Hong Kong-based GSR Capital is investing $160 million in Overstock’s cryptocurrency venture, the exchange tZERO. The news immediately hiked Overstock’s share price by 12.5 .percent.
Through its tZERO exchange, a majority-owned subsidiary, Overstock plans to bring “efficiency and transparency” to capital markets. tZERO’s recent joint venture agreement with BOX digital markets will create what Overstock hopes is the first regulated security token exchange.
Letter of Intent
tZERO is currently running a Security Token Offering (STO) to fund the project. GSR Capital’s planned investment, in the form of a letter of intent, to purchase $160 million worth of tZERO tokens, has led to tZERO extending the private funding round of its STO to August 6th, 2018. tZERO tokens are currently available in the private sale at $10.00 per token.
According to a news release by Overstock 1,000 buyers from 30 countries are investing in the token sale. Patrick Byrne, Overstock.com Founder and CEO, and Executive Chairman of tZERO reached out to the private investors:
I want to thank our strategic investors again for their continued support, as well as the tZERO team for their ingenuity in making a preferred equity security token possible.
World-Shaking Potential of Blockchain
Byrne has long been a proponent of cryptocurrency – the Overstock website was one of the first major retailers to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment.
Years ago we saw the world-shaking potential of blockchain, and since then we have been methodical in building tZERO into a company that will bring great efficiency and transparency to capital markets domestically and abroad.
GSR Capital is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and the USA. In March 2018, Reuters reports revealed GSR would be investing $500 million in the Swedish electric car maker National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS).
The investment in tZERO will not provide GSR capital with company equity or voting rights but will give GSR Capital dividends accumulated from capital appreciation of the tZERO token. In the deal, 10% of tZERO’s adjusted gross revenue from the tZERO exchange will be paid to token holders on a quarterly basis.
Reports by NASDAQ indicate Overstock shares, under the ticker OSTK, rose more than 12.5% on Friday 29th June 2018, before falling back 0.5 percent at the end of the trading day.
Overstock shares fell in March after reports of U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations into the tZERO token offering. Though not unusual considering the U.S SEC’s increased focus on cryptocurrency companies and ICOs.
Do you think the move by GSR Capital indicates regained confidence in Overstock’s cryptocurrency ventures?
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