In June 2020, Equities First Holdings announced that it had partnered with OSL as its official digital asset custodian. Equities First Holdings is a financial solutions firm based out of Indianapolis, USA. It specializes in alternative lending solutions. One of its unique solutions is to offer stock-based loans as an alternative to conventional loans. The firm has been able to capitalize on underserved borrowers by offering more streamlined processes.
OSL is one of the leading digital asset platforms in Asia. It is a subsidiary of BC Group (Stock Code 863L HK), which offers SaaS (software as a service), exchange, brokerage, and custody services. OSL’s clientele includes professionals and accredited investors. It is based out of Honk Kong. OSL’s solutions are well-suited to institutional investors and that was one of the key factors in the partnership with Equities First Holdings.
Equities First Holdings has been positioning itself to increase activity in the digital asset space. According to Lachlan Campbell, Asia CEO of Equities First Holdings, the digital asset space is undergoing a massive transformation as traditional institutions are increasing their activity in the digital sector. This is a departure of strategy from Equities First Holdings which has invested in the highly regulated space in public equity over the last 17 years. It now shifted its focus on expansion in the digital asset space. Having access to a secure and insurance asset custody services, allows Equities First Holding to execute on its digital asset expansion strategy.
The CEO of OSL, Wayne Trench, he is looking forward to working with Equities First Holdings. One of the goals of OSL has been to offer its services to the traditional financial services firms. In particular, Trench is excited to work with one of the leading financial institutions such as Equities First Holdings, who have become one of the early adopters of the digital assets. OSL will be able to deliver international standards of compliance and cybersecurity to complement services offered by Equities First Holdings.
Equities First Holdings has been able to bridge the gap between the availability of funds and lower interest rates for borrowers. By using stocks as the collateral for the loans, the Equities First Holdings has been able to offer an alternative solution for borrowers. These alternative loans have the advantage of a higher loan-to-value ratio than margin loans. Typically, the loan-to-value ratio is between 50 to 75 percent. Stock-based loans also have the advantage of not required any restrictions such as prequalification, wait period before approval, and limits on the use of funds. There is also no obligation to pay the outstanding balance with stock-based loans.
The partnership will help build the digital asset portfolio for Equities First Holdings, who have traditionally deployed a model where asset investments were done through public equity portfolio. OSL is a leading provider of digital asset custody services. It uses institutional level protection, compliance, and insurance standards to suit a variety of needs of different clients. This allows its customers to choose over-the-counter services, systematic iRFQ trading, and access to liquidity pools.
The partnership between OSL and Equities First Holdings will help both companies to further solidify their positions as a leader in their areas of specialty. For OSL, this partnership is an opportunity to define their company as a key player in institutionalizing the financial services space. With Equities First Holdings as its partner, OSL can demonstrate their capabilities to other financial services players in the industry.
About Equities First Holdings
Equities First Holdings LLC was founded in 2002 as an alternative financial solutions firm. It has now completed more than 1000 financial lending transactions while injecting more than $1 billion into the US market. It has 12 offices covering all the major financial markets including United States, United Kingdom, UAE, Australia, and Hong Kong. The key to success for Equities First Holdings has been its emphasis on building a long-lasting and trusting relationships with clients. Each client is provided with tailor-made loans that are designed to meet their specific needs. Clients are provided with transparency, security, and efficiency in the lending process. To further reinforce the position as a leader in the financial market, Equities First Holdings offers lower interest rates and a better loan-to-value ratio than most of the financial lending firms. The firm has a perfect track record of collateral return and prompt funding. With all the success, Equities First Holdings has continued to value its core principles of integrity, discipline, and patience. For the future, Equities First Holdings plans on doubling its financial lending transactions to 2000 and provide access to over $2 billion to worldwide clients.
If you would like to know more about Equities First Holdings and their innovative solutions, you can visit their website: https://www.equitiesfirst.com
