Agoracom Blog Home

Posts Tagged ‘stocks’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

$HPQ.ca and Apollon Solar Strengthen Collaboration to Focus on Porous Silicon for Lithium-ion Battery Market $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:44 AM on Monday, January 27th, 2020
  • Announced the extension of the Development Agreement signed in 2017 with Apollon Solar SAS from January 1 to June 30, 2020
  • Biggest change to this fourth renewal is that the Agreement’s main focus is now on manufacturing and value generation associated with the deployment of Porous Silicon in the Lithium-ion batteries market, using Apollon’s patented process to manufacture Porous Silicon Wafers with Silicon Metal (Si) produced by the HPQ PUREVAP™ Quartz Reduction Reactor

MONTREAL, Jan. 27, 2020 — HPQ Silicon Resources Inc.(“HPQ” - “The  Company”)TSX-V: HPQ; FWB: UGE; Other OTC : URAGF; is pleased to announce the extension of the Development Agreement signed in 2017 with Apollon Solar SAS  (“Apollon”) from January 1 to June 30, 2020.  The biggest change to this fourth renewal is that the Agreement’s main focus is now on manufacturing and value generation associated with the deployment of Porous Silicon (PSi) in the Lithium-ion batteries market, using Apollon’s patented process to manufacture Porous Silicon Wafers with Silicon Metal (Si) produced by the HPQ PUREVAP™ Quartz Reduction Reactor (“QRR”).  While the agreement is ongoing, HPQ will have a North American exclusivity over the use of Apollo’s patented process to manufacture Porous Silicon.  If required, the Parties have already agreed to meet in May 2020 to negotiate an extension.

“HPQ and Apollon are consolidating their collaborations in order to take maximum advantage of our pioneering position in the manufacture of Porous Silicon wafers using PUREVAPTM silicon metal.  During 2020, we intend to demonstrate the commercial potential of the technology and Porous material produced” 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.”

POROUS SILICON – AN ADVANCED MATERIAL WITH CURRENT HIGH COST CONSTRAINTS

Porous silicon is a Silicon Metal (Si) structure in which Nanopores have been formed by electrochemical etching.

FE-SEM Images of Porous Silicon electrochemically etched using the Apollon/CNRS process: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a67e2e14-f59e-452a-a4ba-4b08b61ae00a 

Market opportunities for porous silicon are massive, ranging from electronics, batteries, environment, consumer goods, sensors and medicine, to name just a few.  Their high manufacturing cost, since available electrochemical etching processes require electronic grade silicon (9N to 11N) as a raw material, represent a significant barrier to their commercial application.

APOLLON PATENTED LOW-COST PROCESS TO MANUFACTURING POROUS SILICON (PSi) WAFERS

In 2012, Apollon, working in collaboration with France INSA Lyon œœ”) France CNRS (“Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique”), developed and obtained a worldwide patent for a unique low-cost process that uses standard metallurgical Silicon Metal (2N to 4N+ Si) to produce porous Silicon Wafers that can have porous structure sizes of either Microporous (<5nm), Mesoporous (5nm â€“ 50nm) and Macroporous (>50nm) as per end-users requirements.

NDA WITH LITHIUM-ION BATTERY MANUFACTURER LOOKING FOR POROUS SILICON WAFERS

The complement of HPQ and Apollon’s unique capabilities attracted the interest of a next generation Lithium-ion battery manufacturer looking for a potential supplier of porous silicon wafers.  HPQ and partner Apollon, acting as one party, have already signed a non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”) with the battery manufacturer, with discussions and technical information exchanges are now ongoing.  The aim of these discussions is to have the technical specifications required in order to provide the battery manufacturer with the Porous Silicon wafers they are looking for as soon as feasible.  For competitive reasons, the name of the battery manufacturer will remain confidential for the time being.

GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET READY TO EXPLODE

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.  An estimated US$71 billion in investments will be made into storage systems where batteries will make up the lion’s share of capital deployment.

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 photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/541a7985-9ceb-4574-a22e-bdfd8ba6cd5f

Presently, silicon metal powders are blended with graphite to make anodes for Li-ion batteries, resulting in less than 10 wt% Si content in Li-ion batteries.  Even with the limited performance improvement achieved to date, demand for Silicon Metal powders is estimated to represent an addressable market of US $ 1B by 20221 expanding at a CAGR of 38.9% between 2019 – 2024.

MANUFACTURING POROUS SILICON POWDERS FOR TRADITIONAL LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

By crushing porous silicon wafers, it should be possible to make a porous silicon powder that, when combined with graphite, could improve the performance of currently available lithium-ion batteries.  Porous silicon wafers (Microporous, Mesoporous and Macroporous) will be manufactured and crushed into powder.  Batteries cycling tests will be carried in order to define and validate the characteristics of the powders produced.

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 Marketandmakerts.com

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Featured, HPQ-Silicon Resources Inc. | Comments Off on $HPQ.ca and Apollon Solar Strengthen Collaboration to Focus on Porous Silicon for Lithium-ion Battery Market $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ $PYR.ca $XMG.ca

Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Sun Valley Health Has Sold Its First Franchise Territory and Provides a Corporate Update $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:43 PM on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020
  • Announced that its Sun Valley Health division has sold it’s first franchise territory in the United States
  • first Sun Valley Health Franchise territory has been sold in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a highly skilled entrepreneurial couple, with an extensive professional background that includes 20 years of owning and operating a health & wellness center.

VANCOUVER, BC / January 23, 2020 / EMPOWER CLINICS INC. (CSE:CBDT)(OTC:EPWCF)(Frankfurt:8EC) (“Empower” or the “Company“), a vertically integrated and growth-oriented CBD life sciences company is pleased to announce that its Sun Valley Health division has sold it’s first franchise territory in the United States.

The first Sun Valley Health Franchise territory has been sold in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a highly skilled entrepreneurial couple, with an extensive professional background that includes 20 years of owning and operating a health & wellness center.

“The Sun Valley Health team have developed a robust pipeline of strong franchise candidates in multiple states across the U.S., who are all advocates of the medical cannabis clinic model.” said Steven McAuley, Chairman & CEO of Empower. “Completing the sale of our first franchise sets the stage for our next phase of growth, introducing our turnkey business model to likeminded people throughout the country.”

The state of Oklahoma is a medical cannabis state that has gone from non-existent to one of the largest and most valuable cannabis markets in the nation. Oklahoma’s launch far outpaces that of other medical cannabis markets including Illinois, Maryland and Ohio with sales figures more akin to a recreational launch.

Marijuana Business Daily indicates that patient counts have skyrocketed throughout 2019 with nearly 210,000 as of November 1st with more than 5% of Oklahoma’s population now registered as medical cannabis patients, exceeding any other program in the nation. Under State Question 788, the bill legalizing medical cannabis in Oklahoma:

  • There are no caps on the number of business licenses that can be awarded.
  • Doctors are allowed to recommend the product for any condition they deem fit.
  • Municipalities are prohibited from enacting zoning restrictions to prevent dispensaries from opening.
https://mjbizdaily.com/oklahoma-medical-marijuana-industry-on-pace-to-hit-350-million/

A Sun Valley Health Franchise provides a franchisee “A Scientific Approach To Alternative Medicine” with a protected territory and access to potential patients and consumers with a geo-fenced population zone.

Franchisees pay an upfront franchise fee to Sun Valley Health based on the territory location and population index, plus an ongoing monthly royalty based on franchisee revenue, they pay a variable monthly technology and marketing support fee plus they are required to purchase the various Sun Valley Health CBD product lines for their clinic location.

Sun Valley Health provides a fully turnkey business plan with complete technical and marketing support, based on over six years of successful operating experience.

“Oklahoma is now the fastest growing medical marijuana market in the country and we are fortunate to find such great partners who believe in our vision, and are in a position to take advantage of such a robust market,” said Dustin Klein, SVP Business Development.

The Company also announces that it has entered into debt settlement agreements with creditors for the settlement of debt in the aggregate amount of $240,000 CAD, which is to be settled through the issuance of an aggregate of 4,800,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (each, a “Share”) at a deemed issue price of $0.05 per Share (the “Debt Settlement”). As the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and SVP, Business Development and Board member both participated in the Debt Settlement, it is considered to be a “related party transaction” under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”).

The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61- 101, based on a determination that the securities of the Company are only listed on the CSE and that the fair market value of the Shares issued in connection with the Debt Settlement does not exceed $2,500,000 or 25% of the market capitalization of the Company. As the material change report disclosing the Debt Settlement is being filed less than 21 days before the transaction, there is a requirement under MI 61 101 to explain why the shorter period was reasonable or necessary in the circumstances.

In the view of the Company it was necessary to immediately close the Debt Settlement and therefore, such shorter period was reasonable in the circumstances.

All Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period from the date of issue in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. None of the Shares will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and none may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a vertically-integrated health & wellness brand with it’s first hemp-derived CBD extraction facility under development, the Company produces its proprietary line of cannabidiol (CBD) based products and distributes products through company owned and franchised clinics, with wholesale partnerships, online channels and with new retail opportunities nationwide in the U.S. The company is a leading multi-state operator of a network of physician-staffed wellness clinics, focused on helping patients improve and protect their health, through innovative physician recommended treatment options. The company has commenced activity on how to connect its significant data, to the potential of the efficacy of alternative treatment options related to hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) therapies.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Steven McAuley
Chief Executive Officer

CONTACTS:

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

Investors: Dustin Klein
SVP, Business Development
[email protected]
720-352-1398

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

DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively “forward looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release.Forward-looking statements can frequently be identified by words such as “plans”, “continues”, “expects”, “projects”, “intends”, “believes”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding; the Company’s intention to open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility, the expected benefits to the Company and its shareholders as a result of the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; the effectiveness of the extraction technology; the expected benefits for Empower’s patient base and customers; the benefits of CBD based products; the effect of the approval of the Farm Bill; the growth of the Company’s patient list and that the Company will be positioned to be a market-leading service provider for complex patient requirements in 2019 and beyond. Such statements are only projections, are based on assumptions known to management at this time, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including; that the Company may not open a hemp-based CBD extraction facility; that legislative changes may have an adverse effect on the Company’s business and product development; that the Company may not be able to obtain adequate financing to pursue its business plan; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; failure to obtain any necessary approvals in connection with the proposed acquisitions and partnerships; and other factors beyond the Company’s control. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable laws.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Empower Clinics Inc. | Comments Off on Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca Announces Sun Valley Health Has Sold Its First Franchise Territory and Provides a Corporate Update $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

#BBC partnered with #Google and #Facebook on general election fake news – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 1:12 PM on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

BBC partnered with Google and Facebook on general election fake news

Edmund Heaphy

  • The BBC partnered with Google (GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), Facebook (FB), and other news outlets to stymie the spread of fake news during December’s UK general election, its director-general Tony Hall said on Thursday.

Hall said that the BBC had been working “collaboratively” with the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, India’s Hindu newspaper on a partnership with Microsoft and Google to identify misinformation, as part of a previously announced initiative.

But Hall said on Thursday for the first time that it had been used prior to last month’s UK vote.

The BBC in September announced that it was working with the technology companies to develop an early warning system to use during elections or when lives may be at risk, calling the move a “crucial” step to fight disinformation.

The plan also includes media education, voter information plans, and shared learning initiatives.

The initiative works to de-emphasise stories that are just “plain wrong,” Hall said, speaking during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“We’ve tried this out on paper exercises, but we tried it for real … in the UK election, and it worked. That combination and contact between media that people trust and Google, Facebook, and whatever. It worked. And we took down some stuff which was just plain wrong — in copyright terms, but just wrong.”

“By the way, we haven’t talked about this anywhere yet, but why not here?”

Neither the BBC nor Google immediately responded to a request for more information about how the initiative was used in the general election.

Earlier in the talk, Hall noted that the BBC was still the most trusted source of news in the UK.

“For us, for the BBC, people still trust us more than any other form of media in the UK. Globally, trust is very very high.”

“And why do people use us? They may use three, four, five sources of news each day, but they come to us because they want to check whether [a story] is right,” he said.

Source: https://in.news.yahoo.com/bbc-partnered-with-google-microsoft-facebook-on-general-election-fake-news-word-economic-forum-in-davos-162351972.html

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Datametrex AI Limited | Comments Off on #BBC partnered with #Google and #Facebook on general election fake news – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

#Edtech Startup #Eupheus Learning Raises $4.3 Mn To Scale Operations SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:30 AM on Thursday, January 23rd, 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.

Edtech Startup Eupheus Learning Raises $4.3 Mn To Scale Operations

  • The funds will be used to increase nationwide presence, develop new product offerings etc
  • It will also start its operations in the Middle East
  • The company claims that in H1 FY20, it recorded a 3x increase in revenues

By: Bhumika Khatri

New Delhi-based edtech startup Eupheus Learning, on Thursday (January 23), announced that it has raised $4.3 Mn (INR 30 Cr) in its Series A funding round. The investment is a mix of equity and venture debt, which was led by Yuj Ventures.

Other investors in the round included Sixth Sense Ventures. The funds will be used to increase nationwide presence, develop new product offerings, and expand the team. The company said it will also start its operations in the Middle East and drive international expansion in other markets.

Eupheus Learning was founded in 2017 by Sarvesh Shrivastava, Rohit Dhar, Ved Prakash Khatri, and Amit Kapoor. Operating across the Pre-K to Class XII segments, Eupheus offers products in all subject areas and packages both the curriculum and homework tracking tools in phygital form.

Sarvesh Shrivastava, managing director of Eupheus Learning said, “The online education segment in India is primed for massive growth, as the next generation of children enter classrooms across the country. By leveraging the power of technology, we’ve been able to bridge the divide between in-school and at-home learning and offer a seamless, end-to-end learning experience.”

The company claims that in H1 FY20, it recorded a 3x increase in revenues compared to the same period last year. It also said that it expanded its geographical presence to 70 cities in India from 52 earlier. The team has also grown to 175 employees as it has also forged new alliances with four international education players, taking its roster of global partnerships to 17.

“We are impressed by the founders’ experience, the previous track record of developing cutting edge content at Britannica, and the manner in which they have scaled Eupheus in a profitable manner in the last two years in a competitive market,” said Madhav Soi of Yuj Ventures.

Digital evolution and the boom in smartphone adoption are expected to define the way Indian students learn. Real-time book updates, online tutoring, edutainment, online test preparation, web-based research, and gamification — technology has changed our traditional education system in more ways than one.

Source: https://inc42.com/buzz/edtech-startup-eupheus-learning-raises-4-3-mn-series-a-funding/

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on #Edtech Startup #Eupheus Learning Raises $4.3 Mn To Scale Operations SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca

#Crypto Today: #Bitcoin breakout imminent SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:51 AM on Thursday, January 23rd, 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.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin breakout imminent

By: Ken Chigbo

Markets 

  • BTC/USD is currently trading at $8,650 (+0.40%) in the afternoon in U.S. hours, the range continues to tighten, ahead of next explosive breakout.  
  • ETH/USD is currently trading at $168.25 (+0.30%), there is a lack of committed direction for now following the big pump last week.  

XRP/USD is currently trading at $0.2360 (+1.30%), price action remains very much narrow. The range to the upside of $0.2500 to the downside $0.2300. 

Among the 100 most important cryptocurrencies, the best of the day are GNT $0.043133 (+28.95%), KMD $0.712816 (+15.49%) and SXP $1.72 (+11.27%) and The day’s losers are BCN $0.000272 (-12.50%), CENNZ $0.55991 (-11.49%) and BCD $0.588775 (-4.30%). 

Chart of the day: BCH/USD weekly chart (price action moving within a bullish pennant pattern) 

Market 

Vitalik Buterin believes that Ethereum Classic can be merged into Ethereum 2.0 in the same way as a new shard-like ETH’s current Proof of Work (PoW) chain will be integrated. 

Blockchain payments processor BitPay has added support for XRP, the world’s third-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. XRP has been integrated on BitPay’s platform via Ripple’s open developer platform, Xpring.  

Regulation 

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), has created a Blockchain Expert Policy Advisory Board (BEPAB) to make it easier for governments and other stakeholders to tap the benefits of distributed ledger technology (DLT). BEPAB is made up of several heavy hitters in the blockchain space, including IBM, R3, and ConsenSys. 

Industry  

British telecom giant Vodafone has become the latest member to leave the Libra Association. 

The original consortium of 28 members supporting Facebook’s ambitious digital currency project has only left with 20 participants. 

Huobi Group has announced the launch of Huobi Brokerage, a digital asset brokerage platform, during the annual Davos forum. As the global blockchain company’s first brokerage solution, Huobi Brokerage will provide digital asset trading products and services to institutional clients and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). 

Binance has announced the launch of its Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Merchant Program. The P2P program will allow merchants to provide fiat currency payment solutions to people around the world and earn revenue, according to a blog post. 

The Blockchain Association has filed an amicus curiae brief in response to litigation against Telegram initiated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

The Blockchain Association, a collective of advocates involved with the blockchain industry, filed an amicus curiae brief with the court of the Southern District of New York on Jan. 21. 

According to a former executive from the Bank of Japan, who made a statement on Wednesday, major central banks started to set up study groups into crypto shortly after Facebook’s threat was made clear. 

Quote of the day 

The biggest barrier to Bitcoin adoption is the lack of understanding about what money is and how it works.

Jimmy Song

Source: https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/crypto-today-bitcoin-breakout-imminent-202001221927

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Bitcoin, Blockchain stocks, Canadian Blockchain Stocks, Smallcap Blockchain stocks, ThreeD, ThreeD Capital | Comments Off on #Crypto Today: #Bitcoin breakout imminent SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

New Age Metals Inc. $NAM.ca Engages IBK Capital Corp. to Complete a Private Placement Financing $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 8:45 AM on Thursday, January 23rd, 2020
  • Engaged IBK Capital Corp. to manage a private placement financing of up to C$2,000,000 by way of units of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Unit
  • Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant, where each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two (2) years from the date of closing.

January 23rd, 2020 – Rockport, ON, Canada – New Age Metals Inc. (TSXV:NAM); (OTC:NMTLF); (FSE:P7J) has engaged IBK Capital Corp. to manage a private placement financing of up to C$2,000,000 by way of units (“Units”) of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share and one share purchase warrant (“Warrant”), where each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two (2) years from the date of closing. This financing is fully subscribed and is anticipated to close on Friday January 31, 2020.

The securities to be issued in connection with the private placement will be subject to a four-month plus one-day hold period from the date of closing in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws. Completion of the private placement and any finder’s fees payable are subject to regulatory approval.

Harry Barr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of New Age Metals, reports: “This year’s palladium price increase to more than US$2,400 per ounce or C$3,100 highlights the potential of our River Valley PGM project as one of the largest undeveloped primary palladium projects in North America.”

Michael White, Chief Executive Officer of IBK Capital Corp., states, “We believe there will be a positive rerating of the market value of palladium exploration companies. This would reflect the increasing value of the metal in the ground due to strong palladium prices based on a lack of stable supply from South Africa. We also believe the PGM producers of the world will need to acquire ounces in the ground in favourable jurisdictions to replace and geographically diversify their PGM reserves.”

Use of Proceeds

The Company intends to use the proceeds of this private placement to complete certain recommendations from the recent PEA completed on the company’s River Valley Project; one of North America’s largest undeveloped primary Platinum Group Metals, (PGM) Projects. Additionally, proceeds will be used to build global investor awareness in NAM, and for working capital purposes.

The River Valley PGM Project is 100% owned by New Age Metals and located in the Sudbury Mining District, 100 kms away from the Sudbury Metallurgical Complex.

About NAM

New Age Metals is a junior mineral exploration and development company focused on the discovery, exploration and development of green metal projects in North America. The Company has two divisions; a Platinum Group Metals division and a Lithium/Rare Element division. The PGM division includes the 100% owned River Valley Project, one of North America’s largest undeveloped Platinum Group Metals Projects, situated 100 kilometers from Sudbury, Ontario as well as the Genesis PGM Project in Alaska. The Lithium division is the largest mineral claim holder in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field where the Company is exploring for hard rock lithium and various rare elements such as tantalum and rubidium. Our philosophy is to be a project generator with the objective of optioning our projects with major and junior mining companies through to production. New Age Metals is a junior resource company on the TSX Venture Exchange, trading symbol NAM, OTCQB: NMTLF; FSE: P7J with 96,843,766 shares issued to date.

Investors are invited to visit the New Age Metals website at www.newagemetals.com where they can review the company and its corporate activities. Any questions or comments can be directed to [email protected] or Harry Barr at [email protected] or Cody Hunt at [email protected] or call 613 659 2773.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Harry Barr”

Harry G. Barr, Chairman and CEO

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. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as “continue”, “efforts”, “expect”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “confident”, “intend”, “strategy”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “project”, “goal”, “target”, “prospects”, “optimistic” or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Company’s ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts’ expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in New Age Metals | Comments Off on New Age Metals Inc. $NAM.ca Engages IBK Capital Corp. to Complete a Private Placement Financing $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Building a Lie Detector for Images – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 2:59 PM on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited (TSX-V: DM) A revenue generating small cap A.I. company that NATO and Canadian Defence are using to fight fake news & social media threats. The company announced three $1M contacts in Q3-2019. Click here for more info.

Building a Lie Detector for Images

  • A new paper from UC Berkeley and Adobe researchers declares war on fake images
  • Leveraging a custom dataset and fresh evaluation metric, the research team introduces a general image forensics approach that achieves high average precision in the detection of CNN-generated imagery

By: Synced

The Internet is full of fun fake images — from flying sharks and cows on cars to a dizzying variety of celebrity mashups. Hyperrealistic image and video fakes generated by convolutional neural networks (CNNs) however are no laughing matter — in fact they can be downright dangerous. Deepfake porn reared its ugly head in 2018, fake political speeches by world leaders have cast doubt on news sources, and during the recent Australian bushfires manipulated images mislead people regarding the location and size of fires. Fake images and videos are giving AI a black eye — but how can the machine learning community fight back?

A new paper from UC Berkeley and Adobe researchers declares war on fake images. Leveraging a custom dataset and fresh evaluation metric, the research team introduces a general image forensics approach that achieves high average precision in the detection of CNN-generated imagery

Spotting such generated images may seem to be a relatively simple task — just train a classifier using fake images versus real images. In fact, the challenge is far more complicated for a number of reasons. Fake images would likely be generated from different datasets, which would incorporate different dataset biases. Fake features are more difficult to detect when the training dataset of the model differs from the dataset used to generate the fake image. Also, network architectures and loss functions can quickly evolve beyond the abilities of a fake image detection model. Finally, images may be pre-processed or post-processed, which increases the difficulty in identifying common features across a set of fake images.

To address these and other issues, the researchers built a dataset of CNN-based generation models spanning a variety of architectures, datasets and loss functions. Real images were then pre-processed and an equal number of fake images generated from each model — from GANs to deepfakes. Due to its high variety, the resulting dataset minimizes biases from either training datasets or model architectures.

The fake image detection model was built on ProGAN, an unconditional GAN model for random image generation with simple CNN based structure, and trained on the new dataset. Evaluated on various CNN image generating methods, the model’s average precision was significantly higher than the control groups.

Data augmentation is another approach the researchers used to improve detection of fake images that had been post-processed after generation. The training images (fake/real) underwent several additional augmentation variants, from Gaussian blur to JPEG compression. Researchers found that including data augmentation in the training set significantly increased model robustness, especially when dealing with post-processed images.

Researchers find the “fingerprint” of CNN-generated images.

The researchers note however that even the best detector will still have trade-offs between true detection and false-positive rates, and it is very likely a malicious user could simply handpick a simple fake image that passes the detection threshold. Another concern is that the post-processing effects added to fake images may increase detection difficulty, since the fake image fingerprints might be distorted during the post-processing. There are also many fake images that were not generated but rather photoshopped, and the detector won’t work on images produced through such shallow methods

The new study does a fine job of identifying the fingerprint of images doctored with various CNN-based image synthesis methods. The researchers however caution that this is one battle — the war on fake images has only just begun.

Source: https://syncedreview.com/2020/01/15/building-a-lie-detector-for-images/

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Datametrex AI Limited | Comments Off on Building a Lie Detector for Images – SPONSOR: Datametrex AI Limited $DM.ca

#Square #Crypto Division Finally Releases Details of First #Bitcoin Product SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:21 AM on Wednesday, January 22nd, 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.

Square’s Crypto Division Finally Releases Details of First Bitcoin Product

By Nick Chong

  • Last year, Jack Dorsey — the chief executive of both Square and Twitter — began to openly shill Bitcoin in a number of public channels.
  • Naturally, his love for Bitcoin extended into his companies, with Square announcing a new division called Square Crypto in 2019.

For instance, on the Joe Rogan Podcast, he revealed that he thinks the cryptocurrency will become a native currency of the Internet, and during an official earnings call for his fintech company Square, he took some time to tout his love for Bitcoin.

Naturally, his love for Bitcoin extended into his companies, with Square announcing a new division called Square Crypto in 2019.

Dorsey’s premise was that someone told him the most important thing he could do for Bitcoin is to “make the broader crypto ecosystem better,” hence the creation of this new division to do “what’s best for the crypto community and individual economic empowerment.”

#BitcoinTwitter and #CryptoTwitter! Square is hiring 3-4 crypto engineers and 1 designer to work full-time on open source contributions to the bitcoin/crypto ecosystem. Work from anywhere, report directly to me, and we can even pay you in bitcoin! Introducing @SqCrypto. Why?

— jack  (@jack) March 20, 2019

Throughout the entire hiring process of this new division, the team photos, memes published on Square Crypto’s Twitter page, and even the grant-giving process, it wasn’t exactly clear what this team was working on.

The team leader, a former senior employee at Google, did mention products meant to improve the usability of Bitcoin as a day-to-day form of money but was slow to elucidate any ventures it was eyeing.

But today, we got our answer.

Square Crypto Unveils First Product, a Bitcoin Lightning Network Developer Kit

According to a Square Crypto blog post published Tuesday, the company has launched something called the Lightning Development Kit (LDK).

This is kind of like a traditional software development kit (SDK) but focused on the Lightning Network, a second-layer scaling solution that effectively migrates some transactions off the main chain to allow for lightning-fast, effectively free, and cross-chain transfers.

We’ve got the team. We’ve got the mission. We’ve got hit or miss tweets. And now it’s time to talk about what we’re building: Introducing the Lightning Development Kit, or LDK.  https://t.co/o73cJy7Cur

— Square Crypto (@sqcrypto) January 21, 2020

The LDK, the post indicates, will allow wallet developers to create “custom” integrations of the Network in an “easy, safe, and configurable way” through an API, demo apps, and other technical tools.

As to what exactly the LDK can be used for, at least from a top-down perspective, Square Crypto gave three examples:

1) Adding Lightning capabilities to existing bitcoin wallets — no need to create a separate wallet just for Lightning. 2) Supporting multi-device, multi-application access to a single wallet. 3) Allowing wallets to make UX/security/privacy tradeoffs such as external transaction signing and customizing their state backup to a cloud service.

Essentially, it should make the integration of the Lightning Network into existing or up-and-coming cryptocurrency software much easier than it is, and should, therefore, increase the adoption of the scaling solution with ample time.

It’s kind of like a shoehorn, but with the shoe being Bitcoin software and the foot being the Lightning Network…

Very Good Timing

The release of the LDK comes at a very good time, with the Lightning Network once again entering the minds of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

Per previous reports from Blockonomi, Bitcoin proponent Hodlonaut has started what is known as the Lightning Network Trust Chain for the second time.

Last time, this challenge, which sees individuals use the Lightning Network and large BTC transactions to create a link between Twitter accounts, gained much steam. Dorsey and LinkedIn and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman participated in the Chain, amongst other prominent members of the community.

And as a result, the Lightning Network saw a flurry of growth, with the capacity of the Network nearly doubling in value during the time the chain was being formed.

With the arrival of the second Trust Chain and Square Crypto’s new Lightning Network kit, this Bitcoin scaling solution could see a micro-renaissance, so to say.

Source: https://blockonomi.com/squares-crypto-first-bitcoin-product/

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Bitcoin, Blockchain stocks, Canadian Blockchain Stocks, Smallcap Blockchain stocks, ThreeD, ThreeD Capital | Comments Off on #Square #Crypto Division Finally Releases Details of First #Bitcoin Product SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital $IDK.ca $HIVE.ca $BLOC.ca $CODE.ca

More precious than gold: Why the metal #palladium is soaring $NAM.ca $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:07 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc. The company owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces Inferred. Learn More.

More precious than gold: Why the metal palladium is soaring

  • The price of the precious metal palladium has soared on the global commodities markets.
  • It has jumped by more than 25% in the last two weeks alone, and almost doubled in value over the last year.

At about $2,500 (£1,922) an ounce of palladium is more expensive than gold, and the pressures forcing its price up are unlikely to ease anytime soon.

But what is palladium, what is it used for, and why is its price rising?

What is palladium?

It is a shiny white metal in the same group as platinum, along with ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium.

The majority of the world’s palladium comes from Russia and South Africa. Most of it is extracted as a byproduct in the mining of other metals, usually platinum and nickel.

What is it used for?

Its key commercial use is as a critical component in catalytic converters – a part of a car’s exhaust system that controls emissions – found mainly in petrol and hybrid vehicles.

The vast majority of palladium, more than 80%, is used in these devices that turn toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, into less harmful nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Catalytic converters are relatively easy to remove from vehicles

It is also used, to a far lesser extent, in electronics, dentistry, and jewellery.

The metal’s soaring value in recent years has seen a jump in the theft of catalytic converters around the world.

London’s Metropolitan police said the number of thefts in the first six months of 2019 were more than 70% higher than the whole of the previous year.

Why is its price rising?

In short, it is because demand for palladium outstrips supply, and it has done for some time.

The amount of the metal produced in 2019 is forecast to be below global demand for the eighth year in a row.

As a secondary product of platinum and nickel extraction, miners have less flexibility to increase palladium output in response to rising prices.

And that shortfall looks set to continue, with South Africa, which produces around 40% of the world’s supply, last week saying its output of platinum group metals, including palladium, fell by 13.5% in November compared to a year earlier.

Meanwhile, demand for palladium from car makers has increased sharply for a number of reasons.

Around the world governments, notably China, are tightening regulations as they attempt to tackle air pollution from petrol vehicles.

At the same time the diesel emissions scandal in Europe has also had an impact. Consumers there have been shifting away from diesel cars, which mostly use platinum in their catalytic converters, and are instead buying petrol-driven vehicles, which use palladium.

The US-China trade deal, which was signed earlier this month, has also boosted prices. Traders expect the agreement to help ease downward pressure on global economic growth and slow the decline in Chinese car sales.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51171391

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, New Age Metals | Comments Off on More precious than gold: Why the metal #palladium is soaring $NAM.ca $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca – Global #pot execs descend on #Davos for cannabis conference $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 12:00 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 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

Global pot execs descend on Davos for cannabis conference

  • Cannabis executives will be touching down in Davos, Switzerland for the second year in a row as the industry looks to influence some of the participants of this year’s World Economic Forum.

Bloomberg News reports that one of the sponsors of the Davos “Cannabis House” aims at having a more formal and professional presence at the event than last year. Some of the topics that will be discussed include sustainability, climate change, social equity and impact investing. Speakers from Israel, Switzerland and Asia will also be present, ensuring that the two-day conference isn’t rife with commentary from executives in North America, which has so far been the epicentre of the legal cannabis space.

Source: BNN Bloomberg – http://links.mkt2011.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MzEwNTgyMzQS1&r=MjU5OTkyNTIyMjg1S0&j=MTYyNDIwMzk2MwS2&mt=1&rt=0

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Empower Clinics Inc. | Comments Off on Empower Clinics $CBDT.ca – Global #pot execs descend on #Davos for cannabis conference $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $OGI.ca

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »