Despite the recent SEC decision to not approve the Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF, I believe that the time is almost right for approval of such products.  There is, however, at least one structural impediment that should be addressed first:  Crypto exchanges should allow the unfettered ability for data providers to consolidate and redistribute quote information. There … Continue reading If Crypto Exchanges want approval of a Bitcoin ETF, they need to make some changes…

With the creation of the HoweyCoins website, the SEC proved both that they have a sense of humor AND that they understand many of the issues surrounding crypto-asset issuance.  Now comes the hard part, however, which will be to provide companies and/or distributed projects with clarity on how they can issue crypto-assets to the public.   … Continue reading The HoweyCoins satire was great, but clarity on policy would be better…

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman! In this famous preamble to the original TV show, it was clear that average citizens didn’t know what to make of a costumed … Continue reading It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, No it’s BITCOIN!

After 30+ years of Wall St experience, I took the plunge into crypto last year to start CoinRoutes with my son (his idea & code) to automate crypto trading across exchanges and help investors navigate a fragmented market.  As we have progressed, I have been struck by the different perspectives of the crypto community vis … Continue reading Crypto Confusion, Wall Street Delusion

Earlier this week, Ian Weisberger, Co Founder of CoinRoutes, presented the following to the Alpha Kappa Psi chapter at UC Berkeley: [CoinRoutes] Alpha Kappa Psi (1) The presentation covers the basics of market structure and demonstrates, with data from CoinRoutes, how the market has evolved over the past several months.  

I was reminded, earlier this week, when reading about major crypto “exchange” proposing the creation of a crypto-asset SRO, of the famous proverb:  Be careful what you ask for, for if you are not, you shall receive it… I think there is a lot of merit in the idea of creating a new “Crypto” SRO, … Continue reading New Crypto SRO? Be Careful What You Ask For…

Today’s open letter from the SEC to investors and platforms “that refer to themselves as “exchanges”” is an important step for them to push the crypto markets towards maturation.  While stopping short of immediate enforcement actions, it is clear that the SEC is pushing hard towards a more regulated and stable secondary market for trading … Continue reading The SEC Weighs in on Secondary Crypto Markets