Matthew Unger, IComply Investor Services

Matthew Unger is CEO and Founder of iComply Investor Services Inc. a regtech platform that automates compliance procedures for ICOs enabling them to be securely utilized as efficient financial instruments. iComply ICO streamlines legal, due diligence and accounting processes providing automated checks and balances and supports financial literacy, trust, democratization, decentralization and integrity. Find out more at iComplyICO.com. Matthew is passionate about unlocking the opportunities that new technology has to offer. For comprehensive shownotes and links in the episode take a look below or click the episode title.

Written by Alexandra Moxin

“In today’s shifting marketplace, your ability to keep your customer is threatened because the rate of digital transformation is accelerating across every sector.” Matthew Unger

Matthew Unger is CEO and Founder of iComply Investor Services Inc. (iComply ICO) a regulatory technology (regtech) platform that automates compliance procedures for initial coin offerings (ICOs), enabling them to be securely utilized as efficient financial instruments.

iComply ICO streamlines legal, due diligence and accounting processes providing automated checks and balances throughout the issuance, purchase and resale of encrypted digital share certificates. Investors, accountants, lawyers, regulators, ICO issuers and marketing firms all benefit from an ecosystem that supports financial literacy, trust, democratization, decentralization and integrity. Find out more at iComplyICO.com and join their telegram channel iComplyICOofficial

Matthew is passionate about unlocking the opportunities that new technology has to offer us, and future generations. Along with his mandate at iComply ICO, Matthew worked with financial services, government, small businesses, and nonprofits to identify ways to better use their technology to create sustainable and ethical automation.

Matthew’s team is releasing the whitelabel of their product for the end of January 2018 and a beta of their platform for private equity markets by end of Q1 2018. Their full platform, which will be able to compete directly on compliance with publically traded markets, will be released later this year.

We cover a lot in this episode, so get comfortable and hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it!

Matthew’s background in technology and the investment community
What motivated him to start iComply Investor Services (iComply ICO)
Decentralizing stock exchanges via Blockchain
What Matthew is hoping to achieve with iComply ICO
The Internet of Value
Some of the emerging trends he sees in the ICO regulatory space
Bill C-1241
Bit license
Technical Investor Status - HR-1585
GDPR: privacy legislation and penalties (up to $20M per instance)
iComply ICO’s appearance at Tech Crunch Disrupt in Berlin
Contrasting the financial and innovation climate in Eastern Europe vs. Silicon Valley
Blockchain and Ethereum platforms as layer 0 and where the cryptocurrency space could go: projects, opportunities and killer apps
Utilities vs. Securities and secondary trading
SEC jurisdiction and trade treaties
CME and CBOE trading futures and options
Institutional trading
The wild west of cryptocurrency
Future coin / token structure and distribution
Munchee ICO’s trouble with the SEC
What not to do when you launch an ICO
Tezos and the open class action suits against their token
Mind in matter priciple in accordance with taxation law
Potential bias when accepting advice from legal and other service-based firms
Raising capital via ICO vs. IPO
The benefits and cost of raising funds via ICO vs. traditional methods
How building in regulation to how a token functions unlocks potential 3T in capital markets
Engaging shareholders as market champions via tokens
Regulation, governance, compliance and enforcement in public, private and decentralized capital markets
Combating FUD from traditional players and institutions
Canada moving backward by changing requirements to confirm identity, why biometrics are better
How iComply ICO’s platform addresses the concerns SEC regulatory panel raised in their summer session
Smart contracts vs. natural language contracts
Common pitfalls people encounter when launching an ICO
Why an ICO is not free money
Security tokens vs. utility tokens
Suggested timeframe to launch an ICO (minimum: 6 months)
Key metrics to include when launching an ICO (make sure you have a solid product, build and engage your team and community)
Decoding the lingo: ICO - Initial Coin Offering; coin/token - could represent access, utility or security
iComply ICO’s Platform enables users to put guard rails on the token so that issuers can focus on raising money
In January 2018 - Transactional Compliance Monitoring: KYC, anti-money laundering, terrorist financing sanctions, global ID, document verification
Next Phase - Trust Layer: due diligence and assurance around interfacing with third parties onboarding assets and projects onto blockchain
iComply ICO’s Value Prop: how their platform benefits regulators, issuers, investors
How traditional stock exchanges may employ crypto
Matthew’s involvement with Surfrider Foundation and the impact he made as Chair of the Vancouver Chapter and Board Member of Surfrider Canada

Look for Matthew and the iComply ICO team at the Bitcoin Superconference in Dallas, Money 2020 in Singapore and many other conferences in Europe and Australia throughout 2018!

iComplyICO.com
Matthew Unger’s LinkedIn Profile
iComplyICO on twitter
iComplyICO on facebook
iComplyICO on LinkedIn
Blockchain
The Internet of Value
Bill S.1241
Background on Bill S.1241
Bit License
Technical Investor Status - HR-1585
GDPR: privacy legislation and penalties
iComply ICO’s appearance at Tech Crunch Disrupt in Berlin
Ethereum
Unites States Securities and Exchange Commission
CME Group
Chicago Board Options Exchange
SEC shuts down Munchee ICO, by Tech Crunch
Tezos, A Cryptocurrency that Raised $232 Million in July, is in Crisis, by Ars Technica
ICO Definition, Investopedia
IPO Definition, Investopedia
Keiser - Crypto Headed For $1 Tln Market Cap, by Coin Telegraph
FUD
Canada’s New AML Rules Impact on Non-Face-to-Face Identity Verification, by Trulioo
What are Smart Contracts, by Blockgeeks
3 Types of ICO Tokens, by Strategic Coin
Bitcoin Superconference in Dallas
Money 2020 in Singapore
Surfrider Foundation
Surfrider Canada: Ban the Bead Campaign
Surfrider Canada: Straws Suck Campaign