Hope Capital launches rival to Metaverse Stock Exchange
By Adam Reuters
SECOND LIFE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Australian entrepreneur Luke Connell — LukeConnell Vandeverre in Second Life — is set to open on Friday the World Stock Exchange, an automated trading floor that allows companies to sell shares to the public, taking on the established Metaverse Stock Exchange.
The WSE is part of Hope Capital Ltd, Connell’s Second Life financial services firm (SLurl), which also includes a foreign exchange market and a retail bank that will begin offering home, business and consumer loans on Feb. 1. The WSE allows companies to automatically submit an application to offer shares and to set a price for their offering, charging a 3 percent commission.
The new stock exchange is launching despite the mixed track record of the Metaverse Stock Exchange, which only has one listed company a year and a half after the initial public offering of Cyberland in July, 2005. Cyberland, now known as Second Life Solutions, is run by Chief Executive Shaun Altman and its holdings include the exchange itself.
With the growth of the economy in Second Life and other virtual worlds, there is increasing interest in virtual world finance. SLNN reported this week that a Canadian firm is looking to launch a business that links Second Life finance with real-world banking, and the makers of the MMO Entropia Universe are auctioning five licenses to “integrate real world banking systems into the virtual world.”
Connell is a 23-year old Melbourne resident whose website states his goal of running an investment portfolio of $1 billion by age 35. He has sold shares in Hope Capital to several dozen investors (a share register is listed online here), and prepared a lengthy financial prospectus for the company.
He has only been in Second Life since Nov. 29, purchasing the World Currency Exchange from founder Adam Constantineau in December.
One obvious roadblock for financial services in Second Life is the lack of contract law and regulation, meaning that all investments — be they shares, deposits with banks, or other ventures — carry some degree of risk that a company will walk away with its investors’ money.
“There is no protection for shareholders if the founder of a company whom everyone thought was a good investment decided to vanish,” Connell said.
In an attempt to prevent financial skulduggery, the WSE will regulate listed companies by monitoring adherence with listing rules.
“Companies are required to meet the listing rules and adhere to the constitution of the WSE. The WSE can disapprove of a listing if it suspects foul play — their listing can be removed immediately or frozen,” he said. “We wouldn’t allow a company to list on the exchange if we felt they were questionable.”
“There might be an opportunity to work closely with Linden Lab with regards to fraud,” he added, “as fraud is a breach of the Terms of Service.”
Hope Capital’s bank, OurBank, will offer interest rates that are relatively modest compared to rivals like Ginko, Midas and SL Bank, offering 6.5 percent per year for the standard savings account, calculated daily and paid fortnightly.
“I was under pressure by citizens of SL to offer higher interest rates but it’s risky and therefore I’m sticking to the fundamental rules of banking,” Connell said.
From Feb. 1, OurBank will offer automated consumer loans of up to L$1,000 to verified residents with at least 5 profile points and two months in Second Life, charging 20 percent interest per year with a minimum monthly payment of 10 percent.
Business and home loans will require collateral in the form of land, with the bank taking possession until the loan is repaid.
