Blockchain
Northern Data Group announces closing of Damoon acquisition
Northern Data AG (‘Northern Data Group’) (Ticker symbol German stock market: NB2) (ISIN: DE000A0SMU87) today announces the completion of the acquisition of Damoon Limited, formerly Damoon Designated Activity Company (‘Damoon’)’ from Tether Group. The transaction was first announced in July 2023 and following the required regulatory clearances, the acquisition of c. 70% of Damoon was completed by the end of December 2023, while the remaining c. 30% of Damoon was acquired on 3 January 2024. The closing of the transaction now makes Tether Group, one of the world’s most successful and innovative blockchain technology companies, the cornerstone shareholder in Northern Data Group.
The acquisition value of EUR 400 million for 100% of Damoon is exactly equivalent to the purchase price of the more than 10,000 highly sought-after NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, which Damoon owns.
In total, including the recently announced purchases, Northern Data Group now owns more than 18,000 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs. Taiga Cloud, Northern Data Group’s Cloud division, is in the process of deploying the NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, with the first of the deployments live since December 2023. The deployment of the NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs strengthens Taiga Cloud’s position as Europe’s first and largest dedicated Generative AI Cloud Service Provider, offering flexible and secure access to this latest and most advanced GPU compute power, to meet the surging demand for Generative AI GPUs across Europe.
The ongoing success of Northern Data Group’s vision and strategy has prompted its Founder and CEO, Aroosh Thillainathan, to announce Director Dealings to acquire shares in Northern Data AG for up to EUR 9 million per month and for a total of up to EUR 30 million in the period from 8 January 2024 (inclusive) to 8 May 2024 (inclusive). This will be facilitated via a preset purchase plan agreement, which has been placed with a broker as an irrevocable standing order. To the extent the purchase is made via the stock exchange, the maximum volume of the daily purchases on the stock exchange may not exceed 25% of the average daily XETRA trading volume of the company’s shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on the 20 trading days prior to the respective purchase date. If the trading volumes allow, the order must be fully executed within the four-month period. The purchases will be publicly disclosed regularly. The order has been placed via ART Beteiligungs Management GmbH (ART), the family office of Aroosh Thillainathan, which is 100% owned by him.
Mr. Thillainathan’s current stake in Northern Data Group is 2,761,316 shares, which includes the shares received following the conversion of the mandatory convertible bond in the amount of more than EUR 37 million, which he had purchased via ART in October 2023.
Due to the closing of the Damoon transaction and the required disclosures, Northern Data Group now expects its audited financial statements for fiscal year 2022 to be published in Q1 2024. Accordingly, the next annual general meeting will take place approximately seven weeks thereafter. 2023’s audited financial statements are expected to follow by the end of H1 2024.
The total number of fully diluted, outstanding Northern Data Group shares, following the completion of the Damoon acquisition and including the underlying shares for the outstanding mandatory convertible bond, which has not been converted yet, is 53,497,231.
Aroosh Thillainathan, Northern Data Group’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“Northern Data Group’s growth as a global, leading High-Performance Compute company continues to go from strength to strength. Through the acquisition of Damoon, we have made outstanding progress in the realization of our Cloud strategy, and with the substantial investments made in the hardware critical to delivering Generative AI’s potential, Taiga Cloud, our Cloud Service Provider, is truly positioned for success.
In 2024, we expect to continue our dynamic development and actively seize market opportunities to deliver on our mission to drive the next era of tech-advancement. We’re building the High-Performance Computing infrastructure that will underpin the next wave of Innovation Bravery.”
Transaction Details
Northern Data Group completed the two capital measures agreed in the Investment Agreement announced in July 2023, as amended (“Investment Agreement”), (i) an increase of its share capital by EUR 10,487,826 and (ii) the issuance of a mandatory convertible bond with a nominal value of c. EUR 87 million, convertible into up to 4,763,051 shares in Northern Data Group, both against contribution in kind, by the end of December 2023. Thereby, Northern Data acquired 69.92% of Damoon, as well as 69.92% of the c. EUR 400 million shareholder loan granted to Damoon by Tether Group.
With the registration of a further increase of its share capital against contribution in kind by EUR 6,556,949 to EUR 48,734,180 on 3 January 2024, Northern Data Group acquired the remaining 30.08% of Damoon and of the shareholder loan granted to Damoon in implementation of the exercise of the call option granted to Northern Data Group in the Investment Agreement, as already announced in September 2023, thereby fully completing the acquisition of Damoon and the shareholder loan granted to Damoon.
The completion of this acquisition and the in total three capital measures follows regulatory clearances being obtained, and the confirmation of the court-appointed independent auditor that the value of the contributions in kind are at least equivalent to the value of the 17,035,775 shares in Northern Data Group and the c. EUR 87 million mandatory convertible bond, convertible into up to 4,763,051 shares in Northern Data AG, issued by Northern Data Group as consideration in total.
The post Northern Data Group announces closing of Damoon acquisition appeared first on Hipther Alerts.
Blockchain innovation continues to accelerate, weaving together emerging technologies, sustainability goals, and new financial models. In today’s Blocks & Headlines briefing—May 20, 2025—we explore five groundbreaking stories: Cerebra Supernova’s AI-blockchain energy convergence, Chainlink/Kinexys/Ondo’s blockchain DVP trial, the launch of Blockchain Cloud Mining’s “Master” digital-gold platform, Sakhila Mirza steering Responsible Gold’s blockchain expansion, and Automobili Estrema’s NFT-powered “Dizzy Viper” art drop. Each development signals how Web3, DeFi, and NFTs are reshaping finance, supply chains, and creative industries. Below, we strip away hyperlinks, offer concise coverage, and provide op-ed insights on the broader implications for blockchain’s next chapter.
1. AI & Blockchain Convergence for Sustainable Energy Systems
Key News: Cerebra Supernova, a French startup, has unveiled a pilot platform that combines AI-driven grid optimization with a blockchain-enabled energy-credit marketplace. By using reinforcement-learning algorithms to forecast renewable output and smart contracts to automate peer-to-peer energy trades, the system aims to reduce curtailment and incentivize prosumers.
Details:
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Reinforcement Learning Grid Management: AI agents predict wind and solar generation with 98% accuracy, dynamically adjusting dispatchable assets (batteries, gas turbines) to maintain stability.
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Energy-Credit Tokens: Green-energy surplus is tokenized as “SolarLoop” ERC-20 tokens, tradable among households, businesses, and utilities with settlement on an Ethereum Layer-2 network.
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Sustainability Impact: Early trials on Corsican microgrids reported a 12% reduction in fossil-fuel use and a 20% increase in renewable utilization.
Opinion & Implications:
The fusion of AI and blockchain in energy grids marks a pivotal shift toward decentralized, citizen-driven utilities. Traditional power markets struggle with intermittent renewables; embedding autonomy via smart contracts democratizes access and aligns incentives for cleaner output. However, real-world rollouts must address interoperability (across protocols), token volatility, and regulatory clarity on digital asset classification. Cerebra Supernova’s initiative may well set the template for community microgrids worldwide, but scaling will require standardized APIs, robust cybersecurity measures, and policy frameworks to integrate tokenized energy credits into broader carbon-pricing schemes.
Source: SiliconANGLE
2. Chainlink, Kinexys & Ondo Test Blockchain DVP Settlement
Key News: Chainlink Labs, Kinexys, and Ondo Finance have jointly piloted a Distributed Delivery-Versus-Payment (DVP) settlement mechanism on a public blockchain, targeting institutional bond and ETF trades. By leveraging Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Kinexys’ settlement-oracle mesh, the trial achieved atomic settlements: assets and payments exchanged simultaneously, irrevocably on-chain.
Details:
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Atomic DVP Workflow: Upon trade execution in an off-chain matching engine, settlement instructions trigger on-chain via CCIP messages; Kinexys oracles confirm balances, and Ondo’s tokenized cash-equivalent stablecoins (nUSD) finalize payment.
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Performance Metrics: End-to-end latency clocked at 3 seconds per transaction, with sub-$0.50 gas costs due to Rollup-level batching.
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Risk Reduction: Eliminates counterparty and settlement-fails risk inherent in T+2 markets, enabling real-time finality and freeing collateral faster.
Opinion & Implications:
Bridging traditional capital markets and public blockchains has long been the Holy Grail of institutional DeFi. This DVP pilot demonstrates that rigorous market-standard settlement can coexist with open-ledger transparency and composability. Yet, regulatory acceptance remains the linchpin—securities regulators must endorse on-chain finality as equivalent to legal settlement. Moreover, interoperability across permissioned and permissionless networks will determine whether tokenized securities truly scale. If such trials proliferate, expect incumbent custodians and clearinghouses to partner with decentralized-oracle providers, laying the groundwork for a 24/7 global settlement infrastructure.
Source: The Paypers
3. Blockchain Cloud Mining’s “Master” Digital-Gold Platform Launch
Key News: Blockchain Cloud Mining has released Master, a turnkey cloud-mining and staking portal enabling users to allocate fiat and crypto into diversified mining assets—Bitcoin, Ethereum PoS, and a curated basket of altcoins—via a single, web-based dashboard.
Details:
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Encrypted Wealth Strategy: Master abstracts miner procurement, hosting, and maintenance; users simply choose “Digital Gold,” “Ethereum Yield,” or “DeFi Basket” plans.
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Revenue Sharing: Monthly returns distributed as tokenized dividends (DCM-TOKEN), tradable on major DEXs.
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Security & Compliance: KYC/AML integrated Sign-in, cold-storage custody of mined coins, and quarterly third-party audits published on-chain.
Opinion & Implications:
As retail investors seek passive crypto exposure, cloud-mining platforms promise hands-off rewards but often lack transparency. Blockchain Cloud Mining’s audited model and tokenized dividend structure could elevate trust—but token economics must guard against dilution and rug-pull risks. Moreover, the environmental debate around proof-of-work mining persists; integrating renewable-energy credits or carbon offsets into mining-assets offerings could be a differentiator. As staking yields compress and DeFi bear cycles loom, platforms like Master will need to innovate risk-adjusted return products and perhaps incorporate algorithmic governance to align user incentives.
Source: GlobeNewswire
4. Responsible Gold Taps Sakhila Mirza to Lead Blockchain-Powered Expansion
Key News: Responsible Gold, the tokenized-asset platform enabling fractional, KYC-compliant gold ownership, has appointed fintech executive Sakhila Mirza as Chief Growth Officer. Her mandate: scale the “Trusted Gold” ecosystem and forge partnerships with bullion exchanges, central banks, and luxury-goods providers.
Details:
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Trusted Gold Tokens (TGT): ERC-721 tokens representing audited, insured physical gold bars stored in vaults across Switzerland and Singapore.
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Expansion Strategy: Under Mirza, the platform aims to integrate with central-bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots, enabling gold-backed CBDC overlays. Plans include white-label solutions for jewelry retailers to mint fractional gold tokens at point-of-sale.
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Governance & Audits: Monthly on-chain proof-of-reserve updates via Merkle-proof contracts; annual audits by Big Four firms.
Opinion & Implications:
Tokenizing real-world assets like gold has been heralded as blockchain’s killer app—but adoption hinges on regulatory trust, custodial transparency, and consumer education. Mirza’s track record in partnerships could bridge the gap between crypto-natives and traditional finance, positioning TGT as a credible store-of-value for both investors and commerce. CBDC integration is particularly visionary: by tethering digital fiat to gold reserves on-chain, central banks could assuage inflation concerns and experiment with programmable money. However, geopolitical tensions around reserve asset denial and cross-border gold transfers may challenge such initiatives—making governance frameworks and legal clarity paramount.
Source: Business Wire
5. Automobili Estrema & Fabian Oberhammer’s “Dizzy Viper” NFT Collaboration
Key News: Italian hypercar maker Automobili Estrema has partnered with digital artist Fabian Oberhammer to launch “Dizzy Viper”, a limited-edition NFT art series minted on the NEAR Protocol, celebrating the brand’s cutting-edge “Fulminea” electric supercar.
Details:
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Collector Drops: 333 dynamic NFTs featuring generative-art viper motifs synchronized to real-time telemetry data from a Fulminea test run.
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Utility Perks: NFT holders receive VIP track day invites, factory tours, and a fractional stake in a bespoke Fulminea prototype.
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Environmental Offset: Minting energy consumption offset via NEAR’s carbon-neutral consensus and direct funding of reforestation projects in Italy.
Opinion & Implications:
Luxury automotive brands entering the NFT arena exemplify Web3’s fusion with experiential marketing. By linking on-chain art to real-world perks and data streams, Automobili Estrema deepens fan engagement while tapping new revenue from digital collectibles. NEAR’s eco-friendly blockchain underscores the need for sustainability in NFT minting—a growing concern among high-net-worth audiences. The fractional ownership model hints at broader use cases: tokenized access to exclusive assets (cars, yachts, art) could spur secondary markets and novel governance rights. For blockchain enthusiasts, this collaboration showcases how tokenomics and experiential utility can elevate brand loyalty beyond traditional merchandising.
Source: PR Newswire
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
Today’s headlines reflect a blockchain ecosystem maturing across multiple dimensions:
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Sustainability & Decentralization: AI-blockchain energy grids and carbon-neutral NFT minting demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship.
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Institutional Integration: DVP settlement trials and tokenized gold underscore blockchain’s encroachment into capital markets and reserve assets.
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Democratized Access: Cloud-mining platforms and fractional gold tokens lower barriers to crypto and real-asset investing, while highlighting the need for transparency.
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Experiential Web3: Luxury brands and community microgrids leverage tokenized incentives to forge deeper user connections.
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Regulatory & Governance Frontiers: From Massachusetts-style AI commissions to CBDC-gold overlays, legal frameworks will shape the pace and direction of blockchain adoption.
As blockchain transcends niche use cases, cross-sector collaboration and robust governance will determine whether these innovations realize their transformative promise. Today’s stories are more than headlines—they’re signposts pointing to a decentralized, tokenized future where AI, finance, sustainability, and creativity converge on the distributed ledger.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 20, 2025 appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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