Blockchain
Crypto Platform Kikitrade Completes US$8M Pre-series A Funding
Cryptocurrency social investment platform Kikitrade today announced that the company has completed Pre-series A funding of USD 8 million, co-led by Dragonfly Capital, Cherubic Ventures and Animoca Brands who also joined the Board of the Company. By providing a user-friendly, secure and fun user experience, Kikitrade aims to attract the millennials and everyday people to invest in crypto assets with ease, and contribute to the democratization of cryptocurrency in the long run.
Renowned Investors Betting on Strong User and Team Traction
The Pre-A series funding was co-led by Dragonfly Capital, a blockchain venture fund affiliated with Sequoia Capital, Cherubic Ventures, a venture capital that has invested six unicorns globally, and Animoca Brands, a blockchain gaming giant founded by tech legend Yat Siu. Other investors include Ethereum Co-founder Joseph Lubin and his new fund in stealth, Singaporean venture capital Vulpes, Super Chain Capital, Australian venture capital Artesian, Head & Shoulders X in Hong Kong, Chinese blockchain fund SNZ and more.
With profound experience in FinTech, Kikitrade Co-founder Allen Ng said, “My singular goal with Kikitrade is to lower the entry barrier of crypto investment and provide everyday people with the necessary tools and knowledge required.” Dragonfly Capital Partner Mia Deng said, “Attracting the millennials and Gen-Z with first-class user experiences is an important trend in FinTech. We like Kikitrade’s strategies and look forward to driving the mass adoption of crypto together.”
Kikitrade’s solid and diverse team background is also a key consideration for the investors. The team comprises experienced engineers, hedge fund traders, investment bankers and crypto enthusiasts with in-depth knowledge in both financial and blockchain industries. Cherubic Ventures Managing Partner Tina Cheng said, “Kikitrade’s professional team has both excellent product development capabilities and extensive marketing resources. We are very bullish on its future growth and the vision of driving crypto’s mass adoption”.
Enhancing “Social” and “Gaming” Elements for Millennials
Sean Tao, another Co-founder of Kikitrade, has built and operated multiple social products for millennials before. A heavy gamer himself, Sean aims to integrate “social” and “gaming” elements to Kikitrade, enabling peer interaction and gamified experience. Animoca Brands CEO Yat Siu said, “NFT’s are the standard for true digital property rights and the next development of the Metaverse requires easy to on-board financial services, and we believe Kikitrade could become an influential financial onboarding platform for collectors and gamers globally.”
Entering New APAC Markets and Introducing New Features
Granted a Digital Asset Exchange Provider Qualification from the Australian government, Kikitrade has plans to apply or acquire more licenses in APAC. The compliant platform upholds a high standard on identity verification (i.e KYC), anti-money laundering (i.e AML) and asset segregation, striving for a secure and reliable crypto investment experience. To address the common misperception of the high costs associated with crypto, Kikitrade sets its minimum investment amount at US$1. In addition, Kikitrade provides crypto-based saving features and regular investment plans targeting beginners and long-term holders.
The investment proceeds will accelerate the user acquisition in the fast growing APAC markets, including Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Australia. Kikitrade will also continue to optimize its existing trading system, enhance its educational content and create an easy-to-use Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) portal. Kikitrade is highly committed to becoming the best partner for mainstream investors in their forays into the crypto universe.
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.
-
Blockchain4 days ago
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Market is expected to reach a revenue of USD 64.9 Bn by 2033, at 25.6% CAGR: Dimension Market Research
-
Blockchain4 days ago
Blockchain Transforming Travel: Quantum Temple’s Innovative Venture
-
Blockchain Press Releases3 days ago
Bybit and Franck Muller Partner with Sidus Heroes to Launch Cosmic Gears: A Pioneering Web3 Game with a $250,000 Prize Pool and Exclusive Watch Collection
-
Blockchain4 days ago
Bybit and World Leaders Forge Major Alliance to Direct Web3 for Social Good
-
Blockchain2 days ago
Quantum eMotion Files a Patent for Quantum-based Blockchain Wallet Under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
-
Blockchain2 days ago
Elizabeth Warren Urges Treasury Secretary Yellen to Implement Strong AML/CFT Measures for Stablecoins
-
Blockchain4 days ago
Evolution of the Blockchain World: Doric Blockchain Drives Education and Adoption of Blockchain Technology and Tokenization in Latin America
-
Blockchain Press Releases2 days ago
Canaan Shines at Blockchain Life 2024 in Dubai