MERJ, a multi-market global financial exchange for equities, debt, and derivatives, announced it has the backing of the Seychelles Financial Services Authority, to make it one of the first fully-licensed and government-recognized platforms for tokenized asset markets.
Until now, STO launchpads and other crypto markets have floated, largely untethered by government regulation. Other securities exchanges have also grappled with regulations, legacy infrastructure and processes. As a result, institutional and private investors alike have been reluctant to enter the space, unwilling and unable to participate in an unregulated, unlicensed market. A key piece of the security token ecosystem has also been missing by not having a suitable exchange to list and trade these instruments. This has meant the world has largely missed out on the many advantages of token offerings, including global democratic access to investment opportunities and lower overall fees.
With its unique collection of licenses and regulatory approvals, MERJ provides legal and regulatory certainty in an environment of unreliable crypto exchanges and poor market perception. An array of security tokens and eventually other digital assets are eligible to be listed and tradable. MERJ will list “tokenized” ordinary shares of a public company, starting with its own tokenized shares, which are being listed in H1 2019.
MERJ and its wholly-owned group of companies collectively operate an entire end-to-end exchange and post-trade infrastructure. As the industry continues to evolve, MERJ is well positioned to offer investors and issuers an end-to-end service leveraging distributed ledger technology. By updating its framework, securing the necessary regulatory approvals and maintaining existing licenses, MERJ provides a sustainable platform adaptable to advancements in financial and regulatory technologies.
MERJ is fully licensed by the Seychelles FSA as a securities exchange, clearing agency, and securities facility. They are also authorized by the Central Bank of Seychelles as a clearing system operator and settlement system operator.
“MERJ is proud to be building a new 21st-century global financial market ecosystem. We’re transcending global market silos and geographic boundaries, and pioneering secure market access for all, regardless of the size or origin of the investor. Until now, there has been no fully-fledged securities platforms open to the retail public where issuers can list security tokens and get secondary market liquidity. We’re breaking the mold to the benefit of issuers and investors the world over.”
“MERJ group companies have been licensed and regulated by the Financial Services Authority since 2012. MERJ has worked closely with the FSA since that time. The FSA continues to follow new promising financial and regulatory technologies and encourages innovation in the securities market and non-bank financial services that it regulates, such as those being put in place by MERJ.”
From May, MERJ will offer online account signups, a new client portal, and direct access trading on the web, mobile (iOS and Android), and desktop trading interfaces.