Abstract

Recently developed SEC guidelines provide the regulatory framework for Title II of the Jump Start our Business (JOBS) Act of 2012, which legalizes interstate equity crowdfunding in the United States. Concurrently, eighteen states have passed legislation or promulgated regulations that allow intrastate equity crowdfunding. At present, the literature has not addressed what this nascent funding mechanism will offer to investors, as well as, those seeking funding for entrepreneurial projects within the U.S. Therefore, this paper provides a review of current U.S. legislation, discusses the anticipated implications of equity crowdfunding, and develops a conceptual model that demonstrates potential outcomes.