BERKELEY, Calif. (PRWEB) November 15, 2017
Standardization, legality and best practices for raising money through ICOs has been a hot topic in recent months. Numerous options and models have been tested by bright entrepreneurs and developers seeking to find the optimal structure for a successful fundraise.
This conference explores various frameworks, models, legal considerations and venture opportunities in a series of discussions with top industry leaders and regulators. In a unique single day event, this conference offers valuable insight, seen through the lens of the entrepreneur as well as the government official, into the future of token sales.
With the recent exposure of two fraudulent initial coin offerings by the SEC, the government agency, along with prominent leaders and regulators in this space, have decided to explore the topic at the first ever ICO Financing Conference, November 30, 2017, in the Bechtel Engineering Center, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
The concept of an ICO is still fairly uncharted territory and has resulted in numerous legal disputes and high-profile scandals. In a recent ruling by the SEC following an investigation into the German corporation behind a group called “the DAO” (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), it was determined that the tokens sold by the organization were considered securities. Although the conclusion only applied to the DAO, the SEC has acknowledged that ICOs are a type of financing that is not going away anytime soon.
As quoted by the SEC’s ruling, “The automation of certain functions through this technology, ‘smart contracts,’ or computer code, does not remove conduct from the purview of the U.S. federal securities laws.”
The ICO Financing Conference aims to demystify this space and shed light onto the positive impact that ICOs could potentially have in revolutionizing current crowdfunding mechanisms. As the concept of ICOs becomes more mainstream, it is critical that they become standardized and regulated by governments.
Currently, there are little to no rules governing how to properly raise money through an ICO or what is necessary to do it legally. In order to mitigate this issue, Blockchain at Berkeley and the UC Berkeley, School of Law have invited the SEC and many well-respected movers and innovators in this space to address the topic of navigating these murky waters.
In fact, the SEC is actively working with different investment firms such as Polychain Capital to figure out the best course of action to regulate the ICO market. As ICOs continue to evolve and gain traction, it is imperative that both players in the space as well as the general public be educated on the subject matter. Only by coming to a consensus about how these markets should be operated will the issues associated with ICOs be resolved once and for all.
“As ICOs are raising large amounts of money without any oversight or real utility, we are glad to see that the SEC is willing to participate in our community to bring awareness on their points of view for the future of the initial coin offering,” says program director Ronen Kirsh.
Speakers are from governmental agencies, Venture Capital, and Start-ups worldwide:
United States Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Jonathan Allen - Managing Partner, Dekrypt Capital
Patrick Baron - CEO, Ambisafe Financials
Spencer Bogart - Managing Director and Head of Research, Blockchain Capital
Reuben Bramanathan - Product Counsel, Coinbase
Jeremy Gardner - Entrepreneur in Residence, Blockchain Capital
Ronen Kirsh - Co-Head of Consulting, Blockchain at Berkeley
Joey Krug - Co-Chief Investment Officer, Pantera Capital
Ron Patiro - Head of ConsenSys West Coast
Marco Santori - Chairman of Regulatory Affairs Committee, The Bitcoin Foundation
Laura Shin - Senior Editor, Forbes
Dovey Wan - Managing Director, Danhua Capital
Ryan Zurrer - Principal & Venture Partner, Polychain Capital
Sponsors:
Blockchain at Berkeley (B@B) and the UC Berkeley, School of Law
About ICO Financing Conference:
If you are interested in learning more about the ICO Financing Conference or purchasing a ticket, please visit ico-financing.veritasdd.com/ for more details or follow us on Twitter with the hashtag #ICO_FIN. For all other inquiries please email conference@blockchain.berkeley.edu and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.
About Blockchain at Berkeley:
B@B is a non-profit organization on the UC Berkeley campus that specializes in educating the community, facilitating innovating project and discussion, and helping companies benefit from blockchain technology by identifying use cases, building prototypes, and integrating solutions. The organization is comprised of a diverse group of students from a variety of academic disciplines who all share a passion for the development of blockchain technology. For more information visit our website at blockchain.berkeley.edu.