We're building a decentralized securities platform called... Equibit
Equibit - A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Equity System
Abstract:
The registration, transfer, clearing and settlement of equities represents a significant part of economic activity currently underserved by modern technological innovation. In addition, recent events have revealed problems of transparency, inviting public criticism and scrutiny from regulatory authorities. A peer to peer platform facilitating the creation and exchange of directly registered shares represents a shift in equity markets towards more efficient, transparent operations as well as greater accessibility to the investing public and issuing companies. Blockchain technology solves the problem of transaction processing and clearing but the fungibility of their units pose a challenge in identifying the issuers and holders of specific equities. Furthermore, as the issuers are in a constant state of flux the benefits of a decentralized network are lost if a central manager is required to cancel equities from companies that no longer exist. We propose a solution to these problems using digital signatures, based on blockchain technology.
In a nutshell, what is Equibit?
Equibit Group has designed and built its own blockchain we call Equibit; a peer-to-peer network for creating and transferring equity. This allows issuers and investors anywhere to instantly transfer title to equity units called ‘equibits’ without any reliance on a transfer agent... and at practically no cost. With the use of equibits issuers can even restrict their units to prevent transfers of their equity to unauthorized parties.
What makes Equibit so great?
Equibit was created to address the inefficiencies of the current equity model and bring fairness to all involved. Here are just some of the features that makes Equibit the best solution:
- Security: The Equibit blockchain is built on world-class security, using encryption that matches or exceeds most financial institutions. It allows for the creation of unforgeable equity units and an incorruptible chain of custody. This, in turn, is supported by the world’s largest and most powerful computer network; therefore you can be confident that your assets are secure against attackers.
- Decentralized Settlement: Equibit is a peer-to-peer network for creating and transferring equity and debt securities. This allows issuers and investors anywhere to instantly transfer title to cryptocurrency tokens called ‘equibits’ without any reliance on a transfer agent or central depository... and at practically no cost. With the use of equibits issuers can even restrict their units to prevent transfers of their securities to unauthorized parties..
- Investor Messaging: Our application includes a P2P communications protocol for easy and secure distribution of bid/ask orders, proxy assignments, meeting notices, MD&A’s and much more. Issuers can even privately poll their shareholders and create a vote tally that all participants can audit.
- Earnings Distributions: Paying out dividends has never been easier. With just a few clicks, issuers can now create a Bitcoin-denominated distribution and send payments to all their shareholders of record.
- Trading Passports: Equibit makes it easier than ever to comply with regulations over exempt distributions. Trusted actors on the network can certify the status of accredited investors and issuing companies can connect to these communities allowing the free-flow of their shares within trusted groups.
- Market Information: Getting information about companies is easier than ever on the Equibit platform! Due to the transparent nature of blockchain technology, data on completed trades and earnings distributions is stored publicly and can be examined at any time by anyone connected to the network.
Who is the target market for Equibit?
The Equibit platform is being built to be used by investors of any caliber. From the hobby investor all the way up to the institutional investors, the experience will be the same.
Equity Market Facts
Underlying stock exchanges like the NYSE, NASDAQ, and TSX are share depositories and transfer agents. The volume of securities cleared by these intermediaries dwarfs the trading occurring on public exchanges due to the fact that most companies aren't actually listed on them.
For equity markets to work, issuers, investors and exchanges rely heavily upon these intermediaries. While transfer agents makes registration, clearing and settlement easier, it also introduces unnecessary costs and risks that Equibit eliminates.
Our Product Line
EQUIBIT SOFTWARE: At Equibit Group we’re not only changing the way capital markets work; we’re changing the way blockchain applications are built. By integrating multiple blockchains and seamlessly coordinating activities across them we're able to build applications with a robust and complete set of features required by an issuer/investor relationship.
EQUIBIT CORE: The Equibit reference standard. This application contains all the software necessary to run a full node on the Equibit Network. Equibit Core also interfaces with Bitcoin in order to complete the user experience. All functionality is delivered through a command line interface so developers can add whatever GUI they desire or integrate into their existing financial software.
EQUIBIT PORTFOLIO: For individual investors and issuers looking to participate on the Equibit platform. Our portfolio app allows you to transfer, buy, sell, authorize and cancel equibits. It also includes Bitcoin functionality allowing you to easily and seamlessly complete trades and communicate securely with other market participants.
EQUIBIT SUPERNODE: Now it's easy for enterprise and app developers to build industry-leading Bitcoin and Equibit infrastructure. With certified FIPS 140-2 security over your private keys and high speed, hardware-based encryption you can be sure your application will perform under even the heaviest loads.
We are currently working on a soft-launch of Equibit and are working with interested miners. Once the wallet is ready, and a sufficient seed of miners has been formed everything will be made public. We should be ready for soft-launch in December 2017, with hard launch following not long after.
ICO Information
The Equibit crowdsale is officially closed. We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all participants as we now shift our focus to the next phase of development. You will be able to collect your EQB tokens once the wallet is released.
We thank everyone for their support of Equibit and look forward to this new and exciting chapter.
We are planning another opportunity to buy tokens before launch.
More info can be found at our
ICO Microsite.
Who is the team behind Equibit?
In order of appearance below:- Chris Horlacher (Chief Executive Officer) - Linkedin | Facebook
Chris began his career as an auditor at a Big 4 firm and before the age of 30 was the CFO of a start-up stock brokerage that now manages over $4 billion in assets. He went on to found his own management consulting firm and has been instrumental in numerous successful multi-million dollar start-ups and strategic initiatives for Canada’s largest companies, SME's and non-profits.
Possessing Chartered Accountant and Chartered Professional Accountant designations, Chris is also certified by the Canadian Securities Institute as a partner, director and chief financial officer. - Brent Kievit-Kylar (Chief Science Officer) - Linkedin | Twitter
Brent is a software engineer at Google. He received his PhD in Cognitive Science from Indiana University. His research in the Computational Cognition Lab spans everything from child development, to game design. He combines an understanding of human cognition with computation to build things like easier to remember passwords or tools to decide on baby names.
Throughout his PhD he has developed many large scale web projects including a number of open source tools based loosely on language processing. Two of his startups, NameInsights and Daedalus won runner up in one of the biggest academic entrepreneurial contests. - Marc Godard (Chief Technology Officer) - Linkedin | Twitter
Marc is a lifelong entrepreneur, developer and technologist. He studied Cognitive Science at Queens University, which is a special field concentration of artificial intelligence.
With over 20 years of programming experience, Marc has designed and built numerous complex and custom systems, applications and web sites, including CRM, CMS, ecommerce and large, corporate web properties including projects for Telus and CIBC.
Possessing excellent business and technical acumen, he has acquired, revamped and reformed more than a dozen companies and provided professional consultation to many more. - Nathan D. Wosnack (Chief Operating Officer) - Linkedin | Twitter
Nathan is an entrepreneur, futurist, and pioneer in crypto-currencies since 2009. He has been quoted by Reuters, CoinTelegraph, PanAm Post, The Wall Street Journal and many other news outlets. Nathan is on the North American Advisory Board for Cryptor Trust Inc, Futurist Advisory Board - Lifeboat Foundation. He is Founder & President of Ubitquity LLC. - Christian Saucier (Lead Developer) - Linkedin | Twitter
Christian is an energetic business leader, software engineer, and early bitcoin adopter. He has over 20 years of experience designing and implementing impactful IT solutions for start-ups and Fortune 100 companies. Christian has global experience, leading projects in North-America, Asia-Pacific, EEMEA, and Latam.
Christian has implemented multiple systems that leverage blockchain technology as a proof of existence ledger. He has lectured at Bitcoin conferences on the topics of decentralised solutions and also given TV, radio, and podcast interviews on the innovative and transformative potential of peer-to-peer technology.
Press
- Equibit Development Corporation Plans Launch of Blockchain-based Mainstream Investment Products (Live Bitcoin News) (March 4, 2017)
- Equibit Development Corporation coin offering tops $500,000 (Bankless Times) (February 25, 2017)
- Canadian EDC's Blockchain Crowdfund Scores $0.5m In Equibits Cryptocurrency Sales (Forbes) (February 25, 2017)
- Today in company updates: TransPod, Absolute, Equibit (Betakit) (February 16, 2017)
- No app is an island (Brave New Coin) (February 16, 2017)
- Blockchain-based platform Equibit unveils 2-year roadmap (EconoTimes) (February 15, 2017)
- Equibit blockchain ICO sells $250K on first day (Yahoo Finance) (February 4, 2017)
- Equibit blockchain ICO sells $250K on first day (IBTimes) (February 4, 2017)
- Equibit: Building a Decentralized Securities Platform (TabbFORUM) (February 1, 2017)
- ‘Centralized’ blockchain projects are doomed to failure (American Banker) (January 31, 2017)
- Equibit: building a decentalised securities platform (Brave New Coin) (January 25, 2017)
- Blockchain Equibit start preparing for the launch of ICO (Forklog) (January 12, 2017)
- Equibit targets $7m coin offering (IBTimes) (January 12, 2017)
- How blockchain technology disrupts securities registration (Virtual Currency Today) (January 2, 2017)
- Blockchain-powered platform Equibit offers OTC securities on the cloud (Econotimes) (December 28, 2016)
- Bitcoinist Interview with Chris Horlacher (Bitcoinist.com) (December 23, 2016)
- John McAfee Joins Blockchain Firm’s Security Committee (Bitcoin.com) (November 26, 2016)
- Equibit Development Corporation to start beta testing blockchain-based OTC securities platform (EconoTimes) (November 21, 2016)
- Equibit To Beta Test Blockchain-Based OTC Platform, Plans Crowdsale (CryptoCoinsNews) (November 21, 2016)
- Supernode uses Blockchain to power OTC securities platform (Enterprise Innovation) (November 15, 2016)
- Equibit to begin beta testing blockchain-based OTC securities platform (IBTimes) (November 18, 2016)
- OTC securities blockchain builder Equibit closes $3m angel round (IBTimes) (February 4, 2016)
- Equibit Managing Partner Explains Why a Block Chain Based Securities Register Will Revolutionize OTC Trading (CryptoCoinsNews) (August 8, 2015)
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