There are a lot of misleading statements in the article and very confusing. I am not aware of any specific bounty crackdown. However, if the ICO is deemed illegal for lack of registration or exemption, the associated bounty token is likely to be illegal as well.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton just made this statement: “Investors should understand that to date no initial coin offerings have been registered with the SEC.”  https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/12/125792-sec-chairman-jay-clayton-issues-statement-initial-coin-offerings-cryptocurrencies/

In the same article, he added, “Specifically, we concluded that the token offering represented an investment of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.”

Since it is illegal to sell securities that are not registered or exempt with the SEC this confirmation from the SEC Chairman is very troubling.

To clarify, DNotes Global, Inc. is planning a “mini IPO” not an “ICO”. To do that we must file a registration statement with the SEC and be “qualified” under Reg. A+ mini IOP Title IV Tier 2, before we can accept any money.

However, it can be marketed globally, prior to that, to accredited and non-accredited investors with a 10% limit on the investor’s annual income or net worth whichever is greater. The maximum we can raise over a twelve-month period is $50 million. It can be repeated every twelve months. We have not decided on a minimum cap. Given the state of ICOs, DNotes Global mini IPO could be perfectly timed and very popular.

It allows investors to participate in the future of money by owning “DNotes” and some “corporate shares” DNotes Global, Inc. They are both tradeable (in the case of DNotes Global – once setup to trade in the secondary market OTCQX) Furthermore, it has always been our plan to have a full blown traditional IPO one day because of a rapid growth path of global scale as charted on our roadmap.  

As far as I know, no one else is packaging a fully integrated ecosystem in support of their coin. This has been our path since day one. And we always want to be following existing rules and regulations, though I think they are often too burdensome.

I wish ICOs can be structured and conducted in manners that meet existing security laws, either through registration or exemption. Without significant changes to existing laws, it is simply not possible.

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton just made this statement: “Investors should understand that to date no initial coin offerings have been registered with the SEC.”  https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/12/125792-sec-chairman-jay-clayton-issues-statement-initial-coin-offerings-cryptocurrencies/

In the same article, he added, “Specifically, we concluded that the token offering represented an investment of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the entrepreneurial or managerial efforts of others.”

Since it is illegal to sell securities that are not registered or exempt with the SEC this confirmation from the SEC Chairman is very troubling.
We are working very hard to assemble a professional team of software developers, entrepreneurs, and others that share our vision and mindset. All these are keeping me extremely busy.

DNotes will not have masternodes at the initial launch. However, we want to keep that option on the table. We are actively working on expanding our development team to include full-time employee-developers and contract services. We have a long wish list to pick from. With the right people and adequate funding I am sure that the best projects will make it to the finishing line.

Our funding efforts are now in active mode. The billing clock is on. I have signed off on the project with a long to do list. 

We believe that Proof of Stake is absolutely the best choice for DNotes. We are the most committed in promoting savings for the long-term. Our DNotesVault is ideally set up for that. The enormous amount of energy consumed to mine Bitcoin using Proof of Work will be a social issue in the future. Right now people are just in awe watching.

Brandon, I think that DNotes' model could change the sentiments. Awareness of a better option could lead some investors to favor fundamental values associated with the digital currency. I will not go as far as expecting the DNotes' model to set a standard any time soon.  Speculators are having too much fun and there is still a "sucker" born every minute.

Thanks for the link and comments, guys. It is interesting to note that people are beginning to wonder if there are better options to ICOs, after $3+ billions has been raised with a large amount squandered. I agree that 90% of them will fail. There will be a lot of pain and suffering with many left holding the bags.

Of course, there are many options to raise money for worthy projects and do it legally. SEC even encourages using multiple funding platforms done sequentially or concurrently (side by side). For example, one can use Reg. D 506 (c) for the first round and raise the money to pay for the Reg. A+ mini IPO to be launched subsequently.

Unfortunately, it is too much trouble for some issuers determined to get rich quick. A typical ICO does not convey any ownership or voting rights. It does not need any real work or projects. Their challenge is to come up with a compelling White Paper with stunning graphics fill with promises of “cure all snake oils”. The objective is to create the impression that there is no limit to the amount of money an investor can make. It is all about finding a greater fool willing to pay you more than your purchase price. This sort of games always ends badly.

What is DNotes doing differently? We love the philosophy of decentralized issuance of digital currency and governance with the ingenuous consensus system allowing for the transfer of assets of value between two parties without the approval of any central authorities. We believe that the implications are world changing but we must be able to bridge the gap between the centralized world with the new decentralized world. We need to do it legally and transparently, coupled with trust and integrity.

It takes two currencies, and both can be traded or exchanged as a guaranteed exit strategy. For almost 4 years we have been building our strategic path that is quite ingenious. Upon successful completion of our Reg. A+ mini IPO Tier 2 to raise a maximum of $50 million worldwide from accredited and non-accredited investors, it will be historic that investors can invest in both of two worlds – DNotes – the digital currency and DNotes Global, Inc. shares that will eventually trade on OTCQX secondary markets. This will ultimately lead to a full-blown traditional IPO to support many large projects we have envisioned.

Yes, it is official that we have retained the services of Laura Anthony and her team at Legal & Compliance, LLC to advise and assist us in our Reg. A+ mini IPO.

Exciting times ahead. We are planning to grow our team dramatically. Let us know if you like to get more involved. Contact Joe: contact@dnotescoin.com

  That looks really, cool. Great job, Addy.

You made it so easy to understand that something big must be going on. Yes, we are witnessing a massive technology revolution that has been going on since 2009 when Bitcoin was born.

This is a generational opportunity. The DNotes train is about to leave the station. We want to make DNotes accessible to anyone worldwide. Learn more and help us spread the message: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1924858.0

It is amazing how much we have already accomplished. This has been made possible because of the strong support that I have been getting from a rather large team. Let us take another look at the "Acknowledgement" directly from the book:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Over the course of my time on this Earth, I have discovered that there are only a few things in life that I am really passionate about. Chief among those things are gardening, cooking, and business. My love for the soil led me to spend seven years helping to build Smokeys Daylily gardens into one of the largest daylily growers in the world. I’d also long dreamed of writing a cookbook so that my grandchildren might one day be able to recreate many of grandpa’s dishes that they so loved in their childhood years. That has yet to happen, largely because I am mindful of the tremendous commitment in time and effort that such an endeavor would entail.

That third passion is the one that brings us to these pages today. My forty years of business experience have been filled with intermittent suggestions from others that I write a book like this. And it is probably something that I should have done before now, but – just as with my earlier plan to write a cookbook – I recognized that I would need to make a substantial commitment if I was to produce the sort of business book that could actually be of service to entrepreneurs.

Oddly enough (and as so often happens with these things), it was my involvement in another business endeavor that lit a fire under me to finally get to work on this project. It started about a year after I founded DNotes – a Bitcoin alternative digital currency, in an industry that is perhaps best known for its lack of central control and sound leadership. I had convinced the DNotes team that the best strategy for us to be successful on a long-term basis was to manage DNotes as a business without actually controlling it as one.

My belief was that this approach would enable DNotes to maintain the vital characteristic of remaining decentralized. At the same time, we focused on developing our centralized ecosystem while providing leadership guidance to our community and DNotes. I ended up utilizing every bit of my business experience and leadership skills and built a couple of awesome online communities that eventually became instrumental in making the writing of this book possible.

This has been an amazing experience of teamwork and collaboration in a global setting. I am most grateful to the DNotes and CryptoMoms communities for their encouragement and support. I am particularly indebted to Theodore (Joe) Hauenstein and Kevin DeLucenay for their endless support and encouragement. Joe, in particular, has made significant contributions to make the publishing of this book possible. I am most grateful to the DCEBrief’s team led by Ken Chase, along with Cindy Williamson, Marc Fortenberry, Chris Cooper, and Timothy Goggin; providing me with great research and editing support. Timothy has been most helpful in narrating the DNotes story with editing help from Fernanda Powers, who also contributed to the writing of the Smokeys Gardens’ story.  Additionally, I like to express my thanks and appreciation to Robert, Brandon, Mark, Nele, and many others who assisted in different ways to make the publishing of this book a success.

I am most grateful to everyone who has generously supported my Kickstarter campaign for the launching of this book project. I trust that it will go a long way to help this book realize its goal of being a helpful resource for small business owners and those who are thinking about starting new businesses.

Above all, I am deeply indebted to my family - and most especially my dear wife Lucy for her love, encouragement, and support to see me through.

I am eternally grateful to all who have taught me well, including George Williams College, and Northern Illinois University where I earned my MBA over forty years ago.

This book is dedicated to small business owners worldwide. May you all find the success you seek, and see all your dreams come true.

With best wishes and kind regards,

Alan Yong

That is a fantastic article. I am proud of our team.

If DNotes were to be truly successful we must genuinely want to include and help those who can least afford to get started. And we know that is not the top 2% who often claimed that they want to change the world but done little to help the 2.5 billion people that are left out of the financial service systems.

We are at the infancy of a major technology revolution. This is a generational opportunity that no one should be left behind. Let us continue to share what we know and get the words out. When many are successful because of our efforts, DNotes will be successful too. Excellent job DNotesEDU!

Thank you, Dan. We appreciate your support very much. You are correct that as things are turning out the timing for the launch of DNotes 2.0 in February 2018 is perfect.
I have made a commitment to engage Laura Anthony of Legal & Compliance, LLC to be our legal counsel to assist and advise us in DNotes Global’s A+ mini IPO Tier 2 to raise up to $50 million from accredited and nonaccredited investors worldwide. We are estimating that our total cost for this project, including PR campaign, will be in the neighborhood $300,000 to $500,000. I strongly encourage our community gain a better understanding of A+ mini IPO. Here is a good starting point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj3pXCtoUHs

Based on our business model and the way we are going to structure our offerings, this could be a historic event and a model for our industry to follow.

We will be in a great position to assist DNotes to become an innovative technology leader in our industry. Additionally, it will enable DNotes NextGenVC to do some amazing work in assisting small to mid-sized companies in various ways.

Our fully integrated ecosystem will propel both DNotes and DNotes Global to the next level thereby providing meaningful intrinsic value in support of our digital currency. Yes, everything will be done legally with the blessing of SEC.

To that extent, Dan, I am delighted that you can join our team. Welcome aboard.  

Thank you, wiser, for your strong vote of confidence, “The more I know about cryptos the more I am coming to appreciate what an ingenious project DNotes is. I think Alan Yong is doing all the right things from a business perspective.”

I am humbled, but I do agree with you that the DNotes project is ingenious. It is complex and massive; primed for global scale and incorporated with multiple winning strategies that will go a long way towards the long-term success of DNotes – the digital currency.

If everything goes as planned, together, we could change the world and make it slightly better for those who are not yet wealthy. At a minimum, we will leave a positive impact that trust, respect, and integrity still matter.  The book “Improve Your Odds – The Four Pillars of Business Success.” Is our blueprint. We follow the teachings from the book religiously. Chapter 15 is about “The DNotes Story”: https://fourpillarsofbusinesssuccess.com/

DNotes, with the help of DNotes Global, is about solving many problems and overcoming many challenges born out of the new decentralized world. The introduction of Bitcoin in 2009 created a new paradigm - a new asset class, decentralized issuance of currencies, and the ingenious underpinning blockchain technologies.

I truly believe, since the launch of DNotes almost four year ago, that we are witnessing the greatest technology revolution since the Internet. It will no doubt be bigger and more far-reaching than anything we have witnessed. As a participant, to be impactful, we must be able to see the big picture and clearly chart our long-term vision deep into the future. That vision must be clearly articulated, in a consistent manner so that others can understand enough to buy in and support our worthy cause.

The many problems confronting our industry are obvious. Anyone, with some efforts, can list a handful. But the solutions to overcome those problems are too costly, time consuming, and too overwhelming for most. Consequently, it is easier to ignore them and join the crowd to exploit short-term gain where possible. There is nothing wrong with that beyond the fact that those inherent problems remained ignored, and unsolved.

However, DNotes believes that there are bigger opportunities if we can correctly identify the big problems and focus in solving some of those problems. (As a rule – the bigger the problem – bigger the reward for the right solution). Keep this in mind and you will find it easier to understand why we are doing what we are doing.

I wouldn’t attempt to go into details, with a full schedule today. However, I do agree with you that the high volatility, navigation challenges, and transaction complexity are “absolutely insane for a newbie.” They are often difficult and frustrating even for those with years of experience. As they are, mass acceptance of digital currency is remote.

Our solution is to build a totally integrated and complete system, with different subsystem solving specific problems. The ideal solution is one that is frictionless to the user at higher efficiency, more secured, and lower cost than using paper (fiat) money. Additionally, the value of DNotes, after adjusting to new realities, must be sufficiently stable, with increasing appreciation to reflect new shareholder value created in conjunction with our ecosystem, including DNotes Global.

Those who are interested to learn more about why “system thinking” matters, please read Chapter 3 of my book – “A System Approach.” Feel free to ask any questions. https://fourpillarsofbusinesssuccess.com/

Hi Tim (Marsh). Your last post is not accurate. Please make the adjustment as appropriate.

As of today, DNotes Global, Inc. does not own any DNotes. The Guarantee Funds for DNotesVault are voluntary commitments from many DNotes supporters who strongly believe in DNotes and pledged their DNotes as a collateral against potential lose of account-holders' funds. For convenience, we posted addresses with the largest amount first, with more as standby. The vast majority of the DNotes are purchased at market price. Every single DNotes I owed is purchased, paid in full, and bought from an exchange that listed DNotes. I am certain that DNotesVault is a unique breed in our industry. No one else has gone to this length for the convenience and security of their stakeholders. Here is another case in point, "We are committed to do the right things that others will not do so that one day we are in the position to do things that others cannot do." That is a strategic advantage payable over the long-term.

For all practical purposes, we are mindful that the guarantee fund is not sustainable forever. There will come a time that we will run out of DNotes to match at the ratio of 1:1. At some point in the future, there will be an adjustment with plenty of notice before any implementation of the new policies. It is logical to assume that the accounts would be insured, instead, one day

Thank you, Chase. The actual number of companies that has successfully launched a Reg. A+ mini IPO is quite small - in the hundreds. I believe that it will become quite popular. Most of the companies are quite well established. DNotes Global, inc. is a rare case. In reality we have been preparing for it for a few years. The book and NextGenVC are very important to the valuation equation. Given the state of ICOs and our commitment in building a trusted brand will definitely play out to our advantage. I believe that cross ownership will be another important factor. We are uniquely positioned to offer the best of both worlds. Smart investors will have the opportunity to invest in digital currency (DNotes) and invest in a company's share (DNotes Global, Inc.) and benefit from a double play of two worlds - decentralized and centralized. I believe that what we are attempting is quite historic and news worthy.

In effect, we are creating a new business model for our industry to follow. As I have said before, we are building far more that just DNotes the digital currency. It is a fully integrated ecosystem to engage corporation and the common men and women, with the ultimate goal of gaining global mainstream acceptance.

BTW, I had a great conversation with Denver Dan today. It is always rewarding for me to meet our supporters over a lengthy and substantive discussion. Thank you Dan for the opportunity.

 

Thank you, 1Hakuba. That is a great question. I will give you a general answer that is subject to change depending on final legal guidance. We have finalized our selection for a law firm to assist and guide us in our funding endeavor utilizing Reg. A+ Mini IPO under Title IV Tier 2. This will enable DNotes Global, Inc. to be legally qualified under SEC rules to raise up to $50 million from accredited and non-accredited investors. Under Reg A+ Tier 2, we can conduct general solicitation and worldwide marketing and not required to file state registration. Together with the launching of DNotes 2.0, this will be a game-changer for DNotes. I strongly urge our community read up on Reg. A+ mini IPO and watch some of Laura Anthony's Youtube videos on that subject. She is our lead legal counsel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re1I9uVX9qs

Personally, I am convinced that she is the best for this project. As you may know, I am always committed to be the best in class. It is never easy or quick but the right way to succeed over the long-term. Sometime, it can also be expensive. The entire project is estimated to cost $500,000, including auditing and marketing.  

Now, to answer your question, based on our current thoughts (subject to change), at the launch of DNotes 2.0 an amount equal to the then current supply of DNotes plus 10,000,000 additional Notes will be mined for the 1:1 coin swap. The 10,000,000 DNotes will be gifted to DNotes Global, Inc. for its support of DNotes, including software development. Ideally, the staking reward and the CRISP reward from the 10,000,000 DNotes will be sufficient to fund ongoing development, and, therefore, sustainable.

As the value of DNotes appreciates it also contributes to the underlining value of DNotes Global. As you may know, DNotes the currency owns 25% of DNotes Global, Inc. as a for profit company, incorporated in the State of Delaware. Over the long-term, all our projects, including blockchain and consulting projects are based on viable business models - it must be profitable and sustainable.  I hope this sufficiently answered your question.

2018 will be a very exiting year for DNotes. We are uniquely different from our industry peers. Our next biggest challenge is get the words out.  It has been a long time coming. Very exciting time ahead. This train is about to take off. For those who are new, start reading up about DNotes. The DNotes Story is a BIG BOLD project of global scale.

Thank you all for keeping the discussion going. Our banking systems, global payment and settlement networks, debit and credit cards, and financial systems are outdated and must change to keep up with advancing technologies. Because there is so much money and power involved, it could take a decade for a robust system to finally gain mass acceptance. This is the biggest problem for our industry to solve and the prize is huge.

We recognize what is at stake – right off the gate and have been working on multiple solutions to solve “the problem”. If you like to know how we plan to be a significant player, you will need more than a “10 second elevator pitch”. You might want to start from HERE: http://dnotescoin.com/

and continue HERE:  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1924858.0

That will just get you started. Yes, we have created a lot of educational materials over almost 4 years, explaining why we are doing what we are doing. Our industry is going wild – fast and furious, and very noisy. Obviously, not that many people have heard us, or for that matter, understand what DNotes is all about.

2018 will be a very busy and exciting year for us with the launch of DNotes 2.0 and a major funding campaign for DNotes Global, Inc. most likely using Reg A+ Mini IPO under Title IV Tier 2 to raise up to $50 million worldwide. I am very excited and committed to make things happen.

We will be needing a lot of help from our community. The number one priority on our list is a few great story tellers who can really articulate the DNotes philosophy and story in a concise and compelling manner. How everything that we have been doing are strategically linked and designed to scale rapidly worldwide. It is an integrated ecosystem designed to ultimately gain mass acceptance of DNotes as a medium of exchange in global commerce.

There will be a lot of opportunities for those who like to get more involved. We are expanding our core team. You don’t have to be a coder. It is more important that you are passionate to our cause and subscribe to our long-term vision of making DNotes accessible to everyone worldwide to participate; even if they are not wealthy.
You may reach us at: contact@dnotescoin.com. Do not use bitcointalk PM. I have been have problems getting my messages, recently.

Thank you MiningHabit. Quite a rare find, since mainstream media almost never cover the subject of gender imbalance in our industry. CryptoMoms has done the most in our attempts to encourage and assist women to participate in the crypto currency arena. We strongly believe that mass acceptance of digital currency cannot be achieved without the full participation of women since they control more than 50% of the global purchasing power.

One of our projects in the second half of 2018 is to rebrand CryptoMoms. It will be helpful if our community can start coming up with suggestions and a wish list.
The article reported that, “Some female cryptocurrency investors also see blockchain technology as a solution to common financial problems that women face, such as raising money to start a tech business.’

DNotes Global, Inc. will be very active in assisting entrepreneurs to raise capital for growth-stage companies using our business consulting arm – NextGenVC. We are looking forward to a very busy year.

Excellent article. Very creative writer. I agree with most of his points - like - most people do not understand what is going. Yes, many, including large investors and regulators are clueless!

Here is my favorite: "Remember how no single entity operates these networks. The flip side is that there is no good way to make decision or govern them."  It is leaderless and no single individual or entity controls it. It can be chaotic and self-destructive. That is the biggest problem DNotes has been trying to solve the past four years. Unfortunately, most people are clueless as to what DNotes has been doing and why we have elected to travel a very different path doing the right at the right time.

I agree with his argument that, legal or not, ICO is basically free money. "It's never been this good for entrepreneurs, even in the 90s dot-com boom. ... After all, an ICO lets you exit before you even launch." Above all, you don't even have to give up any ownership or voting rights.

This is too good to be true. But remember what Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Abraham Lincoln
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/abraham_lincoln_110340

There got to be a better way. That is what DNotes is all about. We are working very hard to show you how you can participate and be a part of the best of both worlds - the centralized world and the decentralized world. Neither one is perfect. Together they compliment each other to become awesome. This is the DNotes Global, Inc. business model. As ICOs implode, we may be onto something.

This is not a good thing, especially at the infancy of an immense technology breakthrough that is already pointing to many positive world-changing opportunities. I am for light-weight reasonable regulation at this early growth stage. But, I am deeply concerned that some of our political leadership has rushed to judgement with insufficient knowledge and understanding of the technologies and many complex issues including -  many bad actors and scammers.

“An issuer, redeemer, or cashier of prepaid access devices, digital currency, or any digital exchanger or tumbler of digital currency.”
This is the classic case of casting a very wide net. Does it mean that we have to account for our pocket change we put in the shoes-box and report that too or the coupons used to save a dollar for things we can’t otherwise afford? That would be far over-reaching. However, when applied to digital currency, it is important to be mindful that we are dealing with a very different world moving at the speed of light.  

“If passed, the bill would likely have far-reaching effects for users of digital currencies both in the US and abroad.”
I am afraid so. Do what you can and call your Representatives and let them know how you feel about it.

It is not unusual for opinionated people to make a general judgement call without qualifying why they reached that conclusion. When Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase said that Bitcoin is a fraud, did he really meant our entire industry is a fraud, or that our industry is loaded with incidents of fraud? If it is the later, not that many people would disagree with him.

Bad actors in our industry are rampantly cooking up fraudulent acts and that will indeed result in many bubbles bursting. Over the short-term, it will have a negative impact on our industry. I would characterize that as a much-needed healthy clean-up and that is a good thing.

Over the longer-term, those with great business models, clearly articulated visions, great teams, great partners, trusted brand, adequately funded, exceptionally well positioned strategically, excellent records of execution, and consistent delivery of promises made will become the obvious survivors and leaders of the future in our industry.

Legendary billionaire hedge fund investor Mike Novogratz’s clarification make some sense. What do you think? Please share your opinion and keep our community engaged. Thank you.
 
Novogratz: There May Be a Bubble in Bitcoin, But Bitcoin Itself Isn’t a Bubble
Joseph Young on 02/12/2017

"Legendary billionaire hedge fund investor Mike Novogratz stated that there may be a bubble in bitcoin in certain regions but the cryptocurrency itself isn’t a bubble.

As CCN previously reported, Novogratz noted that bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market could become the biggest bubble “of our lifetimes.”

“I think this [crypto] is going to be the biggest bubble of our lifetimes by a long shot. To be fair, this is a bubble and there’s a lot of fraud mixed in. We look at tons of projects. And some get funded, and they literally look like Ponzis,” said Novogratz.

Novogratz further emphasized that there were many bubbles in the past around innovative and revolutionary technologies such as the Internet. The dotcom bubble for instance overvalued projects by significant margins, with several companies selling at billions of dollars by owning a domain or an online business.

But, the Internet itself was evidently not a bubble. It has transformed every industry in the world by revolutionizing communication and processing of information. There was a bubble around Internet, as demonstrated by the dotcom era, however the technology itself was not a bubble, a fraud, or a scam."

Read more: https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/novogratz-may-bubble-bitcoin-bitcoin-isnt-bubble/