Jim Stone

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reportedly started investigating cryptocurrency venture capital firms for potentially functioning as unregistered securities dealers and allegedly violating securities laws, per BlockTower Capital chief investment officer and founder Ari Paul. The recent development comes after the SEC took legal action against major crypto exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance for offering unregistered securities to investors. The SEC is investigating whether crypto projects sold tokens to VCs at significantly discounted rates before their official launch in the hopes that the VC firms would promote the tokens to their investors. Paul suggests that VCs engaging in promotional activities for discounted tokens could be viewed as acting as securities dealers or even "pump-and-dumpers." The SEC has recently broadened the focus of its investigation to include DeFi applications and other industry participants, including Robinhood, Consensys, and Uniswap. The latest move suggests that the SEC is intensifying its regulatory battle against the crypto industry, with the agency maintaining that cryptocurrencies fall under existing securities laws.

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Internet Of Things Capital Raises in the U.S. - August 26th-September 1st, 2024 The Internet Of Things sector has seen decent activity this past week, with several companies securing substantial funding to drive innovation. If you would like more info on these deals or would like to discuss the capital raising market for your company, please contact me. Merger/Acquisition and Corporate 1. Brilliant, specializing in home automation devices and located in San Mateo, California, was acquired by Almeida Strategic Investments and Cullinan Holdings. Seed Round, Angel and Grant 2. ApiJet, an aircraft data analysis company in Seattle, Washington, received a $4.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration. 3. Anatomy Mapper, located in Holland, Ohio, and specializing in AI technology for anatomical imaging, received a $0.39 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 4. Atym, an AI-driven software company in San Francisco, California, raised $3.7 million in seed funding to enhance its anomaly detection platform. (Investors: Bee Partners, Chevron, Dolby Family Ventures) 5. Medsense Health, focused on digital healthcare enterprise systems and based in Tacoma, Washington, secured $1 million in seed funding to advance its clinical staff management solutions. (Lead Investor: HealthX Ventures)   #castleplacement #capitalraising #privateequity #venturecapital #investment #iotv #internetofthings

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BTC Nashville 2024 in a word...Enlightening!! If you're an Accredited Investor and recognize the need to participate in bitcoin, but are wary of a direct investment in BTC, SOVRN CAPITAL has launched "Digital Midstream Genesis". LP with all the benefits of RE, Equip Financing and Energy Arbitrage + the upside of bitcoin. SOVRN is making it easy to capitalize on this asset class while still investing in what got you here. DM me for info.

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📈🏢 Aby Rosen's RFR Holding is facing a staggering $2.5B debt bill as defaults pile up! 💥 🔎 According to a recent Bisnow article, RFR Holding, a prominent NYC real estate firm, is grappling with mounting debt and defaults. The company, led by billionaire Aby Rosen, has a portfolio of high-profile properties, including the iconic Seagram Building and Lever House. 🏢🏦 📊 The firm's debt load has surged to a whopping $2.5B, with $1.1B in loans maturing this year alone. 💸 The pandemic has hit the commercial real estate market hard, causing defaults to skyrocket. RFR Holding is no exception, with defaults on several properties, including the $200M mortgage on the Seagram Building. 📉 🗣️ "The pandemic has created a perfect storm for commercial real estate," said one industry expert. "Companies like RFR Holding are facing unprecedented challenges as they navigate this difficult time." 🌪️ 🔜 So, what's next for RFR Holding? The company is reportedly exploring options to refinance its debt and avoid further defaults. 💡 With the commercial real estate market showing signs of recovery, there's hope that RFR Holding can weather this storm. 🌞 Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story! 📰🔔 #RFRHolding #CommercialRealEstate #Debt #Defaults #NYCRealEstate

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With news of HPS Investment Partners, LLC discussing a prospective IPO, which alternative asset managers are next in line to cross the chasm to public markets? In this week's Alt Goes Mainstream AGM Alts Weekly, I highlight some of the attributes that indicate that an alternative asset manager could be on the path to a public offering and share a list of some that could go public. Silver Lake Vista Equity Partners Clearlake Capital Group General Atlantic Warburg Pincus LLC Ardian Bain Capital HarbourVest Partners Hellman & Friedman Thoma Bravo Advent International Insight Partners Clayton Dubilier & Rice Who is next in line for an IPO? Read this week's AGM Weekly brought to you by Intapp (Intapp DealCloud ) for thoughts on how firms can go public: https://lnkd.in/eVrveeEt

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Seale & Associates, Inc. publishes the April 2024 M&A report for the U.S.   The month of April saw a significant shift in the mergers and acquisitions market in the U.S. Despite the challenges, the market remained resilient, and a total of 1,042 transactions were announced within the country. This is a 6.9% increase compared to the same period last year. However, 149 transactions were carried out abroad, indicating a 1.3% decrease from the previous year. The report features notable companies such as Vista Equity Partners, Kimberly-Clark, and Ecolab, among others, which shows the continued potential in the market.   If you are interested in receiving this exclusive monthly report or any of our industry reports, kindly subscribe at https://lnkd.in/gExMnuBz. Stay ahead of the competition with our detailed analysis and insights.   #MergersAndAcquisitions #BusinessReports #MarketTrends #USMarket #FinanceInsights #IndustryAnalysis #SealeAndAssociates #FinancialReports #CorporateTransactions #USCompanies

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The bankruptcy of Synapse, where $100 million of customer funds is missing, raises serious concerns about bank-fintech partnerships and the need for rigorous due diligence. This situation underscores the immediate need for banks to reassess their partnerships and prioritize consumer protection. Stricter regulations and enhanced oversight could become the norm, ensuring only fintechs that can withstand scrutiny will thrive in the financial ecosystem. #Fintech #AI

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