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Bougainville Ventures $BOG.ca Oregon Hemp Farm Signing LOI with USA Hemp to Process 298 Acres of #Hemp $CROP.ca $VP.ca NF.ca $MCOA

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:25 AM on Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
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  • Announced that its U.S. Subsidiary Worm Casting Farms Inc. has signed a LOI with USA Hemp to process its Hemp derived wet biomass Hemp from its 298 Acre Hemp Farm in Oregon State.
  • USA Hemp possesses 298 Acres of hemp to process for Worm Casting Farms with an estimated 4,250,000 lbs of Hemp derived wet biomass per harvest.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 17, 2019 — BOUGAINVILLE VENTURES INC. (“Bougainville” or the “Company”) (CSE: BOG) (8BV-FF:Frankfurt Stock Exchange) – The Company is pleased to announce that its U.S. Subsidiary Worm Casting Farms Inc. (Worm Casting Farms) has signed a LOI with USA Hemp to process its Hemp derived wet biomass Hemp from its 298 Acre Hemp Farm in Oregon State.

USA Hemp Processing Agreement

Worm Casting Farms intends to enter into a Hemp Processing Agreement with USA Hemp to process wet biomass. The percentage split will be determined in a Definitive Agreement entered into after completion of a due diligence period. Both parties will receive dividends to be realized from the business operations of the Hemp Process Agreement.

USA Hemp possesses 298 Acres of hemp to process for Worm Casting Farms with an estimated 4,250,000 lbs of Hemp derived wet biomass per harvest. Worm Casting Farms will invest approximately $2,500,000 USD in processing equipment that will include; a harvester, shredder, separator, dryer, an extraction & distillation unit, and testing facility. A detailed description will be provided in the Definitive Agreement.

10 Acre Oregon Hemp Farm – Update

Further to the Company’s news release dated July 11, 2019, announcing the contracting of a mobile processing unit (the “Mobile Processing Unit”), the Company is pleased to report that the Mobile Processing Unit will be arriving at the farm on July 22, 2019. The Mobile Processing Unit will process dried biomass hemp from last year’s harvest. The total amount to be processed is approximately 1,700 lbs of bio-mass and processing take approximately 5 days. The anticipated value of the crop is $250,000 USD in gross revenue and the Company anticipates a net revenue before taxes $200,000 USD.

Island Biopharma Inc., — Update

Further to the Company’s news release dated June 11, 2019, the Company has signed a definitive agreement (the “Biopharma Definitive Agreement”) to complete the acquisition of Island Biopharma Inc. (“Biopharma”). Biopharma has developed a dedicated line of Cannabidiol derived (“CBD”) products which include a proprietary CBD blended tincture product with three specific recipes for anxiety, energy and sleep.

According to an estimate from cannabis industry analysts the hemp-CBD market alone could reach $22 billion by 2022. CBD can be used to effectively to treat epilepsy, anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain. The Island Biopharma CBD line is designed to harness the healing power of cannabis without the psychotropic effects of THC.

Pursuant to the Biopharma Definitive Agreement the Company will acquire 100% of Biopharma assets and current inventory. In return for total consideration consisting of 10 million common shares of Bougainville at a deemed price of CAD$0.07 per share equivalent to CDN$700,000. Biopharma will contribute operational expertise, exclusive licenses for products marketed in North America supported by an intellectual property licensing agreement, and exclusivity for all current and future technology for oil extraction in North America, which will include sourcing of ingredients, nutritional chart, shelf-life, as well as cost of ingredients and contacts. The final evaluation was determined by an independent third-party evaluator.

About Island Biopharma Inc.

Biopharma has developed CBD blended formulas for tincture product with three specific recipes for anxiety, energy and sleep. The philosophy of Biopharma is to create products using the highest quality of bio-active ingredients, and oil extraction methods that preserve the essence of the cannabis plant. Biopharma has studied plant genetics for their therapeutic effects by incorporating modern research techniques and by analyzing the healing and therapeutic benefits of each strain giving the company a huge range of combinations and therapeutic benefits for specific ailments.

About Bougainville Ventures, Inc.
Bougainville Ventures Inc. is dedicated to rapid growth in production, processing, retail and branding of cannabis and cannabis related products. Currently the company provides strategic capital to the thriving cannabis cultivation sector through ownership and development of commercial real estate properties. We offer fully built out turnkey facilities equipped with state-of-the-art growing infrastructure to cannabis growers and processors. Also, the Company is focused on building a strong presence in the hemp industry with the objective of extracting cannabinoids in both Canada and the United States. Along with our flagship Hemp project in Oregon State and the Greenhouse campus in Washington state, the Company has proprietary formulas for cannabis edibles, topical, and tinctures.

On behalf of the Board of Directors
BOUGAINVILLE VENTURES INC.

Andy Jagpal, President and Director

For further information, please contact Andy Jagpal at [email protected]. Please note that our Toll free number has changed to 1-877-517-7816.

http://bougainvilleinc.com/
https://twitter.com/bougainvilleinc

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

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$HPQ.ca Silicon Challenges Traditional Producers Of #Silicon Metal With Unheard Of 85%-90% Cost Reductions To Construct Plants $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:42 PM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

HPQ Silicon (HPQ:TSXV) has thrown down the gauntlet with respect to traditional, mega producers of silicon metal with the following recent press release:

“HPQ PUREVAP™ Commercial Plant Costing Indicates Significant Capex Savings Versus Conventional Plants Producing Silicon Metal” 
In the actual press release itself, HPQ went even further with the following bold statement:

“With the Gen3 phase start just around the corner, we are getting closer to the time when market participants will have no choice but to take notice that we are the only viable low Capex and Opex alternative to producing Silicon Metal.”

If that wasn’t enough, HPQ Silicon made direct reference to the two newest silicon metal plants to demonstrate massive capital cost and operating cost advantages.  Specifically:

  • PCC BakkiSilicon hf ($300 Million Plant)
  • Mississippi Silicon ($220 Million Plant) 

The gravity of these bold statements is even greater when you consider that HPQ’s world renown partners include Apollon Solar and PyroGenesis Canada, the latter of whom provided the data that led to the press release.  

When you take a break from the summer heat, grab yourself a cold beverage and watch this interview with CEO, Bernard Tourillon.  You just may thank yourself by the time winter arrives!

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Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – #Esports Company #100Thieves Raises $35 Million In Series B $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:16 AM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports Entertainment $GMBL Esports audience is 350M, growing to 590M, Esports wagering is projected at $23 BILLION by 2020. The company has launched VIE.gg esports betting platform and has accelerated affiliate marketing agreements with 190 Esports teams. Click here for more information
GMBL: OTCQB

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Esports Company 100 Thieves Raises $35 Million In Series B

  • 100 Thieves, the esports company co-owned by Grammy-winning artist Drake, talent manager Scooter Braun, billionaire Dan Gilbert and former pro gamer Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, announced today that it’s closed a $35 million Series B.
  • Funding round was led by New York-based private equity and growth investment firm Artist Capital Management. Its chief investment officer Josh Dienstag will join the 100 Thieves board of directors.

Matt Perez Forbes Staff

100 Thieves, the esports company co-owned by Grammy-winning artist Drake, talent manager Scooter Braun, billionaire Dan Gilbert and former pro gamer Matt “Nadeshot” Haag, announced today that it’s closed a $35 million Series B.

The funding round was led by New York-based private equity and growth investment firm Artist Capital Management. Its chief investment officer Josh Dienstag will join the 100 Thieves board of directors. The rest of the round is made up of previous backers like Braun and Gilbert along with a new investment from Aglaé Ventures, the investing arm of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy-owner Groupe Arnault.

The Series B brings the company’s total funding to $60 million. Other investors include Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Dropbox CEO Drew Houston and venture firm Sequoia Capital. Forbes last fall estimated the company was worth $90 million after a single year of competing.

The fresh capital will go toward a 15,000-square-foot training facility and headquarters in Los Angeles, as well as for expanding into new games and increasing its apparel production.

The facility will be the “center of the universe for all things 100 Thieves,” according to Haag, the company’s founder and CEO, as well as a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum. “We’ve grown a lot in this past year…so it’s finally time to put our flag in the ground and make some place our permanent home.”

Settling in as early as this October, the offices will house the company’s staff including players, coaches and content creators, and will serve not just as a production studio and training space, but also as a retail storefront for fans. Unlike many esports companies, 100 Thieves has made its retail arm a significant piece of its overall revenue. All of its seasonal apparel drops have sold out in 20 minutes or less, with each one selling faster and with 50% more product. Its most recent sale in April brought in over half-a-million dollars after selling out in five minutes.

“I don’t think it’s even scratched the surface of what it can be in the future,” Haag says.

The demand during 100 Thieves product launches speaks to the company’s business model—mixing competitive esports teams with a stable of popular influencers like Jack “CouRage” Dunlop and Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter. The tactic might prove useful if talk of a soon-to-burst esports bubble becomes a reality.

“We’ve insulated our business in way where, this bubble that everyone continues to talk about, if it were to pop or there were less interest from investors or sponsors or whatever the case may be, we’re not going to live and die by esports and esports alone,” Haag says. “If esports were to disappear tomorrow, we’d still have a really great business strategy in my opinion.”

Not to say Haag isn’t still “all-in” on competitive gaming. According to Haag, 100 Thieves boasts the second-highest payroll in the North American League of Legends Championship Series, and part of the new investment is meant for expansion in the space. One title particularly linked to 100 Thieves is Call of Duty, around which its publisher Activison Blizzard is planning a city-based league with franchised team slots reportedly priced at $25 million, according to ESPN. Haag, who came up as a Call of Duty pro and whose team’s first championship came in the game earlier this year, says “We’re definitely still thinking through it.”

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/07/16/esports-company-100-thieves-raises-35-million-in-series-b/#120c3f334b15

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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Amazon $AMZN Enters #Edtech Sector With Beta Launch Of Test Prep App $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:55 AM on Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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Amazon Enters Edtech Sector With Beta Launch Of Test Prep App

  • Amazon has launched the IIT JEE Ready test prep app in beta
  • The app was debuted last month and has had over 1K installs
  • This is Amazon’s first edtech product for the Indian market

Global ecommerce giant Amazon has been playing several cards to make more headway in the Indian market. Besides running the ecommerce marketplace and AWS cloud services, the company has also added a grocery vertical and is focussing on India-first content for Amazon Prime Video. Now, the Jeff Bezos-led company is entering a new territory with the launch of its first edtech app.

Inc42 noted that Amazon has introduced the JEE Ready app in beta phase, which lets students take free mock tests for their preparation of Indian engineering test i.e. IIT JEE. The app, which has been released on the Google Play Store by Amazon Mobile LLC and was launched last month.

First spotted by NextBigWhat, JEE Ready lets users take mock tests to prepare for real entrance exams and has over 1K installs so far. Users can log in with their Amazon ID and add details such as their target year and the coaching institute they have enrolled in. Amazon currently lists a few coaching institutes but the test served to students is the same at the moment.

The users can then take mock tests and submit their answers for review and results. These results can be compared to scores by other users to identify strength areas and weak subjects.

JEE Ready: Amazon Enters Tight Edtech Market

The Indian government in its draft national education policy has said that technology will play an important role in the improvement of the education system in the country. The draft policy says that the relationship between technology and education at all levels is bidirectional. ADVERTISEMENT

Led by education technology startups, this revolution has now tapped offline players as well.

With its obsession for coaching institutes, India is a great market for edtech disruption, and the test prep market is one of the largest in the world. Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2019 report said that online education space has been attracting huge traction and growth over the past few years in India. The report noted that annual viewership hours of ‘How To’ videos has reached 4.5 Bn with 59% next generation users citing it their preferred learning tool.

Edtech players such as Toppr, Unacademy etc have launched digital IIT JEE preparation products to some degree of success so Amazon has its work cut out in this sector. Additionally, the likes of BYJU’S, upGrad, TestBook and others have also made a name for themselves in this sector, so Amazon will definitely have steep competition in the edtech space.

According to DataLabs by Inc42, there were 3,500 edtech startups in India in 2018. Between 2014 and 2018, 182 edtech startups were funded with a total of $1.34 Bn, so the investor interest has remained high for edtech, and this could explain Amazon’s entry despite the long list of competitors.

Source: https://inc42.com/buzz/amazon-launches-iit-jee-ready-app-to-enter-edtech-sector/

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North Bud Farms Inc. $NBUD.ca – The Week In Cannabis: #Jay-Z Joins #Caliva, #Congress Holds #Marijuana Hearings, #CannTrust Gets Smoked, And More $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:22 PM on Monday, July 15th, 2019

SPONSOR: North Bud Farms Inc. (NBUD:CSE) Sustainable low cost, high quality cannabinoid production and procurement focusing on both bio-pharmaceutical development and Cannabinoid Infused Products. Learn More.

NBUD: CSE

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The Week In Cannabis: Jay-Z Joins Caliva, Congress Holds Marijuana Hearings, CannTrust Gets Smoked, And More

Javier Hasse

  • Beyoncé’s husband Jay-Z entered the cannabis industry this week, announcing he’d be joining the California brand Caliva as chief brand strategist.
  • “Jay-Z entering the cannabis space reaffirms that effective brands will drive the future of the cannabis industry.

We applaud his efforts to be a part of the solution in righting the disproportionate impact that the war on drugs has had on minority communities. Jay personifies the perfect mix of celebrity, entrepreneur and true brand,” said Kraig Fox, CEO of High Times, which first reported the news. 

On the policy front, Hawaii decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the U.S. Congress held a landmark hearing regarding cannabis legalization and the need to reform. Here’s what legalization advocates had to say. In addition, the FDA said it was “expediting its work to address the many questions about cannabidiol (CBD),” and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced bills in Congress that seek to ensure that people with low-level drug convictions are still able to access public housing, reported Kyle Jaeger on Marijuana Moment.

We also saw a new ETF debut on the NYSE this week. The Cannabis ETF (NYSE: THCX) launched by Innovation Shares claims to be the only pure-play cannabis ETF, with no exposure to tobacco or alcohol.

The fund has lower fees than its NYSE peers and differentiates itself from others on the back of its monthly rebalancing strategy, versus a more standard quarterly rebalancing approach, fund adviser Jon Najarian told Benzinga. 

CannTrust Holdings Inc (NYSE: CTST) got smoked after Health Canada discovered one of its facilities was non-compliant with regulations. Later in the week, it was reported that illicitly produced cannabis had been not only sold in Canada but also exported to Denmark.

“420 Investor” Alan Brochstein told Benzinga he thinks CEO Peter Aceto should apologize for violating Health Canada rules and resign.

Debra Borchardt, CEO of Green Market Report, said the CannTrust scandal shows that public cannabis companies can’t always be trusted to do the right thing. 

“This company grew plants in an unlicensed room and figured they’d get away with it, which is a sign of incredibly poor judgment since this is such a highly regulated industry. They also admitted to storage problems at another facility and have since stopped sales,” she said. 

The poor decision-making by company leaders hurts patients and shareholders alike, Borchardt said.

“Hiring a quality control officer after the fact just shows this company did too little too late.”

We invite you to check out our story of the week: “From Coffee To Cannabis: Colombian Legislators To Move For Adult-Use Legalization.”

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/week-cannabis-jay-z-joins-190322597.html

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CLIENT FEATURE: Spyder Cannabis $SPDR.ca An Established Chain of High-End #Vape Stores With Aggressive Expansion Plans $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:11 PM on Monday, July 15th, 2019

WHY SPYDER CANNABIS?

  • Developed a scalable retail model with aggressive expansion plan to create a significant retail footprint and establishing strategic partners as a top priority
  • Targeted and disciplined retail distribution strategy focusing on high quality, high traffic peripheral areas
  • Focused strategy aimed at vertical, horizontal and geographic diversification with demonstrated operations expertise and proven retail roll-out
  • Opened two additional stores in July for a total of 5 locations

Retail Locations

The Lundys Lane Location, two other retail locations that Spyder operates in Burlington and Calgary and a location that it intends to open in Guelph, subject to negotiating satisfactory terms with the landlord, will all be converted into cannabis retail stores as part of the Company’s “Cannabis Turn-Key Strategy”.

Under phase one of the Turn-Key Strategy

  • Spyder intends to operate a number of retail locations that will, in contrast to a number of its competitors, generate revenue by operating as retailers of a variety of non-cannabis products.

Under phase two of the Turn-Key Strategy

  • Spyder will, subject to the receipt of cannabis retail licences from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, convert these retailers into cannabis stores at the earliest possible opportunity.
  • The Company believes this strategy will allow it to generate stable revenue streams during the interim period before the stores receive a retail cannabis licence, and will allow the Company to swiftly pivot into the sale of cannabis products once appropriate licences have been received.

The Opportunity

Established Product Portfolio

 Hemp-Derived Market Opportunity

Retail Layout

FULL DISCLOSURE: Spyder Cannabis is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.

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BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Budget 2019: The high point of higher #education in #India #edtech $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:14 AM on Monday, July 15th, 2019
SPONSOR:  Betteru Education Corp. Connecting global leading educators to the mass population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION potential learners each week. Click here for more information.
BTRU: TSX-V

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Budget 2019: The high point of higher education in India

Budget 2019-20: The NEP will help India increase its global presence by stressing on areas like research and innovation, as also setting up world-class institutions.

  • Sentiments across the education sector have been primarily positive post Budget announcements.
  • Increased fund allocation to schools (12.8%) and higher education (14.3%) is commendable.
  • In fact, at Rs 400 crore, the allocation is over three times revised estimates for last year.

Anil Nagar

Budget 2019 India: Sentiments across the education sector have been primarily positive post Budget announcements. Increased fund allocation to schools (12.8%) and higher education (14.3%) is commendable. In fact, at Rs 400 crore, the allocation is over three times revised estimates for last year.

As the finance minister noted, five years ago, India was nowhere in the top-200 world university rankings. However, thanks to initiatives like GYAN, three of its institutions, including two IITs and IISc Bangalore, have made it to the list.

Focus on research: The NEP will help India increase its global presence by stressing on areas like research and innovation, as also setting up world-class institutions. This will supplement its plans to promote ‘Study in India’ programme and attract foreign students. The government plans to present a draft legislation for setting up the Higher Education Commission of India. Then there is the proposal to establish the National Research Foundation.

Skill development: Considering the evolution of technology and the nature of jobs, demographic trends point towards skill shortages in the future. The government will focus on imparting practical working knowledge to professionals in innovative technologies such as AI, big data, 3D printing, robotics, etc.

Edtech industry: As more and more start-ups are entering edtech space, there is a proposal of a new channel under the Doordarshan bouquet to provide a platform to them to disseminate information.

But the government has overlooked a few issues that have been restricting educators and students from realising their full potential. Edtech industry expected the government to scrap GST on online video tutorials (18%) and on e-books (5%). However, the Budget did not mention any change in this area. A revision in rates coupled with measures to empower the edtech industry will provide a fillip to the economy. It remains to be seen when will the government take these steps.

The author is founder & CEO, Adda247, a preparation platform for government exams

For latest coverage on Budget 2019-20 log on to financialexpress.com. We bring you full coverage of Union Budget 2019 Live. Stay Connected.

Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/budget/budget-2019-the-high-point-of-higher-education/1644014/

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ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – #Bitcoin’s Price Could Rise If #Facebook’s #Crypto Survives Congress Hearings $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:49 AM on Monday, July 15th, 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.

Idk large

Bitcoin’s Price Could Rise If Facebook’s Crypto Survives Congress Hearings

  • Facebook’s fiat and government bond backed cryptocurrency Libra is widely considered a net positive for bitcoin, an anti-establishment asset.

By: Omkar Godbole

Bitcoin has come under pressure ahead of the U.S. governmental hearings on Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency on July 16 and 17.

The price of a single bitcoin, which stood near $13,000 five days ago, fell below $10,000 earlier today and tested the 50-day moving average at $9,900 for the first time since February 18.

Facebook’s head of Calibra – one of the entities set up to govern and develop the crypto project – David Marcus is scheduled testify to lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday and the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday.

The upcoming scrutiny of Libra may be weighing over bitcoin. After all, past data shows BTC tends to drop ahead of congressional hearings related to cryptocurrencies and rise on favorable outcomes.

Last year, for instance, BTC fell from $6,820 to $6,070 in five days to July 12, before rallying to $7,400 on July 18 when the House Committee on Financial Services gathered for a hearing on “crypto as a new form of money”.

More importantly, the cryptocurrency remained bid in the following days and rose to a high of $8,500 on July 24 (according to Bitstamp data) because the hearing didn’t take an overly negative tone.

On similar lines, BTC dropped from $12,000 to $6,000 in the 10 days leading up to a congressional hearing on Feb. 6, 2018, where the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman and the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission testified before the Senate Banking Committee. That hearing was also surprisingly positive and BTC rose back to levels above $11,700 by Feb. 20.

Going further back, the price action seen ahead of bitcoin’s first congressional hearing on Nov. 18, 2013, was slightly different in the sense that the cryptocurrency was solidly bid, rising from $85 to $650 in six weeks leading up to the event.

Again the hearing on the growing popularity of virtual currencies wasn’t anti-crypto, allowing BTC to extend the rally to highs above $1,150 on Nov. 30.

Will BTC rise this time round?

Facebook’s fiat and government bond backed cryptocurrency Libra is widely considered a net positive for bitcoin, an anti-establishment asset.

This is evident from the fact that BTC rallied from $9,000 to $13,800 in the eight days following Facebook’s unveiling of Libra’s white paper on June 18.

So, it is hardly surprising that the leading cryptocurrency is feeling the pull of gravity ahead of the congressional hearings on Libra and will likely take a hit if the U.S. lawmakers throw a spanner in the works for Facebook.

It is worth noting that the likes of the Federal Reserve President Jerome Powell have already called for a halt to Facebook’s project until concerns from privacy to money laundering are addressed. President Trump also criticized the project in tweets last week.

BTC, however, may rise well past $13,800 and possibly hit record highs before the end of the third quarter if the hearings are more optimistic.

A far as the technical charts are concerned, the short-term outlook will remain bullish as long as prices hold above $9,614 (July 2 low).

As of writing, BTC is changing hands at $10,300 on Bitstamp, representing 4.86 percent drop on a 24-hour basis.

Daily and 3-day charts

A UTC close below $9,614 would invalidate the bullish higher-lows pattern and confirm a bullish-to-bearish trend change.

That looks likely with the three-day chart reporting a bearish divergence of the relative strength index (RSI). The indicator has also dived out of the ascending trendline, signaling the end of the rally from December lows.

Further, the previous three-candle closed well below the 10-candle moving average, a level which acted as strong support throughout the rise from $3,500 to $13,880, as discussed on Friday.

Weekly chart

The long upper wicks attached to two out of the last three candles indicates bullish exhaustion and so does the bearish divergence of the RSI.

All-in-all, the charts are biased for a drop to $9,097 (May 30 high), unless the congressional hearings are more positive than expected. In that case, prices may rise above $13,800, signaling a continuation of the rally.

Hourly chart

BTC has recovered from lows near $9,850 to $10,300. The bearish lower-highs pattern, however, is still intact. Prices may rise to $11,200 in the next 24 hours if the cryptocurrency invalidates the bearish lower highs pattern with a move above $10,732.

Disclosure: The author holds no cryptocurrency assets at the time of writing.

U.S. Capitol image via Shutterstock; charts by Trading View

The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.


This article is intended as a news item to inform our readers of various events and developments that affect, or that might in the future affect, the value of the cryptocurrency described above. The information contained herein is not intended to provide, and it does not provide, sufficient information to form the basis for an investment decision, and you should not rely on this information for that purpose. The information presented herein is accurate only as of its date, and it was not prepared by a research analyst or other investment professional. You should seek additional information regarding the merits and risks of investing in any cryptocurrency before deciding to purchase or sell any such instruments.

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoins-price-could-rise-if-facebooks-crypto-survives-congress-hearings

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National Skill Development Corporation and #betterU $BTRU.ca hold press conference in Delhi, India to officially launch their partnership

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:07 AM on Monday, July 15th, 2019
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  • During a press conference held earlier today at the Lalit hotel in Delhi India, the company and National Skills Development Corporation (“NSDC”) officially launched their partnership to support skilling India.
  • Through this partnership, NSDC and betterU will provide the opportunity for Indian youth to gain global access to all the learning they need

OTTAWA, July 15, 2019 — betterU Education Corp. (TSX VENTURE: BTRU, Frankfurt: 5OG) (the “Company”) is pleased to announce, during a press conference held earlier today at the Lalit hotel in Delhi India, the company and National Skills Development Corporation (“NSDC”) officially launched their partnership to support skilling India. betterU, a global education-to-employment platform, based out of Ottawa, Canada has set out to transform the overall skill development ecosystem across emerging markets like India. Through this partnership, NSDC and betterU will provide the opportunity for Indian youth to gain global access to all the learning they need. The Company’s business model was designed to continually add global content and methods of delivery to support all types of learning for graduates, seasoned employees, and corporates amongst others.

During the media conference, betterU also announced the launch of their Mobile App and Upskill Engine that will put the world’s education in the hands of anyone across India and help support efforts for individualized learning.

This collaboration is in line with the Government’s vision to upskill the youth of India. This goes hand in hand with India’s plan to transform the complete Indian educational system and focus on bridging the skills gap, which was announced at the Union Budget, 2019 by the Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.  Commenting on the association, Dr. Manish Kumar, MD & CEO of NSDC said, “NSDC is focused on solutions that add value to high-quality skills development and vocational training across India. We believe our partnership with betterU could significantly contribute towards our common objectives of skill development. We look forward to working closely with betterU in the coming months for the betterment of our Indian youth.”

betterU in partnership with NSDC will also work to integrate and collaborate with other NSDC solutions, technologies and partners to build and provide a more comprehensive system. Additionally, this partnership will help drive more collaborations across the industry sectors and betterU’s ecosystem. Brad Loiselle, President and CEO, betterU explained, “We believe that education is the foundation for personal growth, which then increases the success of the household and ultimately the economy as a whole. There are still many obstacles to overcome and with so many industries, each requiring various skills, betterU has developed a solution that sources what is required. The overall challenge is that most educators are focused on a specific type of learner, type of content, type of target audience. Millions of variables cannot be supported by individual educators. betterU’s goal is to provide education support for everyone.”

With the objective to connect quality online education from leading global educators to the mass population of India, betterU focuses on developing an ecosystem that bridges the gap between education and jobs by providing the tools necessary to prepare prospective Indian learners for the jobs they want. betterU’s leadership has been travelling the world, speaking at conferences, and working to bring together global educators onto one platform, which is required to support mass education and skilling.

“For equalized education for all, we require one education platform where we can work collectively to support not only individual learners but the entire Indian youth system. We believe that betterU, with the right partners, can drive growth across all industries. This partnership with NSDC will help us achieve positive results for the masses and bridge the skills gap,” Loiselle added.

About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)

NSDC is one of its kind public-private-partnership with an objective to facilitate skill training in partnership with private training providers. To date, NSDC has approved 400+ training providers and 38 Sector Skill Councils, with a geographical spread of 7,000+ training centres in 600+ districts across the country. NSDC has trained more than 1.4 crore people across sectors.

About betterU

betterU, a global education to employment platform, aims to provide access to quality education from around the world to foster growth and opportunity to those who want to better their lives. 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 education to employment ecosystem. betterU’s offerings can be categorized into several broad functions: to complement school programs with flexible preschool, KG-12 programs preparing children for next stage of education, to provide access to global and localized educational programs from leading educators, to foster an exceptional educational environment by providing befitting skills that lead to a better career, to bridge the gap between one’s existing education and prospective job requirement by training them and lastly, to connect the end user to various job opportunities. betterU today has partnered with over 75 global educators, representing access to over 53,000 programs. It is developing technology and ongoing more partners required to support the growing education needs of the world.  

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
betterU Education Corp.
Brad Loiselle, CEO

CONTACT INFORMATIONInvestor Relations
1-613-695-4100
Email: [email protected]

Media Contact:
Perfect Relations
Shambhavi Joshi
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 8452 962 336

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Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Nickel hits three-month peak on Indonesia concerns $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:00 PM on Sunday, July 14th, 2019

SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)  Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information

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TN: CSE
Fact Sheet
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Nickel hits three-month peak on Indonesia concerns

  • Nickel prices touched their highest in three months on Friday on worries that major producer Indonesia will resume an export ban on ore in 2022
  • Indonesia relaxed the ban on nickel ore in 2017, but said at the time that it would last only five years and that exports would be restricted again in 2022

Eric Onstad

LONDON — Nickel prices touched their highest in three months on Friday on worries that major producer Indonesia will resume an export ban on ore in 2022.

Indonesia relaxed the ban on nickel ore in 2017, but said at the time that it would last only five years and that exports would be restricted again in 2022.

Analyst Colin Hamilton at BMO Capital Markets in London said many people had been skeptical that the full ban would be reimposed, and a media report about sticking to the ban in 2022 created jitters in the market.

“Of course that wouldn’t affect today’s availability, but we’ve always been heavily dependent on Indonesia in this nickel market,” Hamilton said.

“If we were to see Indonesia restrict availability of their ore then it would tighten the market quicker than we’re factoring in.”

Most analysts expect rising demand for nickel in electric vehicles to create shortages in coming years.

Benchmark nickel on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.8% at $13,230 a tonne by 1400 GMT after earlier hitting $13,325, the strongest since April 8.

* COPPER IMPORTS: Chinese imports of unwrought copper fell 27.2% year on year in June as a slowdown in the world’s second-biggest economy continued to weigh on demand for the metal. Shipments of ores and concentrates slid 16.5%, data showed.

“That probably reflects availability more than anything else. Just look at the Chilean and Peruvian (mine output) data,” said Hamilton, referring to the fall in ore imports.

“There’s no tightness at the refined end of the market yet, but there’s a raw material constraint and you’d expect it to flow through the chain eventually.”

* CHINA TRADE: Also weighing on the metals market was disappointing wider trade data from top metals consumer China.

China’s overall exports fell in June as the United States ramped up trade pressure, while imports shrank more than expected, pointing to further weakness in the world’s second-largest economy and slackening global growth.

* DOLLAR: The dollar index pared losses after U.S. producer prices rose slightly in June, pointing to moderate inflation. A weaker dollar often boosts metals prices, making them cheaper for buyers using other currencies.

* TIN SPREAD: LME cash tin’s discount to the three-month contract moved to $48 a tonne, the strongest since February 2017, against a premium of $230 in mid-June. This follows a sharp rise in LME tin inventories, evidence of ample supplies of the metal.

* PRICES: Three-month LME copper fell 0.4% to $5,933 tonne, giving up gains after touching $5,998, the highest since July 1.

Aluminum slipped 0.3% to $1,822 a tonne, zinc shed 0.3% to $2,420, lead added 0.2% to $1,977 and tin gave up 1.3% to $18,105.

Source: https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/nickel-hits-three-month-peak-on-indonesia-concerns

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