financing
CIMB Bank Singapore Collaborates with iTrust for First-Ever Blockchain Trade Financing
CIMB Bank Singapore and iTrust have collaborated in the first-ever successful blockchain trade financing transaction.
Mogul Productions Implements Chainlink Oracles to Optimize Film Financing
Some industries are reluctant to change because they benefit a small group of people or firms; film financing fits this category. Mainly restricted to established companies, funding and producing an independent movie can be extremely challenging without the right backers. One project looking to remedy that is Mogul Productions, a blockchain-based, decentralized film financing platform.
Core Scientific Partners with Foundry in Financing Deal up to $23 Million
The financing from Foundry will enable Core Scientific and its clients to continue shifting global mining operations to North America
China Looking into the Application of Blockchain and AI for Cross-Border Financing
China is researching the application of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence in cross-border financing, focusing on risk management.
Algorand Blockchain Network Now Certified for Sharia Compliant Financing
The Algorand Foundation announced that its blockchain network has now been certified as Sharia compliant for the inclusion of Islamic financial markets.
BIS to Explore Potential Advantages of Defi on Small & Medium Enterprises in H.K.
As part of its research plans, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) will explore if decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies can enhance financing for small and medium enterprises in Hong Kong.
Global Supply Chain Financing: A New Era of Resilience and Diversification
Citi's 2024 report on supply chain financing highlights a shift towards resilience and diversification in global trade, emphasizing technological innovations and the adoption of the China Plus One strategy.
Electric Capital Raises $1B to Invest in Crypto Startups
Palo Alto-based Venture Capital firm, Electric Capital announced today that it has raised the sum of $1 billion to invest in the cryptocurrency ecosystem
KuCoin Pulls $150m Funding in Pre-Series B, Hitting $10bn Valuation
KuCoin Exchange has announced a pre-Series B funding round by pulling $150 million, aiming to expand its current centralized service offerings in the broader Web3.0 ecosystem.
Bitcoin Mining Firm Marathon Digital Posts 91% Growth in Q3, Gets $100M Credit Line from Silvergate Bank
Marathon Digital Holdings Inc announced its financial results for the third quarter, indicating that the crypto mining firm recorded a 91% growth in revenues in Q3 compared to Q2.
Coinbase Amplifies Anti-Terrorism Financing Measures Through Blockchain Analytics
Coinbase, on October 17, 2023, outlined its robust measures to curb terrorism financing and other illicit activities through a rigorous compliance framework and blockchain analytics. The discourse emphasizes the importance of regulatory clarity in the U.S to minimize offshore risks associated with digital assets. With a dedicated team and technological tools, Coinbase demonstrates a proactive approach in maintaining the integrity of the crypto ecosystem.
NFT Platform Mintable Raises $13 million in Series A Financing and will Integrate with XRP Ledger
NFT platform Mintable has received $13 million in Series A financing and will be integrated with Ripple's XRP Ledger blockchain.
FinCEN Issues Alert to Counter Financing to Hamas and its Terrorist Activities
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued an alert to financial institutions, urging vigilance in identifying and reporting suspicious activities related to the financing of the terrorist organization Hamas. The alert comes in the wake of a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which was funded through various means, including virtual currency.
Superstate Gains $14m in Series A Led by Distributed Global and CoinFund
Superstate, an innovative asset management firm, has secured a $14 million Series A financing round, aiming to expand its team and launch private funds for institutional investors.
MicroStrategy's Debt Dilemma: A Balancing Act Between Bonds and Bitcoin
Adam Cochran discussed MicroStrategy's financial quandary due to its 2025 and 2028 convertible notes amidst its extensive Bitcoin holdings. Failure to address the 2025 note could lead to a 15% equity dilution, while refinancing could spike yield rates. Options like leveraging Bitcoin or selling it to cover debts were explored, with the latter potentially causing a dip in market confidence. Cochran hinted that the year-end decisions could significantly impact how MicroStrategy navigates its debt come 2024.
EBA Issues Updated Guidelines for Crypto Asset Service Providers
The European Banking Authority (EBA) extends Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing measures to include crypto firms, aiming to harmonize regulatory approaches and mitigate financial crime risks in the EU.
Flipside Crypto Pulls $50m from Investors, Led by Republic Capital
Flipside crypto, blockchain analytics, and business intelligence startup have raised $50 million in new funding round to increase its valuation tenfold to $350 million.
StarkWare Valued $8bn in New $100m Funding Round
StarkWare, an Ethereum-based Layer-2 protocol, has raised $100 million in a Series D funding round to bring its valuation to $8 billion.
US House Committee to Probe Crypto Crimes in November Hearing
The US House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing today, November 15, 2023, to examine illicit cryptocurrency activities, including money laundering and terrorist financing, and discuss the Department of Justice's focus on these crimes.
G7 Bank Sector Higher Money Laundering Risk than Crypto Industry, Reports Mexico Financial Intelligence
According to a report released by the Financial Intelligence Unit of Mexico, the G7 banking sector was most at risk of money laundering operations.
Qualcomm Announces $100m Metaverse Investment Fund
Qualcomm's fund will go to companies building the metaverse using augmented reality, mixed reality or virtual reality.
UK ISIS Member Charged for Sending Bitcoin to Terrorist Militants in Syria
A UK member of ISIS faces multiple charges for sending funds using Bitcoin to aid the escape of terrorist militants being held in prison camps in Syria.
Elliptic Debunks Claims of Substantial Crypto Funding to Hamas
Elliptic, a blockchain analytics firm, refuted claims of significant cryptocurrency funding to Hamas, following a wave of reports and a letter from US lawmakers to the White House. The firm highlighted the lack of substantial evidence supporting the alleged $130 million crypto funding between August 2021 and June 2023. Despite historical endeavors by Hamas to solicit crypto donations, recent analysis reveals that the amounts garnered remain minuscule compared to the figures cited in misinformed reports.
1inch Network Raises $175M in Private Token Sale, Building DeFi Products for Institutional Investors
1inch Network, a renowned decentralized exchange aggregator, announced it had completed its Series B funding round, where it raised the sum of $175 million.
Security Compliance Firm Seon Pulls $93m from Investors Backed by IVP
Seon, a United Kingdom-based fintech security and compliance platform has pulled over $93 million in a Series B funding round from investors led by IVP, a Silicon Valley-based investment firm.
Bitcoin Miner Core Scientific Secures $100m Financing amid Bear Market
Core Scientific plans to use the financing to boost its liquidity. Many mining companies face an uphill struggle in the crypto bear market.
NFT Gaming Platform Fractal Raises $35m, Co-Led by Paradigm Capital
Fractal, a marketplace for gamers to discover, buy and sell digital collectibles and gaming NFT, has announced the successful raise of a seed round of $35 million from prominent investors.
Japan Freezes Assets Linked to Hamas Funding
Japan has frozen the assets of nine individuals and a cryptocurrency firm accused of financing Hamas, following US sanctions. This move is part of a global effort to disrupt militant group financing channels, focusing on the challenges of virtual currencies in facilitating illicit financial flows.
Ideogram AI Secures $16.5 Million in Seed Financing Led by a16z and Index Ventures
Ideogram AI, an AI company, aims to use generative AI to enhance human creativity. The company has raised $16.5 million in seed financing, with participation from venture capital firms and industry experts. Ideogram AI is seeking talent in engineering, research, design, and operation, based in Toronto.
Binance Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Support for Hamas in Israel Attack
Three families of victims from the Hamas attack on Israel have filed a lawsuit against Binance, its former CEO Changpeng Zhao, Iran, and Syria, alleging their support for terrorism. The suit claims these parties provided substantial assistance to Hamas, spotlighting the challenges of regulating cryptocurrency in combating terrorism financing.
MoneyBox Raises £35m with Plans to Launch ‘Crypto-Investing’
MoneyBox is getting ready to launch its crypto trading service later this year. The firm has announced a $35 million seed funding round to help it accelerate the plan.
Espresso Systems Raises $32M in Seed Funding, Bringing Scaling & Privacy Solutions to Web 3
Espresso Systems is developing right solutions to address the technical and log-jam issues that prevent the advantages of Web3 scalability and privacy.
Bitcoin Miner Iris Energy Signs Share Purchase Agreement with B. Riley
The issuance of new shares is meant to help Iris Energy strengthen its capital base to support its Bitcoin mining operations amid the market downturn.
Singapore-based ADDX Raises $58m in Pre-Series B Round
Digital securities token exchange ADDX raised $58 million in a Pre-Series B round on Tuesday.
U.S. Intensifies Sanctions on Hamas, Targeting Crypto Assets
The U.S. Treasury has imposed sanctions on Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group, following their attack on Israel, focusing on their use of cryptocurrency assets. The sanctions include sanctions on officials, a Gaza-based crypto exchange, and individuals involved in Hamas' financial operations.
Joint Sanctions by U.S., UK, Australia Target Hamas's Crypto Financing Networks
The U.S., UK, and Australia have imposed a fifth round of sanctions targeting Hamas's cryptocurrency transfer networks, aiming to disrupt the financial infrastructure that supports terrorist activities in Gaza.
EU Proposes Cap on Anonymous Crypto Transfers
The European Union is proposing a 1,000 euro cap on anonymous crypto transfers to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The limit would apply to transfers when a customer cannot be identified, and the proposal also caps cash transactions at 7,000 euros. The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism package is expected to be confirmed in April.
Irreverent Labs Raises $40m in Funding, Led by a16z
Seattle startup Irreverent Labs has once again raised $40 million in funding led by Silicon Valley heavyweight investment firm a16z.
NFT Startup Mojito Secures $20M Funding with Sotheby's Backed
Mojito, a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) startup has raised the sum of $20 million from investors, the chief of whom is the legacy art auction house, Sotheby’s.
Coinbase Seeks to Raise $1.5B Senior Notes to Power its Product Development
Coinbase seeks to sell out $1.5 billion worth of Senior Notes to power its product development drive.
Hong Kong to Pioneer Web3 Financing Platform for SMEs in the Greater Bay Area
NPC delegate Wu Jiezhuang proposes the creation of a Web3 financing platform in the Greater Bay Area to foster SME innovation and international expansion.
Circle Formally Refutes Allegations of Illicit Financing and Connections to Justin Sun
Circle denies CfA's allegations of illicit financing and Justin Sun ties, emphasizing regulatory compliance and advocating for stronger stablecoin laws, as clarified by Dante Disparte.
Debunking Overblown Claims on Crypto and Terrorism Financing
Chainalysis debunks inflated claims on cryptocurrency's role in terrorism financing, emphasizing the predominant use of traditional fiat-based channels by terrorist groups. The analysis highlights the challenges and common misconceptions in tracing terrorist fund flows on the blockchain, particularly concerning service provider identification.
Former Goldman Sachs Staff Launch DeFi Platform Ondo with $4M Funding Round
Two former Goldman Sachs staff have developed a new DeFi protocol Ondo to enhance how users interact with DeFi products, which has raised $4 million through an equity funding round.
Ethereum Layer 2 Startup Optimism Raises $150m in Series B Round
Ethereum scaling startup Optimism has secured a $150 million Series B round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Paradigm.
French Police Arrest 29 People for Financing Syrian Islamist Terrorists Using Bitcoin Coupons
French police have apprehended 29 individuals suspected of funding Islamist extremists in Syria using cryptocurrencies.
Janet Yellen says Crypto Terrorist Financing is a Concern Following Attacks on US Capitol
Janet Yellen highlighted the “growing concern” of crypto being leveraged to finance terror just weeks after the US Capitol was attacked by domestic terrorists paid in BTC.
MicroStrategy CEO Says the Software Firm Is Considering Equity or Debt Financing to Purchase More Bitcoins
MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor has said that he is considering issuing more debt to enable the company to buy more Bitcoins. He stated that it makes sense to purchase as much of the asset class as they can.
China’s Petrochemical Sector Conducts First Blockchain-Powered Warehouse Receipt Finance
China’s petrochemical industry has accomplished the first-ever blockchain-enabled digital warehouse receipt pledge financing transaction to minimize costs.
With 245 Investments and Financing Deals in Blockchain, Will China Carry on Its Expenditure in the Future?
Xinhua reports that there is a 40% decline in Chinese investment and financial deals within blockchain technology
FATF Virtual Assets Guidelines for Cryptosphere Review
With the growing concern of virtual assets/cryptocurrencies being used as a medium for the financing of illegal activities, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issues revised guidance from time to time to combat money laundering and terrorist financing involving virtual assets (VAs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).
Chainalysis Valued at Over $1 Billion after Raising $100 Million to Expand Regulatory Platform As Crypto Market Surges
Blockchain analytics firm, Chainalysis, announced yesterday that it has secured a $100 million Series C financing bringing the company’s valuation to over $1 billion.