Given that compliance is a major requirement on the part of any firm involved in lawful issuance of securities, Smartlands pays special attention to this aspect of the Platform’s activities. In late-August we struck gold when we’ve managed to bring in Arunas Mickus – one of the top compliance specialists in the field of digital securities despite his relatively young age. Arunas was kind enough to answer a few questions about himself, his background and his plans at Smartlands.

Smartlands: What is your professional background?

AM: Previously in Australia I was working in the financial industry mostly with Superannuation. Then in 2011, I relocated to Lithuania and have worked in various compliance roles from 2012 onwards. Recently I returned to Lithuania from the United Kingdom gaining valuable experience working in compliance for an e-money institution start up for the past three years.

S: What made you think that Smartlands was the project for you?

AM: I have a lot of colleagues who invested in cryptocurrency and I was curious about how they invested and more specifically how blockchain technology works. Furthermore, I noticed a trend of my former Lithuanian colleagues moving over to crypto start up companies. I was always interested to learn more about the crypto industry and when I saw the opportunity to get involved with an innovative platform such as asset tokenisation which Smartlands has built on top of the Stellar blockchain I was excited to be a part of this niche industry and to further expand my knowledge.

S: What do you think of the current state of financial markets, and how could Smartlands contribute to global financial inclusion?

AM: Regulatory environment has to catch up with technology and legacy institutions have to adapt to the evolving market. We are seeing the change before our very eyes towards e-commerce and what makes Smartlands so exciting, is it is pioneering a platform for crowdfunded investment opportunities that is not globally restricted.

S: Smartlands is a fully compliant security token issuance platform. In the age of deregulation and decentralisation, how can one remain compliant, and why is it essential for Smartlands?

AM: As Smartlands is an appointed representative of a regulated firm it is vital we stay on top of regulations set by the FCA. As tokenisation is dynamic and fast moving we must adopt any regulatory changes as quickly and effectively as possible, it is essential so our business and investors are protected and our company is aligned with the financial market.

S: Security tokens, although on the rise, remain niche market. What can Smartlands do for mass adoption of this highly innovative instrument?

AM: There are in my opinion two key points which would increase adoption towards security tokens. First, Smartlands will grow and eventually show a consistent track record of successful investment offerings which will result in consumer trust in tokenisation. Secondly, preach to the masses! Awareness promotion is key to stirring up interest in this technology and I’m a firm believer with more exposure to the public audience, the acceptance, education and hopefully adoption regarding tokenisation will expand this niche market.