Genesis Coin Inc, Powering 35% of Global Bitcoin ATM Transactions, Acquired by Bitstop Founders 4705

Genesis Coin Inc, the first and largest Bitcoin ATM software platform worldwide announced today that they have been acquired by early Bitcoin ATM pioneers Andrew Barnard and Doug Carrillo.

Founded in 2013, Genesis Coin’s technology powers approximately 35% of global Bitcoin ATM transactions. Barnard and Carrillo, who also founded Bitstop, built the first and largest private-label Bitcoin ATM platform based in Miami, FL with over 2,500+ Bitcoin ATMs worldwide. Genesis Coin and Bitstop represent over 75+ operators operating 12,000+ Bitcoin ATMs in the United States and international markets powering billions of dollars in annual sales volume.

As part of the acquisition, Andrew Barnard will become Chief Executive Officer and Doug Carrillo will become Chief Strategy Officer and both will join the Board of Directors of Genesis Coin. Evan Rose, Genesis Coin’s founder, will stay on as a technical advisor and remain a member of the company’s Board of Directors. The Genesis Coin headquarters will move to Miami, Florida.

“Genesis Coin gave birth to the Bitcoin ATM industry,” said Barnard. “It’s the first and largest Bitcoin ATM software platform in The World. Evan built a platform trusted by some of the largest Bitcoin ATM operators in our industry, both domestically and internationally, including the Chivo network in partnership with the Government of El Salvador.

Our industry is now rapidly changing and Genesis Coin will lead the way into the future. Accomplishing this requires a solid team of world-class visionaries and developers. At Bitstop, we built an incredible software team and platform which has partnered with some of the largest companies both private and publicly traded from the traditional ATM industry. We plan to bring our background and expertise in building the best technology and team in the Bitcoin ATM industry to Genesis Coin. We believe this is a win-win for all stakeholders,” furthered Barnard.

“Andrew, Doug, and I have been friends for a long time and have also been friendly competitors,” commented Rose. “They have a reputation for their innovative and creative thinking. In addition, they have been successful in establishing key relationships in the Bitcoin space and their technical expertise and knowledge of Bitcoin is very impressive. In turn, this has allowed them to attract and retain top-tier talent and build great products. This transaction represents the coming together of the two leading software platforms in the industry and creates value for both companies’ stakeholders. It combines the best product, engineering, and leadership teams in the space. I’m thrilled to work alongside them and look forward to introducing very exciting new products and services we have planned for this year,” commented Rose.

Barnard, Carrillo and Rose stressed the importance of continuing to provide stability to both platforms and continuing to service the needs of operators on both platforms. For the time being, both the Genesis Coin and Bitstop platforms will continue to run independently while exploring technical synergies. Genesis Coin has already made several key hires to its development team with a core focus on product development.

“This acquisition represents the most significant event in the Bitcoin ATM industry to date,” said Carrillo. “Our commitment is to provide Genesis Coin with the proper resources it needs to pave the way for continued growth and innovation. We truly believe that this new combination of the best minds in our space will be the catalyst for the Bitcoin ATM industry evolving into its next phase. We are hyper-focused on building the best software for Bitcoin ATMs in the world. Today, the most sophisticated operators in our industry rely on Genesis Coin and Bitstop technology to power their businesses. As a result, we have become ‘The Standard’ in the Bitcoin ATM space where virtually all industry organic M&A activity today is occurring on the Genesis Coin and Bitstop networks.” concluded Carrillo.

“Leverage dominated the entire cryptocurrency space over the last two years. Many other platforms in our industry couldn’t resist the siren song,” said Barnard. “This is a capital-intensive industry where you do not want to be in a lot of debt. Genesis Coin is financially secure with a strong balance sheet, no debt, and strong cash flow. The company does not have external investors. The result of this is that operators can build their future on the Genesis Coin platform with confidence. In a volatile industry, we are a beacon of stability. We are bullish on the potential of this industry. We see significant market growth from here over the next 10 years. We believe we are in the best position in the industry to unite the very best operators and support their growth. Our goal is to listen to our operators and deliver the very best products and features to them so they can deliver maximum value to their customers at scale,” concluded Barnard.

About Genesis Coin

Genesis Coin is the first and largest white-label Bitcoin ATM network worldwide. We are the premier provider of autonomous vending solutions for bitcoin. Genesis Coin’s proprietary managed infrastructure software solution has propelled it to become the largest provider of Bitcoin ATMs and software facilitating self-service buying and selling billions of dollars in cryptocurrencies across the world annually. Genesis Coin’s software provides customers with a reliable, tailored operating platform. Genesis Coin delivers its software by selling BTMs to third-party operators who provide opportunities for businesses looking to diversify their revenue and drive foot traffic to their locations. Our machines make bitcoin simple for everyone. www.bitcoinatm.com

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MetaComp Announces Strategic Partnership with Harvest Global Investments to Explore Bringing HK-Listed ETFs to Investors in Singapore and Beyond 2083

MetaComp Pte Ltd, a leading Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) licensed Singapore fintech company that specializes in blockchain technology and digital assets, and its affiliates (collectively referred as MetaComp), is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Harvest Global Investments Limited (HGI), a leading asset management company licensed with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. HGI is among the pioneering Chinese asset management firms to establish subsidiaries abroad. The Memorandum of Understanding executed between MetaComp and HGI marks a significant step towards potentially broadening the accessibility of innovative financial products globally with special emphasis on the recently announced cryptocurrency spot ETFs which will be expected to start trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from 30 April 2024 onwards. This follows the announcement by HGI that they have received authorization from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission to launch the highly anticipated cryptocurrency ETFs.

The core of the partnership revolves around MetaComp and its affiliates’ commitment to make HGI’s cryptocurrency spot ETFs available, through MetaComp’s proprietary Client Assets Management Platform, also known as CAMP by MetaComp, utilizing its technological and market expertise to introduce these products under the appropriate regulatory framework to Singapore investors and beyond. This initiative not only aims to expand the global footprint of HGI’s ETFs but also allows MetaComp and its affiliate to enrich its wealth solution portfolio with highly sought-after financial products.

In addition to the crypto-ETF distribution, the collaboration will also explore opportunities for the integration of HGI’s various asset management solutions into MetaComp’s service offerings. MetaComp will also provide HGI access to its Digital Payment Token suite of services. Through the strategic collaborative efforts by both companies, they are hoping to forge a symbiotic relationship that will allow both companies to leverage on their strengths.

The alignment with HGI allows MetaComp to tap into the scale and expertise of a leading global financial player, significantly enhancing its service capabilities and market reach. This partnership is designed to serve not just the existing clientele of both entities but also to capture new segments eager for advanced financial solutions across traditional finance and crypto finance.

Dr Bo Bai, Chairman and Co-Founder of MetaComp shared: “This strategic alliance with Harvest Global Investments Limited reaffirms MetaComp’s commitment to being the bridge that links traditional finance with crypto finance. We are confident that our partnership with Harvest Global Investments Limited will prove to be mutually beneficial. With Harvest’s expertise in asset management and MetaComp’s robust capabilities in providing a comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions, we are poised to deliver unparalleled value to our clients and the market.”

For more detailed information on this partnership and to stay updated on future developments, please visit www.mce.sg.

About MetaComp Pte Ltd (www.mce.sg)

MetaComp is a leading Singapore-based digital asset platform that is licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Payment Services Act 2019. Operating under a P2B2C (platform-to-business, partners-to-clients) model, MetaComp provides an integrated end-to-end suite of services to its clients, empowering them to confidently enter the digital asset market with the much-needed safety, security, and compliance. Together with its parent company, Metaverse Green Exchange Pte. Ltd. (a MAS-licensed CMS holder permitted to carry out, inter alia, brokerage and custody services), MetaComp introduces its suite of services through CAMP by MetaComp, a regulated Client Assets Management Platform, allowing businesses to develop and scale their digital asset offerings through OTC and exchange trading services, fiat payment, digital asset custody and prime brokerage.

Hinkal Closes Strategic Funding Round to Advance Discreet Trading and Position Liquidation 3091

Hinkal, a multi-chain privacy layer for confidential decentralized finance (DeFi) transactions, today announced a $1.4 million strategic funding round led by SALT Fund, with participation from Draper Associates, SNZ and Peer VC. Additionally, Tal Cohen, CEO of Kraken US, joined the company advisory board.

The raise follows the close of Hinkal’s $4.1M seed funding round in November of 2023. With surging demand from institutional clientele, this strategic funding will be used to bring liquid funds, VCs, family offices and founders of projects to Hinkal’s confidential infrastructure.

As institutional investors expand their presence in crypto markets they are increasingly looking to decentralized exchanges to take advantage of price discovery and asset control these platforms provide. However, DeFi does not provide privacy these traders are accustomed to in traditional financial markets. As crypto analytics platforms have become more complex, the pseudonymous nature of DeFi presents risks of copy trading and front running for liquid funds, VCs, and protocol founders willing to liquidate their token positions.

“The influx of institutional capital into crypto markets is a landmark event for the maturity of the industry,” said Georgi Koreli, CEO of Hinkal. “Hinkal is solving a critical need in the crypto space by providing institutional investors with the additional layer of anonymity they require to participate in DeFi markets. This strategic funding round will allow us to accelerate the development and adoption of our groundbreaking privacy solution.”

Hinkal is a zero knowledge (ZK)-protocol that addresses these issues by enabling end-to-end and secure confidentiality for DeFi transactions. Leveraging a combination of self-custodial private addresses and relayers, Hinkal transforms the way on-chain trading operates as the only transaction that can be seen on block explorers or analytics platforms is the execution of a relayer – no wallet addresses attached. This allows liquid funds, VCs and retail investors to make confidential transactions within the protocol without experiencing price slippage or market impacts.

Additionally, Hinkal provides a best-in-class solution for venture capital and founding teams looking to liquidate vested tokens in a private and secure environment. As the industry has grown and matured, these stakeholders have traditionally struggled with token vesting and liquidations, as this process often results in adverse price impacts that dilute net settlement and sends mixed messages to the community. With Hinkal, VCs and teams can receive any vested token directly into a private Hinkal address and liquidate privately without these impacts to the market.

AJ Scaramucci, Founder and Managing Partner of the SALT Fund, commented on the news, “The SALT Fund is dedicated to supporting projects that drive innovation for institutional investors. Hinkal is a breakthrough protocol addressing crucial pain points for institutional funds, founders, and VCs alike by enabling them to execute private DeFi trading strategies and liquidate vested tokens in a way that doesn’t disrupt the broader market. This is a game-changer for the industry and will unlock significant value for these stakeholders.”

Underpinning Hikal is a full suite of compliance and security solutions to further support institutional users of DeFi protocols. Hinkal requires KYC(B) (Know Your Customer/Business) verification for users to prevent illicit parties from using the protocol while simultaneously providing a frictionless experience via reusable attestations at exchanges like Coinbase and Binance. Audited by major firms including Quanstamp and Zokyo, Hinkal provides a secure trading experience and real-time threat mitigation with Hexagate.

About Hinkal

Founded by Stanford grad Giorgi Koreli and his Ph.D. brother, Nika Koreli, Hinkal enables privacy of transactions and assets across core DeFi apps and functions, including trading, farming, staking, and lending through the use of stealth addresses and with high degree of compliance.

Hinkal is a ZK-based solution that provides a private smart contract wallet experience, allowing users to participate in their favorite dApps directly from their private addresses without the need to withdraw assets for obfuscation.

SKALE and Virtualness global partnership reimagines fan engagement for sports, creators, and enterprises using the power of blockchain 3412

Fans of Liga 1 & other organizations will have access to a superior experience on Virtualness with SKALE’s zero gas fees and instant finality.

SKALE Network, a gas-less EVM-compatible blockchain designed for secure Ethereum scaling, and Virtualness, a pioneering mobile-first platform powered by generative AI and blockchain, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at redefining digital engagement and empowering global sports fans, enterprises and creators alike.

With international athletic partnerships that include Liga 1, Asia’s largest and most prestigious football league, sports fans will have access to exclusive NFT moments, player cards, rewards, loyalty programs, real-world experiences, and exciting gamification on the Virtualness platform, all powered by the SKALE network. Fans who interact with clubs, players, and fellow supporters will foster a deeper connection with their favorite teams while experiencing the world’s fastest blockchain.

“Through our partnership with SKALE, we’re revolutionizing the NFT landscape by eliminating barriers to entry and making Web3 accessible to Web2 users paving the way for mass adoption,” said Kirthiga Reddy and Saurabh Doshi, Co-founders of Virtualness. “We are thrilled to partner with SKALE to provide our community with unparalleled access to NFTs, immersive digital experiences, and exclusive rewards.”

As part of the partnership, Virtualness’ hundreds of thousands of users will leverage SKALE’s high-throughput, zero gas fee transactions, and instant finality capabilities to enhance its platform’s performance and scalability. Additionally with SKALE, sports fans, enterprises, organizations and all Virtualness users alike can now mint for free, further democratizing the access to digital asset ownership.

“We look forward to supporting this new era of accessibility and empowerment for creators and organizations,” said Jack O’Holleran, Co-Founder of SKALE. “This partnership signifies our commitment to making blockchain more accessible and easy to use, enabling Virtualness users to more seamlessly interact with NFTs, ultimately revolutionizing how we engage with digital assets.”

The Virtualness platform, built on generative AI and blockchain technology, provides sports, enterprises, and creators, with a user-friendly interface for creating, minting, and showcasing digital goods and interacting directly with their communities. With SKALE, Virtualness will soon offer more on-chain assets such as player cards in the form of NFTs, prizes via SKALE tokens, and the transparent storage and sharing of game data such as leadership board scores and prize information.

With SKALE’s advanced blockchain architecture, Virtualness users can expect improved performance, faster transactions, and enhanced security, enabling them to unleash their creativity and reach new heights in the digital world.

The partnership between SKALE Network and Virtualness represents an evolution in digital engagement, offering creators and brands innovative blockchain opportunities to thrive in the digital economy while democratizing access to blockchain and welcoming newcomers into Web3.

The experience for web2 users is user-friendly and easy, with no crypto or blockchain knowledge required or needed. Together, SKALE and Virtualness are poised to revolutionize the way people create, share, and interact with digital content, unleashing new channels for creativity.

For more information, please check out SKALE.space.

About SKALE

SKALE, a gas-less EVM-compatible blockchain designed for secure Ethereum scaling is designed for a World-Class experience for games, NFT platforms, and Web3 applications. As of 2024, SKALE serves over 10 million monthly active users and saves billions in monthly gas fees with its innovative AppChain model. SKALE AppChains feature high performance, zero gas fees, enhanced security, and instant finality, making them ideal for a wide range of decentralized applications. With a commitment to driving the mass adoption of Web3 technologies, SKALE empowers developers and businesses to build scalable, efficient, and user-centric blockchain applications. On the SKALE network, developers can deploy their own EVM-compatible blockchain by unlocking advanced features such as AI/ML smart contracts, on-chain file storage, interchain messaging, and zero-cost minting. Harmonizing speed, security, and decentralization, SKALE was founded in 2018 by Jack O’Holleran and Stan Kladko, PhD.

For more information, users can visit SKALE.space or follow on Twitter.com/SKALENetwork.

About Virtualness

Virtualness is a mobile-first platform, powered by generative AI and blockchain, for users to create, mint, gift, share, and sell digital goods all in one place. Founded in 2022 by industry leaders Kirthiga Reddy and Saurabh Doshi, Virtualness serves as a platform for authenticated sports, brands, and media organizations to design and showcase branded blockchain goods, fostering direct community engagement and unlocking new monetization avenues. Virtualness has exclusive wins like being the authentication partner for Guinness World Record Women in Cloud milestone, and the Asian Academy Creative Award while also delighting fans with exclusive access to icons such as Jim Louderback, Taylor Lorenz. Education, personalization, discovery, integration with Web2 and Web3 platforms, and a mobile-first experience are all core to the platform. Funding led by Blockchange Ventures with participation from VCs f7 Ventures, Micron Ventures, Better Ventures, FalconX, Shorooq Partners, Impact Venture Capital, Oceans Ventures and angels like Carolyn Everson, Randi Zuckerberg, Nuseir Yassin (Nas Daily), Marina Mogilko, Nikki Farb, Shayamal Vallabhjee, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and other thought-leaders.

For more information,users can visit about.virtualness.io

BLAZE Investment Round Complete With Aim To Become Web3 Market Leader 3787

StoryFire stands at the forefront of innovation, spearheading a revolutionary amalgamation of SocialFi, GameFi, and DeFi, culminating in an unprecedented all-encompassing experience. Recently, the company successfully concluded the BLAZE token investment round, securing backing from prominent entities including GDA Capital, Genesis Capital, Octavia Ventures, and TGE Ventures.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Sam Hilder, CEO of StoryFire, emphasized in a recent press release, “Closing a successful funding round amidst the prevailing macroeconomic conditions, with such esteemed partners, is indeed exhilarating. We are deeply grateful for the trust our investors have placed in us.” Hilder further elucidated on the company’s strategic vision, affirming their commitment to crafting the ultimate Web3 platform through the StoryFire offering, eagerly anticipating the unveiling of their latest developments.

Leading the investment consortium, Genesis Capital, a private equity powerhouse, orchestrated the funding round. The company delineated its intentions to leverage the capital infusion to propel both developmental initiatives and marketing endeavors leading up to the imminent BLAZE token launch.

In a strategic move underscoring StoryFire’s steadfast commitment to the Web3 landscape, the company announced its purchase of assets from Tokens.com in February 2024, with it being that it has successfully closed the sale of Metaverse Group and Hulk Labs to StoryFire. The purchase entailed a disposition comprising a 15.3% equity stake in StoryFire, appraised at US$3.5 million, alongside an allocation of US$500,000 in BLAZE tokens. This strategic maneuver underscores StoryFire’s enduring presence within the Web3 domain, as it endeavors to fortify and expand its footprint across the entire Web3 ecosystem.

About StoryFire

The StoryFire platform, powered by the BLAZE token, will revolutionising the metaverse paradigm by combining SocialFi, GameFi, and DeFi into one unified experience.

Metis’ Sequencer Mining Goes Live 4116

Last month’s launch of Phase 1 of the Metis Decentralized Sequencer upgrade established Metis as the first-ever rollup platform with a decentralized sequencer. Metis has now launched Phase 2, which introduces several enhancements aimed at improving network incentives and participation.

Among other positive changes, Phase 2 of the Decentralized Sequencer upgrade introduced the most awaited feature up to date for the Layer 2 network: Sequencer Mining.

Sequencer Mining will allow users to lock their tokens via LST providers, contributing to the network’s security. Essentially, these LST providers will interact with the Sequencer, and users will interact with the Liquid Staking providers, receiving a Liquid Staking Token that they can reuse in other DeFi dApps or just hold. Through Metis’ Community Ecosystem Governance (CEG), the community chose Artemis Finance and Enki Protocol as the two LST protocols for the Alpha Phase.

In the first year, sequencer nodes will benefit from a 20% Mining Rewards Rate (MRR), the same rate at which smart contracts compensate participants for producing blocks. Additionally, Metis Liquid Staking Blitz (LSB), supported by the Metis EDF, will provide grants to verified projects to accelerate growth. More than 220,000 METIS are committed in grants for 2024 alone to support MetisLSB and catalyze growth of LST products on Metis. Prior to the official launch of Sequencer Mining, there has been notable activity with LST-related products, including deployments by Shoebill Finance, Stablis Protocol, and participation pools on Hercules Finance.

Metis has secured important partnerships with recognized crypto institutions that will help the network achieve proper decentralization and high participation rates on the Decentralized Sequencer.

Users can deposit and start mining immediately through Artemis. ENKI will be fully launching on Mainnet soon, but users can already participate in their “Pre-Staking” program.

About Artemis

Artemis Finance is a liquid staking protocol designed exclusively for Metis’ Decentralized Sequencer. Users can stake METIS tokens on Artemis Finance and receive the liquid staking token artMETIS.

About Enki

Enki Protocol is a Metis-native liquid staking protocol leveraging dual-token architecture from protocols like Frax and Lido to implement the most battle-tested LST design to the Metis Decentralized Sequencer. Users can stake METIS via Enki and receive seMETIS, while the protocol utilizes ENKI for its governance.

About Metis

Metis is an EVM-Equivalent Ethereum Layer-2 protocol focused on bridging the gap between Web2 and Web3. Metis provides users with a decentralized and scalable easy-to-use network secured by Ethereum. Metis became the first Ethereum rollup to decentralize its sequencer with the launch of Decentralized Sequencer, which enhances network security and provides more potentially revenue-earning opportunities for users.

Qurax Exchange Unveils Multi-Chain Crypto Trading Platform with Integrated Financial Services and Revolutionary Crypto Card Program 4341

Qurax Exchange, a trailblazer in the cryptocurrency arena, today announced the official launch of its cryptocurrency exchange ecosystem that aims to redefine the digital asset landscape. The comprehensive Qurax ecosystem is designed to cater to both novice and experienced crypto users by offering a full suite of services including trading, staking, mining, and a groundbreaking Crypto Card Program, all within a single, seamless interface.

The Qurax platform’s multi-chain functionality supports seamless transactions across various blockchain networks, fostering unparalleled flexibility and accessibility in the crypto trading space. This strategic innovation addresses the critical demand for interoperability and enhanced liquidity, setting a new standard in the cryptocurrency exchange industry.

Key Highlights of the Qurax Exchange Ecosystem

Multi-Chain Accessibility: Users can effortlessly manage and trade assets across multiple blockchains, maximizing opportunities and convenience.

Full Stack Financial Services: From fiat onramps and offramps to advanced trading options, Qurax offers a comprehensive array of financial services, making it the go-to platform for all crypto-related activities.

Qurax Crypto Card: In a major stride towards cryptocurrency adoption, the Qurax Crypto Card will allow users to spend crypto assets directly from their exchange balance at millions of merchants globally. This card integrates smoothly with the platform, ensuring that users benefit from real-time conversion rates and enhanced security protocols. This will be launched in Q4 2024.

Qurax Staking and Mining Programs:

Adding to its robust feature set, Qurax will introduce competitive staking and mining programs that promise attractive returns and foster deeper community engagement. These programs are designed to provide users with additional avenues to grow their investments and participate actively in the network’s security and governance.

Security and Compliance:

Security remains a paramount concern for Qurax. The platform employs cutting-edge technology to ensure the highest security standards are met, including regular audits, advanced encryption, and real-time monitoring systems. In compliance with global regulations, Qurax adheres to KYC and AML guidelines, providing a safe and trustworthy environment for all users.

Vision for the Future:

The launch of Qurax exchange is not just the unveiling of another crypto exchange; it’s the beginning of a new era in the digital finance world,”, CEO of Qurax Exchange. “With our multi-chain platform and the integrated Qurax Crypto Card, we are breaking down barriers to mainstream crypto adoption and offering an unmatched level of convenience and utility to our users. We are excited to lead the charge towards a more inclusive and flexible financial ecosystem.”

About Qurax Exchange:

Qurax Exchange is a pioneering cryptocurrency exchange platform that offers a wide range of financial services across multiple blockchain networks. Designed to provide a holistic trading experience, Qurax empowers users to engage with the crypto economy in an efficient, secure, and compliant manner. For more information about Qurax Exchange and its services, visit qurax.io