The Blockchain is not a novelty for Lumo. This platform of crowdfunding, which already uses the cryptomonnaie SolarCoin, is experimenting now the blockchain for the management of financial tools that are participatory in partnership with BNP Paribas Securities Services and the Caisse des dépôts.
In addition to the interests of their obligations or minibons, subscribers receive every six months an amount of SolarCoins corresponding to the actual production of the solar projects that they have chosen to finance. The “exchange rate” is 1 SolarCoin for 1 MWh produced.
“The SolarCoins come to graft a certificate allowing the tracking and quantification of the actual production, in good years and bad,” explains the president of Lumos, Alex Raguet.
One way to demonstrate the positive impact of the investment on the environmental front, in addition to the financial impact.
To pay tolls for urban SolarCoins
Several uses of this crytomonnaie are possible. The alternate provider of green electricity ekWateur the already accepts as a mode of regulation. They could also serve as a means of payment of services directly related to the environment, such as, for example, the urban tolls in some municipalities. Finally, companies that are concerned about their environmental impact, such as those of the network RE100, which are aimed at an energy supply with 100% green – could turn them into discount vouchers on the purchase of their products.
The value of SolarCoins, increasing with the number of users, the goal is that they can be exchanged between 10 and 20 euros to the horizon 2020. The crytomonnaie could then be used to develop viable economic models for renewable energy in areas outside the network.
The minibons, cash vouchers new look
But Lumo happening today at another use of the Blockchain, with the issuance of 800,000 euros of minibons, the new term of the cash vouchers.
These financial tools born in 1937, to mid-way between bonds and loans, are personal and include a payment of interest concurrent with the repayment of the capital at the end of the loan term, which cannot exceed 5 years.
With the cash vouchers, and renamed minibons by Bercy then headed by Emmanuel Macron, the legal persons and some funds have access to the crowd-funding previously reserved for individuals. And subscriptions – formerly capped to 1,000 euros per subscriber particular – are limited to the amount of 2.5 million euros that must be met by each borrower per 12-month period
At the same time, Bercy has adapted the financial regulation in order to allow the experiments Blockchain on the minibons.
It replaces advantageously the records held individually by a single registry, distributed, held by all stakeholders.
Blockchain for all of the securities in crowdfunding
Paving the way for the dematerialization of minibons, the use of the Blockchain should also be used to accelerate the standardization and facilitate the regulator’s control of the actors in the crowdfunding. Only investment advisers, participatory (IPC), a status more demanding than that of intermediary in crowdfunding (IFP), are allowed to emit.
Another advantage of minibons : they represent a new mode of financing for SMES to private equity. Where the interest of banks such as BNP Paribas, partner of Lumo in this experiment Blockchain via BNP Paribas Securities Services.
“The Blockchain allows to expedite the issuance of minibons and decrease the cost of transaction,” commented Alex Raguet, also a member of the board of directors of the European crowdfunding network (ECN). The minibons are office test.
“But the goal ultimately is to have a Blockchain global for all securities crowdfunding, including stocks and bonds, which will include the birth of a secondary market,” hopes Alex Raguet.
Worn out by the recent calls for tenders CRE4, attributing a bonus to renewable energy projects reserving a portion of their funding to crowdfunding, Lumo, which has collected nearly 4 million for 2014 and plans to issue 2 to 3 million more by the end of 2017, is expected to grow even stronger in 2018.
