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AdalFi lands $7.5m funding round as it helps banks to ramp consumer and business loans across Pakistan

AdalFi

Less than 4% of Pakistani consumers and businesses take bank loans. Helping banks offer their customers real-time loan products, Pakistan’s first end-to-end digital lending infrastructure provider AdalFi is today announcing a $7.5 million funding round. The funding round was led by COTU Ventures, Chimera Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures and Zayn Capital alongside angel investors including execs from Plaid. With AI-powered credit scoring and underwriting models, AdalFi has built the critical infrastructure to power smart, instant loans for consumers and SMEs in Pakistan. These include unsecured loan products such as term loans, credit cards and revolving finance facilities for consumers and SMEs respectively. The AdalFi tech stack also includes pre-built, bespoke customer journeys and integrations with major banking platforms. AdalFi has quickly signed up 14 banks (including 7 out of the top 10), on its mission to promote financial inclusion as it unlocks access to credit to millions of people and small businesses. AdalFi’s proprietary technology scores the financial transactional data already possessed by banks, enables personalized digital marketing to qualified prospects and, finally, provides the customer journeys which are embedded within the bank’s digital presence to enable real-time disbursement of loans. AdalFi operates on an asset-light, revenue sharing model with banks which captures any downside risk exposure to banks such that any loan losses are accounted for, pro-rata, in fees due to AdalFi. These deep partnerships ensure banks and AdalFi are completely aligned in that AdalFi only makes money from loans that are actually paid back. Salman Akhtar, CEO and co-Founder of AdalFi commented: “Pakistan has 50 million bank accounts yet only 2 million of these individuals and businesses have any credit relationship with their bank. The high cost of loan origination driven by physical verification of identity, assets and financial health (in the absence of credit scoring) has restricted credit access to a thin, top tier of customers. AdalFi’s digital lending platform allows partner banks to instantly credit score the other 95% of their existing customers who have never been lent to and cross-sell loans to them.” Salman Akhtar added: “In essence, we have built better underwriting models for banks. Not only have we lowered the cost of credit scoring and underwriting and therefore the cost of credit but we changed their outlook and got them to change their approach. Banks have been drawn to AdalFi because we offer rigorous credit scoring to ensure portfolio quality with zero cost customer conversion (from depositors to borrowers). Moreover, we enable a breakthrough in customer experience with instant, smart loans which completely transform customer value delivery.” “AdalFi is riding a double wave of digitisation. Firstly, a behavior change is underway as customers go digital, banking app transaction volumes in Pakistan already exceed in-branch numbers. Secondly, the technology shift, pioneered by us, with credit scoring and digital journeys enabling instant loans. The AdalFi tech stack enables frictionless loans for qualified customers who are already living in a digital, mobile first world.” Since its launch in July 2021, AdalFi has grown the Gross Loan Volume (GLV) enabled by its Digital Lending Platform at 30% month on month for the last 19 months. Over 70,000 loans have disbursed to date with a default rate well under 0.1%. Through December 2022, AdalFi enabled a cumulative Rs. 1 Billion in GLV. In January 2023 alone AdalFi generated Rs. 390 Million in lending and is on track to exceed Rs. 1 Billion within Q1 2023. “Salman excited us from our first interaction. Him and his team’s level of experience and track record building software for financial institutions is a rarity in this space. When you combine that with the innovative solution that AdalFi offers, specifically with its AI-powered scoring model that is scalable and frictionless, you have all the ingredients to massively transform the credit industry. The fact that they have already secured partnerships with the leading banks in the country, and have already facilitated new unsecured lending channels for their clients in such a short space of time, gives us confidence that they have an incredibly exciting future ahead of them.” said Amir Farha, Managing Partner at COTU Ventures. AdalFi's vision for the future is to continue to drive innovation in the lending space, providing consumers and SMEs with the best possible experience by powering the lending infrastructure across a wide range of products and channels. The company aims to be the premier digital lending solutions provider in the APAC region and beyond. Salman Akhtar concluded: "Our rapid growth is a testament to the need for such solutions in the lending space, and we look forward to continuing to drive positive change in the industry." About AdalFi AdalFi is a venture-backed fintech startup and Pakistan’s first digital lending infrastructure provider. For more information please visithttps://adalfi.com/ or follow on social media via LinkedIn. About COTU Ventures COTU stands for Champions Of The Underdog. We are on a mission to change the culture of venture investing in the Middle East by investing early (with the first check) and with conviction (in people), while bringing diversity, speed and founder empowerment into the investment process. We partner with founders and show them how to believe in themselves when they are at the loneliest, earliest, and most challenging parts of their journeys. About Fatima Gobi Ventures By bringing together one of the largest conglomerates in Pakistan, Fatima Group and one of the most active multi-national venture capital firms in Asia, Gobi Partners, Fatima Gobi Ventures is fusing local expertise with regional VC know-how. We invest intelligently, using data collated from the flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystems of Northeast and Southeast Asia to identify companies locally that have the edge and drive to go beyond Pakistan’s borders. Simultaneously, we accelerate the growth of founders by benchmarking their businesses and linking them to the developed markets in Asia. For more information, please visit https://fatimagobi.vc/ About Zayn Capital Zayn Capital is a leading venture capital firm providing capital to start-ups in Pakistan. It is founded by seasoned Venture Capitalist Faisal Aftab. Zayn Capital has made 20 investments in leading companies such as Nayapay, PostEx, Abhi, Savyour, SnappRetail, Zaraye, Laam, Bagallery, Krave Mart and Bookme.pk among others. Their team is made up of seasoned executives, investors, founders, and operators who partner and support startups in Pakistan. For more information, please visit https://www.zayn.capital/ Contact Details AdalFi Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://adalfi.com/

February 16, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Rapidly Expanding World Of Biometrics May Hold Promise In Securing The Future Of Financial Cybersecurity

BIO-key International, Inc.

By Gita Karunakaran, Benzinga Biometric systems are gaining immense popularity around the globe. They are easy to use and implement and provide a cost-effective solution for ensuring high-end cybersecurity. Biometrics are unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints or facial scans, that can be used for automated recognition. They’re popular for being a reliable, secure, and practical means of identifying and authenticating individuals through their unique biological characteristics. Over the years, biometrics has found widespread use in a variety of applications, including cybersecurity. Companies like BIO-key International Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), for example, use biometrics in their Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions as an optional added layer of security for enterprises. Viable Financial Cybersecurity May Need More Than Traditional Biometrics In The Future In most cybercrime cases, fraudulent activity is reportedly detected only after someone has already lost money or data to hackers. As such, any analysis commences only after the fact. With cybercrime on the rise and financial losses from cybercrime projected to cost over $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, organizations are constantly on the lookout for fail-safe solutions to protect their brand and reputation from damaging breaches, proactively. A branch of biometrics – known as behavioral biometrics – that has emerged from observing human behavioral patterns seems to hold promise in possibly pre-empting potential cybercrimes. Behavioral biometrics track an individual’s behavior patterns and the manner in which he or she interacts with the device itself, such as the way a screen is held, the manner of typing, and the speed at which the mouse is moved. Biometric behavioral inputs, when collected and analyzed, can enable banks and financial services providers to flag potential fraud even before a transaction goes through. This enables them to take action to prevent it – either by halting the transaction or requiring additional authentication factors from the customer, before proceeding. An additional benefit of behavioral biometrics is that the analysis can happen without extracting and storing data from the customer’s phone or device, minimizing the chances of customer data being stolen or misused. When It Comes To Reducing Fraud, Biometric Authentication Can Help Merchants As fraud continues to rise and with eCommerce remaining a highly targeted sector for fraud, traditional authentication such as passwords and pins alone may not be sufficient for merchants to successfully combat scams and hacks. Equally, consumers are becoming more aware of cybersecurity risks and frauds, and have mounting concerns about safeguarding their payment information and other sensitive details while transacting online or even in person. As a result, customers are reportedly willing to take extra steps – including facial recognition – in authenticating their banking as well as non-bank accounts if it means a more secure experience. However, there have also been concerns about the ability of facial recognition to prevent fraud when they are relied upon as the sole criteria to transact, especially if the face scan matches aren’t verified through additional alternative means. One of the solutions to this issue has been to adopt a hybrid fraud prevention tactic, which combines biometrics such as fingerprint identification or voice recognition with other identity authentication technologies. At the same time, privacy regulations continue to grow, putting pressure on organizations to adhere to multiple norms and regulations on the storage of biometrics. All of this highlights the need to arrive at the right fraud-fighting tools to prevent revenue loss, customer asset loss, and brand reputation damage for organizations and merchants – to strike the perfect balance of data privacy and security. The increased awareness of cybersecurity risks and a rise in the adoption of biometrics has also given rise to the growth of multi-factor authentication (MFA) – sometimes with more than one biometric method or multimodal biometrics as a preferred option for maximum protection against cybercrime, hacking, and fraud. And increasingly, biometrics is seen as possibly the only security that can help banks, retailers and other organizations combat sophisticated fraud attacks, as fraudsters continue to use various tactics, including SIM swaps and porting scams, to redirect OTPs (one-time passwords) to a device they control or convince their victims to hand them over through deception or brute force attacks. BIO-key seems headed in the right direction with its IAM solutions powered by Identity-Bound Biometrics (IBB) combined with traditional authentication and multi-factor options. The company believes that IBB is a way to establish trust and accountability. IBB enables organizations to confirm an individual’s genuine presence when accessing systems and provides them with the ability to audit with full transparency. BIO-key’s single, unified IAM platform, PortalGuard, offers solutions for a range of use cases and business initiatives, such as MFA, Single Sign-on, and Self-service Password Reset. PortalGuard requires only a one-time enrollment and can be quickly set up for access across multiple devices and locations according to BIO-key. This could offer greater deployment versatility and scalability and enable enterprises to provide a consistent and seamless user experience. To learn more about BIO-key’s identity-bound biometric solutions visit the company webpage here. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software managing millions of users. Its cloud-based PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy to deploy, convenient and secure access to devices, information, applications, and high-value transactions. BIO-key's patented software and hardware solutions, with industry-leading Identity-Bound Biometric (IBB) capabilities, enable large-scale Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solutions, as well as customized on premises solutions. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Catalyst IR- William Jones, David Collins +1 212-924-9800 BKYI@catalyst-ir.com Company Website https://www.bio-key.com/

February 16, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

XCPCNL Business Services Announces the Issuance of Share Dividend

XCPCNL Business Services Corporation

McapMediaWire -- XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC: XCPL ), a venture development business that leverages knowledge, skill, and experience in the consumer products industry today announces that the company has issued a share dividend. On February 15 th, 2023 a 20% Stock Dividend was issued to shareholders on record as of January 23 rd, 2023. The total Stock Dividend Shares to issue equal 175,373,316. The total Outstanding Post Split equals 1,052,215,982. This is subject to change once DTC sends in their rounding letter on or after February 23 rd, 2023. The Transfer agent has recorded shares and issued to Shareholder Broker/Dealers. Shareholders should receive them in the next 24-48 hours. If not, please contact your Broker/Dealer. XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC Pink: XCPL) encourages shareholders to visit their corporate Twitter account at https://twitter.com/RealXCPCNL Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may have, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions, as they relate to our management team or us, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company's filing with the Over-the-Counter Market ("OTC"). All subsequent written or forward-looking oral statements attributable to persons or us acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. About XCPCNL Charlotte, NC-based XCPCNL Business Services is a venture development business that leverages its knowledge, skills, and experience in the consumer products industry. Our primary mission is to provide marketing, technology, and other business services to fast-growing consumer product companies and big-box retailers. XCPCNL is a minority-owned and controlled firm. To learn more about our businesses, services, and opportunities, please contact info@xcpcnl.com To learn more about XPCNL, visit www.xcpcnl.com. For Inquiries: Email: ir@xcpcnl.com Contact Details Tim Matthews ir@xcpcnl.com Company Website http://www.xcpcnl.com/

February 16, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

FRONTERA GROUP ACQUISITION TARGET TEXAS MONEY EXCHANGE ENGAGES FORMER TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH AND MICHAEL BEST STRATEGIES, LLC. AS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ADVISORS

Frontera Group Inc.

McapMediaWire -- Frontera Group, Inc. (OTC: FRTG ) (“Frontera,” “Frontera Group” or “the Company”), a technology-focused strategic acquirer of revenue-generating companies and intellectual property (IP), today announced that in connection with its term sheet to ultimately acquire 100% of the total issued and outstanding shares of common stock of McAllen, Texas-based Texas G & S Investments, Inc. d/b/a Texas Money Exchange (TME) from a joint venture controlled by members of the Solis family, TME has engaged former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Michael Best Strategies, LLC. as government relations and public affairs advisors. A spokesman for TME stated: “Our collaboration with Commissioner Bush and Michael Best Strategies is something we are looking forward to. Our company operates in the highly regulated financial services sector. We are confident that Commissioner Bush and the Michael Best Strategies team will help us better understand the regulatory and policy environment and the key players, as well as help us communicate the facts to the appropriate parties at the appropriate times in order to produce positive outcomes for our company, our customers, the Great State of Texas, and the United States.” About George P. Bush Bush is a native-born Texan, a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas Law School. A military veteran, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 10 years and completed an 8-month tour in Afghanistan. A former businessman, Bush cut his professional teeth in the oil and gas and real estate industries. In 2014, Bush was elected as the 28th Texas Land Commissioner and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2018. During his two terms in office, he built a track record of success collaborating with local, state, and federal officials to make government work better for the citizens of Texas. Through his leadership of the Texas General Land Office, Bush helped thousands of Texans recover from natural disasters, funded Texas public education through the Permanent School Fund, provided benefits to Texas veterans, and preserved the Alamo, vast Texas coastline, and other state-owned lands for future generations of Texans. He also fought to protect the oil and gas industry from federal overreach and bureaucratic rulemaking – and won. Bush is the grandson of President George H.W. Bush, the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the nephew of President George W. Bush. He lives in Austin with his wife, Amanda, and their two sons. Upon joining Michael Best Strategies, LLC. in January of this year as a principal Bush stated: "I'm thrilled to continue my work in service to fast-growing and dynamic clients in Texas and the rest of the nation as part of Michael Best's team." "Michael Best's focus on the critical issues facing Texas and the nation at large combined with their exceptional team of talented lawyers and advisory experts make for the perfect platform to continue serving the American people." About Michael Best: Michael Best is a full-service firm helping clients navigate the intersection of business and government by providing a full range of services across four primary areas: Governmental Affairs, Public Affairs and Communications, Business and Community Solutions, and cultivation of Strategic Political Relationships. Michael Best also features an affiliate law firm with more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals who work in collaborative, interdisciplinary practices to serve clients around the world. ( www.michaelbeststrategies.com ) About TME TME is a Texas Department of Banking licensed and bonded non-depository financial institution engaged in the money services business (MSB). TME is believed to be the largest foreign exchange and international payment specialist in the Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV). In business over 27 years, TME is an emerging Fintech and critical cog in the supply chain between the United States and Mexico. On behalf of its customers TME conducts business foreign exchange USD-MXN (Dollars/Pesos), business payments USD-MXN, payment of vendors in Mexico, receiver of payments from Mexico and makes authorized freight voucher payments. TME customers include importers and exporters of a wide range of products such as machinery, equipment, Tupperware, pickles, avocados, watermelon, lemons, limes, mango and many other products Americans use and consume on a daily basis. ( www.texasmoney.com ). About Frontera Frontera Group is a strategic acquirer of intellectual property and revenue-generating companies in the technology and human capital markets. It is developing and executing an aggressive, four-tier acquisition and implementation strategy intended to provide substantial increases in profitability to its acquisitions in industries with traditionally low and stagnant EBITDA multiples. The Company has identified and is currently pursuing several revenue-generating acquisition targets. For further information, please visit Frontera’s website at www.frtgtech.com. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 The statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. For example, statements that describe FRTG’s hopes, plans, objectives, goals, intentions, or expectations are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this news release. Numerous factors, many of which are beyond FRTG’s control, will affect actual results. FRTG undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. This news release should be read in conjunction with FRTG’s most recent financial reports and other filings posted with the OTC Markets and/or the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission by FRTG. Frontera Group Contact K. Bryce Toussaint, Board Director invest@frtgtech.com Investor Relations Contact Lindsey Harasta lindsey@frtgtech.com Contact Details Investor Relations Contact lindsey@frtgtech.com

February 16, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

SoftBank Corp. Participates in Blockchain Project Oasys for Social Implementation of Web3

Oasys

SINGAPORE / TOKYO, JAPAN - Media OutReach - 16 February 2023 - Oasys Pte. Ltd. ("Oasys") today announced that SoftBank Corp. ("SoftBank"), a Japan-based telecommunications operator, has joined as an official validator of Oasys, a gaming-optimised blockchain designed for gamers and developers alike, with a focus on the future of blockchain gaming. SoftBank's recognition of Oasys' superior mechanism that serves both users and IP (intellectual property) holders, along with its advanced technological capabilities, has led to their decision to participate in the Oasys blockchain. This partnership extends beyond Softbank's role as validators, as the two companies explore potential collaboration, including the development of blockchain-based services, in the future. Bandai Namco Research, SEGA, Square Enix, Netmarble, and 17 other companies are among the 21 initial validators for Oasys. Starting with SoftBank, Oasys will invite other companies with a high level of trust and performance on a global scale to participate as validators, further stabilising and strengthening the Oasys network. In the next batch of validators, four more companies will be joining the network, bringing the total to 25. In the medium-term, Oasys plans to further decentralise the network by enabling public participation through a council and removing the limit on the number of validator slots as long as the necessary requirements are being met. Keiichi Makizono, Senior Vice President & CIO of SoftBank, said "We are very excited about the Oasys blockchain's flexible, user-centric architecture, which meets the needs of both users and IP content owners, and look forward to working with Oasys to promote Web3's social implementation and resolve social issues." Daiki Moriyama, Director of Oasys, said "We are honoured that SoftBank shares our vision for Oasys and has chosen us as a business partner for Web3. With SoftBank coming onboard as a validator, Oasys will not only expand the stability and ecosystem of the Oasys chain, but also aim to strengthen business collaboration with Oasys. We look forward to working with SoftBank to develop the blockchain gaming industry by fostering relationships and synergies with its group companies and partners." In just over a year since its formation, Oasys has fully launched its mainnet blockchain protocol, with over a dozen playable games available on its blockchain. On 31 January 2023, the company announced plans to list on the leading Japanese crypto exchange, bitbank. About Oasys Oasys was established in February 2022 to increase mainstream play-and-earn adoption, and at launch, committed to partnering with 21 gaming and Web3 tech companies to act as validators, such as Bandai Namco, SEGA, Ubisoft and Yield Guild Games. Led by a team of blockchain experts and joining forces with the biggest gaming company names to serve as the initial validators, Oasys is revolutionising the gaming industry with its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) based eco-friendly blockchain.With a focus on creating an ecosystem for gamers and developers to distribute and develop blockchain-based games, Oasys solves the problems game developers face when building games on the blockchain. The trifecta approach of the fastest network powered by the gaming community, a scalable network powered by AAA game developers and the blockchain offering the best user experience with fast transactions and zero gas fees for users, readies participants to enter the Oasys and play. More information on Oasys is available at: Website: https://www.oasys.games/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/oasys_games Discord: http://discord.gg/oasysgames About SoftBank Guided by the SoftBank Group's corporate philosophy, "Information Revolution – Happiness for everyone," SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) provides telecommunications services and combines them with advanced technologies to develop and operate new businesses in Japan and globally. In the fiscal year ended March 2022, SoftBank Corp. registered 5.7 trillion yen of revenue, 985.7 billion yen of operating income, and, at the end of December 2022, had 319 group companies (245 subsidiaries and 74 affiliates), both in Japan and abroad. SoftBank Corp. has 39 million mobile subscribers and 8 million broadband subscribers in Japan, and through its group companies Yahoo Japan Corporation, PayPay Corporation and LINE Corporation, 86 million online media users, 54 million smartphone payment users and 92 million communication app users, respectively (as of February 3, 2023). With this strong business foundation and compelling number of customer touchpoints, SoftBank Corp. is expanding into non-telecom fields in line with its "Beyond Carrier" growth strategy while further growing its telecom business. Also, by fully harnessing the power of 5G, AI, IoT, Digital Twin, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions, including High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunications, and other key technologies, SoftBank Corp. aims to realize the "Implementation of Digitalization into Society." In recognition of its ESG initiatives, SoftBank Corp. was selected for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, FTSE4Good, 2022 Constituent MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index and other leading global ESG investments indices. To learn more, please visit https://www.softbank.jp/en/ Contact Details Oasys oasys@wachsman.com Company Website https://www.oasys.games/

February 16, 2023 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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ARway Corp announces six new deal for its wayfinding solution

ARway

ARway Corporation CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Proactive's Steve Darling with the news that the company has inked six new deals for its augmented reality (AR) wayfinding platform ARway. Gappelberg told Proactive the company continues to see growing interest from AR agencies, large corporations and brands, with the company in negotiations for multiple full-service AR wayfinding contracts that have millions of square feet to map. Contact Details Proactive Investors Canada +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

February 15, 2023 01:42 PM Eastern Standard Time

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From Retail to Institutional: The Shift in Crypto Investment

Ledgible

The cryptocurrency & digital asset sector has long been dominated by retail investors. However, with more and more institutions entering the market, the industry inches toward full adoption. With the buildout of tools that enable visibility and compliance, the institutional investment landscape for digital assets can reach new heights. During the 2017 bull run, specialty funds cracked open the institutional doors into cryptocurrency investing. This move grew over the years by emulating the lead of retail investors into the sector. The industry, however, has long awaited the mass arrival of established institutional investors and LPs (mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds to name a few). Given these types of institutions comprise over 85% of the trading volume in US stocks, the entry of these entities is expected to escalate cryptocurrency market capitalization significantly. However, this influx of institutional capital brings the necessity of new infrastructure. In other words - products built to bridge the gap between traditional finance products and digital assets. Institutional vs Retail Investment Several key differences exist between retail and institutional investment in the digital asset sector. The most notable difference is investment size, as institutional investment managers allocate much larger sums compared to retail investors. Additionally, institutional investors employ more advanced analytics-driven strategies and pay more attention to risk. Institutions also have to adhere to strict governance and compliance rules, which can impact the way they handle digital assets. For example, they may not actually hold the assets, as their clients are the owners. Cryptocurrencies and digital assets have introduced new accounting and compliance challenges for institutions and enterprises. The lack of established regulatory guidelines force these organizations to navigate complex reporting requirements and tax implications. The decentralized and anonymous nature of cryptocurrencies creates difficulties in tracking transactions and auditing records. Furthermore, the risk of fraud, hacking and money laundering associated with the crypto market exacerbates these challenges, requiring institutions to implement robust security measures and conduct thorough due diligence on counterparties. Despite these challenges, many institutions and enterprises are still exploring the potential benefits and opportunities presented by cryptocurrencies and digital assets – and are actively working towards finding solutions to these compliance and accounting hurdles. Barriers to Institutional Investment Despite the growing interest in the crypto sector, there are still several factors holding back institutional investment. These include a lack of market liquidity, concerns about market manipulation, and a lack of regulatory clarity. Though the market cap of Bitcoin hit $1 trillion in 2021, this is a fraction of the global equities market's cap of $250 trillion and the bond market. Additionally, issues concerning market manipulation and unethical practices like wash trading have deterred institutions from investing in crypto. Not least of all concerns, the regulatory uncertainty has made it difficult for institutions to comply with know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, as the nature of most blockchains can make it challenging to identify the other party in a trade. However, the landscape of institutional investment in digital assets is evolving rapidly, and these challenges are being addressed as the industry matures. The ecosystem required to support institutional-grade investments is emerging, and regulations are also evolving to keep up with the changes. Building the Infrastructure for Institutional Adoption The Ledgible digital asset tax and accounting platform is a comprehensive solution for institutions and enterprises looking to navigate the complex world of digital asset investing, compliance, and management. SOC 1 & 2 Type 2 certified, the Ledgible platform provides a high level of security and trust. Cryptocurrencies present several challenges for traditional financial services firms: non-standard naming conventions, 24/7 trading, increasingly complicated transaction types, fragmented liquidity, and variable revenue streams to name a few. Without the proper tools, institutional crypto adoption may feel a little like fitting a square peg into a round hole. To support at the required scale, systems ranging from Trading and Risk to Treasury and Accounting will each need to be “crypto enabled” – whether extending decimal precision, messaging into new trading venues, or supporting new concepts like hard forks or airdrops. In addition, those systems will need to connect with the fragmented and constantly evolving world of digital asset liquidity. Only by solving both can traditional financial firms support digital assets using existing technology and operational teams. To help turn this concept into reality, Ledgible has partnered with industry leaders in the Tradfi space, to form a normalized source of post-trade data to capture all that is necessary to properly account for digital assets no matter where a firm chooses to trade. By using this new source of data for digital assets, firms can easily connect the wide array of centralized exchanges, liquidity providers, Defi protocols, blockchains and custodians in the crypto space into the many downstream accounting and risk platforms that need to consume such information. The platform bridges the gap between traditional financial (TradFi) and digital assets, offering a seamless integration of the two. With its cutting-edge technology and focus on compliance, Ledgible is the ideal partner for institutions and enterprises looking to invest, manage and stay compliant with their digital assets. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. The Ledgible Platform is a cryptocurrency tax & accounting solution designed for Institutions, Enterprises, and Professionals.Financial institutions, corporations, and accounting firms use the Ledgible platform globally for crypto tax, crypto accounting, and crypto audit for billions of dollars of crypto assets. For firms and enterprises seeking traditional financial verification, reporting, and assurance, Ledgible provides the tools they need to confidently embrace cryptocurrency in their work through a SOC 1 & 2 Type 2 Audited Solution. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Jan Jahosky jan@verady.com Company Website https://ledgible.io/

February 15, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

OPPO Globally Launched Its New Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League

OPPO

SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach - 15 February 2023 - Global smart technology company OPPO, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League, today unveiled its latest flagship foldable smartphone - Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League. “We are glad to launch our new Find N2 Flip to the global markets” said William Liu, President of Global Marketing at OPPO. “With its large smart cover screen, industry-leading Flexion Hinge, long-lasting battery life, and outstanding camera performance, OPPO Find N2 Flip, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League, is the perfect device for fans to both capture and experience true-to-life content from their favorite football games.” As part of the partnership, the Find N2 Flip will be used by official UEFA Champions League photographers to capture the action of the game at close range along the sidelines，framing the inspiring and exciting moments. The best photos will then be shared in an OPPO Gallery on the UEFA Champions League website and the OPPO UEFA Champions League landing page. Equipped with the industry’s most advanced Flexion Hinge, Find N2 Flip supports multi-angle FlexForm mode, allowing the screen to be set at any angle between 45-110 degrees. This completely new form factor opens new creative possibilities when it comes to photography and video, as well as providing added convenience for viewing content. In addition, the Find N2 Flip will also be displayed at OPPO’s booth at the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul, Turkey to showcase itself as the champion flip phone to more fans. The foldable phone features the largest and only vertically oriented cover screen of any flip phone on the market. The cover screen’s 17:9 vertical aspect ratio is almost identical in form to the phone’s main screen, making it completely intuitive to use. Without flipping the phone open, the cover screen can be used to respond to messages, browse apps, or answer calls. OPPO Find N2 Flip also offers the largest battery capacity and fastest charging of any vertically foldable device on the market, making it the go-to option for both newcomers and existing flip phone users. To celebrate the launch of Find N2 Flip, OPPO will also offer some surprise for users. Customers who buy the phone will have the chance to get an exclusive OPPO and UEFA Champions League gift and enter a raffle to win tickets to the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League Final. As the first Chinese brand to partner with the UEFA Champions League, OPPO will work closely with UEFA to bring more passion and inspiration to sports through its world-leading devices and technologies while helping fans witness, capture, and share the magic of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. To learn more about OPPO Find N2 Flip, click here. Detailed information about the sales gift, please refer to local OPPO Store. About OPPO OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone - “Smiley Face” - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Contact Details OPPO Media Contact press@oppo.com

February 15, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Sekur Private Data Announces Its 2023 Budget Is Fully Covered With Existing Cash Flow

Sekur Private Data Ltd

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQX: SWISF) (CSE: SKUR) (FRA: GDT0) is a US-listed cybersecurity and internet privacy company with roots in Switzerland that provides private and secure communications solutions. It uses its own servers and military-grade encryption security and combines them with its proprietary encryption and Swiss data privacy laws. The company is best known for its corporate products like SekurMail and SekurMessenger which offer users complete privacy. Capitalizing on the strict Swiss privacy laws, Sekur has built a brand that prides itself on state-of-the-art technology allowing for secure communication. The company has seen great success in Latin America and even recently announced its advancement into the privacy markets with its new VPN product, SekurVPN. Sekur also recently announced a partnership with Nobleus, an American all-encompassing e-commerce platform that offers customers tools and resources to run a successful online business. The agreement will allow Nobleus the rights to distribute and resell Sekur services and products to its client base. Nobleus is expected to provide these services to its clients in Q1 2023. This agreement will help position Sekur as an alternative security and privacy communications platform and allow online American businesses to become more independent from big-tech platforms. Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data said: "We are very pleased to have partnered with Nobleus. Nobleus is an innovative company and is progressing very nicely on all fronts in its e-commerce platform rollout. We believe partnering with Nobleus will provide substantial growth opportunities for Sekur to reach the consumer masses through their unique distribution model. Our prime directive is to provide private and secure communications for everyone.” Sekur Announces Its 2023 Finalized Budget In another exciting announcement, Sekur announces that it is entering 2023 with no debt and no need to raise cash to meet its 2023 budget obligations. As of the announcement, the company had approximately $3 million in cash and an established budget of $2,360,000 for 2023. The 2023 budget includes all of its expenses. The company reported a 50% decrease in the budget from 2022 for its marketing, hardware, and general and administrative needs. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y67PiL8Pcig" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> The company is looking at an increase in gross sales and is confident in its ability to succeed in these goals, largely due to the expansion of products launched at the end of 2022, as well as upcoming launches in 2023, like SekurVPN. Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data said: "We are pleased to announce that we have been able to cut close to 50% of our expenses for 2023, and still expect an increase in sales. Some of the assumptions are due to the new marketing plan we have and some of the sales increases are attributed to the B2B relationships we have signed and established in Latin America and the USA. There has been a lot of chatter, on some investment forums notably, about our need to raise funds in 2023, and we can now demonstrate with certitude that we have no need for new funding to meet the needs of the Company for the 2023 fiscal year. 2023 will increase focus on establishing more B2B relationships and on SMB marketing, as we continue to expand our direct-to-consumer base. As we are not connected to any Big Tech platform, we offer a truly independent, private and secure means of communications without any data mining, through our proprietary technology and our secure servers based in Switzerland. We look forward to continuing to offer true data privacy to all individuals and their businesses and protect their intellectual property, and their privacy, from data miners and malicious hackers." This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Sekur Private Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure communications and secure data management. The Company distributes a suite of secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management, encrypted e-mails, and secure communication tools. Sekur Private Data Ltd. sells its products through its websites www.sekur.com and www.sekursuite.com, and approved distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. Sekur Private Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Corporate Department corporate@sekurprivatedata.com Company Website https://sekurprivatedata.com

February 15, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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