Tag:licensing

1
High-Level Summary: Solving Common Failures in NFT Licensing
2
Hope for Regulatory Relief on the Horizon? State Regulators to Standardize Licensing Process for Money Transmitters
3
Financial Inclusion and Robust Regulation Are on the Table as OCC Pushes Ahead With Fintech Charter
4
Australian marketplace lending update
5
UK grants FinTech a banking licence – another tier of regulation?
6
I’m in FinTech. Do I Need an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL)?

High-Level Summary: Solving Common Failures in NFT Licensing

By Drew Hinkes, Elizabeth Thomsen, Josh Durham

As blockchain and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are still new technologies, their legal infrastructure is still developing, creating potential vulnerabilities. Three such vulnerabilities were exposed in our previous article, available here. We have now issued a follow-up Alert that explores solutions to such licensing failures.  This blog is a high-level summary;  the full alert can be found here.

Read More

Hope for Regulatory Relief on the Horizon? State Regulators to Standardize Licensing Process for Money Transmitters

By Eric A. Love and Judith Rinearson

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) recently announced that seven states, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, have agreed to a multi-state compact (the Compact) that will standardize certain aspects of the licensing process for money services businesses (MSBs).

Read More

Financial Inclusion and Robust Regulation Are on the Table as OCC Pushes Ahead With Fintech Charter

By Anthony Nolan, Judith Rinearson, Jeremy McLaughlin, and Eric Love

On March 15, 2017, the U.S. OCC issued a Draft Supplement to its Licensing Manual (Supplement) to progress its proposal to roll out a special purpose national bank (SPNB) charter for fintech companies.

The Supplement outlines the process by which a fintech company may apply for a SPNB charter, and the considerations the OCC will take into account when evaluating such applications. In addition, the Supplement reiterates the OCC’s determination that the SPNB charter would be “in the public interest” because it would provide “uniform standards and supervision,” “support[] the dual banking system,” promote “growth, modernization, and competition” in the financial system, and encourage fintech companies to “promote financial inclusion.”  It also makes clear the OCC’s determination to promote financial inclusion and to rebut criticisms that the SPNB charter would represent a light touch regulatory regime.  The SPNB is not a ‘bank-lite’ charter; an “applicant that receives OCC approval for a charter becomes a national bank subject to the laws, regulations, and federal supervision that apply to all national banks.”

Comments on the Supplement are due by April 14, 2017. Because the Supplement represents a significant step forward in the OCC’s push for a fintech charter, we expect that there will be many commenters.  Even before the OCC’s issuance of the Supplement, the proposed charter garnered substantial interest from key Members of Congress, state regulators, industry groups, and other stakeholders.  For a more detailed analysis of the Supplement, see our Legal Insight here.

Australian marketplace lending update

By Jim Bulling and Michelle Chasser

In a recent report on licensing applications the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) revealed that it has granted 7 Australian financial services licences (AFSL) and 3 Australian credit licences to marketplace lenders between January and June 2016. A further 3 AFSL applications are currently being considered. Previously, 6 licenses were granted between 1 July 2015 and 31 December 2015. This indicates that the number of entrants to the Australian market continues to grow.

Unlike other jurisdictions such as New Zealand, Australia does not have specific marketplace lending legislation. Marketplace lenders have had to adapt to fit within the existing financial services framework. There are a number of business models that can be used to facilitate marketplace lending.

Read More

UK grants FinTech a banking licence – another tier of regulation?

By Jim Bulling and Michelle Chasser

Has the age of the digital bank arrived in the UK? Following the authorisation of Atom Bank last year, 3 additional digital banks have been issued with banking licences by the UK Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) since May 2016.

These new licensees are the result of the PRA’s focus in recent years on lowering the barriers to entry for new banks and promote competition in the UK. As part of this focus, in 2013, PRA lowered the initial minimum capital requirements for Small Specialist Bank applicants to €1 million or £1 million (whichever is higher), plus a capital planning buffer (CPB). PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also launched a New Bank Start-up Unit in January 2016 to assist applicants with the authorisation process. Read More

I’m in FinTech. Do I Need an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL)?

By Jim Bulling and Daniel Knight

For fintech startups looking to operate in Australia, the hurdle of obtaining an AFSL is often daunting. An AFSL application can be expensive and time consuming but it’s rarely necessary to obtain an AFSL from day one. Whether it’s through an exemption, relief or authorisation, there’s usually another way.

Read More

Copyright © 2024, K&L Gates LLP. All Rights Reserved.