Argo blockchain co-founders launch London IPO of new DeFi investment company

Dispersion Holdings, an investment company specialising in decentralised finance (DeFi) established by the co-founders of bitcoin mining company Argo, has launched its IPO on the London-based Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market (AQSE).

Intending to place 200 million shares at 5p each, Dispersion aims to raise approximately £10 million before expenses in a float that will value the company at around £25 million with first dealings in the shares expected to commence later this...

28 April 2021 | Cryptocurrency

How blockchain can accelerate the United Nations’ most sustainable development goals

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are becoming increasingly relevant in today’s world. The desire to both do good and do well is driving so many types of organisations and individuals to play their parts. Governments, impact investors, individual donors, high-net-worth philanthropists, foundations, non-profits, social enterprises and even many for-profit corporations have upped their game in improving society and the environment.

It is heartening to...

26 April 2021 | Applications

Singapore fintech STACS secures $3.6m to develop blockchain solutions for financial sector

Singapore-based fintech Hashstacs Pte (STACS) has raised $3.6 million (£2.6m) in pre-series A funding to develop blockchain platforms that can work with financial institutions’ existing infrastructure.

The round was led by Wavemaker Partners, which focuses on enterprise and deep tech companies in Southeast Asia, with participation from the Tribe Accelerator, a program for blockchain startups with support from the Singaporean government.

Since being founded in 2019,...

23 April 2021 | Applications

Weekly NFT roundup April 14-20: real-world applications grow through postage and insurance

The last week saw practical real-world applications of NFTs grow with the certification of CaseMail's NFT postage technology, as well as the development of an insurance system for NFTs, solidifying their growing importance in the blockchain industry.

CaseMail’s NFT postage labels first to be certified by USPS

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has certified CaseMail’s NFT-based postal tracking and content verification technology.

CaseMail tokens can be...

21 April 2021 | Blockchain

Deutsche Telekom invests in Celo mobile blockchain

Telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom has invested in the mobile decentralised finance (DeFi) platform Celo.

Celo is an open-source blockchain project used in more than 100 countries focused on bringing DeFi systems and tools to smartphones. It allows users to send and receive money with Celo’s native coin (CELO) through their mobile device.

Deutsche Telekom is the first telecommunications company to join Celo’s Alliance for Prosperity, a global alliance of more than 130...

20 April 2021 | Blockchain

Chainalysis valued at more than $2 billion after series D funding and Bluestone Analytics partnership

Chainalysis continues to cement itself in the top realm of global blockchain analysis providers after a fourth round of funding led by Paradigm secured $100 million (£72m).

The company, now valued at over $2 billion (£1.45bn), also received increased investments from previous investors Ribbit and Addition, as well as Marc Benioff’s investment fund, TIME Ventures.

Chainalysis is used by government agencies to investigate crypto-based crime and leading digital...

29 March 2021 | Big Data

Fireblocks raises $133m in series C funding to connect banks with crypto

Fireblocks, a New York-based provider of crypto infrastructure, has secured $133 million (£95.4m) in series C funding to continue its mission of connecting banks and fintech providers to crypto capital markets.

The funding takes the company's overall capital raised to $179m, claimed to be the 'most well-funded crypto infrastructure provider in the industry.' The round was led by Coatue, Ribbit and Stripes, with 11 firms named as participants in total.

Fireblocks "offers...

18 March 2021 | Banking

Concordium raises $15m in private sale and completes MVP testnet

Concordium, a provider of enterprise-oriented public and permissionless blockchain offerings, has raised $15 million (£10.7m) in a private sale of tokens.

The Switzerland-based company had announced a joint venture cooperation with Geely, the owner of Volvo, last month to provide Chinese customers with blockchain technology.

As this publication reported at the time, the joint venture 'will use Concordium's blockchain technology to help customers build businesses focused...

11 March 2021 | Enterprise

BMW backing brings blockchain startup Vendia’s total funding to £15 million

BMW i Ventures was among the investors to join Vendia’s series A funding round for its serverless SaaS (software as a service) blockchain solution, which raised $15.5 million (£11.2m) and brought their total funds raised to $20.6m (£15m).

The investment was led by Canvas Ventures, with participation from BMW i Ventures and Sorenson Ventures, who joined earlier seed round investors such as Neotribe Ventures, WestWave Capital, Firebolt Ventures, and more.

Vendia is...

11 February 2021 | Automotive

BitMart’s 2020 cryptos of the year report: LRC, EWT, INJ among tokens nominated

Digital assets trading platform provider BitMart has released its Cryptos of the Year 2020 report - and considered that while Bitcoin remains on top, altcoins will move forward in 2021.

The study, which reviewed all coins listed on the BitMart platform, cited 10 coins to consider based on popularity with investors, return rate, and potential ROI. The study also garnered opinions from the chief executives of each nominated company - which the press materials curiously cite as '10...

14 January 2021 | Bitcoin