Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:16 PM on Tuesday, August 13th, 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
———————–
Esports is about to become a $1 billion industry, and Asia is at the heart of its wild growth
The electronic sports sector has grown massively in recent years and is expected to turn into a billion-dollar industry by the end of 2019.
CNBC’s Uptin Saiidi visited an annual gaming festival in Hong Kong where tens of thousands of excited fans eagerly watch players compete for the ultimate title.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:11 PM on Tuesday, August 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.
IDK: CSE
Blockchain Investment Soars In H1 2019: A Look At Trends
Blockchain Investment Trends Research by TeqAtlas includes analysis of 2.5k active blockchain companies that were funded by 1.8k blockchain investors in 2.5k funding rounds through both – conventional and alternative instruments.
While VC activity surpasses Dot-Com era in the U.S., Chinese tech
companies valuations are higher than any time in recent memory, and SoftBank
raised another multi-billion dollar fund, the state of the blockchain
investment market shows indications of maturity and saturation. Although
most blockchain companies are newbies into the market, they still
present an attractive investment potential.
The Blockchain Investment Trends
Research by TeqAtlas includes analysis of 2.5k active blockchain
companies that were funded by 1.8k blockchain investors in 2.5k funding
rounds through both – conventional and alternative instruments.
TeqAtlads takes a comprehensive view of the unique trends that define
blockchain investment market to understand the investor expectations
Investors Continue To View Blockchain A High Return Investment
In the first half of 2019, total capital investment into blockchain
companies has been the opposite of what we saw in the previous year,
which saw a dramatic rise in the amount of capital investment.
The previous year saw a record-breaking $15.2 billion investment in
TGEs (token generation events) and $5.1 billion in conventional equity
funding. In contrast, approx. $2 billion in TGE capital were raised in
the first half of this year. The upward trend is losing steam in the
first half of 2019, after four years of positive growth.
The research still reports a positive, upward trend in terms of
venture capital (VC) injected into blockchain companies. Conventional
equity rounds have accumulated $1.2 billion in the first 6 months of
2019, as compared to $1.3 billion for all of 2017.
How Did Blockchain Companies Fare In Deal Activity?
Throughout the research, 2018 continued to remain the benchmark for blockchain companies. The height set during the blockchain boom is hard to replicate as the effects of the dramatic fall in value still affect the industry.
In terms of deals, the grand total of investment rounds in the blockchain industry in the first half of 2019 was 268.
For comparison, blockchain companies attracted 910 deals in 2018 and
478 deals in 2017. At the same pace, 2019 might just oust 2017 in terms
of blockchain deal activity.
Surprisingly enough, if you add private equity into the equation, the
total number of conventional funding rounds almost equal the growth
numbers in 2018.
A breakdown of all the blockchain investment funds also reveals that
TGEs were more successful in raising money than Venture Capital rounds –
with the former amassing 26% more on average.
There Is Increasing Interest In Alternative Funding Techniques
Research into completed deals in 2019 shows an emerging trend; investors are increasingly experimenting with alternative funding methods. In fact, a majority (56%) of all closed deals in these six months were secured through TGEs.
Venture capital deals of early-stage funding ensure that traditional
investment comes in second with a 34% share. Early-stage VC rounds form
the major part of conventional funding rounds in terms of the total
capital invested in active Blockchain companies with a 34% share in 1H
2019. If you add in angel seed rounds, this share increases by another
7%.
Equity Funding Has Decreased as compared to 2018
If you analyze the investment pattern from 2014 to the first half of 2019, you are likely to notice that Early-stage VC rounds come out on top for most blockchain investment by stages, with blockchain investments in this stage exceeding $2 billion.
Later Stage Venture Capital Investment Is On The Rise
Later stage venture capital rounds have become increasingly popular,
which means that major players, such as institutional investors, became
interested in this market.
The total amount raised by later-stage blockchain companies backed by
venture capital was $289 million in 2018 only. To compare, the median
round amount of the later-stage IT companies amounted to $11.5 million
in 2018, according to Statista.
The TGE Hype Is Fading Away
TeqAtlas analyzed TGE investment data for 18 months ending in June 2019 to consider how many investors participate through TGE.
The findings state that – despite minor spikes – the overall trend and interest in token generation
events remain on an all-time low. Blockchain investors tread carefully
when it comes to investing in TGEs, with only 153 deals to show for the
six months of 2019.
Blockchain regulations surrounding TGEs, coupled with the dismal
investment numbers, has led us to predict that they are nowhere near
becoming the principal funding method in the blockchain industry.
64% Of Startups Don’t Meet Their Hard Cap
Another challenge identified in the research was that startups, due
to being new and relatively inexperienced, often fail to predict their
hard cap amounts accurately.
A mere 36% of startups manage to meet their hard caps during the
token generation event, with the rest failing to do so. Nevertheless,
2019 has been a slightly better year for startups; the percentage of startups that didn’t meet their hard cap dropped 13 points as compared to the previous year.
What Are The Biggest Deals since the Blockchain inception?
When comparing the different types of fundraising, the general trend
is that TGE usually outperforms conventional VC funding by the capital
raised. The biggest TGE was held by EOS.IO
and led to an enormous fundraising amount of $4.2 billion. When
compared to the biggest VC deal, EOS.IO’s amount is approximately 220%
higher.
The biggest VC-backed company by funding value is Bitmain that has raised $400 million being valued at $12 billion in a Series B round. Another blockchain company Bakkt,
owned by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), secured $182.5 million for
their project which will enable them to build the global digital assets
platform and bitcoin futures product.
Which TGE Type Extracts The Greatest ROI?
The research analyzed the return on several different TGE
investments, and the results showed a clear winner – blockchain
infrastructure developers.
Amongst investors who enjoyed the best returns, many had funded
blockchain platforms, IoT Infrastructure providers and interoperability
blockchain developers such as Ethereum, IOTA and Cosmos Network,
respectively.
DCG Dominates The Number Of Deals
The research outlined that more than 800 venture capital firms are already capitalizing on blockchain adoption.
Still, no one comes close to the Digital Currency Group,
which is comfortably placed at #1 with 131 deals to date. In fact, the
second and third-placed competitors combined have 109 completed deals.
Unsurprisingly, 80% of the top 10 active blockchain investors reside in the USA.
Most Active Investors industry focus is FinTech
Considering the security and encryption prowess of the technology, it
comes as no surprise that a majority of blockchain technology
investment is concentrated in the financial sector. In fact, FinTech has
114 more deals completed than the second-best sector, blockchain
infrastructure.
Not only does FinTech boast the highest number of completed deals
(150), but investors have poured in huge amounts in such blockchain
startups. This proves that investors truly believe in the potential of
blockchain, especially in the field of FinTech.
Angel/Seed Rounds Are The Investors Favorite
While reviewing the biggest active blockchain investors,
an interesting trend was identified; most of them fill their portfolios
in the first round of funding – the Angel round. While alternate
funding methods might be gaining hype, conventional funding instruments
prevail in the portfolios of the most active investors.
IEO – The ICO Replacement?
ICOs were riddled with problems by the end of 2018, partially due to
fraud that hindered investor trust in blockchain as a whole.
Now, there is a new way to offer coins and this method involves crypto exchanges
in the offering process. This involves the exchange becoming a core
member – essentially, the exchange offers the coins to their existing
consumer base rather than the company offering it to the public.
This allows exchanges to run background checks and verify developer
legitimacy, substantially decreasing the risk of fraud. In the research,
TeqAtlas came across all launchpads that have already conducted IEOs in
the current year – or are planning to.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:08 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Identified spherical graphite production as a key waypoint in plans to supply graphite anodes for Electric Vehicles (EVs) Li-ion battery megafactories
“We are at the beginning of the battery materials bull market with 91 Lithium-ion mega-factories built or to be built worldwide.
(Vancouver, British-Columbia) August 13, 2019– Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX-V: LMR, OTC: LMRMF, FSE: DH8C)(Lomiko or the “Companyâ€) has identified spherical graphite production as a key waypoint in plans to supply graphite anodes for Electric Vehicles (EVs) Li-ion battery megafactories in the North American market discussed in a July 16th, 2019 release. Testing for spherical graphite is to be included in a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) which is planned for the La Loutre graphite project located in Quebec, Canada. The development of a strategy that identifies a way to create value-added products is necessary to establish a long-term, profitable business model prior to extensive capital outlay is crucial to the success of the company.
A.
Paul Gill, CEO states, “We are at the beginning of the battery
materials bull market with 91 Lithium-ion mega-factories built or to be
built worldwide. However, potential North
American Suppliers of graphite materials are facing investor skepticism
because graphite materials coming from African mines such as Syrah
Resources are satisfying Chinese graphite anode demand at present. Lomiko
sees an opportunity in creating a stable and integrated North American
value chain for North American EV manufacturers to African graphite or
Chinese anodes which are susceptible to political strife or trade wars.â€
Graphite Sector Analysis
The
price for 95% C (purity), 15 microns Spherical Graphite is $2,700-2,800
USD/tonne, far above the price of other forms of graphite as indicated
by the Industrial Minerals. Lomiko’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will include costs and the potential market for this key product. In
order to start the PEA, Lomiko must first deliver its second resource
prepared in compliance with NI 43-101 Regulations from La Loutre.
Industrial
Minerals indicates China imported 21,486 tonnes of flake graphite in
June 2019, 14,864 tonnes came from Mozambique, accounting for 70% of
total Chinese imports. The principal source of
graphite flake in Mozambique is Syrah Resources, which primarily
produces 94% C, -100 mesh material. Increased exports from Mozambique
has weighed on the market since Syrah began commercial production at the
start of this year. June’s import volumes into China were the highest
since at least January 2017.
In
the first half of this year, China imported 105,462 tonnes of flake
graphite in response to the healthy development of the lithium-ion anode
industry in China.
At
least half of total imported flake graphite was used in the anode
industry, with the refractory sector the second largest consumer,
according to market sources.
The
use of large flake graphite as a refractory (heat-resistant) material
began before 1900 with the graphite crucible used to hold molten metal.
In the mid-1980s, the carbon-magnesite brick became important, and a bit
later alumina-graphite material. Graphite blocks are also used in parts of blast furnace linings where the high thermal conductivity of the graphite is critical.
Graphite electrodes are another long-term market for natural flake graphite. Graphite
conductors which release electric energy in the form of an electric
arc, are used to heat and melt the steel scraps in an electric arc
furnace. They are currently the only products with high electrical
conductivity and are able to maintain extremely high heat generation in
this demanding environment. With the growing demand for quality steel in
the aerospace, automotive and electronics industries, graphite
electrodes are also becoming increasingly popular.
For more information on Lomiko Metals, review the website at www.lomiko.com, contact A. Paul Gill at 604-729-5312 or email: [email protected].
On Behalf of the Board,
“A. Paul Gillâ€
Chief Executive Officer
We
seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:45 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Spyder Cannabis (SPDR:TSXV) went public just a couple of months ago and hit the ground running with 5 operating Canadian retail locations – and a 6th one on the way via an 8,000 sq ft super store in Alberta.  Most companies would be ecstatic to have this number of locations – but Spyder just announced a major move into the United States, with a 5 location deal for boutique stores up and down the US Eastern seaboard. The news gets better. If all goes well with these 5 locations, the US outlet partner has a total of 39 locations across 20 states for Spyder to grow into to.
Spyder Cannabis may have just gone public but they are making big moves into the highly coveted retail space for marijuana, CBD and Hemp products, including carrying their own brands within their stores.
Grab your favourite cold summer beverage and watch this interview with CEO, Dan Pelchovitz.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:15 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Entered into a sponsorship agreement with foodora Canada to provide digital marketing strategies and Luminosity merchandise sponsorship opportunities
Enthusiast and Luminosity will launch a digital advertising campaign to complement foodora Canada’s overall advertising strategy
foodora Canada will also be a key merchandise sponsor for Luminosity, which includes placement of the foodora logo on the Luminosity team jerseys.
TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2019 – Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) (OTCQB: EGHIF), (“Enthusiast†or the “Companyâ€), one of the largest vertically integrated video gaming media companies in North America, is pleased to announce that, in partnership with Luminosity Gaming (“Luminosityâ€), it has entered into a sponsorship agreement (the “Agreementâ€) with foodora Canada, to provide digital marketing strategies and Luminosity merchandise sponsorship opportunities.
foodora Canada is a leading on-demand food delivery platform
operating in 10 cities, servicing more than 3,000 restaurants across
Canada. foodora is dedicated to bringing Canadian food lovers their
favourite meals, from a curated list of local restaurants, delivered
within 35 minutes. foodora is committed to lowering its carbon footprint
by delivering predominantly via bike, and by implementing a cutlery
opt-in feature. In Canada, foodora caters to all major cities,
including: Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and
more.
Under the Agreement, Enthusiast and Luminosity will launch a digital
advertising campaign to complement foodora Canada’s overall advertising
strategy. The Company will launch a social media contest to promote
foodora across Canada. foodora Canada will also be a key merchandise
sponsor for Luminosity, which includes placement of the foodora logo on
the Luminosity team jerseys.
“As foodora continues to grow, evolve and innovate within the
Canadian food delivery space, it’s important that we also continue to
reach new customers who would find value in our services,†said Matt Rice, Head of Marketing at foodora Canada.
“Partnering with Enthusiast and Luminosity allows us to tap into an
existing mobile-first gaming community who are always searching for ways
to be more efficient. It’s the perfect fit.â€
Jon Dwyer, SVP & Head of Special Partnerships at Luminosity Gaming, commented,
“The partnership with foodora Canada proves our ability to successfully
integrate our operations thus far, and I am proud of both Enthusiast
and Luminosity for the collaborative effort to develop a successful,
custom marketing campaign.†He continued, “It’s exciting for us
to see non-endemic gaming brands like foodora Canada utilizing our
platform to reach the combined network of 200 million gamers, and one of
the most sought after demographics.â€
About Enthusiast Gaming
Enthusiast Gaming is one of the largest vertically integrated video
game companies and has the fastest-growing online community of video
gamers. Through the Company’s organic and acquisition strategy, it has
amassed a platform of over 150 million monthly visitors across its
network of websites and YouTube channels. Enthusiast also owns and
operates Canada’s largest gaming expo, Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo,
EGLX, (eglx.ca) with approximately 55,000 people attending in 2018. For more information on the Company, visit www.enthusiastgaming.com.
About Luminosity Gaming
Luminosity Gaming is one of the largest globally recognized esports
organizations in the world, with over 60 million registered active
users. Luminosity has 8 world class esports teams competing across top
games such as Fortnite, Apex, Rainbow Six: Seige, Counter Strike, Call
of Duty, Madden, Smite, etc. for more information visit www.luminosity.gg
About foodora Canada
foodora is dedicated to bringing Canadian food lovers their favourite
meals from a curated list of local restaurants. Since 2015, the
on-demand food delivery service has grown to more than 3,000 partner
restaurants in 10 cities across Canada. Belonging to Delivery Hero, a
worldwide leader of the food delivery industry, foodora is a sustainably
focused company that strives to reduce its carbon footprint through its
use of bikes and its commitment to reducing single-use plastic. For
more information, visit http://www.foodora.ca.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Investor Relations: Julia Becker Head of Investor Relations & Marketing [email protected] (604) 785.0850
This news release contains certain statements that may constitute
forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All
statements, other than those of historical fact, which address
activities, events, outcomes, results, developments, performance or
achievements that Enthusiast anticipates or expects may or will occur in
the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking
information. Such information may involve, but is not limited to,
comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations
and future actions of the Company. Often, but not always,
forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such
as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”,
“estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or
variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or
statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain
actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will”
(or other variations of the forgoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or
come to pass. Forward-looking information is based on currently
available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans,
strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors
that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Enthusiast to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
information. Such factors may be based on information currently
available to Enthusiast, including information obtained from third-party
industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on
management’s current expectations or beliefs regarding future growth,
results of operations, future capital (including the amount, nature and
sources of funding thereof) and expenditures. Any and all
forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly
qualified by this cautionary statement. Trading in the securities of
the Company should be considered highly speculative.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
The securities of the Corporation have not been and will not be
registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended
and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration
or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press
release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any
jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be
unlawful.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:59 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
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 over 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
At all-time highs in six of the world’s top currencies
Gold is up 25% in sterling; 22% in the yuan; 21.5% in euros; 19.7% in Australian dollars; 18% in rupee; 13% in Canadian dollars and 12% in Japanese yen
The
charts posted immediately below tell one of the quiet, but perhaps most
important stories unfolding in the world of high international finance.
Gold has appreciated sharply in the currencies of all of the world’s
top economies. In five of the top eight economies – the United Kingdom,
Japan, Canada, Australia, and India – it is priced at all-time highs.
In short, as currencies race for the bottom, gold is racing to the top.
Investors everywhere are moving to insulate their portfolios against the
combined threats of recession, plummeting yields, currency
depreciation, and stock market instability. An over-arching nemesis not
likely to relinquish its place any time soon has unleashed those four
horsemen – the burgeoning trade and currency war.
Gold is up 25% in sterling; 22% in the yuan; 21.5% in euros; 19.7% in Australian dollars; 18% in rupee; 13% in Canadian dollars and 12% in Japanese yen. It is up sharply against a long list of emerging country currencies as well. By way of perspective, gold is up 16% in U.S. dollars thus far in 2019. “A host of global factors mean gold’s price is set to maintain its strength at least for the next six to 12 months,†said Howie Lee, an economist at Singapore’s Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, in a recent CNBC interview. “The world right now is in a precarious state and gold is due to benefit from this situation,†With the world – from Asia to Europe, the United States and a long list of emerging countries – now acutely attuned to gold ownership, it might not be long until we begin to see strains on the limited physical supplies.Â
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 7:35 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Spyder to open 5 hemp boutique locations at Tanger Outlet centers throughout the United States
Agreement will expand Spyder’s physical footprint to a projected 11 total locations by the end of this year
Potential for additional locations in the future
Vaughan, ON, August 13, 2019, Spyder Cannabis Inc. (“Spyder“), an established Canadian cannabis and vape retail operator, announced today an arrangement through which Spyder will open 5 hemp boutique locations with potential for more at Tanger Outlet centers throughout the United States.
This agreement will expand
Spyder’s physical footprint to a projected 11 total locations by the end of
this year, with the potential for additional locations in the future. “Tanger Outlet operates 39 upscale outlet
shopping centers located in 20 states coast to coast and will allow us access
to millions of consumers,†stated Daniel Pelchovitz, CEO and President of Spyder. “They offer a superior outlet experience and deep tenant
relationships, and we are excited to introduce our hemp retail to their
centers.â€
These boutiques will stock Spyder’s SPDR (R)
branded hemp derived, and
infused products developed for an aging, health and wellness
demographic. Spyder will offer a wide array of hemp product
offerings including; hemp -infused muscle balm, face oil, body lotion and bath
salts, as well as hemp tinctures,
capsules and sprays.
The hemp industry is booming
and has the potential to become a $22 billion business by 2022, according to
cannabis-focused research firm Brightfield Group. Spyder plans on executing an
aggressive expansion plan to create a significant retail brand in the U.S. hemp
market and is committed to developing and acquiring prime North American retail
locations and continuing to build its fast growing brand.
About Spyder Cannabis
Founded
in 2014 Spyder is an established chain of three high-end vape stores, and
two cannabis accessory stores, in Ontario, with locations
in Woodbridge, Scarborough, Burlington, Pickering and Niagara
Falls. The Spyder brand is defined by its high-quality proprietary line of
e-juice, liquids and exclusive retail deals, dispensed in uniquely designed
stores creating the optimal customer experience. Spyder is building off
this leading retail, distribution and branding eCig and vapes company and is pursuing
expansion into the legal cannabis and hemp derived market. Spyder has
developed a scalable retail model with plans to create a significant footprint
with targeted and disciplined retail distribution strategy focusing on Canadian
retail and U.S. boutique retail and kiosks in high traffic peripheral areas
Tags: Cannabis, CBD, CSE, Hemp, Marijuana, otc, stocks, tsx, tsx-v, weed Posted in Featured, Spyder Cannabis Inc. | Comments Off on BREAKING: Spyder Cannabis $SPDR.ca Signs Retail Agreement with Tanger Outlet $SKT Gaining Access to Millions of Consumers Coast-to-Coast in the U.S. $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:59 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
Entered into an initial agreement to partner with XTM Inc. a Toronto based Fintech Company and global card issuer, payment specialist, and marketing solutions company.
The partners will launch the Pegasus Flyte Prepaid Card to the Canadian market, allowing consumers to spend traditional and digital currencies at both brick and mortar and online merchants as easily as cash.
Toronto, Ontario–(August 12, 2019) – KABN Systems North America Inc. (“KABN”), a Fintech solutions company, specializing in next-generation, patent pending, transportable online identity verification as well as financial and loyalty related services, has entered into an initial agreement to partner with XTM Inc. (“XTM”), a Toronto based Fintech Company and global card issuer, payment specialist, and marketing solutions company. The partners will launch the Pegasus Flyte Prepaid Card to the Canadian market, allowing consumers to spend traditional and digital currencies at both brick and mortar and online merchants as easily as cash.
KABN provides state of the art, Always On
identity verification and validation services at no charge to consumers,
allowing them to prove their identity continuously without the hassle
of verifying time and time again to a growing list of online service
providers, programs and Exchanges. In turn, validated users are
qualified, subject to permissions and necessary approvals, for unique
and customized financial services, major merchant loyalty and incentive
programs and other value-based opportunities.
For merchants, service providers, Exchanges, digital banks and other
online programs, KABN provides its proprietary world class KYC (know
your customer), KYB (know your business) and AML (anti-money laundering)
services through its fully compliant GDPR (European General Data
Protection Regulation) platform, via a proprietary value-based
proposition, subsidizing the traditional costs of onboarding users.
Powered through the XTM Payment Platform, the Pegasus Flyte Prepaid
Card program, expected to launch in Q4 2019, will enable Canadians to
spend traditional fiat and digital currencies from approved financial
institutions, Exchanges, wallets and loyalty programs anywhere that
current prepaid services are accepted. Cardholders will have a mobile
app and a host of value-based services available to them similar to
traditional banking programs.
“XTM is thrilled to have been selected to support KABN. This company
is an innovator and disrupter in the Fintech space, exactly our
target-partner,” said Marilyn Schaffer, XTM CEO. “With our robust
platform features we plan to propel KABN’s Pegasus Flyte program to new
heights in prepaid.”
In June 2016, the Canadian Prepaid Providers Organization released
the first-ever benchmark study conducted by Mercator Advisory Group
entitled, Canadian Open-Loop Prepaid Market: 2015, that revealed that the open-loop prepaid card market reach $3.1 Billion CDN in total dollars loaded onto cards in Canada.
Additionally, in 2017 the CCPO released the report How Canadians Pay Today
and it revealed that 13% of those surveyed are using their bank account
less and prepaid cards in Canada have the highest level of growth and
satisfaction amongst payment tools with a 95% satisfaction rate with
reloadable prepaid cards.
“We are very excited to be rolling out our Pegasus Flyte card program
in North America,” said Ben Kessler, Global CEO KABN. “We looked for a
partner who not only could get us to market quickly but who could also
do it effectively, and efficiently without missing a step. XTM is that
partner for KABN.”
The KABN and Pegasus Flyte programs focus primarily on the growing
Gen Z, Millennial and late Gen X demographic who are consistently
exploring new and innovative ways, outside of traditional banking, to
manage both their financial services, loyalty, points and other digital
currency transactions.
Pegasus Flyte cardholders will automatically be entitled to
participate in KABN KASH, a customized consumer experience where users
can save money every time they shop at key merchants.
KABN will be showcasing its solutions, as well as providing a keynote address at The Futurist Conference (www.futurist19.com) in Toronto on August 13th and 14th.
KABN Systems North America Inc. operates the Canadian and US programs of the global KABN Network. KABN provides an Always On
patent pending identity validation and verification platform, allowing
users to continuously and confidently prove themselves to the online
community, Exchanges and other services. KABN’s identity services
provide the backbone to its financial, loyalty and engagement programs
including the Pegasus Flyte Prepaid Card program and KABN KASH, an
innovative cash back program where users are connected to major
merchants for savings when they shop.
Tags: fintech, Kabn, Payments, Visa, XTM inc. Posted in KABN | Comments Off on #KABN and #XTM to Bring Digital Currency #Crypto Prepaid Cards to Canadians
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:58 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced Materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. Click Here for More Info
Nanopore membranes have generated interest in biomedical research because they help researchers investigate individual molecules – atom by atom – by pulling them through pores for physical and chemical characterization
Researchers have not yet produced a membrane with spiral defects in the laboratory, but that task may be easier than trying to rid a graphene membrane of the current molecule-immobilizing step defects
Researchers at the University of Illinois examined how tiny defects in graphene membranes, formed during fabrication, could be used to improve molecule transport. They found that the defects make a big difference in how molecules move along a membrane surface. Instead of trying to fix these flaws, the team set out to use them to help direct molecules into the membrane pores.
Nanopore membranes have generated interest in biomedical research because they help researchers investigate individual molecules – atom by atom – by pulling them through pores for physical and chemical characterization. This technology could ultimately lead to devices that can quickly sequence DNA, RNA or proteins.
In
2014, University of Illinois physics professor Aleksei Aksimentiev and
graduate student Manish Shankla demonstrated a graphene membrane that
controlled a molecule’s movement through a nanopore by means of
electrical charge. They discovered that once the molecules are on the
surface of the membrane, it is very difficult to get them to shuffle
into the membrane’s pores because molecules like to adhere to the
surface.
While on sabbatical at Delft University of Technology in
the Netherlands, Aksimentiev found that DNA tends to accumulate and
stick along the edges of fabrication-formed defects that occur as linear
steps spanning across the membrane’s surface. The Illinois team’s goal
was to find a way to use these flaws to direct the stuck molecules into
the nanopores, as a principle that can also apply to the delivery,
sorting and analysis of biomolecules.
To refine and confirm their
observations, the researchers used the Blue Waters supercomputer at the
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at Illinois and the
XSEDE supercomputer to model the system and molecule movement scenarios
at the atomic level.
“Molecular dynamics simulations let us watch what is happening while simultaneously measuring how much force is required to get the molecule to clear a step,” Aksimentiev said. “We were surprised to find that it takes less force to move a molecule down a step than up. Although it may seem intuitive that gravity would make stepping down easier, it is not the case here because gravity is negligible at the nanoscale, and the force required to move up or down should be the same.”
Aksimentiev
said team members originally thought they could use concentric defect
patterns that form around the pores to force the molecules down, but
their simulations showed the molecules congregating along the edges of
the steps. That is when it dawned on them: A defect with edges that
spiral into a pore, combined with an applied directional force, would
give the molecule no other option than to go into the pore – kind of
like a drain.
“This way, we can drop molecules anywhere on the
membrane covered with these spiral structures and then pull the
molecules into a pore,” he said.
The researchers have not yet
produced a membrane with spiral defects in the laboratory, but that task
may be easier than trying to rid a graphene membrane of the current
molecule-immobilizing step defects, they said.
“When manufactured
at scale, defect-guided capture may potentially increase the DNA capture
throughput by several orders of magnitude, compared with current
technology,” Shankla said.
“After a long development process, we
are excited to see this principle used in a variety of other materials
and applications such as delivery of individual molecules to reaction
chambers for experiments,” the researchers said.Source: Nature NanotechnologyEurekalert
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:23 PM on Monday, August 12th, 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: CSE
Goldman Sachs Analysts Say that It’s Time to Buy Bitcoin
In short – the experts are quite bullish for Bitcoin to go up.
Basically, they have set up a short-term price target of $13,971 – yes, specifically this one.
Recently, Three Arrows Capital CEO Su Zhu has shared the Goldman Sachs
note which was sent out to investors. In the note, Goldman Sachs
analysts suggest that buying this Bitcoin dip is a prime opportunity.
The note itself consisted of a Bitcoin CMI futures chart and a comment from the analysts.
First of all, the fact that Goldman Sachs is sending out crypto, in
this particular case, Bitcoin advice to their investors is mind-blowing.
Also, the fact that they are seeing it as a bullish pattern and they
are using the Elliot Wave Theory indicators on their Bitcoin chart is
also a big surprise.
Experts point out that the fact that the Bitcoin CMI futures chart is
used means that this note is being sent out only to institutional
investors. You can see this by the little gaps in the chart which are
weekends. That is the time when CMI Bitcoin Futures markets are closed.
What does the Note Say?
In short – the experts are quite bullish for Bitcoin to go up.
Basically, they have set up a short-term price target of $13,971 – yes,
specifically this one.
In detail – they believe that Bitcoin will find a support level near
$11,094 and $10,791. Once it does that, the analysts say that the chart
has plenty of room to break out at least to $12,916, and possibly to a
new 2019 ATH – $13,971.
“Reaching these levels could mean completing a v wave count from
July. Bottom line, watch for a short-term top/consolidation once
satisfied,†says the note.
But this is a short-term prediction. What about long-term? Well,
according to Goldman Sachs analysts, anything below $13,000 is an
indication to accumulate. They believe that we are in for a similar
run-up like we saw recently this year when Bitcoin went from $7,600 to
around $11,900 in a matter of a couple of weeks.
“In the bigger scheme of things, this might still be the first leg of
another 5-wave count similar to the trend that lasted from Dec ‘18
through Jun ’19,†reads the note.
Also, another thing which recently was highlighted – Bitcoin loves
30% pullbacks. Some experts and analysts have noticed that after a
healthy 30% pullback, Bitcoin always have recovered and this is even
considered as a normal investment strategy. Hence, it is 100% sure that
Bitcoin will have a run-up if it has fallen by approx. 30%.
So in short – Goldman Sachs says that we all need to buy Bitcoin.
But, as usual, only the time will show whether this advice was
definitely the one that investors should have followed.
