Blockchain Startup W3BCloud to Go Public via SPAC Deal

Blockchain cloud infrastructure service provider W3BCloud is set to go public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) dubbed the Social Leverage Acquisition Corp I (SLAC).

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According to the transaction document, the SLAC vehicle is being sponsored by Social Leverage, a leading early-stage VC. The proposed funds to be raised via the SPAC are pegged at about $100 million.

Going public through a special purpose acquisition company is an alternative route designed for startups looking to raise funds and trade on public bourses. 

They are generally a faster-track option for promising startups, provided they have a matching business design with their sponsoring SPACs. Per the proposed merger deal, W3BCloud is on track to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

W3BCloud is one of the promising startups that hope to be the go-to cloud infrastructure provider for the emerging Web3.0 ecosystems. Currently, the startup ticks the box for providing a quality supply chain and access delivery through its integration of AMD technology. The startup’s core partnership also extends to ConsenSys, which gives it software and protocol insights.

Over the years, the development of Web3.0 focused on cloud infrastructure providers has progressed in a limiting way. This is because crypto-based startups hardly patronize these decentralized cloud providers as preference remains largely for centralized services like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

W3BCloud aims to change the narrative, and it is developing the right data centres, most of which are in the United States. The firm is exploring avenues to bolster its infrastructure with the funds raised and the remaining $345 million cash it has in its trust.

W3BCloud is riding on the strength of both its founders and the expertise of the veterans from Social Leverage. With the clamour for Web3.0 soaring remarkably this period, W3BCloud is hopeful it has a large market potential for its products.

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House members urge US Treasury Secretary to clarify definition of broker in infrastructure law

A bipartisan group of members from the U.S. House of Representatives called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to clarify the language in the infrastructure bill signed into law in November around the definition of “broker”.

In a Wednesday letter, House Financial Services Committee ranking member Patrick McHenry and ten other representatives urged Yellen to reference the Keep Innovation in America Act to “ensure that any future guidance” in the November infrastructure bill would provide “the necessary clarity to the digital asset ecosystem.” In addition to the reporting requirements, the lawmakers said that the Treasury Department should narrow the scope of the information a broker can capture, as it would risk “the creation of an unlevel playing field for transactions in digital assets and those required to provide them.”

According to the House members, the current wording of the law would potentially allow the Treasury to interpret which companies and individuals in the crypto space qualify as a “broker,” creating a burden of reporting information to the government they may not necessarily have. This would seemingly require miners, software developers, transaction validators and node operators to report most digital asset transactions worth more than $10,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

“As nascent financial technologies develop, we must ensure requirements imposed on the digital asset ecosystem are both crafted and implemented in such a way to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of financial innovation,” said the letter to Yellen. “We believe consistent information reporting on digital asset transactions is necessary. However, it should not prevent these technologies and the ecosystem from continuing to flourish due to unclear regulations that only create uncertainty.”

Related: US Congressman calls for ‘broad, bipartisan consensus’ on important issues of digital asset policy

The appeal to the U.S. Treasury Secretary mirrors that of an December letter from six senators claiming the infrastructure law contains a “overly-broad interpretation” of what a broker is, and requesting Yellen provide guidance to correct the perceived error. Senators Rob Portman, Cynthia Lummis, Mike Crapo, Pat Toomey, Mark Warner and Kyrsten Sinema urged Yellen to provide a set of rules clarifying the wording “in an expeditious manner.” Lummis and Senator Ron Wyden also attempted to pass legislation that would have changed the tax reporting requirements to “not apply to individuals developing blockchain technology and wallets” on Nov. 15 when the bill was signed into law by President Biden.

To date, none of the proposed measures clarifying the wording in the law have gotten enough support to enact change. Many lawmakers and crypto advocacy groups have expressed concerns that if the law is implemented as is, it could threaten the United States’ position as a nation encouraging the development of innovative technology.

“Our innovators and entrepreneurs can’t wait,” said McHenry. “Secretary Yellen must provide much-needed clarity so this nascent industry can flourish here in the U.S.”