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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, August 20,2026
6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum by AlHuda CIBE Connects Global Expertise with Africa’s Emerging Islamic Finance Markets
Ethiopia has reached another important milestone in the development of its interest-free banking and Takaful industry with the successful convening of the 6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum, organized by AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics (AlHuda CIBE) at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa.
Held under the theme “Connecting Global Expertise with Africa’s Emerging Islamic Finance Markets,” the Forum brought together regulators, policymakers, banking and insurance executives, Shariah experts, fintech professionals, academics, investors, consultants and other industry stakeholders. Participants representing 20 countries attended the Forum, reflecting the growing international interest in Ethiopia and Africa as emerging markets for interest-free banking, Takaful and financial solutions.
Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Muhammad Zubair, Chief Executive Officer of AlHuda CIBE, said that Ethiopia has made encouraging progress in developing its interest-free banking and finance industry and possesses considerable potential for further expansion.
He stated that the increasing participation of financial institutions, regulatory developments, demand for interest-free financial services and growing awareness among customers are providing a strong foundation for the sector.
Mr. Zubair further highlighted the importance of developing qualified human resources to sustain this growth. He said that AlHuda CIBE’s Online Professional Development Program has attracted around 800 registered professionals, demonstrating the strong demand for specialized knowledge and professional capacity in the industry.
“The future growth of interest-free banking and finance in Ethiopia will depend not only on expanding institutions and products, but also on developing a strong pool of qualified professionals. The participation of around 800 professionals in our online development initiative is an encouraging sign and will contribute toward addressing the human-resource and professional-capacity gap in the interest-free finance industry,” Mr. Zubair said.
He added that AlHuda CIBE has maintained a long-standing commitment to the development of interest-free finance in Ethiopia. Its contributions have included supporting the establishment of the first three Takaful window operations in Ethiopia, professional and institutional capacity building, technical assistance, and arranging international exposure visits for Ethiopian professionals to learn from established interest-free banking and Takaful markets in different countries.
H.E. Solomon Desta, Vice Governor – Financial Stability, National Bank of Ethiopia, emphasized the Bank's continued commitment to strengthening the country's interest-free finance ecosystem.
"The National Bank of Ethiopia appreciates the role of AlHuda CIBE since it entered the Ethiopian market. Their contributions have been instrumental in building the foundation for our interest-free finance sector. We are committed to the continued development of regulatory frameworks towards interest-free banking and Takaful, recognizing their vital role in financial inclusion alongside instruments like Micro Takaful. As part of our institutional transformation, the Bank has devised many change tools in respect of interest-free banking and Takaful. With the development of our capital market and the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, our future is focused on more inclusion. AlHuda is doing well, and we are confident that such events will bring more changes and further developments in the sector."
Mr. Abdirahman Omar Ibrahim, Director of Public Debt Management, Central Bank of Somaliland, Somaliland, said that Somaliland is doing its best in interest-free banking and Takaful and that he will share and learn from the experience gained at the Forum.
"Somaliland is doing its best in interest-free banking and Takaful. This Forum provides a valuable opportunity to share our experience and learn from the global expertise gathered here, which will further strengthen our efforts in developing a robust and inclusive interest-free financial sector."
Dr. Yared Mola, President of the Association of Ethiopian Insurers (AEI), Ethiopia, highlighted the growing importance of Takaful within Ethiopia’s evolving insurance landscape.
He stated that as President of AEI, building capacity, regulatory changes and creating awareness are key lessons learned from this Forum.
"Since the introduction of Takaful by AlHuda CIBE in Ethiopia, we have witnessed increasing growth in the sector. This Forum has provided valuable insights on capacity building, regulatory developments, and awareness creation, which are essential for the continued expansion of Takaful and its contribution to financial inclusion," Dr. Yared Mola said.
He emphasized that sustained development would require greater public awareness, professional capacity, suitable regulatory frameworks, product innovation and continued cooperation among insurers, regulators and industry stakeholders.
The Forum was attended by distinguished government representatives, regulators and industry leaders, including H.E. Solomon Desta, Vice Governor – Financial Stability, National Bank of Ethiopia; H.E. Semereta Sewasew, State Minister of Finance, Ethiopia; Mr. Abdirahman Omar Ibrahim, Director of Public Debt Management, Central Bank of Somaliland, Somaliland; Dr. Yared Mola, President, Association of Ethiopian Insurers; Mr. Muhammad Asad Mehmood, Head of Chancery, Embassy of Pakistan in Ethiopia; and H.E. Mr. Zuhair Abdullah Ensour, Ambassador of Jordan in Addis Ababa.
The participation of senior regulators, policymakers and financial-sector professionals demonstrated the increasing institutional interest in creating a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem for interest-free financial services across Africa.
The Forum featured a series of technical and strategic discussions addressing the industry’s most pressing opportunities and challenges.
The technical session on “Interest-Free Banking in Africa — Growth, Opportunities & the Road Ahead” examined Ethiopia’s evolving legal and regulatory framework, the future of banking in Africa, community banking, MSME and retail finance, Shariah governance, and strategies for building profitable and sustainable interest-free banking institutions.
A dedicated panel discussion on “Takaful, Re-Takaful and TakaTech” explored the development of Shariah-compliant insurance, technology-driven Takaful models, market expansion and the role of Takaful in strengthening inclusive financial protection.
The afternoon panel on “Fintech, Shariah Governance and Interest-Free Capital Markets” examined the role of financial technology in accelerating Islamic finance adoption, Shariah governance, interest-free capital-market development and emerging opportunities for financial innovation.
An important feature of the Forum was the signing of institutional cooperation agreements between AlHuda CIBE and Digaf MFI, Capital Financial Excellence Center (CaFEC) S.C. respectively, aimed at strengthening professional and industry development.
The Forum also featured the inauguration of the 12th African Islamic Finance Summit – Hargeisa, Somaliland, further strengthening AlHuda CIBE’s commitment to developing Islamic finance platforms and professional collaboration across the African continent.
The Forum concluded with the distribution of Professional Development Program Certificates, reinforcing the importance of human-capital development and continuous professional learning for the sustainable growth of the industry.
The 6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum was held under the patronage of the National Bank of Ethiopia and in association with Ethiopian Reinsurance. MAC & RO Capital FZC participated as Gold Partner, while Digaf joined as Technology Sponsor. The Forum was also supported by a diverse group of financial institutions and industry stakeholders, with sponsors including Bank of Somaliland, Dahabshiil Bank International, OGold, Ahli Takaful, Nyala Insurance S.C. and Open Space Financial Services.
About AlHuda CIBE
AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE) is a well-recognized name in Islamic banking and finance industry for research and provide state-of-the-art Advisory Consultancy and Education through various well-recognized modes viz. Islamic Financial Product Development, Shariah Advisory, Trainings Workshops, and Islamic Microfinance and Takaful Consultancies etc. side by side through our distinguished, generally acceptable and known Publications in Islamic Banking and Finance.
We are dedicated to serving the community as a unique institution, advisory and capacity building for the last twelve years. The prime goal has always been to remain stick to the commitments providing Services not only in UAE/Pakistan but all over the world. We have so far served in more than 35 Countries for the development of Islamic Banking and Finance industry. For further Details about AlHuda CIBE, please visit: www.alhudacibe.com
For Media Contact:
Ms. Shehla Hameed
Communication Associate
info@alhudacibe.com
Call: +971 50 842 1423

Jakarta, August 14, 2026
Indonesia Blockchain Week (IDBW) 2026 concluded on August 13 after welcoming more than 12,000 attendees across two days, marking the highest turnout in the event’s six-year history and reinforcing its position as Southeast Asia’s largest institutional Web3 conference. The event also drew support from more than 300 sponsors, reflecting growing confidence in Indonesia’s digital asset and Web3 ecosystem.
This year, IDBW brought together more than 75 global and regional speakers from over 30 countries. The lineup included leaders from digital asset exchanges, regulators, government ministries, and key players across the digital finance industry, creating a platform where policymakers and industry leaders could engage directly on the future of blockchain and digital assets.
Beyond the scale of the event, IDBW 2026 also reflected a broader shift in how Indonesia is positioning blockchain within its national economic agenda. Just days before the event opened, President Prabowo signed a regulation recognizing blockchain, AI, IoT/Web3, and cybersecurity as official creative-economy subsectors, bringing these emerging technologies into a policy framework that can support funding, talent development, and greater regulatory attention.
The move distinguishes Indonesia from many other jurisdictions, where blockchain and crypto are typically approached primarily through financial-services or securities regulation. By placing blockchain within the creative economy, Indonesia is signaling that it views the technology not only as part of the financial sector, but also as a strategic driver of innovation, digital transformation, and long-term economic growth.
"We don't want Indonesia to be just a market, we want Indonesia to be a builder,"
Indonesia's Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, told the summit, framing blockchain as central to a sector that already contributes 7.38% of GDP and is targeting 8% by next year.
Rachmat Pambudy, Minister of National Development Planning and head of Bappenas, Indonesia's national planning agency, added that the goal is to ensure blockchain's benefits "are felt equally, not only in major cities, but across regions," positioning it within the country's broader infrastructure strategy rather than treating it as a standalone tech trend.
The policy signal drew a global industry response. Speakers included Binance co-CEO Richard Teng, Bitget CEO Gracy Chen, TRON founder Justin Sun, Aster CEO Leonard Leung, MEXC CEO Vugar Usiyev, and senior representatives from OKX, Tether, BNB Chain, Circle, Chainalysis, and TRM Labs, alongside Indonesian founders building the domestic ecosystem, including Indodax, IDRX, and Ajaib. Panel topics centered on themes with global resonance: real-world asset tokenization, on-chain payment infrastructure, digital identity, and how regulators are approaching crypto oversight in one of the world's largest emerging digital economies.
Two features distinguished this year's edition from a standard conference format. Traders Royale, powered by decentralized exchange Aster, ran a live head-to-head trading tournament pitting professional traders and KOLs against each other, a format organizers describe as part competition, part market education for a retail-trading audience. The Pitch Royale put early-stage Web3 startups directly in front of venture capital firms, an increasingly common but still high-value format for founders in emerging markets seeking international investor access.
"We didn't build IDBW for one edition, we built it for a generation," said Aditya Raflein, Chairman and Founder of IDBW. "As long as there's one Indonesian builder with a big dream, IDBW will always be here to help that dream speak to the world."
The event was backed by OKX Wallet, Tether, Aster, Binance Academy, BNB Chain, D3 Labs, Tangem, FLOQ, Indodax, Mobee, Onigiri, Anoa Token, BitGo, Bitget, Sumsub, MEXC, Bybit Indonesia, GSR, Pinetree Securities, Ajaib, MDI Ventures, Ciptadana Sekuritas Asia, and Meteon Run, alongside the Blockchain Association of Indonesia (ABI), AFTECH, Thrilld Labs, and Arktivak, plus more than 100 community, media, and event partners.
About Indonesia Blockchain Week
Indonesia Blockchain Week (IDBW) is a leading annual conference dedicated to accelerating the adoption and development of blockchain technology across Southeast Asia. Since its launch in 2019, IDBW has become a key platform for industry stakeholders to exchange insights, expand their networks, and explore collaboration opportunities within the blockchain ecosystem.
With the support of industry leaders, regulators, and technology innovators, IDBW aims to help shape a stronger and more forward-looking future for the region’s blockchain ecosystem.

SAN FRANCISCO, August 17, 2026
Early access to the confidential, compliant trading venue opens for institutions, businesses, and governments on August 17th, 2026
Provable Inc. (“Provable”), the company behind Shield Wallet and Aleo, backed by established investors in financial technology and cryptography, today announced Shield Swap, a non-custodial trading venue designed to protect sensitive financial information while supporting compliance.
Beginning today, institutions, businesses, and government entities can request early access at shield.fi.
Confidential positions. Verifiable markets.
Public blockchains expose information that professional trading firms ordinarily protect, including wallet balances, portfolio composition, transaction history, and trading strategies. Shield Swap is designed to keep that participant-level information confidential without obscuring the market itself.
Pool reserves, trade prices, transaction sizes, and fees remain publicly verifiable. A participant’s identity, balances, portfolio, and links between transactions remain shielded.
Shield Swap’s shared anonymity set strengthens as participation grows. Participants can access their own wallet-level information through owner-controlled view keys, including balances, portfolio composition, and unrealized profit and loss.
Compliance without public exposure
Shield Swap produces an encrypted compliance record for every trade. Transfers of supported dollar-denominated stablecoins also generate transaction-specific records.
Using view keys and selective disclosure, participants can share the information required by a regulator, auditor, or counterparty without exposing their entire financial history. This allows firms to demonstrate compliance while preserving the confidentiality of unrelated positions and transactions.
The venue currently supports the world’s first confidential and compliant stablecoin, USDCx on Aleo, a dollar-denominated stablecoin backed 1:1 by USDC held in Circle xReserve. In addition, the venue also supports assets such as Wrapped Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Aleo in its beta period.
“Serious trading firms do not publish their books or broadcast their positions. Yet public blockchains have forced market participants to do just that,” said Howard Wu, founder and CEO of Provable.
“Shield Swap takes a different approach: market activity remains verifiable, while identities, portfolios, and strategies remain confidential. Compliance is built into the system rather than added after the fact.”
Shield Swap opens to early access on Monday, August 17, 2026, with a public launch anticipated for Q4 2026.
About Shield Swap
Shield Swap is a non-custodial institutional trading venue for confidential, compliant digital asset markets. It keeps market activity publicly auditable while protecting participant identities, portfolios, and trading strategies. Selective disclosure gives participants control over who can access their financial information and for what purpose.
About Provable
Provable builds confidential and compliant infrastructure for financial markets. Its products include Shield Wallet and Shield Swap, and Provable is also the team behind Aleo, a Layer-1 blockchain powered by zero-knowledge cryptography. Provable develops the cryptographic systems, protocol infrastructure, and software that enable confidential transactions with programmable disclosure. More information is available at provable.com.
Early access is available at shield.fi.
Contact Information:
Howard Wu
Founder of Aleo & CEO of Provable
Email: inquiries@provable.com
Legal Disclaimer: Nothing herein should be construed as investment, legal, tax or any other kind of advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 17, 2026

With less than a month to go before FINNOVEX Saudi Arabia 2026, InterContinental Riyadh by IHG has been confirmed as the Premium Venue Partner for this year’s event, scheduled for 2–3 September 2026.
The Riyadh chapter is expected to welcome more than 200 senior decision-makers and 40 speakers, with participation from banks, financial institutions, fintech companies and technology providers.
This year’s programme is being developed around the theme “Vision 2030 & Fintech Innovation: Accelerating Saudi Arabia’s Digital Finance Ecosystem.”
The choice of InterContinental Riyadh also marks a closer association between FINNOVEX and the venue for this chapter. The property will host the main summit on 2 September, followed by executive workshops and roundtable discussions on 3 September.
Speaking about the association, Shabaz Ahmed , Show Director, FINNOVEX Global Series, said:
“Riyadh has become an important meeting point for financial services and technology, and we wanted a venue that matched the level of people we are bringing together.
For us, this was never only about booking a ballroom. We wanted the hotel to be part of the experience and part of the association. InterContinental Riyadh understood that approach, and I am pleased that we are working together for this chapter 38.
We have bankers, technology companies, regulators and senior executives coming into the same room. What matters now is making those two days useful for the people attending.”
The sponsor line-up for the Riyadh chapter currently includes OutSystems and Raqmiyath as Platinum Sponsors, Sardin as Gold Sponsor and Wultra as Bronze Sponsor.
The companies will participate alongside senior executives from the financial sector during the conference and networking programme.
FINNOVEX Saudi Arabia has been structured across two days.
2 September will host the main summit, including keynote sessions, panel discussions and executive networking.
3 September will move into a more focused format with workshops and roundtable discussions.
Topics across the programme will include the changing priorities of Saudi financial institutions, payments, technology, operational resilience, digital transformation and the role of fintech in the Kingdom’s financial sector.

Event Details
FINNOVEX Saudi Arabia 2026
2–3 September 2026
InterContinental Riyadh by IHG
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Theme: Vision 2030 & Fintech Innovation: Accelerating Saudi Arabia’s Digital Finance Ecosystem

About FINNOVEX Global Series
FINNOVEX Global Series is an international financial services event series organised by Exibex Group. It brings together senior executives from banks, financial institutions, fintech companies and technology businesses through conferences, executive roundtables and industry discussions across multiple markets.

www.ksa.finnovex.com/
About Exibex Group
Exibex Group develops and organises business events and executive programmes across financial services, fintech and technology.

Media & Partnership Enquiries
Exibex Group
info@exibex.com
Prepared by:
Zaiba Shaik
Marketing Specialist
Exibex Group

Mumbai, India, August 12, 2026
Unchained Summit will make its India debut on 5–6 November 2026 in Mumbai, bringing together global and Indian leaders across financial markets, digital assets, trading, Web3 and emerging technology.
Following editions in Dubai and Vietnam, the third edition of Unchained Summit will bring founders, investors, active traders, wealth and financial-market participants, global blockchain companies, technology leaders, policymakers and builders together in one of the world's most active digital asset and technology markets.
The confirmed speaker lineup includes S B Seker, Head of APAC at Binance; Ashish Singhal, Co-Founder of CoinSwitch; Praneeth Srikanti, Partner at Ethereal Ventures; Eva Wong, General Counsel at Parity Technologies; Prabal Banerjee, Co-Founder of Avail; Sanat Rao, Chief Investment Officer at Monarq Asset Management; Dilip Chenoy, Chairperson of the Bharat Web3 Association; Saumya Saxena, India Lead at Base; Roshan Prabhakar, Head of Product – India at Coinbase; Vineet Budki, CEO of Sigma Capital; Kunaal Patel, Head of Institutional – Asia and MENA at Ondo Finance; and Jaideep Reddy, Partner at Trilegal, among others.
India continues to see strong participation in crypto markets, ranking first in Chainalysis' 2025 Global Crypto Adoption Index, while taking a more cautious regulatory approach than several other major jurisdictions. Unchained Summit India will bring international perspectives into this conversation, examining how different markets are approaching regulation, adoption and market development.
At the same time, interest in tokenisation and enterprise blockchain continues to grow. The Reserve Bank of India has explored asset tokenisation through its CBDC sandbox, while the National Blockchain Framework reflects broader government and enterprise interest in blockchain-based infrastructure.
As India's financial capital, Mumbai provides a natural meeting point for traders, wealth managers, family offices, financial institutions, fintechs and Web3 companies, connecting the country's active digital asset market with its broader financial and technology ecosystem.
Sharath Kumar, Founder and CEO of Aeternum, the organiser of Unchained Summit, said:
“India has a unique mix of active digital asset participation, growing interest in tokenisation and blockchain, and one of the world's strongest developer ecosystems. Unchained Summit India brings together the capital, policy and technology sides of that story, with global voices adding perspective to where the market goes next.”
That dual focus will define the two days of Unchained Summit India.
Day One will focus on Markets, Finance & Digital Assets, bringing together traders, investors, wealth managers, family offices, traditional finance participants and digital asset companies for discussions around regulation and policy, trading and markets, tokenisation and real-world assets, stablecoins and payments, wealth and portfolio management, capital markets, custody and liquidity.
For S B Seker, Head of APAC at Binance, India's importance extends well beyond the size of its market.
“India is a crown jewel for Binance in terms of impact, not just scale. With deep digital penetration and a young, tech-savvy population, it is a market unmatched globally for meaningful blockchain adoption and innovation.”
Alongside the financial-market conversation is another major Indian advantage: its technology talent.
India had 21.9 million developers on GitHub in 2025, making it the platform's second-largest developer community globally, with more than 5.2 million developers added during the year.
Day Two will focus on Web3, Infrastructure & Emerging Technology, creating a technology-led programme for developers, founders and builders around blockchain infrastructure, AI and Web3, DeFi, scaling, interoperability, security and digital trust, staking, consumer applications and emerging technologies.
Ashish Singhal, Co-Founder of CoinSwitch, said:
“Web3 represents one of the most exciting opportunities to build the next generation of internet infrastructure, and India is one of the world's largest hubs with talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and technical expertise to play a leading role in shaping the industry's future.”
The technology itself will be another important part of the discussion.
Uttam Singh from Alchemy said:
“We're witnessing the financial system become programmable. The next wave of innovation will come from developers building onchain.”
Across two days, wealth managers and traders will interact with digital asset companies. Founders will meet investors. Traditional finance participants will examine tokenisation and new market infrastructure. Enterprises will explore blockchain applications. Developers and builders will engage with global protocols and technology companies, while policy and industry leaders will hear perspectives from jurisdictions taking different approaches to digital assets.
The summit will also bring international speakers, companies and participants into Mumbai, connecting India's financial and technology ecosystem with global leaders across digital assets and Web3.
For Unchained Summit, the objective is straightforward: create a setting where capital and technology, traditional finance and digital assets, and Indian builders and global markets can meet.
Mumbai will host that conversation on 5–6 November 2026. More information is available on the event’s official website: [unchainedsummit.com/india] (www.unchainedsummit.com/india)
About
Aeternum Consulting Ltd:
Aeternum organizes business-to-business events in the emerging tech space, provides strategic consulting, and tailored services to a diverse range of clients, from corporations to governments and startups to individuals. Aeternum specializes in crafting impactful B2B platforms that foster meaningful connections, drive business growth, and facilitate knowledge sharing through conferences, exhibitions, and bespoke networking opportunities.
For more information visit: [aeternuminc.com] (www.aeternuminc.com)

MIAMI, FL, August 10, 2026
Spreadefi's user base has crossed the 12,000 registered accounts mark. The company credits the audience growth to ongoing platform development, expanded functionality, and rising user interest in digital liquidity services.
Spreadefi is building infrastructure for working with digital assets and liquidity pools. Users get a personal account area where they can manage their account, track their balance and transaction history, and interact with the ecosystem's core services.
How the Platform Works
One of Spreadefi's main focus areas is liquidity pools. Users can place digital assets into them, and those funds are then pooled together with liquidity from other participants. Under the platform's model, that liquidity is used to power Spreadefi's own exchange infrastructure and partner services that need access to liquidity.
In return for providing assets, participants earn rewards according to the terms of the selected pool. Liquidity allocation and the related internal processes are automated, so users aren't required to execute trades on their own or keep a constant eye on the market.
On top of that, Spreadefi is developing its own Swap and technology solutions for partner services. Another area of focus remains the API infrastructure, designed to integrate the platform's capabilities with third-party products.
Growth of the Audience and Partner Network
Spreadefi notes that the rise in registrations is happening alongside the growth of its affiliate program. Users can invite new participants through personal links, while bloggers, owners of topic-based communities, and other content creators use the affiliate program to engage their audiences.
A growing user base also puts more load on the internal infrastructure. In response, the team keeps scaling its technical capacity and expanding the support team to maintain inquiry response speed as the number of accounts climbs.
The Company Continues to Develop the Platform
Recently, Spreadefi has focused on several areas of development at once. The team has updated the user interface, kept sharpening the internal liquidity allocation algorithms, and started preparing its own mobile app for iOS.
The upcoming app will function as a mobile version of the Dashboard. Users will be able to view key account information and get push notifications about important platform events right on their smartphones.
The company also recently held a closed-door session for the employees working on the mobile app. The discussion covered the project's completion timeline, testing of the current version, and extra features the team is considering for future updates.
The Next Stage of Growth
Hitting 12,000 registered users marks another stage in Spreadefi's development. The company expects that further expansion of functionality, the launch of the mobile app, and the growth of its partner infrastructure will help the audience keep expanding.
At the same time, the team plans to focus not just on the number of registrations, but on building the technical infrastructure needed to serve a growing user base.
Spreadefi keeps working on new features and plans to gradually reveal details on upcoming platform updates.
This Press Release was first published on BTCWire

Singapore, SG, August 8, 2026
CASX introduces a structured crypto presale with predefined timelines, fixed round-specific hard caps, transparent tokenomics, and utility centered on the Cashelix P2P payment ecosystem.
Cashelix, a blockchain-powered payment platform focused on peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, today announced the CASX Token Presale, marking a major step toward the development of its utility-driven digital payment ecosystem.
CASX is the native utility token of the Cashelix platform and is being developed to support transactions, platform fees, staking rewards, and broader ecosystem participation. Cashelix will initially focus on its P2P transaction module, providing the foundation upon which additional payment and financial services can be introduced as the ecosystem expands.
Rather than positioning CASX primarily as a speculative cryptocurrency, Cashelix is building the token around practical platform utility. CASX is intended to become an integral part of transactions within the ecosystem, while platform-generated fees will contribute toward infrastructure, security, development, and ongoing operational sustainability.
The CASX smart contract has been independently audited, adding layer of technical review and transparency ahead of wider token distribution. The project is also placing particular emphasis on clearly disclosed tokenomics, presale conditions, allocations, and vesting policies.
A Strictly Structured Crypto Presale
A defining element of the CASX presale is its structured fundraising model. Instead of maintaining an open-ended token sale, Cashelix has established predefined presale rounds with strict timelines and fixed hard caps.
Each stage is intended to operate within its published allocation and fundraising limit. Once a round reaches its hard cap or scheduled closing date, that stage concludes according to the published presale framework.
This approach is designed to give participants greater visibility into how many tokens are being offered, when individual stages conclude, and how the overall token distribution is structured.
“Transparency should begin before the first token is sold,” said a spokesperson for Cashelix. “CASX has been structured around defined presale rounds, hard caps, transparent tokenomics and genuine platform utility. Our objective is to build a sustainable blockchain payment ecosystem rather than an open-ended token fundraising campaign.”
Key Highlights for CASX Participants
⏳ Strict Presale Timeline — Defined start and end dates.🎯 Fixed Hard Caps — Predetermined limits for every round.🛡️ Audited Smart Contract — Independently audited by Coinsult💎 Utility-First Token — Built around platform usage.🔄 P2P Payment Utility — Designed for blockchain transactions.🔒 4.5% Presale Allocation — Limited share of total supply.📊 Transparent Tokenomics — Clearly disclosed allocations.💧 12% Liquidity Allocation — Dedicated to ecosystem liquidity.🏦 10% Staking Rewards — Supporting ecosystem participation.🗓️ Structured Vesting — Controlled token distribution.🌐 Expanding Ecosystem — P2P first, additional utilities planned.🚀 Roadmap-Driven Development — Growth tied to defined milestones.
Utility Beyond the Presale
Cashelix's strategy extends beyond the CASX presale. The project is developing a payment infrastructure in which token utility is connected to actual ecosystem activity.
The initial focus on P2P payments is intended to establish a practical use case for CASX from the early stages of platform development. As adoption grows, Cashelix plans to expand into additional payment capabilities, merchant services, staking and other digital financial utilities.
Transaction fees generated through the platform are intended to help sustain Cashelix operations and continued ecosystem development. This creates an economic model in which increased platform usage can contribute to the infrastructure that supports the network.
CASX has a fixed total supply of 1 billion tokens, with only 4.5% (45 million CASX) allocated to the presale. Separate allocations have been established for ecosystem development, treasury, liquidity, staking, strategic partnerships, marketing and other long-term requirements.
The limited presale allocation, combined with defined vesting and distribution policies, is designed to support a more controlled approach to circulating supply.
Building a P2P-Focused Blockchain Payment Ecosystem
The CASX Token Presale represents the beginning of a broader development roadmap for Cashelix.
By combining blockchain-based P2P payments with an integrated utility token, Cashelix aims to create an ecosystem where CASX derives its purpose from platform participation and transaction activity.
Following the presale, the project will continue progressing toward platform development milestones, liquidity deployment, broader ecosystem participation and future market availability in accordance with its published roadmap.
Additional information about the CASX Token Presale, presale rounds, tokenomics, smart contract audit, whitepaper and development roadmap is available through the project's official website, CASX.org.
About Cashelix
Cashelix is developing a blockchain-powered digital payment ecosystem centred on peer-to-peer transactions. Powered by the CASX utility token, the platform aims to provide secure, transparent and efficient blockchain payment infrastructure while creating practical token utility through transactions, platform services, staking and future payment products.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Name: Shaun Lee
Email: hello@casx.org
Web: www.casx.org

Hong Kong, August 5, 2026
Hong Kong-based Sumex, the non-custodial crypto SuperApp that unifies CeFi & DeFi portfolio management, trading, investment and rewards within one interface, today announced the integration of The Change into its growing cross-chain swap infrastructure. As part of the partnership, the first of two confirmed campaigns with The Change had been launched, giving users the opportunity to earn rewards for swap activity they already perform.
This latest routing integration further strengthens Sumex's aggregation engine while launching the first of the two confirmed campaigns with The Change, allowing users to share a $5,000 reward pool and earn additional Sigma Points through eligible swaps.
The integration represents another step in Sumex's long-term strategy of bringing the best crypto infrastructure together under one roof. Rather than relying on a single routing provider, Sumex continuously expands its aggregation network to provide users with broader asset coverage, deeper liquidity and more competitive execution across blockchain ecosystems.
Building One of the Most Comprehensive Swap Aggregation Networks
Cross-chain swaps have become an essential part of the modern crypto experience, but they remain highly fragmented. Different providers support different assets, chains and liquidity sources, often forcing users to compare multiple services before finding the best route.
Sumex was built to eliminate that complexity.
Today, the platform supports more than 3,000 digital assets across EVM-compatible networks, Solana, Tron, Stellar, Sui, TON and additional blockchain ecosystems. Behind the scenes, Sumex aggregates liquidity through more than 20 routing providers, several of which perform additional aggregation internally, significantly expanding available asset coverage and execution routes.
The result is a swap infrastructure designed to support everything from the most actively traded cryptocurrencies to highly specialized and emerging assets - without requiring users to manually search across multiple providers.
To further optimize execution, Sumex evaluates available routes through its internal optimization engine, helping users access competitive rates while displaying estimated network fees, gas costs and expected completion times before every transaction. The platform also supports private swaps, with additional privacy-focused capabilities planned as the ecosystem continues to evolve.
In short, users no longer need to compare ever-changing prices across different swap providers.
Why The Change Matters
The latest integration adds another high-quality routing provider to the Sumex ecosystem. Founded in 2024, The Change is a non-custodial crypto exchange service focused on fast automated swaps across a broad range of digital assets.
By integrating The Change, Sumex expands both its routing diversity and available liquidity sources. In addition to decentralized liquidity, The Change is also able to access centralized exchange liquidity through an automated execution model, helping improve liquidity depth and execution quality where appropriate. The service also enhances transaction privacy by facilitating execution in a way that helps reduce the direct linkage between sender and recipient wallets.
For Sumex users, this means another high-quality routing provider working behind the scenes to deliver broader market access, improved execution options and an even stronger swap experience - all without requiring users to leave the Sumex platform.
Swap, Earn and Repeat
To celebrate the integration, Sumex has launched the first of two confirmed campaigns with The Change.
The Swap-to-Earn campaign invites users to complete eligible swap tasks for a share of a $5,000 reward pool, while also earning additional Sigma Points that contribute toward long-term platform progression.
Unlike many campaigns that primarily reward the largest transaction volume, this initiative has been designed to encourage consistent participation, giving active users an opportunity to compete for rewards without disproportionately favoring whales.
The campaign is available for a limited time, allowing users to earn additional rewards simply by performing the cross-chain swaps they already intended to make.
The current Swap-to-Earn initiative is the first of the two confirmed campaigns with The Change. At the same time, Sumex continues expanding its partner ecosystem, with additional integrations and reward campaigns scheduled to launch over the coming weeks as the platform brings more best-in-class crypto services under one unified experience.
About Sumex
Sumex is a next-generation non-custodial crypto SuperApp that unifies portfolio management, trading, investing and rewards across CeFi and DeFi.
Designed around its proprietary Connection Manager, Sumex enables users to safely connect Centralized and Decentralized exchange accounts, Web3 wallets and social identities into one unified crypto experience. Through a single interface, users can track and manage their complete crypto portfolio as a whole, whether it is for trading Spot or Futures on CEXes or DEXes, executing cross-chain and private swaps, discovering investment opportunities and participating in activity-based rewards designed around meaningful ecosystem engagement.

Johannesburg, South Africa, July 21, 2026
Theme: Driving African Fintech Leadership Innovation, Inclusion & Regulatory Evolution
Date: July 21, 2026
Venue: Johannesburg Marriott Hotel, Melrose Arch, South Africa
Website: www.sa.finnovex.com/
Finnovex South Africa 2026 concluded on a high note, delivering a resounding success and firmly establishing itself as one of the most powerful and outcome-driven financial services gatherings on the continent.
Organised by Exibex Group, the summit brought together an influential community of 400+ senior decision-makers, 40+ renowned speakers, and 10+ strategic sponsors, creating a dynamic ecosystem of banks, fintech innovators, regulators, and technology leaders all under one roof.
Far more than a traditional conference, Finnovex South Africa 2026 became a catalyst for real conversations and real outcomes. It was a space where ideas were not just discussed—but challenged, refined, and transformed into actionable strategies shaping the future of Africa’s financial landscape.
From the very first interaction to the closing networking session, the energy throughout the day reflected a shared urgency: to accelerate innovation, strengthen resilience, and unlock inclusive growth at scale.
The summit delivered a power-packed agenda featuring visionary keynotes, high-impact CXO panels, strategic fireside conversations, and deep-dive discussions—each designed to move beyond theory and focus on execution, scalability, and measurable impact.
What truly set this edition apart was the quality of dialogue and level of engagement. With a highly curated audience of senior leaders, every session translated into meaningful insights, strategic alignment, and tangible business value.
Finnovex South Africa 2026 was not just well attended—it was deeply felt, actively participated in, and widely recognised as a defining moment for Africa’s financial services ecosystem.
Key Highlights — A Day of Strategy, Innovation & Leadership
The summit opened with a networking breakfast and structured icebreaker session, setting the tone for meaningful engagement and peer collaboration.
Opening remarks by Lindi Choma (African Bank) highlighted South Africa’s critical role in powering Africa’s financial transformation, setting a strong strategic direction for the day.
Visionary Keynotes That Set the Agenda
The summit featured powerful keynote sessions that explored the intersection of AI, innovation, and financial inclusion:
Dr. Thabiso Njongwe (Absa Group) delivered a compelling keynote on “Own the Intelligence”, emphasising how AI is reshaping inclusion and decision-making across financial ecosystems.Naresh Bhanotra (Infosys Finacle) explored the transition from traditional banking models to composable, platform-driven architectures.Dido wa Kalonji (FNB Eswatini) highlighted the importance of early adoption of emerging technologies to unlock exponential growth.Punki Modise (Absa Group) spoke on building future-ready institutions beyond technology.Premal Dave (Azilen Technologies) introduced a forward-looking perspective on voice-led banking and the future of human-machine interaction.Grant Kelly (Nedbank) delivered a powerful keynote on financial inclusion and social responsibility, emphasising the role of banking in driving equitable growth.
CXO Panel — Intelligence at the Core
Moderated by Lindi Choma (African Bank), this high-impact panel brought together industry leaders including:
Dido wa Kalonji (FNB Eswatini), Nkateko Mabunda (Nedbank CIB), and Ricardo Smith (Absa Group).
The discussion explored how AI, data, and advanced technologies are reshaping financial services, with a focus on scalability, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Payments & Ecosystem Transformation Take Centre Stage
Leader’s Confab Panel — Rebuilding the Payments Ecosystem
Moderated by Tryphine Zulu (Rand Mutual), the session featured leaders from Absa, Nedbank, African Bank, DBSA, Tether, and Kyriba.
The panel unpacked the future of payments infrastructure, liquidity optimisation, and cross-border innovation, highlighting Africa’s unique opportunity to lead in real-time and inclusive payment systems.
Fireside Chat — Transformation at Scale
A compelling fireside conversation between Khomotso Molabe (Standard Bank Group) and John Barber (Infosys Finacle) explored large-scale banking transformation in the age of AI, sharing real-world insights on modernisation, agility, and enterprise-wide change.
Power Panel — Digital Banking Rewired
One of the most engaging sessions of the day, this panel was moderated by Chuma Qwalela (Rand Mutual) and featured leaders from: Nedbank, Old Mutual, Standard Bank, Hollard, and FNB.
The discussion focused on how financial institutions can drive growth through customer-centric strategies, operational excellence, and digital innovation, redefining the
future of banking across Africa.
Powered by Industry Leaders Driving Innovation
Finnovex South Africa 2026 was made possible with the support of leading organisations shaping the financial ecosystem:
Lead Sponsor: Infosys FinacleSilver Sponsor: Azilen TechnologiesBronze Sponsors: Kyriba, TetherNetworking Sponsor: SASWORK
These partners played a pivotal role in driving innovation, enabling collaboration, and shaping meaningful industry conversations.
A Platform for Impact, Collaboration & Growth
From AI-driven banking to payments transformation and financial inclusion, the summit delivered practical insights and actionable strategies that will influence the next phase of Africa’s financial evolution.
The event concluded with Chair’s Closing Reflections, followed by a vibrant Networking Extravaganza, reinforcing connections and fostering future collaborations.
Looking Ahead — Finnovex Africa
As Finnovex South Africa 2026 comes to a close, one message resonates clearly:
This was not just a conference — it was a strategic convergence of ideas, leadership, and execution.
The conversations initiated here will continue to shape boardroom strategies, innovation roadmaps, and financial ecosystems across Africa and beyond.
To our speakers, partners, sponsors, and delegates:
Thank you for being part of this journey and for shaping the future of finance in Africa.
About Finnovex
Finnovex is a globally recognised platform dedicated to transforming the financial services landscape.
Through its presence across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, Finnovex brings together regulators, innovators, technology leaders, and financial institutions to reimagine the future of banking and financial ecosystems.
Each Finnovex chapter is more than an event — it is a platform for collaboration, innovation, and impact.
For sponsorship, speaking opportunities, and upcoming events, visit: www.sa.finnovex.com/
For enquiries: info@exibex.com

Hong Kong, August 3, 2026
Report compares the publicly available rules of six firms and examines industry data on how often funded traders reach a payout.
Velotrade Re Limited ("Velotrade") today announced the publication of its 2026 Prop Firm Transparency Report, a comparative review of the publicly available rulebooks of six proprietary trading firms: Topstep, FTMO, FundingPips, Blue Guardian, HyroTrader and Velotrade. The report compiles rules disclosed on each firm's own website, help-center and frequently asked questions pages, and sets them alongside published industry data on how many funded traders reach a payout.
According to the report, the terms that most often determine whether a funded trader receives a payout are frequently located in evaluation guides and help-center pages rather than on headline pricing pages, and account closures are more often associated with specific rulebook provisions than with trading losses.
"Could a trader read our rules once, in one sitting, and know every way their account could end? If the answer is no, the rulebook is not finished. Most of this industry has treated that as a marketing problem. We think it is the entire product," said Gianluca Pizzituti, Chief Executive Officer of Velotrade.
Industry data cited in the report
The report cites third-party data on trader outcomes. Data from prop firm technology provider FPFX Tech, reported exclusively by Finance Magnates in September 2024, covered more than 300,000 accounts belonging to approximately 100,000 traders across ten firms. According to that data, as attributed to FPFX Tech chief executive Justin Hertzberg, approximately 14% of traders passed a challenge and obtained a funded account, and of those approximately 45% received a payout, equivalent to approximately 7% of all traders, with the average payout reported at approximately 4% of the account size. An analysis published by hoc-trade in July 2026, drawing on more than 500,000 analysed accounts, reports a widely cited industry breakdown attributing approximately 71% of first-phase challenge failures to daily drawdown breaches rather than to missed profit targets. The report additionally states that consistency rules, where applied, can reduce the profit attributable to a single strong trading day by 33% to 50%, and that four of the six firms reviewed apply such a rule.
Drawdown models compared
The report describes two categories of maximum-loss limit. A fixed drawdown is calculated from the starting balance and does not change; the report gives the example of a $100,000 account with a 10% limit failing at $90,000. A trailing drawdown rises with equity and does not fall back. Using a modelled scenario, the report illustrates that an identical intraday pullback can leave an account within its limit under a fixed model while breaching it under a trailing model. It states that FTMO discloses a maximum loss set at 10% of the starting balance, and that Topstep discloses a trailing limit that rises with the end-of-day balance and locks at the starting figure.
Consistency rules
The report describes a consistency rule as a provision limiting the share of total profit that may derive from any single trading session. It states that Topstep, FundingPips, Blue Guardian and HyroTrader each apply a version of such a rule, at the evaluation stage or in connection with a payout tier, and that FTMO discloses a 50% "Best Day" rule on its 1-Step product within its help-center material. The report states that Velotrade does not apply a consistency rule at any stage, according to Velotrade's published rules.
Per-trade risk provisions
The report identifies a category of rule it describes as a maximum-risk-per-trade provision, which it says caps the permitted loss on an individual position or trade idea measured on unrealized, or floating, profit and loss, separately from an advertised daily loss limit. The report characterizes such provisions as capable of closing an account on a position that has not been realized at a loss, and notes three features: that they are measured on unrealized loss; that they may apply only after the funded stage; and that they may aggregate re-entries in the same direction.
On the basis of each firm's published materials, the report states that Blue Guardian discloses a "Guardian Shield" that force-closes trades at approximately 1% to 2% unrealized depending on account type, with a first breach reducing the profit split and a second closing the account; that FundingPips discloses a "Risk Per Trade Idea" rule at the funded stage that aggregates re-entries; that HyroTrader requires a stop-loss within five minutes of each trade; and that Velotrade does not publish a secondary per-trade or per-idea cap beneath its daily limit. The report characterizes these as legitimate risk-management provisions and says its observation concerns where they are disclosed.
Comparison of published rules
The report's full rulebook comparison sets the six firms against the provisions it identifies as most often determining a payout. Velotrade stated that, because it both published the report and is included in the comparison, the Velotrade row reflects the position of a market participant rather than an independent assessment, and that traders should verify current terms directly with each firm. A firm-by-firm summary follows.
1. FTMO
Drawdown model: Fixed, from initial balance (10%)Floating P&L counted: Yes, loss line includes unrealized P&LConsistency rule: Best day threshold on some account typesPosition risk rule: No secondary per-trade cap on standard accountsNews trading: Unrestricted in evaluation; short window around targeted releases once fundedWeekend holding: Allowed in evaluation; funded Standard must close before the weekend; Swing exemptRules change: Yes, news and weekend rules tighten at the funded Standard stageWhere the detail lives: Trading objectives pages, FAQ
2. Topstep
Drawdown model: Trailing, end of day, locks at starting balanceFloating P&L counted: Yes, realized and unrealized P&LConsistency rule: Best day threshold in evaluation; separate threshold on payoutPosition risk rule: No formal per-trade cap; full size into major news is a listed riskNews trading: No fixed blackout window; maximum size into major news flaggedWeekend holding: Not permitted at any stage; day-trading program with a fixed daily lossRules change: Consistency requirement and payout path differ once fundedWhere the detail lives: Help center articles
3. FundingPips
Drawdown model: Varies by product; most models fixed, one product trails 5% from peak equityFloating P&L counted: Yes, on the daily loss limit across modelsConsistency rule: Consistency score gates the higher on-demand payout tierPosition risk rule: "Risk Per Trade Idea" cap, funded stage only, aggregates re-entriesNews trading: Unrestricted in evaluation; funded accounts restricted near high-impact newsWeekend holding: Allowed in evaluation; funded accounts under a temporary restrictionRules change: Yes; per-trade cap and news and weekend rules activate once fundedWhere the detail lives: Rules pages and payout terms
4. Blue Guardian
Drawdown model: Daily loss limit plus trailing mechanics, varies by productFloating P&L counted: Yes, uses balance or equity, whichever is higherConsistency rule: Applies during evaluation; varies by productPosition risk rule: "Guardian Shield" near 2% unrealized; first trigger cuts split, second closesNews trading: Broadly permitted in evaluation; short restricted windowWeekend holding: Generally permitted, subject to plan rulesRules change: Yes; the floating loss shield and news restriction are documentedWhere the detail lives: Blog and rules documentation
5. HyroTrader
Drawdown model: Varies by plan; optional upgrade converts trailing dailyFloating P&L counted: Yes, daily drawdown monitored in real timeConsistency rule: Applies during evaluation only; drops away once fundedPosition risk rule: Mandatory stop-loss within 5 minutes of every trade, monitored liveNews trading: Holding through news permitted; news-only strategies restrictedWeekend holding: Permitted at every stage, reflecting 24/7 crypto marketsRules change: Yes; the consistency requirement applies only during evaluationWhere the detail lives: Terms and FAQ
6. Velotrade
Drawdown model: Fixed, disclosed from initial balanceFloating P&L counted: No secondary floating loss cap publishedConsistency rule: None at any stage, per published rulesPosition risk rule: None published beneath the daily limitNews trading: Permitted at every stage, per published rulesWeekend holding: Permitted at every stage, per published rulesRules change: No; rules stated as consistent from purchaseWhere the detail lives: Single published rules page
Source: each firm's own published rules pages, help-center articles and FAQs, as reviewed by the report and captured July 2026. "Varies by product" indicates that the answer differs across a firm's account types. Terms change frequently; readers should confirm current conditions directly with each firm.
Market context referenced in the report
The report cites an increase in monthly search volume for the term "prop firm" from approximately 880 in early 2020 to approximately 49,500 in 2025. It also references publicly reported firm closures following the withdrawal by MetaQuotes of MT4 and MT5 licenses from certain firms serving United States clients in February 2024, recording that The Funded Trader acknowledged more than $2 million in denied payouts; that True Forex Funds closed citing insolvency, with approximately 300 traders reported as owed $1.2 million; and that SurgeTrader ceased operations, with its chief executive reported as acknowledging that approximately 10% of payout obligations were unpaid.
Regulatory context referenced in the report
The report states that the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission is expected to open a public consultation on 1 August 2026, closing 30 November 2026, concerning whether evaluation fees constitute commodity-pool participation interests, a classification it says could bring certain evaluation-based United States futures firms within CFTC and National Futures Association registration requirements. It further states that the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority and the European Securities and Markets Authority have reiterated requirements for risk warnings and accurate performance representations in retail marketing, and that authorities in Europe, Australia and North America are considering the treatment of evaluation-fee models. The report notes these matters are not settled and that certain authorities have indicated the sector is not an immediate priority.
Conclusion of the report
The report concludes that the proprietary trading model is workable and that its observations concern disclosure at the point of sale rather than the model itself, and states that a comparison of rulebooks warrants attention comparable to that given to profit-split comparisons.
About Velotrade
Velotrade Re Limited is a proprietary trading firm that offers funded trading evaluations across crypto, forex, stocks, indices and commodities, using a single published rulebook and a fixed drawdown model. Velotrade Re Limited is incorporated and registered in Hong Kong. According to the company, its founding team has operated a licensed invoice-finance business since 2016. All trading services are provided in a simulated environment using demonstration accounts with simulated funds.
Media Contact:
Velotrade Press Office, press@velotrade.com
The full 2026 Prop Firm Transparency Report is available on Velotrade's website, at the Reports section (velotrade.com/reports/prop-firm-transparency).

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, July 30th, 2026
Utorg, a crypto wallet, card and infrastructure provider, today announced the appointment of Andrey Urychev as Chief Marketing Officer. Andrey joins from Binance, where he ran global performance marketing operations, as Utorg accelerates its expansion following its licensing as a regulated crypto service provider.
Key Facts:
Andrey Urychev appointed Chief Marketing Officer, effective July 2026Previously ran global performance marketing operations at Binance Utorg is a regulated crypto wallet, card and infrastructure providerUtorg serves 2M+ users across 130+ countries, processes 100,000+ daily transactions, and has delivered 2,100+ integrations for businesses, distributing over $2.4 billion to customers worldwide
At Binance, Andrey oversaw paid advertising and user acquisition strategies across a large variety of markets and product lines. His expertise in performance marketing and revenue-driven growth makes him a direct fit for Utorg's next phase of growth.
"My goal is to build a hardcore, performance-driven marketing engine that accelerates user acquisition globally, capitalizing on our strong regulatory positioning and strong product expertise to quickly become an industry leader," said Andrey Urychev, new CMO at Utorg.
The appointment signals Utorg's intent to aggressively capture market share in highly regulated environments, along with establishing presence in other markets across the globe. While a significant portion of the crypto industry has withdrawn from European markets following the July 1st deadline, Utorg continues to operate across all 29 EEA member states.
Daniel Stolberg, Co-founder of Utorg, commented: "We’re glad to welcome Andrey to the Utorg team. As we enter this new era of regulated crypto in Europe and beyond, having a world-class marketing leader is critical to our strategy. Andrey's relentless focus on execution and scalability is exactly what we need to aggressively expand our footprint and bring our infrastructure products, crypto wallet and card to millions of new users."
About Utorg
Founded in 2019 and trusted by more than 2 million users, Utorg is a crypto infrastructure and consumer application fintech company operating across 130+ countries. It provides regulated on/off-ramp rails, wallet infrastructure, and stablecoin solutions to fintechs, exchanges, digital asset platforms, and other businesses globally. Its consumer app offers a self-custodial multi-chain wallet and a free Visa crypto card. Backed by Dragonfly and TA Ventures, Utorg is regulated and holds PCI DSS Level 2 certification.
This Press Release was first published on BTCWire

Dubai,UAE, July 30, 2026
Global Interest free Finance Leaders to be Honoured for Excellence, Innovation, and Leadership in Addis Ababa.
AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics is proud to announce the International Interest-Free Banking & Takaful Awards 2026, which will be held on 17 August 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, alongside the 6th International Interest-Free Banking & Takaful Forum 2026 under the patronage of the National Bank of Ethiopia. The prestigious awards will recognize outstanding achievements, innovation, and leadership by institutions and professionals contributing to the growth of the global Interest free finance industry.
The Awards serve as a global platform to honour excellence across interest-free banking, Takaful, Islamic FinTech, Interest free microfinance, Shariah governance, and financial inclusion. Through a transparent and merit-based evaluation process, nominations will be assessed by an independent panel of industry experts, academics, and Shariah scholars based on innovation, governance, sustainable growth, customer value, and overall industry impact.
This year's awards feature a broad range of categories, including Best Interest-Free Bank of the Year, Best Islamic Corporate Bank, Best Takaful Company of the Year, Best Islamic FinTech Company, Best Financial Inclusion Initiative, Best Women Empowerment Initiative in Interest free Banking, Best Islamic Microfinance Institution, and several other distinguished recognitions. The awards aim to encourage best practices, strengthen interest free finance, and inspire institutions to continue driving innovation within the Interest free financial services industry.
Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer of AlHuda CIBE, stated, "The International Interest-Free Banking & Takaful Awards celebrate institutions and professionals whose vision, innovation, and commitment are transforming the Interest free finance landscape. By recognizing excellence, we aim to inspire greater collaboration, strengthen interest free financial practices, and support the sustainable development of interest-free finance across emerging and established markets."
The awards ceremony will bring together central bankers, regulators, policymakers, CEOs, Shariah scholars, investors, development organizations, and financial institutions from across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Winners will gain international recognition, strengthen their institutional credibility, and showcase their achievements before a distinguished global audience while creating new opportunities for strategic partnerships and business growth.
Nominations are open to Interest free banks, conventional banks with interest free banking operations, Takaful and Retakaful companies, Islamic FinTech firms, regulators, microfinance institutions, development organizations, and industry professionals. The deadline for nominations is 10 August 2026, while the Awards Ceremony will take place on 17 August 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, celebrating excellence and advancing the future of ethical and interest-free finance worldwide. To submit your nomination or register, visit: https://www.alhudacibe.com/ibtf2026/award.php, For further information, please contact: info@alhudacibe.com.
AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics has remained committed to the global development of Islamic banking and finance through advisory services, research, capacity building, education, and international events. The 6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum 2026 is expected to become a landmark event that strengthens partnerships, promotes innovation, and supports the future growth of interest-free finance across Africa.
About Alhuda CIBE:
AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE) is a well-recognized name in Islamic banking and finance industry for research and provides state-of-the-art Advisory Consultancy and Education through various well-recognized modes viz. Islamic Financial Product Development, Shariah Advisory, Training Workshops, and Islamic Microfinance and Takaful Consultancies etc. side by side through our distinguished, generally acceptable and known Publications in Islamic Banking and Finance.
We are dedicated to serving the community as a unique institution, advisory and capacity building for the last twelve years. The prime goal has always been to remain stick to the commitments providing Services not only in UAE/Pakistan but all over the world. We have so far served in more than 35 Countries for the development of Islamic Banking and Finance industry. For further Details about AlHuda CIBE, please visit: www.alhudacibe.com.
For Media Contact:
Ms. Shaguftta Perveen
Manager Communications,
info@alhudacibe.com
Call: +971 52 865 5523

Singapore, July 30, 2026
CoinFerenceX, the Web3 conference series known for curating high-signal gatherings of founders, investors, and builders, today announced it has combined forces with The Best Event, the events production group behind 80+ live experiences across 10+ global cities, to launch CoinFerenceX The Best Event Singapore, the next tier of the world's first Decentralised Summit. The event will take place 5-6 October 2026 at Gardens by the Bay, positioning it as a leading alternative during Singapore's Token2049 and Asia Crypto Week.
The partnership pairs CoinFerenceX's content curation and community depth with The Best Event's large-scale production and sponsor-activation track record, creating what the two companies describe as "the event nobody else can build."
What sets the conference apart is its decentralized summit model: a 2 day event shaped by the industry rather than dictated by an organizer. Where traditional conferences sell booths and speaking slots, CoinFerenceX and The Best Event will invite the founders, funds and ecosystem leaders who show up to help shape the agenda itself, deciding which conversations matter and which builders take the stage. While the organizers handle the production and logistics, the direction of the summit is set by the Web3 players with real skin in the game. It’s a gathering built by the people driving the ecosystem forward, for the people driving it forward.
The Best Event brings a track record of 80+ delivered events, a presence in more than 10 global cities, over 50 million annual organic impressions, and north of 1 billion in social reach. The group's attendance has grown from 35,000 in 2025 to a projected 70,000 in 2026. Its sponsor case studies point to concrete ROI, including one partner that turned a $50,000 investment into $1 million raised, another that saw a $50,000 spend convert into $1 million in ROI, and a third that converted two leads into a $400,000 deal.
At CoinFerenceX, partners help shape the agenda itself rather than simply buying booth space and a speaking slot. CoinFerenceX's community includes 7,500+ curated attendees from more than 70 countries, over 500 ecosystem and media partners, and more than 300 VCs and investment funds. Roughly 60% of its attendees are C-level executives or founders, and independent feedback shows 94% of past partners say they would return, with 89% rating CoinFerenceX among the top 25% of Web3 events globally.
The combined summit is designed around four experience tracks:
The Leaders Summit: an invite-only, C-level gathering where governance decisions and strategic partnerships take shape.Protocol Deep Dives: technical workshops where protocols demonstrate what they are actually shipping.The Founders' Den: a venue for early-stage builders to pitch directly to 200+ VCs and investors.The Innovation Showcase: live product demos from established players and emerging protocols alike.
Early figures for the Singapore edition point to more than 4,000 curated attendees, 500+ VCs and investors, 400+ ecosystem and media partners, 85+ C-level speakers, and more than 8,000 total event registrations. As with prior CoinFerenceX editions, roughly 60% of attendees are expected to be C-level executives or founders.
Organizers say the agenda will be co-created by founders and ecosystem leaders with skin in the game, focused on sessions that deliver actionable insight or substantive content over celebrity keynotes.
"We’re incredibly excited for this edition, it’s bigger, sharper and more ambitious than anything we’ve done before. With the whole industry in Singapore that week, we’ve curated a stage and an audience that turns that energy into real conversations and real deals. This is CoinFerenceX The Best Event at its strongest," shared Prince Gupta, Co-Founder of CoinFerenceX
Tobias Bauer, Co-Founder of The Best Event, added, "This partnership is the best of both worlds: CoinFerenceX's curated speaker line-ups meet The Best Event's scale of 50,000 attendees a year, the largest Web3 event series globally. Together we're bringing one of the biggest two-day conferences to Singapore, our home market, with frontier thought leadership and production quality unlike anything else in the space."
Event Details
Event: CoinFerenceX The Best Event SingaporeDates: 5-6 October 2026Venue: Gardens by the Bay, SingaporeTickets & partner applications: www.coinferencex.com/singapore
About CoinFerenceX
CoinFerenceX is a global decentralized Web3 summit connecting founders, investors, blockchain companies, developers, and industry leaders to accelerate innovation and collaboration in the digital economy. Through its ecosystem-driven approach, CoinFerenceX creates a platform for meaningful networking, knowledge exchange, startup opportunities, and strategic partnerships shaping the future of Web3. The summit brings together the brightest minds across blockchain, AI, DeFi, gaming, and emerging technologies to explore industry trends, showcase groundbreaking solutions, and build the next generation of decentralized ecosystems.
About The Best Event
TBE is the events arm of TBV, an early-stage venture capital fund backing web2.5 and web3 startups across Southeast Asia and North America. TBE curates high-caliber gatherings that anchor the biggest weeks in web3, with a track record of 80+ delivered events across 10+ global cities. Every event is built around one goal: putting the right founders, funds, and operators in the same room so real deals and partnerships can happen. That network runs deep, backed by a 10,000+ strong Telegram community and a social following north of 100,000.
Media Contact
Anmol Malviya
Head of PR
CoinFerenceX
media@coinferencex.com

New York, USA, October 7, 2026
The company opens a limited set of founding sponsorships now, ahead of its full lineup reveal, for what it is building into the marquee entertainment night of crypto’s biggest week in Asia.
Web3 Is A Joke today announced the Roast of Crypto & AI, a live comedy event in development for Token2049 Singapore week, the industry’s largest gathering in Asia, which returns to Marina Bay Sands on October 7 and 8, 2026. The show will be on October 7th and is designed as a standalone entertainment night that turns the industry’s own absurdities into the punchline, and the company is opening a small number of founding sponsorships before the full lineup goes public.
The concept is simple, and so far untried at this scale. Rather than another panel stage or rooftop mixer, the Roast of Crypto & AI puts professional comedians in front of a crypto audience to poke holes in the hype, the tokens, the founders, and the artificial intelligence gold rush now reshaping the industry. Organizers are assembling a lineup of U.S. comedic talent and have a major Hip-Hop act to headline a live musical performance, with names to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
“For too long, Web3 events have run on panels and open bars,” said Mona Shaikh, CEO and founder of Web3 Is A Joke and creator of the Roast of Crypto & AI. “We are building something people will actually talk about the next morning. Comedy is how a serious industry learns to laugh at itself, and we want the Roast to become the night everyone tries to get into during Token2049 week.”
Interest from potential partners has been strong in these early stages, and the company is now formalizing its first sponsorship agreements. Founding sponsors will receive the highest tier of visibility across the event and its promotion, and only a small number of these positions will be offered before the lineup announcement raises the profile of the show.
The Roast of Crypto & AI is working with 21Rates.com as a partner. Additional partners are expected to be named in the weeks ahead.
Brands interested in a founding sponsorship are encouraged to reach out directly, since availability is limited and priced ahead of the public lineup reveal. Details on the full lineup, venue, and ticketing will follow in the coming weeks.
About Web3 Is A Joke
Web3 Is A Joke is the company behind the Roast of Crypto & AI, a standalone comedy and entertainment event built for Token2049 Singapore week. The show brings professional comedic talent to a crypto audience for a night of sharp, good-natured fun at the expense of the fast-moving, high-stakes worlds of crypto and AI.
Visit : www.web3isajoke.io

Dubai, UAE, July 20, 2026
Driving digital transformation and innovation for the future of interest-free banking and Takaful in Africa
AlHuda Centre of Islamic Banking and Economics (AlHuda CIBE) is pleased to announce Digaf MFI as the Official Technology Sponsor of the 6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum 2026, to be held on August 17, 2026, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the patronage of the National Bank of Ethiopia. The forum, themed "Connecting Global Expertise with Africa's Emerging Islamic Finance Markets," will bring together global leaders, regulators, financial institutions, FinTech companies, and development organizations to accelerate the growth of interest-free finance across Africa.
As the Technology Sponsor, Digaf MFI will play a significant role in supporting the event's digital engagement and reinforcing the importance of technology-driven financial solutions in expanding access to ethical and inclusive financial services. The partnership reflects the growing convergence of Islamic finance and financial technology, enabling institutions to deliver innovative, efficient, and customer-centric financial solutions.
With digital transformation becoming a key driver of financial inclusion, Digaf MFI's participation highlights its commitment to empowering financial institutions through advanced technology and supporting the development of sustainable, Shariah-compliant financial ecosystems. The collaboration also aligns with Ethiopia's rapidly evolving financial sector, where digital innovation is creating new opportunities for inclusive economic growth.
This collaboration positions Digaf MFI not only as the forum's Technology Sponsor but also as a strategic partner in advancing Ethiopia's digital Islamic finance ecosystem and strengthening Africa's position in the global interest-free finance industry.
Mr. Muhammad Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer of AlHuda CIBE, stated:" We are delighted to welcome Digaf MFI as our Technology Sponsor for the 6th International Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Forum 2026. Technology is transforming the future of Islamic finance, and partnerships with innovative organizations such as Digaf MFI strengthen our mission to promote digital, ethical, and inclusive financial solutions across Africa and beyond."
Ato Dereje Turi, CEO Digaf MFI remarked: "We are honored to partner with AlHuda CIBE as the Official Technology Sponsor of this prestigious international forum. At Digaf MFI, we believe the future of financial services lies in the integration of technology, innovation, and ethical finance. Through Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital lending, agent banking, embedded finance, and Islamic FinTech, we are building a digital-first financial ecosystem that expands access to inclusive and Shariah-compliant financial services. We look forward to collaborating with global industry leaders to accelerate the future of interest-free finance in Ethiopia and across Africa."
The forum will feature high-level keynote sessions, expert panel discussions, technical presentations, networking meetings, and the 6th Interest-Free Banking and Takaful Awards 2026, providing an exceptional platform for knowledge sharing, strategic partnerships, and investment opportunities across the Islamic finance industry.
AlHuda CIBE welcomes Digaf MFI to this landmark international event and looks forward to a successful collaboration that will showcase the transformative role of technology in shaping the future of interest-free banking and finance.
About Digaf MFI
Digaf MFI is Ethiopia's digital-first licensed microfinance institution, committed to transforming financial services through technology and innovation. The institution leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital lending, agent banking, embedded finance, alternative data-driven credit scoring, and digital payments to expand financial inclusion and enhance customer experience. Digaf is also pioneering digital interest-free finance, micro-insurance, and next-generation financial solutions that contribute to sustainable economic development in Ethiopia.
About Alhuda CIBE:
AlHuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics (CIBE) is a well-recognized name in Islamic banking and finance industry for research and provides state-of-the-art Advisory Consultancy and Education through various well-recognized modes viz. Islamic Financial Product Development, Shariah Advisory, Training Workshops, and Islamic Microfinance and Takaful Consultancies etc. side by side through our distinguished, generally acceptable and known Publications in Islamic Banking and Finance.
We are dedicated to serving the community as a unique institution, advisory and capacity building for the last twelve years. The prime goal has always been to remain stick to the commitments providing Services not only in UAE/Pakistan but all over the world. We have so far served in more than 35 Countries for the development of Islamic Banking and Finance industry. For further Details about AlHuda CIBE, please visit: www.alhudacibe.com.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, July 22, 2026
VAP Group today announced the Global Trading Show from 15-16 December 2026 at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. Powered by Times Of Trading, the event brings together the full spectrum of the trading world, including the most influential 5,000+ market movers together such as ultra-HNW investors, brokers, regulators, exchanges, institutional desks, high-volume traders, influencers and leading financial key opinion leaders, all under one roof at one of the region's most prestigious venues. Until now, the region's trading events have focused on individual markets, while the Global Trading Show unites every asset class, trading technologies, and trader communities, making it a truly cross-asset event for every type of trader.
The Global Trading Show is built on three pillars designed to give attendees direct access to the entire investment universe and the people driving it.
Multi-Asset Trading FloorBrokers, exchanges, and trading platforms will showcase their products side by side, giving traders and institutions a single vantage point across every major asset class and removing the need for fragmented, single-market events.
Live Trading TournamentA live trading tournament executed on regulated infrastructure, with a fully transparent prize pool. The competition puts skill on public display in real time, offering sponsors and platforms a high-visibility stage to demonstrate execution quality and reliability under pressure.
KOLs & CreatorsGlobal Trading Show recognizes that today's markets move as much through influence as through infrastructure. The event convenes leading financial KOLs and creators alongside institutional players, bridging the gap between the trading floor and the platforms where retail and professional audiences increasingly get their market intelligence.
The two-day event will spotlight the next evolution of trading through dedicated AI & Quant, Web3 & DeFi, Retail Education, and Institutional Liquidity zones, complemented by live trading challenges, expert-led masterclasses, and exclusive institutional forums with closed-door sessions and open panels for hedge funds, prime brokers, liquidity providers, sovereign wealth funds and family offices.
"Capital today moves across forex, crypto, gold, AI-driven strategies and more, all at once, yet the industry still meets in silos. We are proud to announce that the Global Trading Show is the region's only event to bring seven asset classes under one umbrella, where the entire ecosystem converges. Abu Dhabi is where institutional money and emerging assets now meet, so this conversation belongs here, in one of the most significant sovereign-grade venues in the region" - Vishal Parmar, Founder and CEO, VAP Group.
The Global Trading Show highlights how rapidly evolving technology is reshaping market structures by bridging institutional finance with high-velocity retail trading. It serves as a collaborative and intersectional hub for legacy banking compliance, decentralized blockchain networks, and cross-market portfolios.
For sponsorship opportunities, speaker applications, and delegate registration details,
visit globaltradingshow.com. For media queries reach out at media@globaltradingshow.com.
About VAP Group
With 13+ years of expertise, VAP Group is a premier global consulting and media powerhouse driving the next wave of technology-led growth.
Through its media ecosystem and flagship events, including the Global AI Show, Global Games Show, and Global Blockchain Show, VAP Group connects policymakers, enterprises, and innovators worldwide, enabling strategic communications, ecosystem-building, and talent solutions.
Email: media@globaltradingshow.com For more information: www.globaltradingshow.com/

Singapore, October 6, 2026
Despite being one of the fastest-growing sectors, the global artificial intelligence ecosystem faces a critical developmental bottleneck. Yes, technology is innovating at an unprecedented rate, but early-stage and Series A AI startups routinely struggle to secure the highly specialized capital, computational resources, and strategic guidance required to survive the industry’s notoriously capital-intensive scaling phase. To address this challenge, AI Capital Connect is co-hosting the highly anticipated Founders & Funders Forum. Powered by the leading media network Times of AI, this initiative is explicitly engineered to bypass the issues of traditional fundraising methods and directly align high-potential AI builders with institutional backers actively deploying capital across this modern deep tech stack.
The initial developmental landscape for artificial intelligence technologies has fundamentally shifted. Given the current AI industry's incredible technical nuance, generalist venture capital firms do not have the knowledge required to evaluate it. Additionally, sovereign infrastructure dependencies and lengthy monetization timelines associated with proprietary machine learning models and agentic frameworks further complicate this process. The Founders & Funders Forum addresses this specific industry fragmentation by creating a platform that enforces meaningful partnerships. It creates a network that the most technically resilient startups across raw seed-stage concepts and metrics-proven Series A enterprises will be able to benefit the most from. This structure ensures that participating institutional allocators, specialized venture capital funds, and forward-thinking family offices interface exclusively with high-caliber, investment-ready technical teams.
The lack of conceptual creativity isn’t the core issue with innovators working in the artificial intelligence tech stack today. Instead, it is the lack of structured access to informed, long-term capital. By collaborating with Times of AI, this event transforms into an objective, transactional marketplace, where the global investment community can bypass superficial startup pitches and engage directly with founders and teams that are building meaningful technology. The Founders & Funders Forum is intentionally structured in this pattern to ensure that deep technical vision matches institutional operation expertise.
The Founders & Funders Forum deviates from conventional, lecture-heavy corporate conference formats. The event relies heavily on hyper-focused speed networking and structured capital matchmaking pipelines. By matching the granular portfolio mandates of elite venture capital firms with vetted technical teams, the forum significantly optimizes the typical due diligence timeline. Founders receive unhindered, rapid access to true decision-makers across the capital stack, while investors are presented with a highly compressed, pre-vetted catalog of startups demonstrating true enterprise value, market-validated unit economics, and robust intellectual property portfolios.
As the operational force driving the ecosystem's public visibility, Times of AI will provide unmatched conceptual integration, monitoring the technological trends emerging directly from the forum's elite cohorts. The platform’s deep journalistic commitment to tracking structural advancements in machine learning, natural language processing, autonomous robotics, and agentic compute environments will offer participants a highly contextualized backdrop for strategic growth. This strategic alignment ensures that the intellectual property, commercial announcements, and technological breakthroughs originating within the forum receive clear, authoritative analysis tailored directly for a sophisticated global technology and investment audience.
The modern artificial intelligence startup economy requires an infrastructure that supports comprehensive enterprise development. Beyond raw financial capital, the Founders & Funders Forum integrates an expansive supporting network comprised of tier-one technological advisory firms, regulatory experts specialized in algorithmic compliance, machine learning infrastructure providers, and specialized technology recruiters. This complete ecosystem architecture ensures that once a capital connection is initiated within the hub, founders possess immediate access to the secondary operational pillars required to scale corporate operations, defend IP portfolios, and navigate complex global regulatory landscapes.
The Founders & Funders Forum is a place where technical development meets funding. Due to the highly curated and personal nature of the matchmaking infrastructure, participation remains strictly capped. Institutional asset managers, qualified venture capitalists, family offices, and technical founders leading early-stage to Series A AI enterprises are encouraged to secure placement within this premier capital ecosystem now, because here’s where the future is being built!

Baar, Zug, Switzerland, July 21, 2026
The Ethereum presale opened twelve years ago, on July 22, 2014. Today, 621 of its original genesis wallets — holding 1,421,008 ETH, about $2.7 billion — have still never moved.
Twelve years ago, on July 22, 2014, the Ethereum presale opened. KeychainX, a Swiss cryptocurrency wallet-recovery firm, has released an on-chain study of the sale. It found that 621 of the original genesis wallets have never sent a single transaction in the twelve years since, holding 1,421,008 ETH — about $2.7 billion at current prices. The study also identified 30 presale wallets that moved for the first time in 2025 and 2026 after roughly a decade of dormancy.
On-chain data was captured on July 19, 2026, and valued at an ETH price of about $1,930 on July 21, 2026; dollar figures change as the ETH price and the underlying wallets move.
Key Findings
8,893 Ethereum presale genesis addresses were scanned.621 of them (7.0%) have never sent a transaction — a nonce of zero.1,421,008 ETH remains dormant in those wallets, about $2.7 billion at an ETH price of $1,930.That is roughly 2.4% of the approximately 60 million ETH sold in the presale.30 wallets moved for the first time in 2025 and 2026, sending about 67,900 ETH (about $131 million).
A 12-Year-Old Crowdsale, Measured On-Chain
The Ethereum presale ran for 42 days, from July 22 to September 2, 2014, selling roughly 60 million ETH at about $0.31 each and raising around 31,500 BTC. Buyers received their allocations in the network's 2015 genesis block. A significant share of those wallets have not moved since.
KeychainX scanned every presale genesis address to measure how many wallets, and how much ETH, remain with no outgoing transaction. Balances and transaction counts are public values that can be reproduced on any Ethereum node or block explorer.
How the Study Was Measured
The method reads two public values for each of the 8,893 presale genesis addresses: the account's transaction nonce and its ETH balance. A nonce of zero indicates the address has never broadcast an outgoing transaction, meaning the original allocation has never been spent or moved. For any wallet that had moved, the study also recorded the date and size of its first outflow. All values were read on July 19, 2026.
Some earlier counts cite roughly 521,000 ETH across about 620 wallets. That figure counts only addresses whose sole transaction is the incoming genesis allocation, which excludes any wallet that later received an airdrop, transfer, or spam token — even if the owner never sent anything out. The KeychainX study counts wallets with a nonce of zero, which captures every address whose owner has never moved funds. The largest example is a 250,000-ETH wallet that has collected airdropped tokens for years but has never broadcast an outgoing transaction.
Where the Dormant ETH Sits
The dormancy is concentrated. The 29 wallets holding 10,000 ETH or more account for 825,321 ETH, about 58% of the dormant total, and the ten largest alone hold 523,322 ETH. At the other end, 186 wallets under 100 ETH hold about half a percent between them.
ETH balance bandDormant walletsETH heldShare of dormant ETH10,000+ ETH29825,32158.0%1,000–10,000 ETH202525,69837.0%100–1,000 ETH20063,2564.5%10–100 ETH1866,7330.5%Under 10 ETH4~00.0%Total6211,421,008100%
Wallets Waking Up in 2025 and 2026
The dormant pool is not static. The study verified each wallet's first-ever outflow date to distinguish genuine awakenings — wallets untouched for roughly a decade that then moved — from addresses that had been active all along.
In 2025, 20 presale wallets moved for the first time, sending about 52,755 ETH, led by a single wallet that moved 40,000 ETH. In 2026 to date, another 10 have moved, sending about 15,164 ETH, including one wallet of 10,000 ETH. Together that is 30 wallets and roughly 67,900 ETH, about $131 million at current prices.
Of the 30 wallets, 22 were emptied almost completely rather than partially moved; eight moved part of their balance and still hold ETH. KeychainX reports that it has recovered access to several 2014 presale wallets for their owners during this 2025–2026 period, in cases where the wallet file survived but the stored password no longer decrypted it.
“Every time one of these wallets moves, it is a reminder that a large share of this ETH is not gone — it is stuck,” said Peter M., Chief Financial Officer of KeychainX. “In most of the cases we see, the owner is convinced the password is correct and cannot understand why it fails. It usually comes down to how a 2014 browser encoded a single non-standard character. When we reproduce that, the wallet opens.”
Dormant Does Not Mean Lost
A nonce of zero shows that a wallet has never moved; it does not show that a wallet is lost. The dormant set is mixed. Some holdings are deliberate long-term positions, and some addresses may belong to early contributors or foundations. A portion are likely lost or forgotten — misplaced wallet files, forgotten passwords, or abandoned presale files. The study measures the size of the pool rather than labeling each address.
Independent researchers have reached similar orders of magnitude. Coinbase executive Conor Grogan has estimated that more than 900,000 ETH is likely lost permanently.
Documented Cases
The public record includes several presale participants who lost or cannot reach their ETH. The best-known is a 250,000-ETH wallet attributed to Rain Lõhmus, a founder of Estonia's LHV Bank, who bought the stake for about $75,000 in 2014 and has said he lost access; the wallet has never moved and is worth about $483 million at an ETH price of $1,930. Other reported cases include a family unable to access roughly $6 million in presale ETH, and a buyer of about 1,970 presale ETH who lost the wallet file after storing it in a deleted email.
Why Some 2014 Passwords Fail
Ethereum's presale wallets were encrypted by 2014-era browser JavaScript and are decrypted today by modern software. As a result, a single non-ASCII character can be represented as different bytes than were originally stored, so a password the owner remembers correctly can still fail to decrypt.
Documented causes include Unicode normalization differences (NFC versus NFD), macOS smart quotes and accented characters, and keyboard-layout remaps. Where the presale wallet file still exists, these encoding mismatches can often be reproduced and the wallet opened; where the file itself is gone, recovery is not possible.
About KeychainX
KeychainX AG is a cryptocurrency wallet-recovery company based in Baar, Zug, Switzerland, founded in 2017. It helps individuals and organizations regain access to lost or locked crypto wallets, including 2014 Ethereum presale wallets, keystore files, and hardware and software wallets. The company has assisted more than 1,000 clients. More information is available at KeychainX.
Media Contact
Peter M.
Chief Financial Officer, KeychainX
mail@keychainx.io

Singapore, October 6, 2026
The next phase of Web3 will be driven not just by technology, but by narratives, creators, and communities. Projects and products in the Web3 ecosystem rely heavily on cryptography, scalable layer-2 solutions, and robust smart contracts. However, it is the human element that breathes life into these protocols. Without a compelling story and a dedicated base of advocates, even the most revolutionary code remains invisible in a crowded marketplace. With the industry shifting from pure technical experimentation to mass community coordination, the ability to curate a loyal follower base is what gives a project the biggest competitive advantage.
In this rapidly evolving ecosystem, KOL Connect serves as the definitive meeting point for creators, community leaders, and project builders looking to redefine the boundaries of decentralized engagement. This high-impact forum provides a platform for strategic distribution aligned with raw vision. Powered by Blockchain Marketing Ninja, a premier agency renowned for engineering native growth and sophisticated marketing strategies in the crypto sector, the event is designed to turn decentralized communication into measurable ecosystem momentum.
The Evolution of the Web3 Creator Economy
The rapidly evolving creator economy in Web3 is the core idea that powers this event. In the legacy internet era, centralized platforms mostly governed creators, creating different bottlenecks in terms of distribution. In the decentralized ecosystem, creators are evolving into equity holders, protocol co-builders, and sovereign economic entities. Because of this structural shift, modern KOLs wield unprecedented influence over adoption, trust, and market sentiment.
This evolution has fundamentally altered how corporate communications are approached. The shift from transactional, one-off paid promotions toward deep, long-term collaborations is massive. Web3 founders realize that a single sponsored post rarely yields sustainable growth. Instead, true value lies in onboarding creators as long-term advisors who have skin in the game and a genuine alignment with the project's roadmap.
Simultaneously, the industry is experiencing the rise of community-led growth models. Supported by this philosophy, KOL Connect enables collaborations between influencers, startups, and investors to drive adoption and ecosystem growth, establishing a blueprint for sustainable project lifecycles.
Inside KOL Connect: An Atmosphere of High-Signal Exchange
Unlike sprawling, impersonal industry conventions where meaningful connection is lost in the noise, KOL Connect is intentionally curated to maximize relationship capital.
Panels & Open Discussions: The programming avoids generic market recaps, opting instead for raw, unscripted dialogues regarding tokenized incentives, audience retention mechanics, and the monetization of digital identity.Meet & Greet Style Networking: The layout removes physical barriers between speakers and attendees, allowing founders, funders, and content creators to converse on equal footing.Idea Exchange in a Close-Knit Setting: The environment prioritizes depth over breadth, fostering an intimate atmosphere where genuine trust can be established, and joint ventures can be mapped out in real time.
Furthermore, the event provides actionable insights that include discussions on the creator economy, AI-driven content creation, and the broader marketing evolution. Attendees will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming asset production and how decentralized communities can maintain authenticity where automated content reigns supreme.
Who Should Care?
This gathering is uniquely tailored for professionals who recognize that attention is the ultimate constraint in the digital age. KOL Connect naturally attracts:
Creators & Influencers who want to move past superficial sponsorships and secure meaningful, long-term equity and advisory roles with top-tier protocols.Founders & Core Developers looking to launch projects, pivot their branding, or tap into ready-made, highly engaged distribution networks.Marketers & Growth Executives aiming to master community-led acquisition strategies and optimize their marketing spend.Community Builders seeking to learn new frameworks for transforming passive token holders into active ecosystem advocates.
Shape the Narrative
As the decentralized ecosystem matures, the line between product development and community sentiment continues to blur. In Web3, narratives build ecosystems, and creators lead those narratives. The projects that dominate the next decade will not simply be those with the fastest transaction speeds, but those that successfully capture the cultural imagination of the space.
Do not allow your project to be left out of the conversation. Be part of the conversation, align with the industry's most influential voices, and drive the next wave of decentralized growth. The era of modern marketing systems starts from here!
Please visit :
www.blockchainmarketingninja.com
www.kolconnect.org