Blockchain
WonderFi Announces Closing of Coinberry Acquisition
Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – July 4, 2022) – WonderFi Technologies Inc. (TSX: WNDR) (OTC Pink: WONDF) (WKN: A3C166) (FTX: WNDR) (the “Company” or “WonderFi“) today confirms that is has closed its previously announced acquisition (the “Acquisition“) of Coinberry Limited (“Coinberry“), one of Canada’s leading crypto asset trading platforms registered with the Canadian Securities Administrators (“CSA“) and Canada’s first pure-play licensed crypto broker.
“This acquisition further solidifies WonderFi as a leader amongst crypto companies in Canada, and along with our acquisition of Bitbuy, establishes a great foundation for our expansion into global markets,” commented Ben Samaroo, CEO of WonderFi. “Further, as we’ve seen over the past few weeks, the crypto market downturn has had a massive impact on the viability of unregulated crypto trading platforms and WonderFi’s value proposition as one of the few regulated crypto businesses makes us well positioned to continue our growth.”
Andrei Poliakov, CEO and Co-Founder of Coinberry, commented: “Bringing together the Coinberry and Bitbuy teams under the WonderFi umbrella has created one of the largest combined compliant and licensed crypto companies in Canada and we are keen to continue building on our common success as we expand into new markets.”
In connection with the Acquisition, the Company will employ Andrei Poliakov, in the position of Head of Brokerages of WonderFi, and President of Coinberry.
Key Transaction Benefits
- WonderFi becomes the first company in Canada, and one of the first globally, to own and operate multiple licensed, compliant crypto asset trading platforms fully regulated by applicable securities commissions
- Coinberry adds over approximately 225,000 users and $99.5 million of client assets under custody as at March 31, 2022, which gives the WonderFi group of companies over half a billion dollars in approximate total client assets under custody
- With Coinberry making over 35 crypto assets available for trading on its proprietary platform, the Acquisition further expands WonderFi’s ability to offer users secure and regulated access to one of the biggest selections of crypto assets in Canada
- WonderFi anticipates realizing meaningful cost synergies through integrating a variety of functions across the WonderFi, Coinberry and Bitbuy operations, developing cross-selling services, and continuing to innovate its suite of product offerings to drive enhanced user experience
- Combined with its recent listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX“), ownership and operation of multiple registered crypto asset trading platforms solidifies WonderFi’s leading market position in Canada and further strategically positions the Company to expand into international and high-growth markets
Transaction Details
Under the terms of the Acquisition, among other things, the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Coinberry. The consideration paid consisted of an aggregate of 28,925,645 newly issued common shares of WonderFi, the majority of which were subject to certain lock-up requirements. A copy of the definitive agreement with respect to the Acquisition is available on the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
Other Matters
In connection with closing, the Company will issue 500,000 common shares to each of LDL Corp. and O’Leary Productions Ltd., and 275,000 common shares to Halpern & Co. Limited, for strategic merger and acquisition services provided to the Company in connection with the Acquisition.
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact:
WonderFi Technologies Inc.
Ben Samaroo, CEO
[email protected]
(778) 843-9637
Investor Relations Contact: [email protected]
Media Contact:
Binu Koshy, Communications Director
[email protected]
Coinberry Limited
Andrei Poliakov, CEO
[email protected]
(888) 997-6544
ABOUT WONDERFI
WonderFi is a leading technology company with the mission of creating better access to digital assets through compliant centralized and decentralized platforms. WonderFi provides unified access to digital assets including crypto, DeFi, gaming and NFTs, in a compliant and regulated environment. WonderFi’s executive team and Board of Directors have an established track record in finance and crypto, with previous experience at Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, Galaxy Digital and Hut 8. WonderFi’s core team of engineers and technologists believe that everyone should have equal access to finance, and are aligned in the mission to empower people around the world to access finance in a simple, smart and secure way. For more information, visit www.wonder.fi.
ABOUT COINBERRY
With over $1 billion in crypto traded, Coinberry makes it easy and secure for Canadians to buy, trade and sell a wide range of cryptocurrencies. As a CSA and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) registered crypto trading platform, Coinberry is powered by the belief that the digital economy should be inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Forward-Looking Information and Statements
This press release contains certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company’s beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company’s control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”, “projected”, “estimated”, or variations of such words.
By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: the ability of the Company to work effectively with strategic investors; the ability of the Company to realize synergies, and material adverse changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets, changes in applicable laws, and compliance with extensive government regulation. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein.
Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. All values stated in this release are in Canadian dollars.
The Toronto Stock Exchange has not approved or disapproved of the information contained in this release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/129879
Blockchain
Supply Chain Finance Market Forecast to Reach $9.4 Billion by 2029: Increasing Emphasis on Sustainable Sourcing
Global Supply Chain Finance Market
Blockchain
Web3 Startups Raise Nearly $1.9B in Q1 2024 Despite Overall Downtrend in Crypto VC Interest
Venture capital funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain projects has seen a notable resurgence in the first quarter of 2024, marking its first quarterly rise since 2021. Crunchbase data released today indicates that Web3 startups secured nearly $1.9 billion in funding across 346 deals during this period. This represents a substantial 58% increase from the previous quarter, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the ongoing downward trend in overall crypto VC interest.
The recent surge in funding can be attributed to investors adopting a more long-term perspective on Web3, as opposed to the hype-driven “tourist investors” predominant in recent years. Chris Metinko, the author of the report, notes that investors are shifting their focus to the AI sector, indicating a change in investment strategy. There is a growing interest in supporting the foundational infrastructure of the decentralized internet, rather than solely concentrating on crypto wallets and lending platforms, which attracted significant investments during the peak period of 2021 to 2022.
While large funding rounds were relatively uncommon in Q1, several notable investments stood out. Exohood Labs, a company integrating AI, quantum computing, and blockchain, secured a remarkable $112 million seed round at a valuation of $1.4 billion. EigenLabs, an Ether token “restaking” platform, raised $100 million in a Series B round led by a16z crypto. Additionally, Freechat, a decentralized social network leveraging blockchain technology, secured $80 million in a Series A round. These investments, among others, contributed to the increase in valuations and the emergence of four new Web3 unicorns in Q1.
Despite the recent progress, the future trajectory of Web3 remains uncertain. Metinko suggests that the next few quarters will be pivotal in determining the industry’s direction. While investors anticipate a rebound in investment as the decentralized internet evolves, it may take another year for venture capital activity to stabilize after the exuberance of 2021. Factors such as the approval of U.S. spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds and the upcoming Bitcoin halving could also influence the market, given the rising prices of Bitcoin and Ether.
A noteworthy example of significant funding in the Web3 space is Monad Labs’ recent successful funding round, which secured $225 million led by Paradigm. Monad Labs is a layer-1 blockchain compatible with Ethereum, offering faster transaction processing. This funding round harkens back to the golden era of crypto funding in 2021-2022, when L1 solutions attracted substantial investments.
Earlier this year, Balance, a digital asset custodian based in Canada, announced that it had once again reached $2 billion in assets under custody (AUC) amidst the recent market recovery. Similarly, Korea Digital Asset (KODA), the largest institutional crypto custody service in South Korea, has experienced remarkable growth in crypto assets under its custody, expanding by nearly 248% in the second half of 2023.
Analysts at Bernstein Research project that crypto funds could reach an impressive $500 billion to $650 billion within the next five years, representing a significant leap from the current valuation of approximately $50 billion. This forecast underscores the growing optimism and potential for substantial growth within the crypto industry in the coming years.
Source: cryptonews.com
The post Web3 Startups Raise Nearly $1.9B in Q1 2024 Despite Overall Downtrend in Crypto VC Interest appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
Blockchain
ASIC cracks down on blockchain mining firms
Three blockchain mining companies – NGS Crypto, NGS Digital, and NGS Group – along with their directors, Brett Mendham, Ryan Brown, and Mark Ten Caten, are facing legal action from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for allegedly operating without a license, in violation of Australia’s Corporations Act. ASIC initiated legal proceedings against these entities on April 9, citing concerns about their non-compliance with financial regulations and their solicitation of Australian investors.
According to ASIC, the NGS companies promoted blockchain mining packages with fixed-rate returns to Australian investors, encouraging the transfer of funds from regulated superannuation funds to self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) for conversion into cryptocurrency. Approximately 450 Australians invested a total of around USD 41 million in these packages, raising concerns about potential financial losses.
The legal action filed by ASIC alleges that the companies violated section 911A of the Corporations Act, which prohibits companies from providing financial services without a valid Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL). ASIC is seeking interim and final court orders to prohibit the NGS companies from offering financial services in Australia without an AFSL.
ASIC Chair Joe Longo emphasized the importance of investors carefully considering the risks before investing in crypto-related products through their SMSFs. Longo stated that ASIC’s actions send a message to the crypto industry about the regulator’s commitment to ensuring compliance with regulations and protecting consumers.
In a separate development, the Federal Court appointed receivers for the digital currency assets associated with the NGS companies and their directors to safeguard these assets amid concerns about the risk of dissipation. Mendham was also issued a travel restriction order, preventing him from leaving Australia.
While a court date for the proceedings has not been set, ASIC’s investigation is ongoing, with the regulator continuing to gather evidence and build its case. It is worth noting that the investigated companies share a similar name with NGS Super, a legitimate Australian pensions provider, leading to potential confusion among investors. NGS Super clarified that it is not involved in selling cryptocurrency or related products and has taken legal action to protect its trademark and members’ interests.
Source: iclg.com
The post ASIC cracks down on blockchain mining firms appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
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