I think this is a brilliant idea. I love the idea that small investors can participate and provided desperately needed capital to good ideas and business people without all of the "accredited investor" paperwork. The government thinks the average citizen is smart enough to vote, serve on a jury and be shipped off to war, but not invest their own money?<p>Caveat emptor: Many of the rules and regulations that are in place in US markets are there because someone tried to screw someone else in that particular way at some point in time.