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Esports Entertainment Group $GBML Releases Upgraded VIE.GG #Esports Gambling Platform $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:02 AM on Friday, January 17th, 2020
  • Announced the release of the latest version of VIE.gg (https://vie.gg)  the Company’s esports wagering platform
  • Latest upgrade delivers notable new features, including additional betting options such as Fixed Odds, Pari-mutuel, Fantasy and Pool Betting to complement our main P2P option

BIRKIRKARA, MALTA (January 17, 2020) – Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the release of the latest version of VIE.gg (https://vie.gg)  the Company’s esports wagering platform.

UPGRADE DELIVERS LATEST FEATURES AND FULL DEVICE ACCESSABILITY

This latest upgrade delivers notable new features, including additional betting options such as Fixed Odds, Pari-mutuel, Fantasy and Pool Betting to complement our main P2P option. 

Furthermore, the upgrade delivers significant content enhancements, including real-time streaming and event coverage.  Finally, the upgrades now make VIE.gg (https://vie.gg) fully compatible with all major desktop, mobile and tablet devices, as well as, their respective operating systems.

Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group, stated “This is another major milestone for our Company. This is our strongest release ever, with every new feature esports gambling enthusiasts could wish for in a platform. Combined with our unsurpassed transparency as a result of our status as a fully reporting public company, we believe VIE.gg is strongly positioned for success in 2020”.

In delivering this upgrade, Esports Entertainment Group partnered with Askott Entertainment, a Vancouver based software development company that has been building award-winning online betting and daily fantasy software since 2013.

This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions, receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated forum https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup

RedChip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: 
http://www.gmblinfo.com

ABOUT ESPORTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg.  In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company holds a license to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Company maintains offices in Malta and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL.  For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they comply with the requirements of the Act.

Contact:

Corporate Finance
+356-2757-7000 (Malta)
[email protected]

Media & Investor Relations Inquiries
AGORACOM 
[email protected]
http://agoracom.com/ir/eSportsEntertainmentGroup

U.S. Investor Relations 
RedChip 
Dave Gentry
407-491-4498
[email protected]

SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca – 75% Think #Bitcoin Will Double in Price This Year: Crypto Twitter Survey $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:58 PM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020

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.

75% Think Bitcoin Will Double in Price This Year: Crypto Twitter Survey

Author: Kiril Nikolaev

An economist ran a poll to check the pulse of the bitcoin market. An ultra bullish atmosphere may signal that a trend reversal is incoming

  • The bitcoin rally is making many crypto investors euphoric.
  • An economist ran a poll to check on the pulse of the BTC market.
  • An ultra bullish atmosphere may be a sign that a trend reversal is incoming.

Over the last couple of weeks, bitcoin has been slaying bears and disbelievers. On Tuesday, bitcoin printed a fresh 2020 high of $8,903.20. The crypto token’s renewed bullish vigor is driving many retail investors into euphoria.

One retail trader is already predicting that bitcoin will hit $20,000. | Source: Twitter

The ecstatic atmosphere probably drove Alex Kruger to measure community sentiment. The trader and economist ran a poll asking Crypto Twitter (CT) what they think would be BTC’s 2020 high.

Results reveal that CT is feeling ultra bullish. That’s bad news for bitcoin.

Nearly Half of Survey Participants Believe Bitcoin Would Breach $20,000 This Year

Kruger recently ran a poll that involved the responses of over 4,000 participants. Results show that 47.1% believe that bitcoin would trade above $20,000 this year. Close to 30% think the coin would settle between $14,000 and $19,999. The remaining 25% said the cryptocurrency will trade at $13,999 or lower.

Poll results may foreshadow massive capitulation. | Source: Twitter

The survey reveals that nearly 75% of participants believe that bitcoin will print gains of over 100% this year. Almost half see the cryptocurrency skyrocketing by over 180%. These are ultra bullish predictions even by bitcoin’s standards. The results tell me that it is wise to take a contrarian stance.

The Wisdom of the Crowd Is Rarely Correct

When it comes to investing, the wisdom of the herd is often wrong. This is especially true of bitcoin. The digital asset has a tendency to mislead the crowd and burn retail investors.

We saw this happen in the 2017 bull market. Many retail investors hopped on the bandwagon just as bitcoin was peaking around $20,000. Countless got wiped out as the cryptocurrency entered a vicious bear market.

This happened again in December 2018. At the time, bitcoin was trading at $3,000. Many capitulated as calls for a massive drop to $1,800 reverberated on social media. What did the cryptocurrency do? It left disbelievers with their jaws on the floor as it soared to a 2019 high of $14,000.

The Crypto Dog considering the possibility of a bitcoin drop just before the cryptocurrency skyrocketed. | Source: Twitter

These examples show that it’s prudent to look at the other side of the coin. Getting pulled by the herd is a bad trading strategy.

Source: https://www.ccn.com/survey-reveals-bitcoin-will-double-in-price-this-year/

2020 vision: #Edtech in 2020 with John Ingram SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:03 PM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020
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.

2020 vision: edtech in 2020 with John Ingram

Thursday 16th January 2020

Q. What should schools, colleges and universities be focusing on for 2020?

Certainly, from our experience working with schools, they need to be supported more when it comes to training teachers to use technology. We find that teachers are usually keen on the idea of using new technologies in the classroom, but that implementation needs to be handled with greater care. Tech in UK classrooms often goes unused, which ultimately means that millions of pounds are potentially going to waste. Colleges and universities are making better progress on training teachers to use technology, so I’d like to see more improvement at school level.

Q. What, if any, policy changes would you like to see in education this year?

It was encouraging to hear the government announce new measures to help boost the nation’s skills and transform technical education, such as providing up to £120m to establish up to eight more Institutes of Technology. However, many of the measures aimed at boosting the UK’s productivity and building a skilled workforce are targeted towards further education, so it would be great to see some more focus given to schools.

It would also be great to see some progress around the UK Youth Parliament’s campaign for A Curriculum for Life. Young people are calling for the education system to do more to prepare them for life after school and college – a critically important area that often flies under the radar – and it’s important that they are heard.

Q. If you could pinpoint one area of improvement for the education sector during 2020, what would it be?

If I had to choose one area, it would be improving the way we treat and support teachers, addressing serious problem areas such as excessive workloads and teacher retention.

There are many tools on the market that can help with onerous non-teaching tasks such as marking, assessment and lesson planning. The challenge is to ensure that schools are made aware of the best of these, so that they can spend their tight budgets wisely.

Schools are often tasked with helping reduce teacher workload and ensuring staff retention, but this can be difficult against a backdrop of increasing budget cuts and Ofsted pressures.

I believe edtech can play a role here. There are many tools on the market that can help with onerous non-teaching tasks such as marking, assessment and lesson planning. The challenge is to ensure that schools are made aware of the best of these, so that they can spend their tight budgets wisely.

Q. Is there a particular area within edtech that you think should be the main focus for 2020?

I think adaptive learning and targeted education are set to feature prominently in 2020 – there are many platforms out there making big strides, but there’s still a long way to go. The end goal is for classrooms to have adaptive learning platforms that retain the benefits of learning in a group (social skills, motivation, etc) and combine this with fully personalised instruction. We’re making progress towards this, but fully moving away from ‘one-size-fits-all’ learning, and inflexible learning pathways, will take time.

Separately, I’d also like to see more of a push towards technology being used at earlier ages in schools, so that comfort and familiarity with using tech amongst students and teachers is embedded early on. Nevertheless, no matter what technologies are introduced, we must bear in mind that not everyone is a technophile. For edtech adoption to take off, schools and universities must work to adjust internal cultures so that they are open to advancements.

Source: https://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/vision-2020-edtech-in-2020-with-john-ingram/

Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca – Lawmakers press Trump officials to change federal #marijuana rules $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:16 PM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020

SPONSOR:

Why Empower Clinics

  • A leading owner/operator of physician staffed health and pain management clinics.
  • Patient database of over 165,000 patients 
  • Platform generating $1.4M USD (9 months ending Sept. 30, 2019)
  • Proprietary technology platforms including Electronic Health Records portal and e-Commerce for CBD product distribution
  • Recently launched CBD extraction facility
  • First extraction system capacity = 6,000 Kg per year.
  • CBD based products are poised to be a $20B global industry by 2022
  • Medical cannabis is poised to be a $100B global industry by 2025

——–

Lawmakers press Trump officials to change federal marijuana rules

By Nathaniel Weixel – 01/15/20 04:40 PM EST

  • House lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with restrictions on federal marijuana research and are putting pressure on regulators to change the rules.
  • While 33 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, federal research is extremely restricted.

During a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing Wednesday, bipartisan lawmakers pressed officials from the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and National Institute on Drug Abuse about obstacles to studying the safety and effectiveness of cannabis products, including hemp-based cannabidiol. 

“States’ laws and federal policy are a thousand miles apart. As more states allow cannabis, the federal government still strictly controls and prohibits it, even restricting legitimate medical research,” said subcommittee Chairwoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.).

All of the administration officials at the hearing agreed the current studies on the benefits and health consequences of marijuana are inadequate. However, they indicated that changes are not going to be immediately forthcoming, as more studies are needed.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning it is in the same category as drugs like heroin and LSD. According to the federal government, it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value.

Drug schedules were first established by former President Nixon as part of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana was put into Schedule I at that time, and has remained there ever since. 

Democrats expressed frustration at the hurdles potential researchers have to overcome. 

“Federal prohibition has failed, from our criminal justice system to our health care system to our state and local governments that are forced to navigate an impossible landscape,” said Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.).

Researchers need approval from three separate agencies, which can sometimes take upwards of a year. Once approved, they’re only allowed to research cannabis grown by a government-authorized farm at the University of Mississippi. 

That facility has been the sole grower of federally approved marijuana since 1968. 

Researchers and lawmakers from both parties have said the single source is too limiting, but experts said officials across multiple administrations have not provided an adequate reason why marijuana research is so restricted. 

“Researchers are in a catch-22. They can’t conduct cannabis research until they show cannabis has a medical use, but they can’t show cannabis has a medical use until they can conduct research,” Eshoo said.

DEA senior policy adviser Matthew Strait said the agency is aware of the limitations, and has drafted new regulations that would allow additional marijuana growers. 

The DEA in August announced it would begin taking steps to expand the number of federally approved marijuana growers, but it first needed to develop new regulations to evaluate the applications.

Strait said the agency has drafted those rules and submitted them to the White House for regulatory review. Agency staff will be on a call tomorrow to discuss them, he said.  

Strait was also pressed about removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances. 

The DEA has the authority to change the scheduling of marijuana, or completely remove it from the list of controlled substances without input from Congress, but it has yet to do so. 

Advocates are pushing the House to pass the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which would deschedule marijuana. 

But some Republicans expressed concern about completely removing marijuana from the controlled substances list. Instead, they indicated an openness to changing its schedule to make it easier to research.

“Descheduling cannabis is a step too far and one I would not support,” said Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.), the top Republican of the full committee. Any discussion of descheduling must be preceded by a fuller understanding of the potential risks associated with cannabis use — which we currently do not have.”

Walden added that rescheduling cannabis may help improve the research landscape.

“We need more research and better data. Americans are consuming more cannabis and policy decisions on this substance have been made in a virtual information vacuum,” Walden said.

Source: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/478472-lawmakers-press-trump-officials-to-change-federal-marijuana-rules

NORTHBUD $NBUD.ca – High demand: Ontario’s online #Cannabis 2.0 products sell out fast $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:56 PM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020

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

High demand: Ontario’s online Cannabis 2.0 products sell out fast

By David George-Cosh

More than 2,000 people placed orders within the first hour that cannabis-infused edibles and vape products became available for sale on the Ontario Cannabis Store’s website, a spokesperson told BNN Bloomberg.

Beginning Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, the website listed 50 vape products and 21 pot-infused gummies for sale, a slight increase from the number of items available at Ontario’s brick-and-mortar cannabis retailers.

More than 3,000 people were waiting in a “digital queue” before the online sales began. Due to the high demand, the website experienced several crashes for some products, while all “soft-chew” items, or gummies, were sold out within the first 30 minutes.

OCS spokesperson Daffyd Roderick told BNN Bloomberg the government agency is managing the website’s traffic issues and plans to replenish any sold-out items after bricks-and-mortar stores have been allotted an equal share of available product.

“We know the licensed producers are working hard to make more products available and we’re confident that these growing pains will be moved through in relatively short order,” Roderick said.

While some of the next-generation cannabis products on the website have been available at physical Ontario cannabis stores since earlier this month, the various cannabis-infused cookies, soft chews, mints, tea and vapes for sale represent a potential new windfall for the country’s pot producers, who have been stymied over the past year with softer-than-expected revenue from dried flower products.

Raymond James analysts said in a recent report that cannabis producers should report material revenue from the latest rollout of Cannabis 2.0 products in the second-half of this year.

Cannabis Canada is BNN Bloomberg’s in-depth series exploring the stunning formation of the entirely new — and controversial — Canadian recreational marijuana industry. Read more from the special series here and subscribe to our Cannabis Canada newsletter to have the latest marijuana news delivered directly to your inbox every day.

Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/high-demand-ontario-s-online-cannabis-2-0-products-sell-out-fast-1.1375048

INTERVIEW: $HPQ.ca Moves One Nano Step Closer To #Silicon For #Li-Ion #Batteries $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:47 AM on Thursday, January 16th, 2020

Matrix Partners backs #Edtech startup #Toddle SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
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.

Matrix Partners backs edtech startup Toddle

  • Educational technology startup Toddle has raised its first institutional funding round, led by Matrix Partners India.
  • Better Capital and angel investors such as Swiggy co-founder Rahul Jaimini also participated in the capital raising, Deepanshu Arora, cofounder of Toddle told ET, without disclosing the funding amount.

By: Sanghamitra Kar

Educational technology startup Toddle has raised its first institutional funding round, led by Matrix Partners India.

Better Capital and angel investors such as Swiggy co-founder Rahul Jaimini also participated in the capital raising, Deepanshu Arora, cofounder of Toddle told ET, without disclosing the funding amount.

Bengaluru-based Toddle, which helps teachers streamline curriculum planning, documentation, parent communication and analytics, was founded last year by Arora and Parita Parekh.

Arora and Parekh earlier ran a network of pre-schools in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Toddle says it has more than 10,000 teachers on its platform.

“Today’s teachers are very tech-savvy and use technology for a variety of needs. The struggle is that they have to juggle between multiple tools to solve for these needs. Our goal is to simplify the entire teaching and learning cycle with one seamless and intuitive solution,” Arora said.

The company plans to use the money to cater to more educational segments.

“Having been educators themselves, the Toddle team has built a product that is revolutionizing the way teachers plan, interact and collaborate with other teachers, students and parents,” said Rajat Agarwal, Director, Matrix India.

The Indian ed-tech market is expected to reach $2 billion by 2021, according to a report by KPMG and Google.

Source: https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/matrix-partners-backs-edtech-startup-toddle/73257867

Storming the Gates: How ‘Crypto Davos’ Became a Thing SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:43 AM on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020

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.

Storming the Gates: How ‘Crypto Davos’ Became a Thing

  • In recent years the WEF Meeting has come under fire as a place where wealthy elites gather to discuss solutions to problems they helped create and perpetuate – problems many blockchain startups are working to solve.
  • But the reality of Davos lies somewhere between these two extremes.

This is part of a series of op-eds previewing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. CoinDesk will be on the ground in Davos from Jan. 20–24 chronicling all things crypto at the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elite. Follow along by subscribing to our pop-up newsletter, CoinDesk Confidential: Davos.

Sandra Ro is the CEO of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), which is organizing the four-day Blockchain Central Davos event.

The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), renowned as a place where business executives, government officials, entrepreneurs and NGO leaders convene to create positive change, is days away.

In recent years the WEF Meeting has come under fire as a place where wealthy elites gather to discuss solutions to problems they helped create and perpetuate – problems many blockchain startups are working to solve. But the reality of Davos lies somewhere between these two extremes.

So why engage? Why do we keep going back?

WEF 2020

2020 is special: It’s the 50th anniversary of the WEF, a non-profit foundation created in 1971 to engage society’s foremost political, business and cultural leaders to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

This year’s WEF theme is “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.”

Some of the broad questions to be asked: What does “stakeholder capitalism” mean? Is it tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? How does technology fit in?

“With the world at such critical crossroads, this year we must develop a ‘Davos Manifesto 2020’ to reimagine the purpose and scorecards for companies and governments,” said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF.

If the world is at a crossroads, what is the role of cryptocurrencies, digital assets and blockchain? And who gets to shape and influence this future?

In short, should “Crypto Davos” collaborate with the established elites?

Crypto Davos, four+ years in the making

Crypto pioneers set up shop with Davos side events four or five years ago. These were modest gatherings to discuss the future of cryptocurrencies. Very few elites knew what this was, or paid it much attention.   

Just as bitcoin and ethereum began as organic grassroots initiatives, Crypto Davos grew mainly by group chats and word of mouth. However, by 2018, Crypto Davos reached peak excess, coinciding with the boom of ICOs. This was followed by muted numbers in 2019 with the bust, and now, in 2020, a mix of Crypto Davos stalwarts are returning alongside mainstream corporations that are ahead of the curve in embracing blockchain and, sometimes, cryptocurrency. (Unfortunately, the mantra of “blockchain good, crypto bad” lingers in certain corporate and government circles, though it is dissipating over time.)

What happens at WEF’s official gathering is important, but most who have attended Davos previously know that “the Promenade” is a beehive of activity around cryptocurrencies, blockchain, AI, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. Many crypto people who attend Davos never step foot inside the main event and do not hold a coveted “white badge.” Instead, they hang out on the Promenade and participate in a myriad of panels, networking events and meetings, mixed with late-night partying and bonding.

The Promenade blockchain events are in high demand and considered cutting edge, thereby attracting some high-profile leaders who might seem out of place under normal, stodgier circumstances. Seeing rock stars, actors, CEOs, billionaires, social-impact entrepreneurs and developers together is not unusual at Crypto Davos.

Where else do you see both Jamie Dimon and Jamie Oliver walking down the same block within meters of each other? Or Michael Douglas walking into an MIT-hosted lunch on AI and blockchain? (Seriously, that happened back in 2017.)

So why did a bunch of crypto people start coming to Davos in the first place? Switzerland’s crypto-friendly environment partially explains the attraction.

But the secret sauce of Davos is not just about discussing important ideas.

Once you make it to this normally sleepy town, you are jumbled together with 30,000 influential people on a few blocks of a “main street.” It makes for an intense and rewarding four days of networking and deal-making, which sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Crossover appeal

Crypto Davos, despite its outsider status, has influenced and changed the course of mainstream Davos.

Just look at 2020’s big thematic on “stakeholders in a cohesive and sustainable world,” which covers everything from economics to climate change to technology, and includes topics like digital identity, digital asset regulation and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

In 2020, many, if not most, corporations participating at Davos have internal blockchain projects and/or are members of digital asset groups. Five years ago, the CEOs of these same corporations probably did not know blockchain existed.

Crypto Davos has profoundly influenced the interest and growth of digital assets and blockchain technology among some of the most elite institutions, governments and world leaders.

Not bad for a bunch of outsiders.

Selling out?

To the cynics and anti-establishment crowd, we debate every year why we pay exorbitant rates to put together an event at Davos. The high costs, occasionally not-so-subtle hostility from the mainstream, increasingly strict town council rules and the general logistics nightmare are enough to deter most.

However, we return, because our supporters love attending. Why? Because we have met some of the most awe-inspiring people at Davos, from rocket scientists to world leaders to humanitarians.

With a combination of bright, motivated people, ideas turn into action here: from investments to business deals to project launches. No matter how great the tech, we are humans who make connections by meeting each other, spending time with each other and, ultimately, collaborating with each other.  

The key for Crypto Davos is to keep influencing and building bridges with the establishment to yield the societal change we want. Blockchain works best when it’s collaborative. The same holds true at Davos: Crypto Davos can improve and scale with the resources of large institutions; Establishment Davos can reimagine business models and government services to create a more equitable and functional society.

This grand experiment works best if people collaborate across geographies and disciplines.

Long live Crypto Davos (at least until the next better version comes along).

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/storming-the-gates-how-crypto-davos-became-a-thing

BlackRock CEO says the climate crisis is about to trigger ‘a fundamental reshaping of finance’ SPONSOR: $HPQ.ca Silicon $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:07 AM on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020

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.

BlackRock CEO says the climate crisis is about to trigger ‘a fundamental reshaping of finance’

  • In an annual letter to CEOs published Tuesday, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink said: “Climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects.”
  • “But awareness is rapidly changing, and I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance,” he added.
  • BlackRock’s assets under management totaled almost $7 trillion in the third quarter of 2019.

Sam Meredith

The chief of the world’s largest money manager believes the intensifying climate crisis will bring about a fundamental reshaping of finance, with a significant reallocation of capital set to take place “sooner than most anticipate.”

In an annual letter to CEOs published Tuesday, BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink said: “Climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long-term prospects … But awareness is rapidly changing, and I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance.”

BlackRock’s assets under management totaled almost $7 trillion in the third quarter of 2019.

Fink’s comments come as business leaders, policymakers and investors prepare to travel to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum next week.

The theme at this year’s January get-together, which is often criticized for being out of touch with the real world, has been designated as “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.”

“Climate change is almost invariably the top issue that clients around the world raise with BlackRock. From Europe to Australia, South America to China, Florida to Oregon, investors are asking how they should modify their portfolios,” Fink continued.

“And because capital markets pull future risk forward, we will see changes in capital allocation more quickly than we see changes to the climate itself.”

“In the near future — and sooner than most anticipate — there will be a significant reallocation of capital,” he added.

‘Defining issue of our time’

Alongside 20 other young climate activists, Sweden’s Greta Thunberg has called on all of those attending the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps to stop the “madness” of ongoing investments in fossil fuel exploration and extraction and “completely divest” from fossil fuels.

In an op-ed for The Guardian, published Friday, Thunberg — who was catapulted to fame for skipping school every Friday to hold a weekly vigil outside Swedish parliament in 2018 — said global leaders must also “end all fossil fuel subsidies.”

Protesting against political inaction over climate change, the 17-year-old sparked an international wave of school strikes — also known as “Fridays for Future” — with millions of other children following suit in cities around the world last year.

The United Nations has recognized climate change as “the defining issue of our time,” with a recent report calling the crisis “the greatest challenge to sustainable development.”

‘Climate change is different’ to other crises

“Over the 40 years of my career in finance, I have witnessed a number of financial crises and challenges — the inflation spikes of the 1970s and early 1980s, the Asian currency crisis in 1997, the dot-com bubble, and the global financial crisis,” BlackRock’s Fink said.

“Even when these episodes lasted for many years, they were all, in the broad scheme of things, short-term in nature. Climate change is different.”

“Even if only a fraction of the projected impacts is realized, this is a much more structural, long-term crisis. Companies, investors, and governments must prepare for a significant reallocation of capital,” he added.

Australia has drawn global attention in recent months, with the country currently experiencing one of its worst bush fire seasons on record.

Record high temperatures and drought exacerbated by the climate crisis have ignited blazes that have killed more than two dozen people and destroyed 2,000 homes since September.

More than a billion animals in Australia are thought to have been killed by raging wildfires in the last couple of months too.

Clarification: This report was revised to give updated figures for the effects of the Australian bush fires.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/14/blackrock-ceo-larry-fink-says-climate-change-will-soon-reshape-markets.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Message

Gen2 PUREVAP™ Proof of Concept Test Demonstrates Capacity to Produce Spherical Nano Powders From Silicon Metal for the Lithium-Ion Battery Market – $HPQ.ca Silicon Resources $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:09 AM on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020
  • PUREVAPTM Gen2 reactor was modified to test if it could produce Nano-powders
  • A key milestone was reached when the proof of concept test successfully produced spherical nano-powders from silicon metal as raw material, with a primary size <500 nanometre (<0.5 µ)

MONTREAL, Jan. 15, 2020 —HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.(“HPQ” - “The Company”)TSX-V: HPQ; FWB: UGE; Other OTC : URAGF; (“HPQ”) would like to update shareholders on progress made by HPQ and PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR) (“PyroGenesis”) regarding manufacturing Silicon Metal (Si) nano-powders for next generation Lithium (Li-ion) Si batteries.

GEN2 PUREVAPTM USED TO SYNTHESIZE SPHERICAL NANO POWDERS (SIZE <0.5 µ) FROM SILICON (Si)

The PUREVAPTM Gen2 reactor was modified to test if it could produce Nano-powders.  A key milestone was reached when the proof of concept test successfully produced spherical nano-powders from silicon metal as raw material, with a primary size <500 nanometre (<0.5 µ).

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images taken of the spherical nano-powders produced by the GEN2 PUREVAPTM

Image A is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e54d3d4f-276e-473a-b2f3-b336cdeb0698

Image B is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8c8a42a-3c2b-4e5e-86e3-d958f60c2523

SPHERICAL NANOSCALE SILICON POWDERS KEY TO HIGHER ENERGY DENSITY LI-ION BATTERIES

Spherical Silicon Metal Nano-Powders have been identified as a key factor that will allow the manufacturing of high-performance Li-ion batteries using Silicon Metal (Si) anodes needed to deliver on the research promises of an almost tenfold (10x) increase in the specific capacity of the anode, inducing a 20-40% gain in the energy density of Li-ion batteries.  Current manufacturing methods for Silicon Metal Nano-Powders are expensive, not very scalable and not commercially feasible with US$ 30,000/kg1 selling prices.  HPQ and PyroGenesis are working to change that with our new approach.

MASSIVE ENERGY STORAGE DEMAND CANNOT BE MET UNLESS SILICON ANODES REPLACE GRAPHITE

The Li-ion battery is the dominant technology in energy storage while graphite, a fairly low energy density material compared to other anode materials, is the dominant anode material in for Li-Ion batteries.

A graph accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a443d48f-5db8-4da0-8072-dd53ea4317e3

Present anode technology limits the use of Silicon Metal (Si) powders to a blended form with graphite, resulting in less than 10 wt% Si in Li-ion batteries.  This explains the limited performance improvement achieved to date.

A recent report by Wood Mackenzie Power projects that energy storage deployments are estimated to grow 1,300% from a 12 Gigawatt-hour market in 2018 to a 158 Gigawatt-hour market in 2024.  This is why, even at these low content levels, demand for Silicon Metal powders is estimated to represent an addressable market of US $ 1B by 20222 expanding at a CAGR of 38.9% between 2019 – 2024.

HPQ AND PYROGENESIS WELL POSITIONED TO ASSUME FIRST MOVER ADVANTAGE IN THE MARKET

Building upon the success of the modified Gen2 PUREVAP™ proof of concept test, PyroGenesis is designing additional process improvements to the modified Gen2 PUREVAP™ Reactor in order to demonstrate the commercial potential of the high yield, low cost process we are developing to produce Spherical Silicon Metal (Si) nano-powders for the Li-ion batteries markets.

This represents a unique multibillion-dollar business opportunity that could subsequently lead to the wide scale adoption of our Material in the battery market.  If this occurs, HPQ and PyroGenesis would then be well positioned to assume a dominant market position.  In Q1 2020, the plan is to have the fully modified Gen2 PUREVAPTM reactor operational to validate that our approach both works and is scalable while also producing samples for industry participants and research institutions.

“PyroGenesis has a long the track record of taking high-technology projects from proof of concept to global commercial scalability, so if anybody has the knowhow to use the silicon metal produced by HPQ PUREVAP™QRR and make spherical Silicon Metal (Si) nano-powders for use as high-capacity anode materials in the next generations Li-ion batteries, it is them,” said Bernard Tourillon, President and CEO HPQ Silicon. “Silicon Metal’s potential to meet energy storage demand is undeniable and generating massive investments, as well as, serious industry interest, so our timing could not be better.”

“We are delighted by the PUREVAP™ Gen2’s recent test results from which it has established a very important proof of concept for the production of spherical nano powders for the Lithium-ion batteries market,” said M. P Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis Canada Inc. “The success of this testing paves the way for an interesting business opportunity for both PyroGenesis and HPQ. The goal is to significantly increase the performance of Li-ion batteries, currently in demand, using silicon metal (Si) anodes, at a competitive cost. The potential from the battery and energy storage markets alone is estimated, on first review, to be quite significant.”

About Silicon Metal

Silicon Metal (Si) is one of today’s strategic materials needed to fulfil the renewable energy revolution presently under way. Silicon does not exist in its pure state; it must be extracted from quartz, one of the most abundant minerals of the earth’s crust and other expensive raw materials in a carbothermic process.

About HPQ Silicon

HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. (TSX-V: HPQ) is developing, with PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (TSX-V: PYR), a high-tech company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma base processes, the innovative PUREVAPTM “Quartz Reduction Reactors” (QRR), a truly 2.0 Carbothermic process (patent pending), which will permit the One Step transformation of Quartz (SiO2) into High Purity Silicon (Si) at prices that will propagate its considerable renewable energy potential.  The Gen3 PUREVAPTM QRR pilot plant that will validate the commercial potential of the process is scheduled to start during Q1 2020.

HPQ, working with PyroGenesis, is also developing a process that can take the High Purity Silicon (Si) made by the PUREVAPTM and manufacture Spherical Silicon Metal nano-powders for Next Gen Li-ion batteries.  During Q1 2020, the plan is to validate our game changing manufacturing approach using a modified Gen2 PUREVAPTM reactor to produce spherical Silicon Metal (Si) nano-powders samples for industry participants and research institutions’.

Concurrently, HPQ is also working with industry leader Apollon Solar to develop a manufacturing capability that uses the High Purity Silicon (Si) made with the PUREVAP™ to make Porous silicon wafers needed for solid-state Li-ion batteries.  The first Silicon wafer should be ready to be ship for testing to a battery manufacture (under NDA) during Q1 2020.

Finally, with Apollon Solar, we are also looking into developing a metallurgical pathway of producing Solar Grade Silicon Metal (SoG Si) that will take full advantage of the PUREVAPTM QRR one-step production of Silicon (Si) material of 4N+ purity with low boron count (< 1 ppm).

All in all, HPQ focus is becoming the lowest cost producer of Silicon Metal (Si), High Purity Silicon Metal (Si), Spherical Si nano-powders for Next Gen Li-ion batteries, Porous Silicon Wafers for Solid states Li-ion batteries, Porous Silicon Powders for Li-ion batteries and Solar Grade Silicon Metal (SoG-Si).

This News Release is available on the company’s CEO Verified Discussion Forum, a moderated social media platform that enables civilized discussion and Q&A between Management and Shareholders. 

Disclaimers:

The Corporation’s interest in developing the PUREVAP™ QRR and any projected capital or operating cost savings associated with its development should not be construed as being related to the establishing the economic viability or technical feasibility of any of the Company’s Quartz Projects.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company’s on-going filings with the security’s regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

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.

For further information contact
Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman, President and CEO Tel (514) 907-1011
Patrick Levasseur, Vice-President and COO Tel: (514) 262-9239
http://www.hpqsilicon.com Email: [email protected]

1 Source: Quotation from a producer (Confidential), Media article
2 Source Marketandmakerts.com 

Image A SEM X 75000 Resolution

Nano-powder picture taken with a SEM and a resolution X 75,000
Image B SEM X 100000 resolution

SEM Image of Nano-powders taken with X 100,000 resolution
IMAGE C – Energy density of anode materials

Graph representing The Energy Density of anode materials for batteries

Source: GlobeNewswire (January 15, 2020 – 8:00 AM EST)

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