Agoracom Blog Home

Posts Tagged ‘stocks’

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Rediscovering Better #Educated #India by Uplifting Rural Education $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:45 PM on Sunday, July 7th, 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

————————

Rediscovering Better Educated India by Uplifting Rural Education

  • The rural education framework is crucial for absorbing technological innovations, with the help of education technology.
  • Children will develop sound reasoning of what is good and what is bad and which also makes them self-reliant.

Ritesh Rawal Contributor

As we know the huge demographic of India still belongs to rural villages, therefore, education in India is of utmost importance. A survey called the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), Indicates that although the number of rural students attending schools is rising, but on average. Among 14-18-year-olds surveyed by the ASER teams, only 43per cent could solve a class IV mathematics problem. This amount was unevenly the same among 14 to 18-year-olds, displaying that the problem of low learning outcomes was not resolved by remaining in schools. More than 40 per cent could not find their state on a map of India. Twenty-seven per cent of 14-year-olds and 21pe cent of 18-year-olds could not read a Class II textbook in the regional language, and more than 40per cent in each age group could not read a simple sentence in English.

However, World Data Lab estimates that the number of Indian living on less than $ 1.90 has fallen from 306 million in 2011 to some 70 million until today; on the contrary, more than 27 per cent of the country’s youth are still excluded from education and hardly have access to it. There are so many mindsets that pose a hindrance to the Indian Education System. Hence, pursuing a professional degree will only be fruitful if the basic necessity of primary education is fulfilled.

All of these cumulatively hint at the fact that there is indeed something that is wrong with the Indian education system. This article throws light at some of the ways in which we can bring about a change by improving the education system.

Infrastructure

As in every other sector, the Indian education sector is one that suffers from the acute death of infrastructure. Most of the government schools in rural India do not even have proper chairs, tables, restrooms, let alone a playground, libraries, and laboratories. Thus, the first step in revamping the education scene in the country should begin with improving the infrastructure so that the students are given an environment where they can learn to the best of their abilities.

Educating the Parents

First mostly the people in rural India are not educated enough that is why they don’t encourage their children to get an education. In the India scenario most of the time it is parents are the ones who force their children toward the career they won’t like. Thus, to prevent such a thing from happening, the first step that must be taken is to educate the parents about the different career options that are available to the students and the possible scope of future in them.

Training Teachers

India has a very good quality of dedicated teachers. However, the sad fact is that in rural India they receive little no training after they joined the service, giving them periodic training will not only ensure that they are updated with the changing trends, but will also help to rediscover the entire education ecosystem of the country by leaps and bound. 

Technological Advancement 

The rural education framework is crucial for absorbing technological innovations, with the help of education technology. Children will develop sound reasoning of what is good and what is bad and which also makes them self-reliant. Low-cost computers need to be manufactured for students to afford in rural areas. Free internet services and smart classes, eBooks should be offered in government schools, teaching can be made more interactive with the use of digital methods such as PPTs, video presentations, e-learning methods, practical demos, online training, and other digital methods or platforms. 

Transformation through Elementary Skills

Since the rural students are taught English in a theory style, their grasp of the language has remained abysmal this is one of the key reasons why some rural children lag in education. There is a disparity among urban and rural children when it comes to elementary skill development. Integration of technology into education to encourage rural students to develop elementary skills would empower them to deal with daily life challenges in a better way.

Skill-based Learning

Indian education system lacks the skill-based learning approach, as of now, the Indian education system is designed in such a way that students are imparted what schools want to feed, not what they want to learn. If this system can be revamped to identify the strengths of a student, then they can be given appropriate training in the chosen field. This will ensure that the child shines in that particular field.

“Blaming each other won’t help in providing quality education, but addressing the issues would surely hit the bull’s eye”

Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/336315

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – Facing off with #Fortnite, #Apex is turning to #Esports $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:15 PM on Sunday, July 7th, 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

———————–

Facing off with Fortnite, Apex is turning to esports

By Shannon Liao, CNN Business

New York (CNN Business) Fortnite soared to the top of the video game world when it launched in 2017. Electronic Arts’ “Apex Legends,” a similar free-to-play battle royale game, where players fight until the last squad standing, eclipsed “Fortnite” in online views in February. Apex’s victory was short-lived, and Fortnite surpassed its viewership the following month. Now EA has plans to get Apex back on top once again. The company is betting competitions of professional and amateur gamers — known as esports — will broaden Apex’s audience.

Game enthusiasts play “Apex Legends” during the EA Play 2019 event at the Hollywood Palladium in June.

New features and esports deals

EA made a big play to bolster Apex’s esport credentials in June when it announced a deal with ESPN to allow college and professional esports players to compete in Apex games at two events over the summer. The game also added a new competitive mode Tuesday that ranks gamers based on how many wins and kills they can pull off. Fortnite implemented a similar competitive-ranking mode in March.   “Pro teams typically scout from the upper echelon,” said Chris Hopper, head of esports for North America at Riot Games, which develops “League of Legends,” one of the biggest esports titles. “But they also find up-and-coming talent in the ranks immediately below.” EA is leaning on its partnership with ESPN to stream Apex games live online and, later, on the air on the ESPN and ABC networks. ESPN’s director of business development, Kevin Lopes, told CNN Business the network was attracted to Apex Legends’ rising popularity and esports potential. The two companies already had an existing esports partnership over football game “Madden NFL.”   “Making Apex an esport will help drive the audience,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at financial services firm Wedbush. “It gives players something to watch and learn from.”
World’s top gamers vie for $500,000 in prizes at a Fortnite International video game tournament.   The esports industry has attracted millions of viewers across multiple platforms, and it could reach about $3 billion in market size in 2022, Goldman Sachs forecasts. It’s not clear how exactly that translates into money for EA — esports revenue is hard to pinpoint, though sponsorships and event ticket sales can all generate revenue to some degree. Apex also makes money through in-game purchases such as cosmetic upgrades. But esports can encourage gamers to stick with particular titles and can keep the game feeling relevant for longer, “both of which lead to more chances for monetization,” said Nicole Pike, managing director at Nielsen Esports.   EA estimated during its last earnings call that Apex would bring in $300 to $400 million next year. For comparison, Fortnite made $2.4 billion in revenue in 2018, according to Nielsen’s SuperData.

Apex vs. Fortnite

“People play Fortnite partly because their friends are on Fortnite,” said Will Partin, a doctoral candidate at UNC Chapel Hill who studies esports. “The best-case scenario for the Apex Legends [ESPN] event is that it exposes the game to a lot of people who haven’t tried the battle royale genre yet.”

Esports is EA’s latest strategy to try and generate buzz for the title. When Apex debuted in February, EA paid well-known game streamers to play Apex for the first 24 hours. EA told CNN Business it stopped paying them after that.   The marketing bid paid off: Apex attracted 50 million players within the first month of launch. EA’s chief executive Andrew Wilson said it was the “fastest-growing new game we’ve ever had” during a May earnings call.   “It was our way of showing the world, when people go on

[game-streaming platform]

Twitch and it’s one of the top games, you’re like ‘Oh, that looks interesting. What’s that?'” said Vince Zampella, CEO of Respawn, which made Apex. EA acquired the developer in 2017. If people play Apex as a sport, the game could start winning back fan attention and viewership on live-streaming services.   Some observers think there’s potential for the game to actually succeed as an esports arena. Apex has unique characters and is not updated as frequently as Fortnite, so it’s easier to adapt to, said Will Hershey, co-founder and CEO at the investment advisory firm Roundhill Investments.   “Ultimately, I believe [Apex] has the potential to be more of an esport, in the traditional sense, than Fortnite does,” he said.  

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/04/tech/apex-fortnite-esports-ea-e3/index.html

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – #Crypto Conference Shows #Bitcoin Getting Whole Lot More Fun Again $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:00 PM on Sunday, July 7th, 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
—————-

Crypto Conference Shows Bitcoin Getting Whole Lot More Fun Again

  • People want to see high volatility, exchange founder says
  • Taipei confab welcomes Libra, hears Roubini’s broadsides

By Joanna Ossinger

As little as six months ago, Bitcoin was moribund, with prices languishing at a fifth of their record high, disappointing a mass of cryptocurrency enthusiasts who had grown use to extreme — and often upwards — moves in the virtual currency.

But this week’s Asia Blockchain Summit in Taipei highlighted how volatility is back, reviving the excitement around crypto trading.

“Bitcoin is fun, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun at 100 times leverage,” said Arthur Hayes, the founder and chief executive officer of the exchange BitMEX. “That’s what people want to see in crypto, they want that high volatility,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re all in the entertainment business of traders.”

The Taipei conference was the second annual iteration of an Asia forum that brings investors together with start-ups, financial services providers, academics and others to engage on the blockchain technology that powers digital coins.

A person in a Bitcoin costume wanders through the Asia Blockchain Summit in Taipei on July 3. Photographer: Joanna Ossinger/Bloomberg

“We’re surfing a wave here that’s very linked to the price of Bitcoin and probably has taken a couple months to filter through,” said attendee Vincent Alibert of ZVChain, a business-to-business blockchain project, in an interview. “We don’t see any more of these revolutionary ICO pitches,” he said, referring to initial coin offerings, which have generally lost favor after many tokens lost more than 90% of their value.

A Bitcoin – or rather, someone dressed as one – wandered around the venue. The chairs in the conference hall had covers from crypto.com: “Get 8% p.a. on your Crypto,” they declared. Much of the conference was spent on Facebook Inc.’s plans to launch the new Libra cryptocurrency, which proponents say will spark more mainstream interest in virtual currencies.

“It’ll definitely bring more people into the space,” said Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin, speaking on a panel.

Tron, which bills itself as the largest decentralized ecosystem in the world, displayed a giant poster near the registration area about CEO Justin Sun winning the annual charity lunch with Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett. The successful bid of $4,567,888 featured prominently.

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-05/crypto-conference-shows-bitcoin-getting-whole-lot-more-fun-again

Good Life Networks $GOOD.ca – #Programmatic Advertising Trends In 2019 $TTD $RUBI $AT.ca $TRMR $FUEL

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:30 PM on Thursday, July 4th, 2019
SPONSOR: Good Life Networks (GOOD:TSX-V) Video advertising is the future! Company’s A.I. makes 80,000 calculations / second, targeting 750 million users to deliver higher prices and volume. Company announced FY2018 trailing pro forma of ~ $48,000,000 with Adjusted EBITDA of $7,100,000 Click here for more information.
GOOD: TSX-V

—————————

Programmatic Advertising Trends In 2019

By Rebecca Paddon

Shopify has previously highlighted the need for dynamic ads and has offered advice on how to automate it to help boost your brand. However, in 2019, it’s not just enough that you know when to post on Facebook to get the most engagement: it’s important that you find a smarter way to advertise. 

Enter, programmatic advertising. In 2019, 65% of all digital adspend is expected to be programmatic. And in 2019, that number is seen to rise to 80% in the US, Canada, UK, and Denmark.

This article will discuss what programmatic advertising is all about and how you can leverage it for your brand. 

Programmatic Advertising Defined

Digiday simplifies programmatic advertising when it said: “It’s using machines to buy ads, basically.” 

Traditionally, ad space was sold and bought by humans. Requests for Proposal (RFP) were made and sent, multiple meetings were set, and negations dragged on before the advertisement was actually published. This meant the advertisers could be losing valuable real estate if they do not successfully secure an ad space. On the other hand, agencies may be putting money into ad spaces that might not actually be seen by their target audience. 

Essentially with the automation of programmatic ad buying, these risks are minimized. Advertisers get an agreed upon number of impressions per ad space, provided that the publisher is targeting their buyer personas. Instapage expounds on when it said that when you buy ad space through software, you rely on “complex algorithms to deliver advertisements contextually.” This also makes the entire ad buying, targeting, and placement process possible in less than a second. 

How it works 

Agencies and advertisers use a demand-side platform (DSP) that helps them decide which impressions to buy from publishers, and how much they are willing to pay for them. On the other side, the publishers have their own platform, the supply side platform (SSP), which shows available ad spaces. 

These two platforms are then paired in real time, so advertisers can see how their ads are doing. In case you see an opportunity to amplify or modify your message, then you can bid for more impressions. If not, then your continuous campaign will run as planned. 

This transparency and flexibility are what make programmatic advertising a growing industry. As alluded to earlier, an estimated $84 billion will be spent on programmatic ads in 2019. And with features like cross-device campaigns, and improved retargeting, the industry can only be expected to grow. 

How Programmatic Ads Help You Reach the Right Audience 

It has always been a challenge to get ads in front of the right audiences. With programmatic ads, you can place your ads based on your buyer persona’s age, social status, gender, and even geographic location. By design, you will be paying for highly effective and targeted ads that are delivered to the right users at the right time. This is akin to having your online store work across all devices.  

What’s more, once paired with analytics and its real-time insights, you can get valuable lessons on how you can improve your campaigns immediately. This has the added benefit of enhancing your targeting approach so that it will be spot-on in the future. 

Now that you know what programmatic ads are and how they can be helpful, here is how you can incorporate them in your strategy this 2019. 

How to Maximize Programmatic Ads 

1. Use a programmatic model you are comfortable with

While the majority of advertisers are comfortable with the use of their DSPs, some would want better flexibility to validate ad buys and ensure that there is no fraud. For this reason, it is important that you consider your programmatic model before committing to it long term. 

Some brands are opting to go in-house, particularly since this gives them full control. All aspects of the campaign—from ideation, execution, and to activation—are controlled by the company. However, this is far trickier than that. Programmatic advertising is complex, and unless you have an in-house team that actually knows what it’s doing, then you could be purchasing ad space that might not provide optimal returns. 

For this reason, many brands are choosing a hybrid approach, where advertisers can see what their agencies are buying, and having an internal team (whether through the agency or in-house) validate these buys. 

2. Pool all your data and come up with a sound programmatic strategy

Once you decide on a programmatic model, then you should consider your strategy. Do not isolate your creative arm from your agency; rather, bring the two parties together to come up with creative executions of your programmatic ads. 

What this means is that you look at all your data—your analytics, CRM stats, and market research, as well as other data sources you may have—and try to see which media type, location, or device would best appeal to your audience. This way, your campaign is not a shot in the dark: you are actually running a data-driven programmatic ad campaign, so you are more likely to get better leads. 

Go beyond retargeting, and see how you can get the right response by testing out varying accuracies and scales of your campaign. Scale it back if you think you’ve gone too far, or choose a different method if you think your ads are not hitting the mark. 

To come up with a sound strategy, have a sit down with your data, creative, and agency: talk about your prospects and goals, and see how efficient your ads should be.

Read more: http://www.adotas.com/2019/07/maximize-programmatic-advertising-2019/

Enthusiast Gaming $EGLX.ca – It’s the real deal, millennial driven #Esports is the next big thing $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $WINR $TCEHF $ATVI $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:30 PM on Thursday, July 4th, 2019

SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. (TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More

Images
EGLX: TSX-V
———————————-

It’s the real deal, millennial driven eSports is the next big thing

  • In 2018, the global eSports market revenue reached US$865 million. According to Statista, global eSports market revenue is forecast to reach US$1.79 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 22.3%.
  • The number of eSports enthusiasts worldwide was estimated at ~168 million in 2018, and for total global viewers, the forecast for 2019 is ~453 million.
  • Enthusiast Gaming (TSXV: EGLX)/Aquilini GameCo Inc./Luminosity – The merged group will now include seven eSports teams (including management of the Vancouver Titans Overwatch League franchise), 40 eSports influencers, 80+ gaming media websites, 900+ YouTube and Twitch channels

Matthew Bohlsen | July 03, 2019

Think of eSports organizations the same way you would see any other mainstream sporting organization, for example, the New York Yankees or Manchester United. eSports organizations operate similarly by building their brands in the e-gaming ecosystem versus the traditional sports ecosystem.

A brief history of eSports and how the revenue is distributed across the industry

The first eSports event happened all the way back in October 1972 at Stamford University where students competed on the video game Spacewar. In more recent years the industry has become professional and involves large eSports tournaments, prize money, and media deals.

Source: Newzoo Market Report

The eSports opportunity

In 2018, the global eSports market revenue reached US$865 million. According to Statista, global eSports market revenue is forecast to reach US$1.79 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 22.3%. The number of eSports enthusiasts worldwide was estimated at ~168 million in 2018, and for total global viewers, the forecast for 2019 is ~453 million.

The major players in the eSports space

  • Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) owns the popular Overwatch League as well as World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and Hearthstone.
  • Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is headquartered in California. It is the second-largest gaming company in the Americas and Europe by revenue and market capitalization
  • Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) is based in New York City. The Company owns two major publishing labels, Rockstar Games, and 2K.
  • Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTCPK: TCEHY) acquired Riot Games and now owns the very popular League of Legends game and also own King of Glory. Tencent is the Chinese leader in eSports game streaming.
  • Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is a dominant player in the eSports streaming market. The online streaming market in the USA is led by Amazon’s Twitch.
  • Huya Inc. (NYSE: HUYA) is a spin off from YY Inc. Huya is known as the “Twitch of China”. Huya mostly works off a gift model.
  • Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) own YouTube Gaming which makes money via subscriptions and advertising.
  • Enthusiast Gaming (TSXV: EGLX)/Aquilini GameCo Inc./Luminosity – The merged group will now include seven eSports teams (including management of the Vancouver Titans Overwatch League franchise), 40 eSports influencers, 80+ gaming media websites, 900+ YouTube and Twitch channels

Enthusiast Gaming merges with Aquilini GameCo and Luminosity to create a market leader in gaming and eSports

In just four years Enthusiast Gaming has gone from a basement-based business to form the leading publicly traded eSports and gaming media organization in North America. Enthusiast Gaming recently announced a merger agreement with Aquilini GameCo Inc. and Luminosity that will create a publicly traded eSports and gaming organization with $22 million in pro forma revenue and $36 million in cash on closing of the merger, with a combined global audience reach of approximately 200 million.

CEO of Enthusiast Gaming, Menashe Kestenbaum, stated: “Our vision has always been to build the largest, vertically integrated eSports and gaming company in the world. The merger with Aquilini GameCo and Luminosity was a strategic decision that positions us as a dominant player in the gaming industry and unlocks access to Luminosity’s 50 million dedicated eSports fans and one of the largest eSports franchises.”

eSports companies are doing well and eSports is gaining acceptance

So far 2019 has been a strong period for eSports with some great returns in H1 2019 for investors including: Huya Inc. (NYSE: HUYA) up 71%, Kuuhubb Inc. (TSXV: KUU) up 81%, Enthusiast Gaming Inc. (TSXV: EGLX) up 39%, Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) up 61%, and Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) up 33%.

eSport was featured at the 2018 Asian Games as a demonstration sport, and eSports will be a medal event at the 2022 Asian Games.

The eSports phenomenon is growing at a rapid pace and offers many opportunities globally for up to date investors, just ask a millennial. 

Source: https://investorintel.com/sectors/technology/technology-intel/its-the-real-deal-millennial-driven-esports-is-the-next-big-thing/

BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – #Edtech platform #upGrad acquires Bengaluru-based #CohortPlus for an undisclosed amount $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 4th, 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

————————

Edtech platform upGrad acquires Bengaluru-based CohortPlus for an undisclosed amount

  • Edtech platform upGrad has acquired CohortPlus, a Bengaluru-based community startup, for an undisclosed amount, reported yourstory.

By suviralshukla

“Employees in India are looking forward to picking up new-age skills to make themselves more relevant in the current workforce. upGrad’s highly engaging online learning solution along with CohortPlus’s deep penetration in the community of Data Scientists and Product Managers, will allow us to reach a much larger and relevant audience,” Ronnie Screwvala and Mayank Kumar, Co-founders, upGrad said in a joint statement, published by yourstory.

Bengaluru-based CohortPlus was founded by Srinivasan Narayan in 2015. It is an online community, which brings together like-minded career aspirants on a single community platform, where they can network with each other, ask and clarify doubts, and be abreast of the latest events in the field of data science and product management.

Its member base includes 31,100+ professionals from around the world from companies like Google, Adobe, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Uber, Amazon, Practo, Zomato, etc.

Members can post their questions and get various perspectives from industry professionals and can also get assistance for job interviews.

While, upGrad was founded by Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, and Ravijot Chugh in 2015. It has introduced 35 programmes in areas such as data science, technology, and management, and has a paid learner base of 13,000.

On the other hand, according to the Talent Supply Indes (TSI) by Belong, India has seen more than 400 per cent rise in demand for data science professionals across varied industry sectors at a time when the supply of such talent is witnessing a slow growth.

Apart from upGrad, other edtech startups includes BYJU’s, Unacademy, Noon Academy, Edukart, and many more.

Source: https://www.theindianwire.com/startups/edtech-platform-upgrad-acquires-bengaluru-based-cohortplus-undisclosed-amount-149489/

ThreeD Capital Inc. $IDK.ca – 4 #crypto trends for the next 5 years $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:04 AM on Thursday, July 4th, 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
—————-

4 crypto trends for the next 5 years

Not long ago, only a handful of accountants dealt in cryptocurrency. Now, just a few years later, every major financial news outlet dedicates a portion of its coverage to crypto. Times have changed quickly, so what will the crypto accounting industry look like in five years and beyond?

Consider the following four trends in crypto accounting and how they will affect CPAs.

1. Increased automation

  As cryptocurrencies further infiltrate the public consciousness, traditional accounting services will automate more of their work to keep up with the increased workload. Spreadsheets work well enough for fiat transactions, but in the volatile crypto environment, static tools can’t effectively serve anyone with a serious investment in alternative currencies.

Average consumers today can do their taxes online through services like TurboTax and H&R Block. Businesses and complex individual situations require personalized care, but standard programs can handle the load for most people. Tax programs don’t need to offer advanced functionality just yet — a few equations on the back end do a fine job.

But cryptocurrencies make things more complicated. Accountants need automated tools to track increased crypto complexity, like cost basis. Without smarter software, experts in the financial services industry won’t be able to keep up with higher sophistication at scale. Tax software providers will eventually offer new and highly automated services for crypto investors, and consumers will pay for those services using their crypto investments.

AI accountants

Accounting experts will use smarter tools to help their corporate clients and major investors make better decisions. But the public won’t need real accountants for their simple crypto investments; they’ll simply turn to artificial intelligence tools that minimize human interaction in most accounting scenarios.

The future will see consumers interact with intelligent AI, machine learning, and bots capable of natural language processing. Challenging concepts like crypto cost basis, which can confuse even the sharpest accountants, pose little threat to intelligent software. Accountants will still have a place in the world, but their duties will evolve drastically as crypto demands bring widespread change in the financial industry.

Not everyone will feel comfortable doing taxes through AI. Accountants will need to lean on automated tools of their own to keep pace, but enterprise clients, heavy investors, and people suspicious of advanced tech will continue to prefer the human touch. With more money going toward nicer tools and less money going toward human intermediaries, accountants must specialize and adapt to stay relevant.

3. Knowledge enrichment

  Schools and universities will soon offer programs and specialty courses to educate future accountants, bookkeepers, and CPAs on the intricacies of crypto. Few schools today offer such services, but the more prominent cryptocurrencies become, the greater the need will be for new accountants to understand the rules of digital currency.

Some businesses already offer services to certify accountants as crypto tax experts, but schools will remain the top trainers in the accounting world. By educating students before they begin their careers, universities can prepare graduates to operate effectively in an industry with broad new responsibilities and expectations. Businesses and crypto organizations will need new accountants who understand their evolving needs.

For accountants already out of school, options for continuing education will evolve from useful to essential. More crypto trading means more crypto investors and crypto companies. Those entities need experts who understand the cryptocurrency landscape. If experienced accountants fail to adapt, fresh faces will gladly take the business.

4. Updated regulatory standards

Where crypto regulation used to be nonexistent, legislators have actually made some limited progress. The SEC now has more oversight to shut down illicit initial coin offerings (ICOs), and the IRS clarified that cryptocurrencies are property, not currency — at least for now.

But the more that crypto changes, the more regulations will change with it. Every business that deals with cryptocurrency will encounter newer, more robust laws in the years to come. Soon every company and project that deals with crypto will need an accountant (or accounting service) with crypto experience to help navigate the unknown.

As new laws get passed, businesses will invest more heavily in smarter crypto accounting solutions. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will do the heavy lifting while human accountants interpret that data to help executives make smarter business decisions. More technology startups will emerge to cater to this growing audience. Before long, crypto accounting will become an industry unto itself.

These changes may seem like far-off concerns for another year, but crypto accounting — like cryptocurrencies themselves — moves quickly. Expectations and the tools to meet them become more complex and sophisticated each day. Accountants must stay vigilant to keep up with the times, or they risk losing ground to a new generation of crypto-savvy competitors.  

Source: https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/4-cryptocurrency-trends-for-the-next-5-years

Spyder #Cannabis $SPDR.ca Looks To Create Value For Investors With Its Unique Retail Strategy $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:48 PM on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019
  • The cannabis retail market represents a massive opportunity and it is much less saturated when compared to the cannabis cultivation opportunity
  • The company, Spyder Cannabis (SPDR: TSX Venture) recently completed a go-public transaction and has been flying under the radar

By Anthony Varrell

During the last year, the amount of interest in the legal cannabis industry has significantly increased and most of this attention has been focused on North America. This is a trend that we have been excited about as it has benefited the companies that are levered to the burgeoning cannabis market.

Earlier this month, we came across a cannabis business that is focused on the North American cannabis retail opportunity. The cannabis retail market represents a massive opportunity and it is much less saturated when compared to the cannabis cultivation opportunity. The company, Spyder Cannabis (SPDR: TSX Venture) recently completed a go-public transaction and has been flying under the radar.

Spyder Cannabis is an emerging opportunity that is focused on expanding into legal cannabis and hemp industry. The company has developed a scalable retail model that includes an aggressive expansion plan that is focused on creating a significant retail footprint while being highly focused on securing strategic partners.

Spyder Cannabis will utilize a targeting retail distribution strategy and will focus on the cannabis retail opportunity in Canada and the US. The company plans to open retail outlets in high-traffic locations and we are favorable on this approach.

Spyder Cannabis: An Execution Story to be Watching

One of the reasons we are excited about Spyder Cannabis is due to the focus on the cannabis opportunity in the US and Canada. These two markets represent massive opportunities for the company and we are bullish on the growth prospects associated with these markets. Spyder Cannabis will be utilizing a specific strategy to capitalize on each market and we find this to be significant. There are massive differences between the Canadian and the US cannabis market which has made the opportunity for Spyder even more significant.

An attractive aspect of Spyder Cannabis’ expansion plan is related to its plans to partner with a variety of developers to sign lease agreements for prime real estate in close proximity to senior living, sporting venues and malls throughout the US. The company plans to initially focus on the opportunity in California, Florida, Michigan and New York, and we will monitor how the team is able to open new retail outlets and increase market share in the US.

When a company is looking to open a cannabis retail operation, there are countless factors that must be considered. We believe that Spyder Cannabis has the right approach to opening locations and will monitor how the team is able to execute on its expansion strategy. By targeting the aging, athletics and health and wellness community, the company should be able to de-risk its expansion plan and we find this to be significant aspect of the story

Spyder Cannabis is developing a proprietary product line of hemp-derived ointments, oils, capsules and topical creams for the aging, sports and health and wellness space. The products will be sold directly to consumers through both kiosks and retail stores throughout the US. We are favorable on the markets the company is focused on and the strategy to reach consumers. Over the next year, we expect the US market to be a major value driver to Spyder Cannabis and this is an opportunity that we will continue to monitor.

A US Cannabis Retail Expansion Story

When looking at Spyder Cannabis’ approach to capitalizing on the US cannabis market, the first thing to stand out are the states that the company is focused on. Currently, Spyder is executing on an expansion in California, Florida, Michigan, and New York. These are four of the most exciting markets in the US and we are favorable on the growth prospects associated with these markets.

Spyder Cannabis is focused on opening branded boutique retail stores and kiosks in burgeoning cannabis markets in the US. The company has been working tirelessly on this expansion and has been successfully increasing market share in the states that it has entered. Over the next year, we expect to see the company build upon its existing footprint and are favorable on the value that can be created through this expansion.

By 2020, Spyder Cannabis plans to open between 30 to 50 boutique retail stores and kiosks and has developed a cost-effective strategy in order to execute on this. The company is focused on opening locations that require a limited amount of capital expenditures that are in secondary and tertiary markets and located in high-traffics areas. Specifically, Spyder Cannabis plans to open stores that are located close to malls, retirement centers, and sporting events.

A Canadian Expansion Story

When it comes to the Canadian cannabis opportunity, Spyder Cannabis has been executing on a nationwide expansion and already has three operational Spyder Vape stores open in Ontario. Over the next year, the company plans to significant increase its reach in Canada and plans to open 20 retail locations in Ontario, 5 retail locations in Alberta, and 5 retail locations in British Columbia.

Currently, there are two additional Spyder Vape stores under construction in Ontario and we will monitor how the management team is able to execute on this expansion. The company has been granted a development permit for a retail location in Alberta and we are favorable on the growth prospects associated with this market.

When it comes to the cannabis retail opportunity in Ontario, Spyder Cannabis is strategically positioning itself throughout the province through the opening of Spyder Vape stores. Once the company has received the necessary permits, it plans to convert these outlets to cannabis retail locations and we are favorable on the strategy in place.

Alberta represents a different type opportunity when it comes to the cannabis retail market. Currently, there is a cannabis supply shortage and the province has put a hold on issuing retail licenses. This has caused a steep decline in the price of development permits and Spyder Cannabis has been focused on acquiring permits for high-traffic locations.

An Industry Leader in the Making

Spyder Cannabis wants to become the most recognizable brand of independent retail stores and kiosks throughout North America. The company is focused on offering best-in-class cannabis products and tailored retail experiences in order to attract consumers and we are favorable on this approach. Spyder Cannabis has strategic partnership with more than 30 premium cannabis vendors and offers an industry leading portfolio of cannabis products.

One of the reasons we are bullish on Spyder Cannabis is due to the way that the management has positioned the business. The company is led by an executive team that has a proven track record of success and that has positioned the business to capitalize on the North American cannabis market. We are favorable on the growth prospects associated with the planned expansion and will monitor how the company continues to expand across North America.

We are favorable on the strategic relationships that Spyder Cannabis has been able to secure and find this to be an attractive aspect of the story. From real estate partners to cannabis brand partners, the company has done a fantastic job at pooling together its relationships to support all facets of the business. Spyder Cannabis will be leveraging its contacts for increased brand awareness and cross-selling opportunities. We are favorable on this strategy when it comes to becoming a leading cannabis brand and will be monitoring how the team executes on this.

Spyder Cannabis is a company that has significant potential catalysts for growth and this is an opportunity that we are excited about. To learn more about the North American cannabis company, please reach out to [email protected].

Pursuant to an agreement between StoneBridge Partners LLC and Spyder Cannabis we have been hired for a period of 30 days beginning June 11, 2019 and ending July 11, 2019 to publicly disseminate information about (SPDR) including on the Website and other media including Facebook and Twitter. We are being paid $6,750 per month (SPDR) for or were paid “ZERO” shares of unrestricted or restricted common shares. We own zero (0) shares of (SPDR), which we purchased in the open market. We plan to sell the “ZERO” shares of (SPDR) that we hold during the time the Website and/or Facebook and Twitter Information recommends that investors or visitors to the website purchase without further notice to you. We may buy or sell additional shares of (SPDR) in the open market at any time, including before, during or after the Website and Information, provide public dissemination of favorable Information.

Source: https://technical420.com/cannabis-article/spyder-cannabis-looks-to-create-value-for-investors-with-its-unique-retail-strategy/#

Esports Entertainment Group $GMBL – #Newzoo opens up on $1 billion #Esports valuation after criticism $TECHF $ATVI $TTWO $GAME $EPY.ca $FDM.ca $TNA.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:24 PM on Wednesday, July 3rd, 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

———————–

Newzoo opens up on $1 billion esports valuation after criticism

Steven R. July 3, 2019

  • In a lengthy article, the analytics firm opened up on its process and subtly pushed back against implications that they have been overly bullish regarding the future of the industry
  • It also pulled back the curtain on its valuation methods and offered a breakdown of how it sees the esports industry today.

Newzoo is giving a bit of insight into their frequently cited statistics on the growth of the esports industry.

In a lengthy article, the analytics firm opened up on its process and subtly pushed back against implications that they have been overly bullish regarding the future of the industry. It also pulled back the curtain on its valuation methods and offered a breakdown of how it sees the esports industry today.

“For esports data, publicly available financial information is scarce due to the relative youth of the industry,” Newzoo CEO Peter Warman said. “We, therefore, partner directly with numerous esports organizations across the globe… We receive their actual revenue data each quarter, providing us with a strong data-backed foundation for forecasting sponsorships, advertising revenues, and media rights deals, as well as merchandise earnings and fees spent on organizers.”

Though Newzoo does not specifically name names, the article seems to be a response to recent wide-ranging discussions that firms have been overstating esports’ reach and value to prospective investors. These concerns were detailed at length in a report by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Kotaku, who tackled this issue on a number of fronts. Kotaku’s anonymous sources discussed the industry in terms ranging from “inflated” to “completely unsustainable.”

The report discusses Newzoo specifically, with esports insiders from multiple areas of the industry questioning the legitimacy of their methods. The eye-popping numbers from Newzoo and other similar outlets offer a great deal of sizzle to uninitiated financiers, possibly without enough steak to go along with it.

To counter this, Newzoo honed in on its oft-cited $1 billion “global esports market revenue estimate.”

The number has been thrown around by many different outlets without proper context, which has led to accusations that the company was actively trying to inflate the industry. Newzoo gave a detailed breakdown on how it reached that valuation, accounting for different regions and areas of the industry.

The chart shows the different sources of revenue and what percentage that accounts for in each region. This highlights some of the key differences in business models between major markets, with advertising being huge in Asia while media rights make up a much larger chunk of North America.

Despite the post likely being a reaction to claims that its numbers were overstated, Warman stood by his firm’s math.

“Newzoo stands by its forecasts,” Warman said.

Source: https://win.gg/news/1568/newzoo-opens-up-on-dollar-1-billion-esports-valuation-after-criticism

CLIENT FEATURE: Tartisan Nickel $TN.ca Kenbridge Property Hosts M&I Resource of 7.14 Million Tonnes at 0.62% #Nickel, 0.33% #Copper $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:47 AM on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019

Investment Highlights

  • Kenbridge property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper
  • 17.5 (21.8 fully diluted) percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property
  • Signed Binding Letter of Intent to Purchase Sill Lake Lead-Silver Property, Ontario Read More

Kenbridge Ni Project (ON, Canada)

  • Advanced  stage  deposit  remains open  in  three  directions,  is  equipped with a 623m  deep  shaft  and  has  never  been  mined. 
  • Preliminary  Economic Assessment completed and updated returned robust project 
    economics and operating costs including  a  NPV  of  C$253M  and  cash costs of US$3.47/lb of nickel net of  
    copper credits.
  • Plans for Kenbridge include updating PEA, advancing the project through to feasibility and exploring the open mineralization at depth

Sill Lake Silver-Lead property, Sault Ste. Marie Mining Division, Ontario.

  • Closed the acquisition of the past-producing Sill Lake Silver-Lead property, Vankoughnet Twp, Sault Ste. Marie Mining Division, Ontario.
  • Acquisition includes 13 single-cell mining claims and four boundary-cell claims that total some 372.8 hectares.
  • Lead-zinc-silver mineralization was discovered at Sill Lake in 1892; since that time sufficient works have been completed so as to define a (historical) measured and indicated resource of 112,751 tonnes of 134 g/t silver, 0.62% lead, and 0.21% zinc.
  • A 60 g/t cutoff for silver was used, with no cutoff used for base metals content.
  • Some 7,000 tonnes was exploited from the Sill Lake Project to produce a lead-silver concentrate which was sold to nearby smelters.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Tartisan Nickel Corp. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.