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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Dutch Bank ING Reportedly Working on #Crypto Custody Tech #Bitcoin #Ethereum $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:15 PM on Friday, December 13th, 2019

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

Dutch Bank ING Reportedly Working on Crypto Custody Tech

  • Netherlands-based banking multinational ING is developing technology for the custody of crypto assets, according to Reuters.

By: Daniel Palmer

The news agency said in a report on Wednesday that sources “familiar with the matter” indicated the ultimate aim of the initiative is to provide secure crypto storage facilities for the bank’s customers.

The tech, though still in the early stages, is apparently being built by a team based in Amsterdam.

Responding to Reuters in a statement, ING said it “sees increasing opportunities with regard to digital assets on both asset backed and native security tokens,” and is taking a particular focus on developing blockchain technology to open up the sector for clients.

ING is already involved in a number of blockchain initiatives, with its dedicated development team saying in April that it’s working on privacy technology called “bulletproofs” to potentially conceal client data.

It’s also working on blockchain-based trade finance as part of consortium startup R3’s Marco Polo project and another in partnership with ABN Amro, also a Dutch bank. In January, ING inked a five-year licensing deal with R3 for use of its Corda Enterprise platform.

If ING now moves into custodianship of crypto assets, it will be one of very few traditional finance institutions to have done so.

Fidelity’s digital assets arm launched custody services earlier this year, as did Bakkt, the bitcoin derivatives subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange. A plan by Japanese bank Nomura to offer institutional-grade custody for digital assets was delayed till 2020 in spring.

Otherwise, only a few smaller banks such as Julius Baer and Arab Bank’s Swiss arm have moved to offer the service in a bid to attract clients.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/dutch-bank-ing-reportedly-working-on-crypto-custody-tech

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Posted in All Recent Posts, Blockchain stocks, Canadian Blockchain Stocks, Smallcap Blockchain stocks, ThreeD, ThreeD Capital | Comments Off on ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Dutch Bank ING Reportedly Working on #Crypto Custody Tech #Bitcoin #Ethereum $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Heritage Cannabis Provides Initial $250,000 Financing to Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca for Joint Venture Extraction Facility $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca $FAF.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:07 AM on Friday, December 13th, 2019
  • Announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empower Healthcare Assets Inc., has issued a convertible promissory note in the principal amount of CAD$250,000 to Heritage
  • Under the terms of the LOI, Empower and Heritage will each hold a 50% ownership interest in the JV entity.
  • Heritage, via its wholly owned subsidiary, Purefarma Solutions Inc. will install extraction units and related downstream extraction equipment inside Empower’s existing 5,000 sq. ft. licenced hemp processing facility in Sandy, OR.

HERITAGE CANNABIS HOLDINGS CORP. (CSE:CANN) (“Heritage”) provides $250,000 of funding to support the development of the previously announced Empower – Heritage Extraction Center Joint Venture (the “JV”) in Sandy, OR.

VANCOUVER, BC / December 13, 2019 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE:CBDT)(OTC:EPWCF)(Frankfurt:8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company, is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empower Healthcare Assets Inc., has issued a convertible promissory note (the “Note“) in the principal amount of CAD$250,000 to Heritage, pursuant to an initial first funding under the letter of intent (the “LOI“) previously announced by the Company on September 17, 2019.

Under the terms of the LOI, Empower and Heritage will each hold a 50% ownership interest in the JV entity (“NewCo“). Heritage, via its wholly owned subsidiary, Purefarma Solutions Inc. (“Purefarma“), will install extraction units and related downstream extraction equipment inside Empower’s existing 5,000 sq. ft. licenced hemp processing facility in Sandy, OR. In addition, Purefarma will train and supervise staff on the proprietary methods of extraction and oil production that it utilizes in Canada. The JV will be equally funded by both companies, with Heritage investing an initial $500,000 for start-up funds, as the build-out completes and the JV secures high quality hemp supply from local growers.

“Securing the initial advance from Heritage demonstrates the confidence both companies have in being able to finalize a definitive agreement for the formation of the JV and commence full operations at the Sandy, OR facility,” said Steven McAuley, Empower’s Chairman and CEO. “Receiving the advance allows us to place purchase orders for equipment and complete 2020 state licensing requirements to begin product production, which is expected to be followed soon after by the set up of the hemp-derived CBD extraction equipment.”

“We at Heritage continue to be excited and optimistic about our potential with the large U.S. markets. Having a distribution partner like Empower and a licenced facility together are expected to allow us to accelerate our path to new revenue and support the order pipeline we are building,” said Clint Sharples, CEO of Heritage.

The Note bears interest at the rate of 2.0% per annum and will mature no later than December 31, 2021. The Note contains an optional conversion provision for Heritage to surrender the Note in exchange for shares in the capital of Empower. The number of Empower shares to be issued to Heritage will be based on the value of the shares at the close of business the day before this Note is surrendered to the Company, subject to a minimum conversion price of $●, being the closing price of the shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE“) on December ●, 2019.

A further optional conversion provision provides that, on or after the date when a definitive agreement is executed and delivered by the parties in connection with the JV, Heritage may surrender the Note to the Company in exchange for an equity interest in Newco equal to Heritage’s pro-rata cash investment in NewCo made pursuant to the Note, provided however, that the Company shall have 60 days to match Heritage’s contribution to NewCo, such that if the Company or an affiliate invests an amount equal to Heritage’s investment, the equity ownership in NewCo will be held equally by Heritage and the Company. Upon conversion, all amounts advanced under the Note shall be deemed to be an equity advance to NewCo for purposes of the JV.

The proceeds of the Note shall be used solely in connection with the JV and the incorporation of Newco. The proceeds shall not be used to repay the outstanding balance under any existing or future bank or credit facility or similar arrangement, including any scheduled payments of principal and interest.

The Note and any Empower shares issued thereunder will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of the issuance of the Note under applicable Canadian securities laws, as well as resale restrictions under applicable United States securities laws. The issuance of the Note and any Empower shares are subject to the approval of the CSE. Neither the Note nor any of the Empower shares that may be issuable thereunder will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and none may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a leading owner/operator of a network of physician-staffed clinics focused on helping patients improve and protect their health through innovative uses of medical cannabis. It is expected that Empower’s proprietary product line “Sollievo” will offer patients a variety of delivery methods of doctor recommended cannabidiol (CBD) based product options in its clinics, online and at major retailers. With over 165,000 patients, an expanding clinic footprint, a focus on new technologies, including tele-medicine, and an expanded product development strategy, Empower is undertaking new growth initiatives to be positioned as a vertically integrated, diverse, market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019 and beyond.

ABOUT HERITAGE CANNABIS HOLDINGS CORP.

The Company is a vertically integrated cannabis provider that currently has two Health Canada approved licenced producers, through its subsidiaries Voyage Cannabis Corp. and CannaCure Corp. both regulated under the Cannabis Act Regulations. Working under these two licences, Heritage has two additional subsidiaries, Purefarma Solutions, which provides extraction services, and BriteLife Sciences that is focused on cannabis based medical solutions. Heritage as the parent Company, is focused on providing resources for its subsidiaries to advance their products or services to compete both domestically and internationally.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Steven McAuley
Chief Executive Officer

CONTACTS:

Investors: Steve Low
Boom Capital Markets
[email protected]
647-620-5101

Investors: Steven McAuley
CEO
[email protected]
604-789-2146

For French inquiries: Remy Scalabrini, Maricom Inc., E: [email protected], T: (888) 585-MARI

DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”, “expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding: the proposed JV; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; the expected use of proceeds of the Note; the expected benefits to the Company and its shareholders as a result of the proposed JV. Such statements are only projections, are based on assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including that: Heritage and Empower may be unable to agree on terms of a definitive agreement with respect to the JV; that the Company may not open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed JV or extraction facility; and other factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities laws.

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Labrador Gold $LAB.ca – Gold’s Deal Blitz Could Draw In The Rest Of The Mining Sector $RIO.ca $WHM.ca $SIC.ca $NXS.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 4:19 PM on Thursday, December 12th, 2019
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is LAB-square-logo-2.png

SPONSOR: Labrador Gold – Two successful gold explorers lead the way in the Labrador gold rush targeting the under-explored gold potential of the province. Exploration has already outlined district scale gold on two projects, including a 40km strike length of the Florence Lake greenstone belt, one of two greenstone belts covered by the Hopedale Project. Click Here for More Info

Newmont to buy Goldcorp in $10bn deal creating world's largest gold miner

Completed gold acquisitions have reached about $33 billion so far in 2019, the highest since 2011

A torrent of deal-making among gold producers that’s pushed M&A in the sector to an eight-year high is seen spilling over into the wider mining industry — if there’s a rally in global growth.

Pending and completed gold acquisitions have reached about $33 billion so far in 2019, the highest since 2011, according to data complied by Bloomberg. That’s as deals among all mining companies have declined about 29% from last year to $60-billion, the data show.

A revival in the economic outlook, with higher interest rates and inflation, would prompt other metals producers to rethink their current strategy of cutting debt and lifting shareholder returns — and focus again on pursuing growth, according to Christopher LaFemina, a New York-based analyst at Jefferies.

“Until now, the market has rewarded companies for austerity” amid a chase for yield, LaFemina said in a phone interview. “We will see a significant acceleration of M&A activity when global growth recovers.”

In recent times, the biggest miners, including Rio Tinto and BHP, have made only some small investments in undeveloped projects and authorized new spending on expansions at existing operations.

Larger-scale M&A could be an option for Rio next year, UBS Group analysts, including Glyn Lawcock, said in a report this month. “Will 2020 see the shackles come off? Growth in the portfolio is limited,” they said.

Rio has a “watching brief for attractive M&A opportunities,” though intends to remain “absolutely disciplined,” CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques told investors at an October seminar. The company has said its ventures team is evaluating opportunities in battery materials, including in nickel. There would be “plenty of logic” for Rio in adding copper producer First Quantum Minerals, according to Barclays.

BHP is also seeking to add oil, copper and nickel, and could consider deals that offer an early entry into high-quality resource bases, particularly before the value of a project is fully understood, CFO Peter Beaven said in May.

Still, large companies and their investors continue to be chastened by past failed deals, according to Paul Mitchell, EY’s global mining and metals leader, and they remain cautious after a multi-year effort to repair balance sheets in the wake of the 2015 price collapse.

Sectors such as base metals have fewer opportunities for consolidation than precious metals, and a price downturn hasn’t yet forced companies into distress, according to David Harquail, chief executive officer at Franco-Nevada Corp., a mine streaming and royalty company.

Since January’s $10-billion gold mega-merger between then Newmont Mining and Goldcorp, companies in the sector including Newcrest Mining have added individual mines, while Kirkland Lake Gold and Zijin Mining Group acquired smaller rivals. Barrick Gold and a partner on Tuesday agreed to a $430 million deal to sell a 90% stake in a project in Senegal to with Teranga Gold.

Gold’s rally means there’s been “a slightly improved environment to be able to finally do transactions,” Harquail said. There’s a prospect of further activity among gold producers into next year, with investors ready to back proposals that reduce overheads and combine assets, he said.

“I want to see smart consolidation, not the same thing that we’ve seen in the past” among gold producers, said Joe Foster, a New York-based portfolio manager at Van Eck. “There’s value to be created by consolidating some of these single-asset companies.” 

SOURCE: http://www.miningweekly.com/article/golds-deal-blitz-could-draw-in-the-rest-of-the-mining-sector-2019-12-11/rep_id:3650

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Posted in All Recent Posts, Labrador Gold | Comments Off on Labrador Gold $LAB.ca – Gold’s Deal Blitz Could Draw In The Rest Of The Mining Sector $RIO.ca $WHM.ca $SIC.ca $NXS.ca

American Creek $AMK.ca: Interview with Ken Konkin Concerning Potential World Class Deposit in Golden Triangle $TUD.ca $SII.ca $GTT.ca $AFF.ca $SEA.ca $SA $PVG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 3:06 PM on Thursday, December 12th, 2019

Ken Konkin Discusses the Goldstorm Deposit at Treaty Creek (including recent outstanding drill results like 0.725 g/t over 838.5m), it’s Potential, and 2020 Development Plans

https://mailchi.mp/bf6603f1de9b/ken-konkin-discusses-the-goldstorm-deposit-treaty-creek-its-potential-and-2020-development-plans-in-a-brand-new-interview?e=d81c2ca55c

https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/tudor-gold-the-next-major-discovery-in-the-golden-triangle/

Cannot view this image? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/682/49176_99c64899f4a48b79_001.jpg

About American Creek

American Creek is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company with a strong portfolio of gold and silver properties in British Columbia.

Three of those properties are located in the prolific “Golden Triangle”; the Treaty Creek and Electrum joint venture projects with Tudor Gold/Walter Storm as well as the 100% owned past producing Dunwell Mine.

The Treaty Creek Project is a Joint Venture with Tudor Gold owning 60% and acting as operator. American Creek and Teuton Resources each have 20% interests in the project. American Creek and Teuton are both fully carried until such time as a Production Notice is issued, at which time they are required to contribute their respective 20% share of development costs. Until such time, Tudor is required to fund all exploration and development costs while both American Creek and Teuton have “free rides”.

More information about the Treaty Creek Project can be found here: https://americancreek.com/index.php/projects/treaty-creek/home

A drill program is also ongoing on American Creek’s 100% owned Dunwell Mine property located near Stewart. More information can be found here: https://americancreek.com/index.php/projects/dunwell-mine

The Corporation also holds the Gold Hill, Austruck-Bonanza, Ample Goldmax, Silver Side, and Glitter King properties located in other prospective areas of the province.

For further information please contact Kelvin Burton at: Phone: 403 752-4040 or Email: [email protected]. Information relating to the Corporation is available on its website at www.americancreek.com.

Hub on Agoracom
  FULL DISCLOSURE: American Creek is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

Tags: #BC, #BruceJack, #copper, #Discovery, #Drilling, #goldentriangle, #HighGrade, #KenKonkin, #Mine, #Ounces, #SII, #sprott, #TUD, $AMK, $SEA, gold

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SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – 10 Ways #Edtech Advances Are Shaking Up Education $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:37 AM on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019
SPONSOR:  BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.

10 Ways Edtech Advances Are Shaking Up Education

  • The development of edtech isn’t expected to slow down any time soon.
  • No traditional teaching methods can compete with the levels of student attentiveness, availability and convenience that edtech currently offers.
  • Professionals from Forbes Technology Council look at the most compelling recent advances in edtech, and why they’re such a big deal to education in the 21st century.

Expert Panel, Forbes Technology Council

Education technology or edtech offers unique opportunities for student development. The roots of edtech in whiteboards, projectors and tablets have given rise to popular learning platforms. Now, students can access on-demand courses, and learn whatever they want thanks to technological advances in the field. Companies can provide classes to their workers the same way, allowing them to leverage industrial edtech for their own business needs and purposes.

The development of edtech isn’t expected to slow down any time soon. No traditional teaching methods can compete with the levels of student attentiveness, availability and convenience that edtech currently offers. Professionals from Forbes Technology Council look at the most compelling recent advances in edtech, and why they’re such a big deal to education in the 21st century.

1. Online Learning Platforms

Digital transformations are now letting students ditch the physical classroom. You can learn everything from coding skills to personal finance basics from resources like Coursera. These programs are taught by industry leaders who are aligned with current trends and needs in the job market. You learn more valuable and relevant skills in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional education. – Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC

2. Live Online Tutoring

Live online tutoring used to be relegated to English-language teachers who had to wake up at odd hours to meet their pupils online. As a more accessible option, the schedules of parents and kids no longer need to coordinate, reducing traffic on the roads and carbon emissions. It also allows parents to be more selective in their tutors instead of going with whoever can accommodate their schedule. – Arnie Gordon, Arlyn Scales

3. Educational Phone Apps

Instead of fighting with students to keep them away from their beloved phones, how about using smartphones to help them learn? We need more simple, high-quality apps like Grasshopper. Apps need to have bite-sized chapters that are small but super focused. The interface should also be simple and intuitive. The more interactive the content is, the higher the learning will be. Edtech is fun with these apps. – Vikram Joshi, pulsd

4. Virtual, Augmented And Contextual Tools

Virtual and federated tools have lowered the barrier of entry, making knowledge more accessible and learning experiences more global. Augmented reality, along with contextually relevant, on-the-job learning systems, have brought an exponentially differentiated experience to students. They have also demonstrated a greater ability for students to commit new concepts to memory and recall concepts faster when the knowledge and skill is required. РFlorian Quarr̩, Exponential AI

5. Extended Reality Technology

Extended reality (XR) moves students away from traditional lectures toward more engaging, immersive learning experiences within a simulated real-world space. Other benefits include increased comprehension levels and long-term memory retention among students. Best of all, as the technology enters the mainstream market, XR will be an affordable teaching option for many educational institutions. – Christopher Yang, Corporate Travel Management

6. Faculty Tech

Classroom edtech isn’t the only thing that’s been booming. There’s a huge trend in primary and higher education systems using new technology to track and monitor their strategic and operational plans. It’s really interesting to see the difference in the past few years as universities in particular have shifted from tracking plans in spreadsheets to using integrated plan management tools. – Christy Johnson, AchieveIt

7. Screencasting

Screencasting has changed the dynamics of the classroom as it offers both teachers and students the freedom to actively engage with the lessons. It has helped teachers untether from the front of the classroom and empowered students to share their work. This results in overall higher engagement amongst the students, but in a fun and interesting manner more importantly! – Mihir Shinde, B&H Photo Video Pro Audio

8. Gamification

One of my favorite edtech advancements has been gamification in the classroom. Gamification is being applied to educational environments through different pieces of software in the marketplace. This enables greater student interaction in the classroom and in place of traditional homework. I am a big fan of gamification in education as it gets students more excited about learning. – Marcus Turner, Enola Labs

9. Professional-Grade Tools

Giving students professional-grade tools means they have the ability to produce amazing things. Google’s G Suite and Chromebooks give students professional tools at budget prices without any of the fluff or bloatware of other solutions. Schools that deploy these tools are more likely to have students that enter the workforce with experience and familiarity with enterprise offerings. – Tom Roberto, Core Technology Solutions

10. Collaboration

I’ve seen some great edtech tools come and go, but one tool that has stuck out is Flipgrid. It effectively combines the preferred way students like to share with the way educators set instructional goals. By coupling these two, students and teachers can collaborate, share and connect. It’s one of the tools that is enabling engagement beyond traditional instruction. – Tyler Shaddix, GoGuardian

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/12/10/10-ways-edtech-advances-are-shaking-up-education/#3540a30053cb

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Posted in All Recent Posts, betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – 10 Ways #Edtech Advances Are Shaking Up Education $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Here’s a New Banking Tool for Vetting #Crypto Exchanges #Bitcoin #Ethereum $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:18 AM on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap exits. Click Here For More Information.

Here’s a New Banking Tool for Vetting Crypto Exchanges

From left to right: CEO and co-founder James Smith; Chief Scientist and co-founder Tom Robinson; Chief Operating Officer Simone Maini; Vice President of Engineering Jon Bradshaw; and Vice President of Product Andrea Ramoino.

  • “Most banks at the moment have a zero-tolerance approach to crypto,” said Tom Robinson, Elliptic’s chief scientist and co-founder. “They don’t have any visibility into the risks that a particular exchange may possess – they all look the same to them. So, many of them won’t bank any exchanges.”
Nathan DiCamillo

A risk-based approach rather than a blanket ban on crypto activity – that’s what blockchain forensics startup Elliptic is hoping to engender among banks with its latest offering.

“Most banks at the moment have a zero-tolerance approach to crypto,” said Tom Robinson, Elliptic’s chief scientist and co-founder. “They don’t have any visibility into the risks that a particular exchange may possess – they all look the same to them. So, many of them won’t bank any exchanges.”

The product, called Elliptic Discovery, aims to give institutions up-to-date risk profiles of more than 200 of the largest exchanges globally. 

Robinson says Elliptic’s tool offers risk indicators that matter to bankers: 

  • An exchange’s know-your-customer and anti-money laundering policies
  • Jurisdictions that an exchange operates under and what licenses it holds
  • The coins listed at the exchange that might be risky (i.e. privacy coins)
  • Analysis of an exchange’s transactions (i.e. funds going to anonymizing services or funds going to entities/countries on a sanctions list)

Similar banking products in the market include TRM Labs’ risk-score for cryptocurrency transactions, with the startup analyzing more than a dozen blockchains for banks looking to fight money-laundering and fraud in the crypto sphere. Banks have also used Chainalysis’ transaction-monitoring tools to be able to compliantly work with crypto firms. 

Elliptic’s Robinson said he spoke with about a dozen bankers to determine what risk indicators would be valuable to them. One insight gained from his informal survey was that bankers would be more likely to bank exchanges if they had more information about their risk profiles, he said.

The co-founder wouldn’t reveal which banks he had spoken with, but Elliptic has publicly worked with crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank since Spring 2017. 

Robinson said that he believes that banks are not only missing out on business opportunities to bank more clients but are also working against the will of their retail customers who are likely already purchasing and trading crypto without their bank’s knowledge. 

“I do think this is going to have a positive impact on the whole crypto system,” Robinson said. 
Last month, Elliptic began providing anti-money-laundering services to the Zilliqa blockchain and cryptocurrency. In September, the firm closed a $23 million Series B funding round led by Japanese financial company SBI Holdings, which will help Elliptic expand in Asia. The company partnered with crypto exchange Binance in May.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/heres-a-new-banking-tool-for-vetting-crypto-exchanges

Posted in All Recent Posts, Blockchain stocks, Canadian Blockchain Stocks, Smallcap Blockchain stocks, ThreeD, ThreeD Capital | Comments Off on ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – Here’s a New Banking Tool for Vetting #Crypto Exchanges #Bitcoin #Ethereum $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

B.C. seaplane company makes history with test flight of first commercial #e-plane SPONSOR: $HPQ.ca Silicon $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:38 AM on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019

SPONSOR: HPQ-Silicon Resources HPQ: TSX-V aiming to become the lowest cost producer of Silicon Metal and a vertically integrated and diversified High Purity, Solar Grade Silicon Metal producer. Click here for more info.

B.C. seaplane company makes history with test flight of first commercial e-plane

  • Team expects innovation in the battery industry to continue in the same way for aviation as it has for electric cars
  • key will be developing batteries that are more compact at the same time that they are more powerful.
  • Test flight used lithium-ion batteries because they are the most “tried and true,”

After landing, Harbour Air CEO and pilot Greg McDougall said it felt just like flying any other plane, only with more kick.

Amy Smart, The Canadian Press December 10, 2019

As Greg McDougall prepared to fly the world’s first all-electric commercial aircraft Tuesday morning, he said “nervous” wasn’t quite the word to describe how he was feeling.

The fact that the Harbour Air CEO would be the first person to take the modified de Havilland Beaver on a full test flight didn’t faze him, nor did knowledge of a charging glitch the night before.

McDougall had gone for a dinner break Monday evening while a crew of designers and engineers stared at their computers with furrowed brows, and he returned later to find them smiling and laughing, crisis averted.

“The emotion isn’t necessarily excitement, it’s more sort of anticipation and focus,” he said.

Harbour Air pilot and CEO Greg McDougall talks to media after completing the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission commercial aircraft test flight in a 62 year old de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from Vancouver International Airports South Terminal on the Fraser River in Richmond on Tuesday. DON MACKINNON / AFP via Getty Images

With the sun hanging low over the Fraser River in Richmond, McDougall shifted the throttle into gear and took off. After landing, he said it felt just like flying any other plane, only with more kick.

“For me, that flight was just like flying a Beaver but it was a Beaver on electric steroids,” he said, adding he had to throttle back in order to delay the takeoff to be in line with about a dozen cameras.

“It wanted to fly. With the tailwind it was going to leap off the water.”

The brief but successful test flight marked a significant win for Harbour Air and partner magniX, which designed the electric motor, in the race to electrify commercial aviation fleets.

Harbour Air pilot and CEO Greg McDougall flies the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission commercial aircraft during a test flight in a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from Vancouver International Airports South Terminal on the Fraser River in Richmond on Tuesday. DON MACKINNON / AFP via Getty Images

Dozens of companies are working on electric planes, including Boeing and Airbus. Israeli company Eviation unveiled a nine-seat, all-electric plane named “Alice” at the Paris Air Show in June, which also happens to be a magniX project.

Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Seattle-based engineering firm magniX, described the test flight as the beginning of a revolution in aviation.

In 1903, the Wright brothers made history with the first successful flight and, in 1939, the Heinkel jet launched the jet age, he said.

“Since 1939, we’ve pretty much stayed stable. Today that team made history,” Ganzarski said, gesturing toward the design team.

Harbour Air announced in March that it had partnered with magniX with the goal of becoming the world’s first all-electric airline.

The 62-year-old Beaver was outfitted with a 750-horsepower electric motor, which gives it capacity to fly about 160 kilometres before needing a recharge.

Harbour Air pilot and CEO Greg McDougall flies the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission commercial aircraft during a test flight in a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from Vancouver International Airports South Terminal on the Fraser River in Richmond on Tuesday. DON MACKINNON / AFP via Getty Images

Weight, altitude and storage remain the biggest barriers to flying electric. A mid-sized passenger plane weighs 100 times as much as a mid-sized car and the battery technology hasn’t quite adjusted to the aviation market.

Fuel also remains about 40 to 50 times more power dense than batteries, Ganzarski said. But the team expects innovation in the battery industry to continue in the same way for aviation as it has for electric cars. The key will be developing batteries that are more compact at the same time that they are more powerful.

The test flight used lithium-ion batteries because they are the most “tried and true,” but there are already others on the market that are more powerful, McDougall said.

“The evolution of lithium batteries is constant and there are literally billions of dollars being poured into that technology as we speak,” he said.

In the meantime, Ganzarski said the market is there for electric planes to take off around the world.

Harbour Air Pilot and CEO Greg McDougall taxis to the water to fly the world’s first all-electric, zero-emission commercial aircraft during a test flight in a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver from Vancouver International Airports South Terminal on the Fraser River in Richmond on Tuesday. DON MACKINNON / AFP via Getty Images

Forty-five per cent of flights worldwide cover distances of 800 kilometres or less, and five per cent cover distances under 160 kilometres, he said.

Exactly when the electric aircraft will be approved for commercial flight is unclear as Transport Canada will be entering new territory.

But McDougall said the goal is to get passengers on Harbour Air electric flights within two years.

The operating costs are between 50 and 80 per cent lower than combustion engines and ultimately, that will mean lower ticket prices for passengers, he said.

Harbour Air covers 12 routes and operates about 30,000 flights a year between Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle and other locations.

Source: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/harbour-air-company-tests-first-commercial-electronic-aircraft-in-richmond

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Posted in All Recent Posts, Featured | Comments Off on B.C. seaplane company makes history with test flight of first commercial #e-plane SPONSOR: $HPQ.ca Silicon $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

CLIENT FEATURE: Vertical Exploration $VERT.ca: Partners with AREV Brands to Distribute Wollastonite to the Cannabis and Hemp Industries $TORR.ca $FA.ca $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 4:25 PM on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019
  • Definitive distribution agreement to partner on the sale of Vertical’s wollastonite from its world-class St-Onge Deposit in place.
  • Supplying the fast growing cannabis and hemp industries.
  • Vertical’s high quality Wollastonite has been shown to be beneficial to cannabis plants in a variety of ways
  • In every case the most optimal results occurred with an admixture rate of 10% to 15% wollastonite to the growth medium.
  • The high-grade St-Onge Wollastonite deposit has pit-constrained mineral resources of: 7,155,000 tonnes Measured@ 36.20% Wollastonite & 6,926,000 tonnes Indicated@ 37.04%
  • B.C. Buds Testing Confirmed Wollastonite is critical to marijuana growers
  • Engaged AGRINOVA over the past year to conduct research and testing of Vertical’s St-Onge wollastonite on a range of important agricultural end uses.

WOLLASTONITE

  • St-Onge-Wollastonite Deposit located approximately 90 kilometres Northwest of the city of Saguenay, in St-Onge township, in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec, Canada.
  • Wollastonite is a calcium inosilicate mineral that may contain small amounts of iron, magnesium, and manganese substituting for calcium
  • Research and testing in the Phase 1 program for use in cannabis growth was managed and monitored by AGRINOVA, a highly-regarded Center for Research and Innovation in Agriculture in Quebec

St-Onge-Wollastonite Deposit:

VERT Hub on Agoracom

FULL DISCLOSURE: Vertical Exploration is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – London Startup #Aurus Launches Gold-Backed #Crypto Token, Possibly Opening The #Gold Market To New Investors #Bitcoin #Ethereum $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:50 PM on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019

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London Startup Aurus Launches Gold-Backed Crypto Token, Possibly Opening The Gold Market To New Investors

  • Stablecoins offer the potential for crypto to be used as day-to-day payments because their value is pegged to an underlying asset, where price stability is more consistent. 
  • Still, the middleman sitting in-between buyer and seller exists to exchange digital assets into traditional fiat currency

By: Robert Anzalone

The idea that crypto coins can be used for everyday goods and services is not a reality, yet. Stablecoins offer the potential for crypto to be used as day-to-day payments because their value is pegged to an underlying asset, where price stability is more consistent. Still, the middleman sitting in-between buyer and seller exists to exchange digital assets into traditional fiat currency. Typically, stablecoins, like Paxos or USDT, are used in the crypto market as hedging instruments or as value stores. Payment pipelines for everyday purchases are essential, and only when seamless integration is a reality can the public reap the benefits of a more streamlined infrastructure, as some blockchain purists promise. When we examine what is under the hood of our payment systems, we can see where blockchain innovation could transform older infrastructure into something better. 

If we look at the evolution of stablecoins as an innovation in payments, how they are regulated and hold value creates new risks for investors. Stablecoins have been criticized over the past year as potentially not being as price stable as believed. However, the market for this type of security has grown significantly and is becoming more crowded with new coins. Are stablecoins something worth integrating into our economy? How does the crypto industry design a way where decentralized technology creates an independent and non-controlled currency that can be used for everyday transactions? Can the reality of digital gold be achieved and utilized as a form of payment? 

Aurus – newly launched – has created a form of tokenized gold, and represents an actual ownership stake in physical gold. This adaptation is an innovation from existing stablecoins that could decrease the middleman footprint and could expand the traditional gold market.

I interviewed Guido Van Stijn, who is the CEO of Aurus. Aurus is a software company that provides tokenization-as-a-service (TaaS) that enables the gold market to autonomously tokenize their gold into AurusGOLD (AWG). Mr. Van Stijn explained that each AWG token is collateralized and redeemable for 1 gram of physical gold. As described to me, AWG will not be controlled by a government and exists as an ERC-20 token. The claim being regardless if Aurus survives as a company, the gold-backed token will survive on as an asset, just as a gold bar would. This is a unique approach to tokenization because each coin is traceable to a specific gold bar registration. Unlike ownership in a gold exchange-traded fund, which is an equity and does not represent physical gold ownership, AWG states that it is actual gold ownership.

Using a tokenized asset like a gold-backed token could be a benefit to the traditional gold buyer. The AWG tokens are sold at just a fraction above the gold spot price. Mr. Van Stijn explained, “Our processes are different than other gold-backed projects. All gold-backed stablecoins currently on the market have a centralized minting process. Meaning the company itself will, at some point, hold the gold. By digitally replicating the traditional gold market, Aurus is the first project to create a self-sustaining ecosystem made up of gold providers, vaults, and distributors that work together to produce a semi-decentralized gold-backed cryptocurrency.”

To allow the self-sustaining ecosystem to exist, Aurus circulates a second hybrid utility token, AurusCOIN (AWX). Mr. Mark Gesterkamp, the Business Development Director for Aurus, said, “AWX is limited to a total supply of 30,000,000 units, deriving transactional fees from the usage of AWG. AWX offers investors the opportunity to buy into the future growth of Aurus.” Mr. Van Stijn said, “As people around the world trade AWG, 70% of all the generated transaction fees are proportionally distributed across all AWX holders (paid in AWG). The remaining 30% of the generated fees are allocated towards the ecosystems’ operational costs as follows: 15% to gold providers, 15% to vault partners.” For the first time, market participants can generate a passive income stream on the bullion they sell.  

Who wants gold when you can have Bitcoin?

There is nothing special about gold-backed stablecoins in crypto. But Aurus has created something different that bridges the gap between traditional gold trading and the crypto world. More importantly, access to the gold market can be achieved without the need for gold brokers. The claim made by Mr. Van Stijn is that his method lowers the barriers of entry for public gold investment.

Tony Dobra, who sits on the Aurus advisory board, formally a general manager of Baird & Co., believes that AWG is unique. Mr. Dobra said, “While it is not the only gold on the blockchain, it is the most truly gold-based trade available in crypto. Via the AWG cryptocurrency, producers, refiners, and traders can tokenize their gold in multiple locations of their choice and trade the underlying gold on several platforms and exchanges. Because there are multiple locations, providers, and traders, the best price can be obtained. You are not limited to just one location or one price provider.”

Aurus expects and is working to achieve a state where AWG will create more liquidity in the gold market. More importantly, the team at Aurus explained their main goal is for AWG to be used for everyday transactions, i.e., have AWG be used like cash for everyday purchases. While there is a long way to go before this is a reality, the Aurus project seems to be a shift in the direction of asset-backed digital currency. If this works, commodity and precious metal trading could be influenced to follow suit. As for use in payments, stablecoins like AWG, still require an exchange mechanism at the point of sale. Time will tell if this style will become publicly adopted.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertanzalone/2019/12/09/london-start-up-aurus-launches-gold-backed-crypto-token-possibly-opening-the-gold-market-to-new-investors/#1049f0027a98

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Advance Gold $AAX.ca – 50-Year High In Central Bank Gold Purchases $FA.ca $ANG.jo $ABX.ca $NGT.ca $MGG.ca $TECK.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 3:16 PM on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019

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Opportunities

  • 2019 is on track to be a 50-year high in central banks’ net gold purchases. Bloomberg Intelligence reports that central banks have been absorbing about 20 percent of global gold mine supply. Based on the gold-to-silver ratio, it looks like silver might have more upside if demand for safe haven assets rises. Bloomberg’s Eddie van der Walt writes that the gold-silver ratio has dropped to 86 from 93 in July and that means silver has outperformed on the back of gold’s gains. UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo is bullish on palladium and platinum. Staunovo wrote in a December 5 report that palladium will likely enter its ninth straight year of market deficit in 2020 and could climb above $2,000 an ounce. Even as platinum is set to enter a surplus, its price could be driven by gold. “As platinum is highly correlated to gold, our bullish view for gold should mean higher platinum prices, which we expect to trade at around $1,000 an ounce next year.”
  • Zijin Mining Group Co. has agreed to buy Continental Gold in a rare all-cash deal worth C$1.37 billion – the second big takeover in a few weeks of a junior Canadian gold miner. Bloomberg reports the offer reflects a 29 percent premium to the Continental Gold share price from the past 20 days and that major shareholder Newmont Goldcorp was supportive of the deal. In hostile M&A news, Centamin Plc rejected Endeavour Mining Corp.’s $1.9 billion takeover offer saying that it undervalues its assets, reports Bloomberg News. Centamin has been a takeover candidate since the size of its Egyptian mine was discovered at the start of the decade, though the company has faced many operational setbacks.
  • Kinross Gold has been busy raising cash. Kinross announced this week that it has agreed to sell its remaining shares of Lundin Gold for C$150 million to Newcrest Mining and the Lundin Family Trust. Kinross earlier announced that it has sold its royalty portfolio to Maverix Metals for $74 million.

Threats

  • ABN Amro strategist Georgette Boele says they see gold weakening in the coming weeks and months with a price average of $1,400 an ounce. However, they do expect prices to increase to $1,600 by December of 2020. Before this happens, extreme net-long positioning would clear u p because “these positions currently hang over the market and prevent prices from moving substantially higher.”
  • Another sign of a weakening economy was released last week. The ISM manufacturing PMI unexpectedly declined to 48.1 in November, below the median forecast of 49.2. The reading remains below the 50 level that indicates activity is shrinking.

Bloomberg’s Enda Curran writes that cheap borrowing costs have sent global debt to another record – $250 trillion of government, corporate and household debt. This level is almost three times global economic output and policymakers are now grappling with how to keep economies afloat – with more debt? According to Cornerstone Macro’s head of technical analysis Carter Worth, his S&P 500 chart signals a 5 to 8 percent decline in the coming months. Bloomberg reports that the S&P 500 fell 1.4 percent on Tuesday, pushing it below an upward trend line established in October.

SOURCE: https://www.gold-eagle.com/article/50-year-high-central-bank-gold-purchases

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