but provide a much needed boost to alleviate the ongoing price bleed. Previous analysts, including the Bloomberg article on Yale, have cited a lack of regulation and the potential for widespread market manipulation as the primary deterrent for investing in cryptocurrency. However, with an investor as large and prestigious as Yale, commanding $30 billion in endowment, crypto-based funds might garner more interest even in the absence of a Bitcoin exchange traded fund being approved by the SEC.

Article written by Michael Laverne

Article originally posted on Ethereumworldnews.com

Posted by: Jeffrey Sloe, http://markethive.com/jeffreysloe

From Crimefighter to ‘Crypto’: Meet the Woman in Charge of Venture Capital’s Biggest Gamble

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From Crimefighter to 'Crypto': Meet the Woman in Charge of Venture Capital’s Biggest Gamble

Kathryn Haun was the Justice Department's go-to prosecutor for Bitcoin-related felonies. Now she's one of cryptocurrency's most important investors. Here's why her career change is a watershed moment.

Debate

“Let’s settle this!” an announcer rumbles over loudspeakers.

The “this” in question is one of the more important business disputes of the moment: Are alternative currencies like Bitcoin the future of financial services or a 21st-century Ponzi scheme? To get resolution, a Mexican data center company called KIO Networks is hosting a debate in a smoke-filled arena in the graffiti-coated Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City. The atmosphere screams lucha libre, the stylized form of Mexican wrestling that features acrobatic moves and dramatic masks.

On this late-September evening, the main event features two intellectual heavyweights from the United States, both highly credentialed, neither wearing disguises. In one corner is Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist and Nobel laureate in economics. In the other is Kathryn Haun, an accomplished federal prosecutor recently turned venture capitalist.

Krugman’s position is predictable. He sees the rise of cryptocurrency networks—decentralized digital services that run on computerized money like Bitcoin—as an unnecessary throwback to a distant era, when precious metals made up the money supply. “I don’t believe we’re at the dawn of a new age,” he says. He delivers a smackdown on an investment craze that the likes of Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett have repeatedly pooh-poohed: “I think 15 years from now, it will look a lot like Pets.com.”

Haun sees things differently. To her, virtual currencies and the technologies that underpin them are society’s saviors: a last great hope at reclaiming power gobbled up by greedy banks and Internet monopolists. “Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, they control all the rules,” she says. “They have all the users. They have all the power.” The new technology, Haun argues, allows eager, entrepreneurial developers to compete. She throws her weight behind the democratizing dream of the new technology’s acolytes.

Photo by Christie Hemm Klok for Fortune

Cryptocurrency is “in the dial-up days,” says Haun, “and the critics are confusing the current state of innovation with the end state of innovation.”

Haun largely wins over the crowd, a collection of the megalopolis’s tech elite. And they like her visuals too. At the outset of her talk, five giant screens project the mug shots of corrupt U.S. law-enforcement officials she convicted in her previous career. But the audience isn’t enamored of Haun merely because she once was the sheriff in the Wild West of “crypto.” She excites them because now she’s joined their side. As one of the newest partners of the estimable Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Haun’s job is to find the next big thing in cryptocurrencies—and to help their founders succeed while staying on the right side of the law.

Haun is making her career shift at a precarious time. Cryptocurrency markets have been in free fall all year. A global speculative mania for virtual coins that sent valuations above $800 billion in January has dwindled to $200 billion. Bitcoin has lost two-thirds of its value, and Ethereum, the second-biggest cryptocurrency, is down 90%.

Haun and her new partners are undaunted. Investment crazes often spawn bubbles. But what’s left after they pop, if the true believers are right, are new industries. Firm cofounder Marc Andreessen, after all, parlayed his work developing the first commercial browser into Netscape, the flawed startup that helped beget the World Wide Web—and many billions of dollars in investment returns for the Internet industry. Haun also is unfazed by her lack of professional investing experience. “For entrepreneurs to want to work with you, they need to think you have some strategic vision, some hustle, and an ability to get the job done,” she says. These are the same skills, she posits, that a prosecutor needs to persuade FBI agents and others to work with them.

Bridging worlds, then, is one of Haun’s chief attributes. “She has this rare blend of having been in government and having a business-centric mind,” says David Marcus, a senior Facebook executive who sat on a corporate board with Haun. Adds Anthony Kennedy, the newly retired associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, for whom Haun clerked: “I’m quite reassured that someone with her talents and background would go into this new area.” Her involvement “is a tremendously important link between the law and the cyber age. And she recognizes that.”

A version of this article appears in the Oct. 1, 2018 issue of Fortune with the headline “Jumping The Fence.”

This is just an excerpt; the complete article can be read on Fortune.com. 

ARTICLE written by Robert Hackett 

Posted by: Jeffrey Sloe

Ripple Leads Coallition To Hire Lobby Firm To Promote Friendly Crypto Policies

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Ripple Leads Coallition To Hire Lobby Firm To Promote Friendly Crypto Policies

A significant group of fintechs and businesses related to the industry of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies have decided to start a campaign to promote a legal space that is favorable for the development of the crypto-ecosystem.

According to Bloomberg these companies don’t not go by the wayside, and instead of the traditional awareness and promotion campaigns, the group has decided to hire the services of a major law firm to take the fight directly to the legal field.

The group of companies calls itself the “Securing America’s Internet of Value Coalition” and is currently formed by Ripple Labs, the independent foundation Ripple Works, Coil – a fintech that seeks to facilitate payments in the entertainment and digital content industry, Hard Yaka – a firm with large sums of money invested in digital assets – and PolySign – a startup that seeks to provide crypto custody services.

Chris Larsen, executive chairman of Ripple, said in recent months there has been a growing interest on the part of regulatory bodies and lobbies in general towards the issue of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies:

“We understand this is really complicated, and there is a lot of misinformation out there … The good news is there is a lot of interest in this topic in D.C.” – Chris Larson

Ripple and Klein/Johnson Group: Bringing Together Laws and Cryptocurrencies

It is also important to note that the coalition has hired the services of Klein/Johnson Group, a “bipartisan lobbying and public policy firm” that in recent years has been working to provide advice on financial and technological services.

Ripple is until now the visible head of the group. The success of its payment solutions has made its XRP token the third most important cryptocurrency in the global market cap.

Ripple’s presence is especially crucial as the Coalition is investing a large amount of money in its mission. According to the report, Klein/Johnson will receive a monthly sum of 25,000 USD plus 10,000 XRP, which will be declared as cash at the time of disclosing the payments received.

In this regard, Chris Larsen, explains that this seeks to generate greater interest on the part of the firm, bringing them a little closer to the ecosystem:

“It gives them some upside and gives them some risk … Hopefully, it gives them a taste of the industry in a way that hits home.” – Chris larson

The coalition has good expectations, especially now that the changes of commissioners within the SEC have helped the organization have a more positive view on the issue of cryptocurrencies, especially regarding the so expected Bitcoin ETFs.

ARTICLE Written by Jose Antonio Lanz and posted on Ethereum World News' website

Posted by: Jeffrey Sloe

Colorado State Cracks Down on Unregulated Cryptocurrency Businesses

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Colorado State Cracks Down on Unregulated Cryptocurrency Businesses

Colorado's state Division of Securities issued a cessation order to four cryptocurrency firms for issuing unregistered securities through Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). So far, the state's Securities Commissioner has issued cease and desist orders to twelve ICOs for the same offense.

Four Cryptocurrency Companies Ordered to Stop Unregistered ICOs

According to a publication on the regulator's website, the State's Division of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) instituted an “ICO Task Force” in May to probe possible fraudulent projects aimed at cryptocurrency investors. These recent orders issued to Bitcoin Investments, Limited, Prisma, PinkDate, and Clear Shop Vision Limited are based on the findings of the ICO Task Force.

The four firms are allegedly offering unregistered securities to citizens of the state. In the publication, the securities regulator highlights the alleged fraudulent activities of the four companies.

The Division alleges that the companies offer an unrealistic return on investments ranging from 27% to 95%. Through their separate ICOs namely DB Token ICO (Bitcoin Investments, Ltd), PinkDate ICO, Prismacoin, and ORC Token (Clear Shop Vision Ltd), these companies solicited investment from Colorado citizens despite not being registered with the State's Division of Security.

Bitcoin Investments, Ltd allegedly offers 1% daily returns on investment. The company also claims that in 2017 investors received an average of 95% return on their registered investments.

PinkDate allegedly sought to raise $5 million through the sale of its cryptocurrency. The company did not disclose its business address or employees.

In the case of Prisma, the company purportedly operated an arbitrage and lending platform. Investors had to buy the company's virtual currency – PrismaCoin to use the platform. The firm promises investors returns of up to 27%.

For Clear Shop Vision, the division claims that the company has issued three unregistered ICOs since June.

On receipt of the orders, the cryptocurrency companies are to immediately stop all operations that violate the state's Securities Act, including fraud and issuing unregistered securities.

State Regulatory Agencies Tackle Fraudulent Cryptocurrency Activities

On the Federal level, the US SEC is not stepping down its enforcement efforts against illegal cryptocurrency schemes. State securities regulatory agencies are also making efforts to protect their citizens against fraudulent cryptocurrency investments.

Earlier in the week, the Texas State Securities Board filed a cease and desist order against AWS Mining company for allegedly selling unregistered securities. According to the regulator, the mining company promised investors a 200% return on funds invested in cryptocurrency mining power contracts.

In October, the Commissioner of North Dakota's Securities Department issued a cease and desist order against Crystal Token, Advertiza Holdings (Pty) Ltd, and Life Cross Coin. These three virtual currency firms allegedly offered fraudulent and unregistered securities through Initial Coin Offerings.

Image courtesy CBS Denver.

Original article posted on Ethereum World News and written by Osato-Avan-Nomayo

Posted on Markethive by Jeffrey Sloe

Paying with Bitcoin: What You Need to Know

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Paying with Bitcoin: What You Need to Know


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Cryptocurrency, especially Bitcoin, continues to rise in popularity despite its value’s volatility recently; and if you are looking to use bitcoin to pay for things, you have to take due diligence in knowing how to do it, where you can spend bitcoins, and what the risks and advantages are.

How do you pay with bitcoin?

First, you need a bitcoin wallet. There are free bitcoin wallets available for smartphones and all major operating systems. Just like with a physical wallet, you must always secure it – this means being careful with online services, putting backup and encryption, and putting just small amounts in it for everyday use.

What are the advantages?

  • Anonymity. Your purchases are discrete with bitcoin, which means they are never associated with your personal identity. In fact, the bitcoin address generated is different for every purchase you make.
  • Low Transaction Fees. Since there is still no government involvement in bitcoin transactions at this point, the costs of transacting are very low.
  • Mobile. Since paying with bitcoin can be done using an app on your mobile phone, you can pay for our purchases anywhere you are as long as you have internet access.
  • No interruptions. Since the bitcoin system is purely peer-to-peer, it is void of involvement of banks, financial institutions, and the government.
  • No Sales Taxes. One major advantage of paying with bitcoin is that no sales taxes are added in your purchases since there are no third parties identify or track them.

What are the risks?

One thing that you need to understand is that bitcoin, no matter how popular it has become at this point, is still experimental. Getting into bitcoin now can mean that you have to deal with the growing pains as it still at the stage in which it is still improving and such improvements may bring about new challenges.

Bitcoin price very volatile. You should look at bitcoin as a high risk asset and you must not keep your savings with bitcoin at this point.

You must adopt good practices in protecting your privacy as bitcoin is not entirely anonymous. Your identity behind the bitcoin address you’re using may be anonymous, but transactions and balances in your address can be seen by anyone.

Bitcoin payments cannot be reversed, so only transact with people you trust and business that have already established their reputation. Beware of scams, fake ICOS, and fraudulent activities.

Contact us at Hogan Injury for expert legal advice.

None of the content on Hoganinjury.com is legal advice nor is it a replacement for advice from a certified lawyer. Please consult a legal professional for further information.

Original article posted on Hogan Injury Website.

Syndicated article, by permission, posted on Markethive, by Jeffrey Sloe