Chainwire

Dubai, UAE, April 16th, 2026, Chainwire

Utexo, the Bitcoin-native execution and settlement layer for stablecoin payments, today announced a collaboration with x402 to bring USDT compatibility to the x402 payment protocol and support real-time, agent-to-agent transactions with settlement speeds as fast as 50 milliseconds.

x402 is an open protocol that allows payments to be embedded directly into HTTP requests using the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code. This allows applications, APIs, and autonomous systems to pay for services in real time without relying on accounts or pre-funded balances.

With Utexo’s integration, developers using x402 will now be able to transact in USDT, expanding beyond its initial support for USDC and increasing access to one of the most widely used stablecoins in global markets.

Utexo’s infrastructure is designed to handle confidential, low-latency transactions, making it well suited for machine-driven payments where speed, privacy and reliability are critical. In April, 2026, Utexo joined the Linux Foundation as an official member.

Viktor Ihnatiuk, Co-Founder and CEO of Utexo, said, “x402 introduces a new way for value to move across the internet by embedding payments directly into requests. Supporting USDT within this framework expands access significantly and gives developers the performance they need to build real-time, agent-driven systems.”

Kevin Leffew, x402 Projects Lead at Coinbase, added, “Our goal with x402 is to make payments a seamless part of how the internet works. Expanding access to more stablecoins improves performance and broadens asset support, which helps accelerate adoption among developers building autonomous and API-based services.”

The integration supports a growing category of use cases where software systems transact independently. This includes paying for API calls, accessing data on demand, and coordinating services across platforms without manual intervention.

As AI systems and autonomous agents become more widely deployed, the need for fast, programmable payments continues to increase. By combining x402’s protocol with Utexo’s settlement infrastructure, the collaboration supports a model where transactions can happen as quickly and efficiently as the requests that trigger them.

About Utexo

Utexo is a Bitcoin-native execution and settlement layer for stablecoin payments. By combining Lightning Network’s instant execution with RGB’s privacy-preserving asset issuance, Utexo’s API and SDK enable payment operators to process USDT transactions instantly with predictable costs and full and private execution.

About x402

x402 is an open payment protocol designed to make payments a native part of the internet by embedding them directly into HTTP requests. The protocol builds on the long-unused HTTP 402 status code to allow servers to request payment in response to a query, enabling instant, per-request transactions for APIs, data services, and machine-driven applications.

Early development and adoption of x402 has been closely aligned with the growing stablecoin ecosystem around USDC, including tooling and infrastructure that has emerged alongside networks and developer platforms associated with Coinbase. This has positioned x402 as a natural fit for developers already building with onchain payments and API-native financial flows.

By expanding support to USDT and integrating high-speed settlement through Utexo, x402 is broadening its reach beyond its initial base and moving toward a more asset-agnostic standard for internet-native payments.

Contact

Jon PhillipsUtexo@PhillComm.Global Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Tel Aviv, Israel, April 16th, 2026, Chainwire

Orbs has officially launched its decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), introducing a governance framework that transfers protocol decision-making to its global community. The rollout will begin in the coming weeks, marking a significant step toward fully decentralized governance.

The DAO launch marks a milestone for Orbs after years of infrastructure development, product deployment, and regulatory planning. Rather than introducing governance prematurely, the protocol prioritized building a foundation of active products, integrations, and revenue streams to support meaningful, on-chain decision-making.

“Governance only works when there is something real to govern,” said Ran Hammer, Chief Business Officer at Orbs. “After years of building products, generating revenue, and scaling adoption, we are now in a position where the community can actively shape the protocol’s future with real data and real impact.”

Orbs has developed a suite of Layer-3 trading protocols currently in production, including dLIMIT, dTWAP, Liquidity Hub, Perpetual Hub, and dSLTP. To date, the ecosystem has processed more than $3 billion in cumulative trading volume and generated over $3 million in protocol revenue. The network supports more than 30 decentralized exchange integrations across multiple chains and is secured by over 1 billion staked ORBS tokens.

The DAO will govern key aspects of the protocol, including the allocation of protocol revenue, token economics, network upgrades, validator oversight, and ecosystem grants. This includes decision-making over how fees generated by Orbs’ trading protocols are deployed, as well as parameters related to staking rewards, token supply mechanisms, and liquidity strategies.

A defining feature of the Orbs DAO is its seasonal governance model. Rather than locking in long-term parameters, the DAO will operate in defined cycles, allowing the community to reassess priorities, adjust tokenomics, and reallocate resources based on evolving market conditions. This structure is designed to provide flexibility while maintaining operational discipline.

The rollout will begin with two initial governance votes. The first vote will establish the DAO’s core structure, including voting mechanisms and operational frameworks. The second vote will focus on Season 1 tokenomics, enabling the community to determine how protocol revenue is distributed across initiatives such as token burns, staking incentives, liquidity provisioning, and treasury reserves.

The move comes as decentralized finance protocols increasingly activate governance over revenue streams. Recent developments across the industry reflect a broader shift toward community-driven capital allocation and protocol sustainability.

With its DAO rollout, Orbs aims to extend its existing governance foundation, which includes Guardians and Delegators responsible for network security, into a broader framework for protocol-level decision-making. The transition positions the community to take a more active role in shaping the network’s long-term direction.

About Orbs

Orbs is a decentralized Layer-3 blockchain designed specifically for advanced onchain trading. Utilizing a Proof-of-Stake consensus, Orbs acts as a supplementary execution layer, facilitating complex logic and scripts beyond the native functionalities of smart contracts. Orbs-powered protocols such as dLIMIT, dTWAP, Liquidity Hub and Perpetual Hub expand DeFi execution capabilities by introducing advanced trading infrastructure to onchain markets.

Learn more at https://www.orbs.com/

Contact

Ran Hammerhello@orbs.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

San Francisco, California, April 16th, 2026, Chainwire

Cecuro's AI smart contract security agent identifies 87.7% of high-severity findings on OpenAI’s EVMBench, as AI exploit costs fall to $1.22 per contract and offensive capability doubles every 1.3 months.

Cecuro, an AI-powered smart contract auditing platform, today published results from its evaluation on EVMBench, the open-source smart contract security benchmark developed by OpenAI, Paradigm, and OtterSec. Cecuro's multi-agent security system achieved an 87.7% recall on the benchmark's “detect” task, identifying 101 of 120 high-severity vulnerabilities across 40 real-world audit cases. The next-best system, Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6, scored 45.6%.

EVMBench was released in February, 2026 to evaluate AI agents on three smart contract security tasks: detecting vulnerabilities, exploiting them, and patching them. The benchmark contains 120 curated high-severity findings from 40 audit cases sourced primarily from competitive audit platforms. It has quickly established itself as the industry standard for measuring AI security capabilities in the EVM ecosystem.

AI EXPLOIT CAPABILITY IS ACCELERATING

These results arrive amid growing evidence that AI is fundamentally changing the economics of smart contract exploitation. Anthropic's SCONE-bench research, published in December 2025, found that the average cost of an AI-powered exploit scan has fallen to just $1.22 per contract, and that offensive AI capability is doubling approximately every 1.3 months. On EVMBench itself, OpenAI's GPT-5.3-Codex achieved a 72.2% success rate executing end-to-end exploits against known vulnerable contracts.

With $3.4 billion stolen from blockchain platforms in 2025, the gap between offensive and defensive AI capability continues to widen. A motivated adversary can now scan thousands of smart contracts for under $2,000 using commercially available AI tools, raising the question of whether the industry's defensive tooling is keeping pace.

GENERAL-PURPOSE AI IS NOT ENOUGH

The EVMBench results show that general-purpose AI, despite its broad capabilities, falls short on smart contract security. Every major AI lab was represented in the evaluation. Cecuro's 87.7% detection rate was nearly double Claude Opus 4.6 (45.6%), more than double GPT-5.3-Codex and GPT-5.2 (both 39.2%), and more than four times Gemini 3 Pro (20.8%). OpenAI's o3 detected just 10.6%.

The performance gap stems from architectural specialization. General-purpose models bring strong reasoning capabilities but lack the structured methodology and domain knowledge required for systematic vulnerability detection: lending protocol mechanics, AMM price manipulation vectors, cross-contract callback risks, and DeFi-specific interaction patterns that drive real-world losses.

These findings are consistent with an earlier benchmark published by Cecuro and covered by CoinDesk, which evaluated 90 real-world exploited contracts representing $228 million in losses and found a 92% detection rate, with Cecuro's system covering $96.8 million in exploitable value compared to $7.5 million for a standard frontier AI agent.

EVMBench uses containerized environments, deterministic EVM replay, and automated scoring. All 120 findings are high-severity vulnerabilities independently confirmed through competitive audit processes. The benchmark applies simple system prompts across leading AI coding tools, providing a standardized baseline for comparison. 

About Cecuro

Cecuro is the industry leading AI smart contract auditing platform. Its rigorous multi-agent AI smart contract auditing system provides vulnerability detection across all blockchain networks and smart contract languages, delivering comprehensive security reviews in hours. 

Learn more at https://cecuro.ai.

Contact

CEODaniel DelouyaCecurodaniel@cecuro.ai Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Paris, Frankfurt, London, April 15th, 2026, Chainwire

tradias GmbH and Asset Reality Limited, supported by Tangany GmbH, today announced they have been selected as the sole providers for the end-to-end sale of all virtual assets seized and confiscated in criminal cases, following the award of the public service contract published by the French Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (Agrasc).

Under this framework, Asset Reality, a platform specialising in the management and operations of seized assets for governments, operates the dedicated platform used to sell virtual assets managed by Agrasc in France. Its strategic partner, tradias, a BaFin regulated crypto-asset services provider and investment firm, provides execution and settlement capabilities for the liquidations, with the support of Tangany GmbH as the underlying custodian. The first successful liquidations have already been completed under this innovative model, which brings together leading crypto asset service providers.

France thus adopts the Asset Reality + tradias model, joining a growing list of international public sector clients that have used this solution in recent years. This confirms a broader global trend: governments are turning to specialised, audited, and regulation-compliant frameworks for the management and disposal of seized virtual assets.

Agrasc: A Sophisticated and Visionary Institution

Agrasc continues to distinguish itself as one of the world’s most advanced Asset Management Offices (AMOs). Its decision to adopt a unified and specialised operational model for seized virtual assets in criminal cases underscores France’s leadership in this field and aligns the country with international best practices.

Many countries and their AMOs are expected to follow Agrasc’s example, particularly in light of the latest EU Directive on Asset Recovery (2024/1260), which sets minimum standards for the management of seized assets, to be implemented by November 2026.

Comprehensive Coverage of 100% of Seized Virtual Assets

A major feature of the new framework is the use of a single integrated process for 100% of virtual asset types, whether mainstream cryptocurrencies, tokenised assets, privacy focused cryptocurrencies, or more complex blockchain-based instruments.

This enables Agrasc to address all asset categories under a single, consistent operational standard.

Removal of “Taint” to Protect Buyers and Ensure Best Execution

Due to the public nature of blockchains, seized virtual assets are inherently “tainted” by their on-chain activity history. This poses a major challenge for government agencies seeking to realise the value of their seized asset portfolios. tradias has developed an innovative and exclusive process to remove this “taint”, protecting future buyers of seized virtual assets from any past malicious activity while maximising the value returned to victims and governments. This unique offering is provided exclusively by tradias to governments and all Asset Reality clients.

Charlotte Hemmerdinger, Director General of Agrasc: “Agrasc has paid particular attention to the conduct of the procurement process for its public contract for the sale of cryptoassets, ensuring rigorous and regulation-compliant selection. The fluid and structured relations and communication with tradias/Asset Reality/Tangany have facilitated the efficient execution of the first sales, thus confirming the relevance of the established partnership.”

Nils von Schoenaich-Carolath, Chief Growth Officer at tradias, stated: “It is a great honour for us to support France in this strategically important area. Being selected for this framework and successfully completing the first liquidations is a testament to the trust placed in our expertise. It also strengthens tradias’ unique position in this sector. This reflects the strength of our highly complementary partnership with Asset Reality and demonstrates that this joint solution is becoming the market standard.”

Hugo Hoyland, Chief Strategy Officer at Asset Reality, added: “Agrasc has set a new global standard for the management of seized virtual assets by governments. Their approach is sophisticated, visionary, and aligned with the complex realities of today’s asset recovery landscape. We are proud to support Agrasc with a solution covering 100% of seized assets, compliant with international best practices, and backed by tradias’ regulated infrastructure.”

About Asset Reality

Asset Reality provides the infrastructure needed to manage seized and operational assets end-to-end. Our Platform combines a global system of record with government-grade digital asset custody infrastructure, replacing fragmented legacy workflows across physical and digital asset lifecycles. Already trusted by agencies and regulated practitioners worldwide to handle more than 1,500 seizures and $1 billion in seized asset transactions, our Platform supports complex, high-sensitivity, cross-jurisdictional workflows with strict security, auditability, and compliance. By standardising processes from seizure to disposal and sourcing to deployment, Asset Reality is the modern infrastructure layer underpinning asset recovery and criminal disruption, improving outcomes for victims and governments.

About tradias

tradias is the institutional-grade infrastructure and crypto trading engine behind Europe’s top banks & brokers. Enabling 30M+ Europeans to trade crypto via their bank. The default B2B2C rail for crypto in Europe. As a regulated investment firm and cryptoasset services provider with 100% focus on crypto & digital assets, tradias provides the necessary infrastructure and services to enable institutional investors to access the enormous potential of digital assets. tradias enables its customers to trade a variety of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets in a regulated environment, as well as to access a range of other digital asset services such as tokenisation. tradias' core and history is in trading and market making – building on these capabilities and experience, tradias created a holistic financial services offering for digital assets.

Contact

Asset Realitypress@assetreality.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 15th, 2026, Chainwire

Stables, an API-first infrastructure platform, announced a strategic partnership with settlement infrastructure provider Mansa today to solve the critical shortage of stablecoin connectivity across Asia. While Asia accounts for 60 percent of global stablecoin flows, only 1 percent of local banks currently support the technology, leaving a massive infrastructure gap for the region’s 150 local currencies.

The partnership establishes a dedicated liquidity layer for Stables’ network of fiat-to-USDT corridors. This integration allows fintechs and developers to bypass traditional banking fragmentation and settle high-volume transactions instantly. MANSA provides the settlement liquidity underpinning the partnership, having processed $394M across over 40 currency corridors since its August 2024 launch.

"Asia is the world’s most active stablecoin market, yet the underlying pipes are broken," said Bernardo Bilotta, CEO and co-founder of Stables. "By partnering with Mansa, we are providing the deep liquidity necessary to turn USDT into a functional tool for cross-border commerce at scale."

The announcement follows a period of rapid institutional adoption for Stables, which now processes over $1.5 billion dollars in annualized payment volume, providing a single API for compliance, banking, and settlement.

MANSA will supply the short-term liquidity that keeps these corridors operational, ensuring that high-volume on-ramps and off-ramps remain stable during periods of volatility. This structural approach mirrors the evolution of traditional fintech, where orchestration layers integrate specialized partners to deliver seamless user experiences.

Mouloukou Sanoh, Co-Founder and CEO of MANSA, commented: "Stables has built exactly what Asia's stablecoin market has been missing - a compliance-first API that works across 150 currencies. As institutions and businesses move toward stablecoin payments, that kind of infrastructure becomes essential. We're excited to be the liquidity behind it - making sure the capital is there when the volume shows up."

Stables currently holds licenses in Australia, Europe, and Canada, positioning itself as a compliance-first alternative to unregulated payment rails. The platform handles the entire compliance stack for its clients, including identity verification, sanctions screening, and travel rule requirements.

As the first in a series of ecosystem developments, this partnership reinforces the position of Stables as the primary orchestration layer for the USDT ecosystem in the region. The company continues to expand its corridor network to meet the demands of fintechs and digital banks.

About Stables

Stables is an API-first infrastructure platform that enables businesses to integrate USDT payments and cross-border settlements across Asia. Founded in 2021, the company provides a complete stack for stablecoin orchestration, including compliance, liquidity, and multi-currency support. Stables holds licenses as a Digital Currency Exchange in Australia, a VASP in Europe, and an MSB in Canada.

For more information: https://stables.money/ 

About Mansa

Mansa is a dedicated liquidity provider specializing in cross-border stablecoin settlement and institutional-grade credit protocols. The company provides the necessary depth for high-volume payment corridors, ensuring efficient and reliable transaction processing for fintech infrastructure providers globally.

For more information: https://www.mansafinance.co/ 

Contact

Eric Wueric@stables.money Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

London, UK, April 15th, 2026, Chainwire

BCB Group, one of the leading providers of payment and trading services for the digital asset economy, today announced its integration with Circle Payments Network (CPN) to support fiat on- and off-ramp services for cross-border stablecoin transactions.  

Operated by Circle Technology Services, LLC, CPN is a global network of partners, including banks, payment service providers (PSPs), virtual asset providers (VASPs), and enterprises, who enable consumer, business and institutional payments with near real-time settlement via stablecoins. 

As part of the integration, BCB Group will serve as a Beneficiary Financial Institution (BFI) for USD, GBP and EUR, enabling the receipt of stablecoin payments, conversion into local fiat currencies, and settlement to end-customer accounts. This capability is designed to improve the speed, transparency and efficiency of cross-border payments for institutional clients.  

“Integrating with Circle Payments Network enables BCB to extend its role in building modern payment infrastructure that connects stablecoin and fiat ecosystems. We’re removing legacy constraints to help deliver faster, more transparent cross-border value transfer at scale,.” said Tim Renew, CEO at BCB Group. 

 “This integration reflects our focus on supporting how money moves globally, underpinning our ambition to embed ourselves in the infrastructure of the payment rails of the future.”

“By incorporating sophisticated AI into our systems, our aim is to complete transactions in around five minutes even in developing countries, a step that could transform the market,” concluded Tim.

A key feature of the Circle Payments Network is the ability to screen transactions before funds are committed. As a BFI on the network, BCB will implement pre-transaction screening of both originators and beneficiaries using AI-driven models designed to support advanced AML and financial crime controls before any payment is accepted or settled..

“BCB Group’s integration with Circle Payments Network enables BCB to provide seamless stablecoin-to-fiat settlement across key corridors and multiple currencies,” said Irfan Ganchi, SVP of Product Management, Payments at Circle. “As a BFI on the network, BCB expands access to programmable payment infrastructure designed to improve the speed and efficiency of global money movement.”

This integration builds on BCB Group’s broader vision of enabling modern financial institutions to access blockchain-based payments infrastructure without compromising on compliance, speed and integrity. 

About BCB Group

BCB Group is a leading provider of regulated payment, wallet and trading services in crypto and fiat for the digital asset economy. We provide accounts, cryptocurrency and foreign exchange market liquidity for some of the world’s largest, crypto-engaged businesses, including crypto exchanges, liquidity providers, market makers, investment firms, custodians, payment processors and wallet providers. 

 Our end-to-end suite of fiat and crypto payment, trading and wallet products are accessible through our Client Console UI and API. We offer more than 40 fiat and cryptocurrencies, deep trading liquidity, 24/7 instant payments through our instant settlements network, BLINC, and secure crypto services. Our strong focus on compliance matches our technical and business expertise, and we are regulated by some of the world’s most respected regulators. Authorised in the UK, France and Switzerland, we place the utmost importance on our regulatory-first institutional principles.

Our leadership team boasts years of relevant, high-level experience, having built their careers at globally-renowned institutions. They combine finance, law, regulatory and technology skills in traditional and crypto financial services with a deep understanding of the new digital asset economy. Our mission is to deliver trusted infrastructure for global payments, advancing the movement of money.

Website: https://www.bcbgroup.com/ 

About Circle Payments Network

Circle Technology Services, LLC (CTS) is the operator of Circle Payments Network (CPN) and offers products and services to financial institutions that participate in CPN to facilitate their CPN access and integration. CPN connects participating financial institutions around the world, with CTS serving as the technology service provider to participating financial institutions. While CTS does not hold funds or manage accounts on behalf of customers, we enable the global ecosystem of participating financial institutions to connect directly with each other, communicate securely, and settle directly with each other. CTS is not a party to transactions between participating financial institutions facilitated by CPN who use CPN to execute transactions at their own risk. Use of CPN is subject to the CPN Rules and the CPN Participation Agreement between CTS and a participating financial institution.

 

Press Disclaimer:

The information contained in this press release is intended for use and publication by journalists and should not be relied upon by private investors or any other persons to make financial decisions. Furthermore, the material contained herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation of an offer, or an inducement to buy or sell cryptocurrencies or any equivalents either generally or in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. All of the views expressed about the markets, cryptocurrencies and stakeholders in this press comment accurately reflect the personal views of BCB Group. While opinions stated are honestly held, they are not guarantees and should not be relied on. The information or opinions provided should not be taken as specific advice on the merits of any investment decision. This press release may contain statements about expected or anticipated future events and financial results that are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such as general economic, market and business conditions, new legislation and regulatory actions, competitive and general economic factors and conditions and the occurrence of unexpected events. Past performance in other related cryptocurrencies is not a viable indication of future performance with actual results possibly differing materially from those stated herein. Investments in cryptocurrencies are not currently regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Your capital is at risk when investing in cryptocurrencies.

Contacts

CMOSam ShragerBCB Groupsam@bcbgroup.ioMarketing ManagerAmber WalduckBCB Groupamber@bcbgroup.io Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, April 15th, 2026, Chainwire

Bitunix, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange, announced that it has obtained ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, a widely recognized international standard for information security management given by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The certification confirms that Bitunix exchange has established formal systems to manage and protect sensitive data, including user information and their assets. It follows an external audit process that evaluates how organizations identify risks, control access, and respond to potential security incidents.

With ISO 27001:2022 now achieved, for Bitunix users, the impact is practical. It means stronger protection of personal information and funds, better alignment with international data protection rules, and more transparency around how the platform operates. This also builds greater trust for users on the platform and, at the same time, the certification pushes the company to keep improving how it operates, from internal processes to overall platform stability. For users, that translates into a more reliable experience and a platform that is consistently working to perform better.

ISO 27001:2022 sets out clear requirements for how companies should organize their security practices, from internal procedures to technical safeguards. For exchanges, where large volumes of funds and personal data are handled, such standards are increasingly seen as essential rather than optional; hence, Bitunix achieved this certification.

A Continued Push Toward Stronger Security and Transparency

Known for high standards when it comes to security and transparency, alongside the certification, Bitunix exchange continues to build on its existing security setup through several practical measures reflecting ongoing efforts to improve how the company safeguards its platform and users.

The platform maintains proof of reserves showing more than 100% backing for BTC, ETH, and USDT, supported by real-time Merkle tree verification. It also applies a strict 1:1 asset backing model, ensuring that all user funds are fully matched. In addition, users are given access to open-source tools and a verification portal to independently check their balances.

To cover unexpected situations, Bitunix has also set aside a dedicated $30 million USDC care fund. Therefore, the ISO 27001:2022 certification adds to these efforts and reflects a broader push to keep improving how the exchange protects users.

The company said it will keep updating its systems as it grows, with a focus on keeping things safe and transparent for users.

“Achieving ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification reflects our deep commitment to security and transparency,” said Steven Gu, Bitunix’s Chief Strategy Officer. “At Bitunix, we believe trust is earned through action. This certification, alongside our Proof of Reserve system, ensures our users can trade with confidence.”

Bitunix said it plans to continue updating its security practices as the platform expands and as threats evolve.

About Bitunix

Bitunix is a global cryptocurrency derivatives exchange trusted by over 5 million users across more than 150 countries. Guided by its core principle of better liquidity, better trading, the platform is built for traders who expect more, committed to providing Ultra Trust, Ultra Products, and Ultra Experience. Bitunix offers a fast registration process and a user-friendly verification system supported by mandatory KYC to ensure safety and compliance. With global standards of protection through Proof of Reserves (POR) and the Bitunix Care Fund, the exchange prioritizes user trust and fund security. Industry-first innovations like Fixed Risk, TradingView-powered chart suite, along with indicator alerts, cloud-synced templates, provide both beginners and advanced traders with a seamless experience. Making Bitunix one of the most dynamic platforms on the market.

Bitunix Global Accounts

X | Telegram Announcements | Telegram Global | CoinMarketCap | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit | Medium

Contact

COOKx Wukx.wu@bitunix.io Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Seoul, South Korea, April 15th, 2026, Chainwire

'KBW2026 with Upbit' - Upbit Joins as Presenting Partner

KBW (Korea Blockchain Week), Asia's leading digital asset and blockchain event, is set to return in 2026 in collaboration with Upbit, Korea's premier digital asset exchange. The event will be officially titled 'KBW2026 with Upbit', with Upbit participating as the Presenting Partner.

The three-day event will take place from September 29 to October 1, 2026, at Walkerhill Hotels & Resorts in Seoul. FactBlock, the organizer of KBW, and Upbit announced that this partnership aims to elevate KBW into a premium global platform where major institutions engage and global capital flows.

The event will open on September 29 with the Upbit Institutional Summit, a private, invitation-only session co-hosted by FactBlock. This high-level summit will bring together key players from global capital markets, policymakers, and regulators to discuss the integration of digital assets into traditional finance and the future direction of TradFi and the Web3 ecosystem.

From September 30 to October 1, the main conference, KBW2026 with Upbit, will feature global industry leaders, innovators, investors, and community members. Attendees will engage in in-depth discussions on the future of Web3, while also enjoying ample opportunities for meaningful networking and real-world collaboration.

Upbit will also operate a dedicated "Upbit Zone" within the main conference area. This exclusive exhibition and networking hub will showcase the Upbit ecosystem and its key partners, serving as a central meeting point for global participants to connect and explore collaboration opportunities.

KBW is entering its ninth year as Asia's flagship blockchain and digital asset event. Founded and hosted by FactBlock since 2018, last year's main conference attracted a total of 28,000 attendees (35% international), with participation from over 5,200 companies worldwide. The event featured more than 110 exhibition booths — an 80% increase from the previous year — and over 400 side events held across Seoul, further solidifying its position as a major global gathering.

Andrew Park, CEO of FactBlock, stated: "KBW has grown beyond an event with a specific subtitle — it has now become a standalone global brand in its own right. Through our partnership with Upbit, we will take KBW to the next level by building a premium platform that connects institutional-level discussions with the flow of global capital."

Kyung-seok Oh, CEO of Dunamu (Upbit), stated: "We hope that KBW2026 with Upbit will serve as a meaningful gathering where global institutions and industry leaders can engage in productive dialogue. Upbit will continue to play a key role in strengthening Korea's connection to the global digital asset market and contributing to the healthy growth of the industry."

Super Early Bird tickets for KBW2026 with Upbit are now available for purchase on the official KBW website (https://tickets.koreablockchainweek.com/en).

About KBW (Korea Blockchain Week)

KBW (Korea Blockchain Week) is an annual global digital asset conference held in Seoul, South Korea, since 2018. It serves as a platform for leading blockchain companies, developers, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem stakeholders to engage in structured dialogue and knowledge exchange. Each year, KBW hosts a series of high-level programs and forums designed to facilitate global industry collaboration, advance technical and market understanding, and strengthen connections between the Korean market and the global digital asset ecosystem.

About FactBlock

FactBlock is an ecosystem builder focused on strengthening the integrity of the digital asset and blockchain industry. Since 2018, FactBlock has reduced information asymmetry, connected global blockchain companies with the Korean market, and supported the global positioning of domestic projects. FactBlock is the owner and organizer of KBW (Korea Blockchain Week) and provides strategic consulting and advisory services to support organizations in global expansion and ecosystem development.

Contact

Youngil Jungmedia@koreablockchainweek.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Paris, France, April 14th, 2026, Chainwire

Movantis, a unified financial infrastructure platform, is entering the European market, the company announced at Paris Blockchain Week in Paris.

At Paris Blockchain Week, the company brings to Europe a system built across the Americas' most complex markets.

The platform, built on more than two decades of operating across the Americas, connects payments, foreign exchange, card issuing, wallet infrastructure, and cross-border remittances through a single integration. It supports both traditional and digital financial rails, including regulated stablecoins such as USDC and EURC through its membership in Circle's Payments Network.

For European companies looking to operate in Latin America, the proposition is clear: instead of managing multiple providers across fragmented regulatory environments, Movantis offers a single infrastructure layer.

The company currently processes more than $60 billion in value annually, operates across 130 countries, and supports a network of over 80,000 payout locations, 70 money transfer operators, and strong partnerships with leading retailers and financial institutions.

"What we are bringing to Europe is not a new solution; it is a fully integrated system. Movantis allows enterprises to operate across fragmented financial ecosystems as if they were one," said Gustavo Ruiz, Chairman and CEO.

"The next phase is not about speed; it is about orchestration. Movantis is designed to integrate financial rails, regulatory frameworks, and liquidity infrastructure into a single platform that can scale globally," said Chief Product Officer Salvador Yañez.

The expansion comes as financial infrastructure shifts toward more interoperable, real-time systems. Movantis is positioning itself as the connective tissue between that future and the markets that are hardest to reach.

About Movantis

Movantis is a unified financial platform enabling global value movement across complex markets. Built on the foundation of Transnetwork LLC, founded in 2002, and expanded through the acquisitions of Spectrum, Inswitch, and Appriza, the platform connects payments, FX, card issuing, wallet infrastructure, and digital financial rails into a single system designed for cross-border operations across 130+ countries.

Contact

Leora Schreiberpr@marketacross.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Paris, France, April 13th, 2026, Chainwire
More & More has announced the launch of The Odds: Prediction Markets Live, the first-ever conference focused on prediction markets in the digital asset sector. The event will take place on April 15 during Paris Blockchain Week at the Louvre’s Connect Lounge.
The conference will convene senior executives, founders, regulators, and institutional leaders from across digital assets and traditional finance. Participants will include representatives from exchanges, protocols, investment firms, and legal and policy organizations to discuss the role of prediction markets in financial systems.
The event is produced by More & More in collaboration with ecosystem partners including Coinbase, Crypto.com, eToro, ConsenSys, Gate, AlphaTON Capital, MME, DLT Law, Ultramarkets, n.exchange, Kreo, TheBlock, and MarketAcross.
Prediction markets are increasingly intersecting with sectors such as derivatives trading, sports betting, insurance, and political forecasting. As centralized exchanges and decentralized protocols expand into the category, these markets are emerging as part of evolving financial infrastructure.
The speaker lineup includes executives and industry participants such as Yoni Assia of eToro, Kwon Park of Crypto.com, Declan Fox of ConsenSys, and Côme Prost-Boucle of Coinbase, alongside representatives from infrastructure, legal, and institutional organizations.
The event is expected to attract decision-makers from financial institutions and Web3 organizations including JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Polymarket, S&P Global, Ripple, Circle, Kraken, and Chainlink. Attendance is curated, with a focus on senior leaders and active builders.
Discussion topics will include institutional adoption, infrastructure design, regulatory developments, artificial intelligence in forecasting, and real-world applications across multiple industries.
The conference will be held at the Connect Lounge inside the Louvre in Paris on April 15 between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM, featuring keynotes, panel discussions, and networking. Attendance requires a valid Paris Blockchain Week pass, with limited additional registration available.
About More & More
More & More is a global producer of curated events across Web3, fintech, sports technology, and emerging industries. The company connects institutional participants, founders, and operators through invite only side events, producing more than 15 international events annually.
Contact
Tal MorMore & Moretal@mnm.live Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Tel Aviv, Israel, April 13th, 2026, Chainwire

Chainwire, the leader PR platform in blockchain and cryptocurrency news distribution, has been awarded the title of "Best Crypto NewsWire" at the 2026 ADVFN International Financial Awards.

The annual ADVFN awards recognize the most significant products and services within the traditional and decentralized financial sectors. Chainwire was selected for its industry-leading distribution network, which provides guaranteed placement across major crypto-native and mainstream news outlets, as well as its integration with professional trading terminals.

"Winning this award from ADVFN is a testament to the infrastructure and robust distribution capabilities we've built over the past few years," said Nadav Dakner, CEO at Chainwire. "While generalist newswires often struggle with the speed and nuance of the digital asset market, Chainwire is purpose-built to ensure blockchain projects get the institutional-grade visibility they deserve."

The recognition follows a record-breaking year for Chainwire, which saw the platform expand partnerships with publishers in the tech, crypto, business niches and increased its trading terminal reach through content partnerships.

About Chainwire

Chainwire is the leading crypto PR Distribution platform that works with over 1,000 clients looking to build their brand and create powerful PR campaigns that reach the right people.

Contact

Chainwire Teamsupport@chainwire.org Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

London, United Kingdom, April 12th, 2026, Chainwire

Tok-Edge has publicly unveiled the Redemption Token, a novel cryptoasset category pioneered by the firm and to be first used with the launch of its new fund. The company also confirmed its latest valuation at $15 million.

Tok-Edge, a digital assets firm founded by veterans of traditional finance and crypto markets, recently emerged from stealth ahead of its fund launch. During that period, the firm raised approximately $1.5 million at a $15 million valuation from Marcus Meijer, an experienced GP investor and founder of a $10 billion AUM fund.

Meijer, together with a syndicate of investors, is expected to anchor the fund with up to $10 million as Tok-Edge begins raising from institutional allocators, including family offices, venture investors and crypto-native funds. The firm’s leadership team draws experience from Tier-1 institutions across TradFi and crypto (collectively over $950 billion in AUM), including CVC Capital, Bain Capital, KKR, BCG, Tufa and GoCoin.

The Redemption Token sits at the center of Tok-Edge's model, a new cryptoasset designed to combine permissionless transferability with a defined function. Tokens are issued to fund investors and required for redemption of fund shares at net asset value. Ownership and economic rights remain embedded in the fund shares, while the Redemption Token can circulate independently on public blockchains, including Ethereum.

This structure allows the tokens to trade on exchanges and to be used in decentralized finance protocols, unlocking new opportunities and use cases for holders and builders, while preserving redemption mechanics within the regulated fund framework.

The fund to be launched by Tok-Edge is the first product to implement the Redemption Token model, deploying an actively managed strategy across liquid crypto assets and decentralized finance. Returns are expected from directional exposure to digital assets and yield generated through strategies such as staking and liquidity provision.

 “Tok-Edge was founded to bring institutional-grade products to crypto markets, built around the openness and technological advantages of blockchain networks,” said Raees Chowdhury, CIO of Tok-Edge. “The Redemption Token is a new cryptoasset that acts as a key for fund investors to redeem their capital and can be traded freely in the secondary market for price discovery.”

Eric Benz, former CEO of Changelly, early investor and Board Advisor to Tok-Edge, added, “The Redemption Token model introduces an architecture that separates the tradable asset from the legal instrument that represents ownership. We are pleased to support Tok-Edge as it develops a structure that could broaden the institutional market for digital asset products.”

Tok-Edge is capping its fund at $21 million at launch, coinciding with its token generation event. Each dollar committed to the fund at launch is mirrored by the issuance of one Redemption Token. Investor allocations for launch are expected to be finalized in the coming months as the fund targets a $100 million first close later in 2026.

About Tok-Edge

Tok-Edge is a digital asset financial services firm building an institutional-grade hedge fund focused on liquid crypto assets and decentralized finance strategies. The company combines traditional finance practices with blockchain infrastructure and has created the Redemption Token, a new category of cryptoasset.

Contact

Investor Relationsir@tok-edge.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Dubai, UAE, April 10th, 2026, Chainwire

As AI-generated code goes mainstream, two companies are betting the future of dApp development belongs to whoever makes it safe enough to trust

Matterhorn, creator of the AI-native vibecoding IDE for blockchain development, today announced a strategic partnership with ASI Alliance (SingularityNET, Fetch.ai and CUDOS) to bring accessible, safety-first dApp development to ASI:Chain. As vibecoding, building software through natural language prompts, crosses from trend to mainstream, a critical gap has emerged: AI-generated smart contract code carries real financial risk, and most tools shipping today offer no protection against it. Matterhorn and ASI Alliance are building the infrastructure to close that gap with a long-term roadmap where any developer can build, audit, and ship production-ready dApps on a fully decentralized stack.

Dozens of tools now promise to generate smart contracts from a chat prompt. What most don't offer is any meaningful protection against what comes out the other side. Unlike a buggy web app, a vulnerable smart contract can drain wallets with no recourse. Also, few platforms can potentially generate smart contract code; but to stitch together well written smart contracts, with DePIN infra, a good front-end, and enabling deployment of dApps from a single platform is where Matterhorn and ASI Alliance are unique. Matterhorn's will also enable Vibe-Audit: a proprietary system combining a custom-trained AI security model with human-in-the-loop review, letting developers audit contracts on the fly before deployment. Pre-vetted templates and real-time concurrency testing add further guardrails, specifically designed for MeTTa, ASI:Chain's native programming language, whose concurrent execution model makes it more powerful than Solidity but relatively less forgiving of mistakes.

The partnership launches with ASI:Cloud providing decentralized AI inferencing to Matterhorn, replacing centralized hosting alternatives with infrastructure purpose-built for Web3. Fetch.ai’s ASI:One and Z.AI models for blockchain-specific code generation follow in phase two, with ASI Wallet integration and full MeTTa smart contract support rolling out over the coming months. 

"We're at the beginning of a world where dApps become “just Apps”, commonplace like the websites and apps we use today," said Abhinav, Founder of Matterhorn. "Every other tool in this space is racing to ship code faster. We think that's the wrong race. The builders who build dApps that handle real money and real users need a platform they can trust, and this partnership is how we build it."

Khellar Crawford, Chief Innovation Officer of SingularityNET comments, “Web3’s power-user was always going to be AI. This is the beginning of the actual AGI-era software stack: the security, ownership, and transparency of blockchain fused with the fluency, convenience, and consumer-grade usability that defined Web2, brought to life by native AI and AGI inference. In this world, payment APIs like Stripe sit next to smart contracts, explicit reasoning systems, decentralized compute, and agentic workflows. On ASI:Chain via Matterhorn, with AGI inference as a first-class citizen, we’re opening the floodgates to building applications that are fundamentally more intelligent, more composable, and more sovereign.”

Matterhorn’s roadmap includes a fine-tuning pipeline that will feed real developer usage data back into ASI's models, enabling safer, more specialized blockchain development capabilities over time. The goal is to have a single environment where any developer, builder, crypto user regardless of blockchain background, can build, audit, interact with, and ship AI-powered dApps on a fully decentralized stack. dApps are early infrastructure today, but they are moving toward the applications that will underpin finance, identity, and digital ownership. Which chains developers choose to build on will increasingly come down to the quality of the tools available to them.

The teams are targeting 20,000 builders onboarded within 2026, with 1 million model calls and 500 active compute instances within the first quarter post-launch. The integration is live on ASI:Chain devnet.

About Artificial Superintelligence Alliance

The Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) Alliance is a collective formed by Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and CUDOS. As the largest open-sourced, independent entity in decentralized AI research and development, the alliance aims to accelerate advancement of decentralized Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and, ultimately, Artificial Superintelligence (ASI). www.superintelligence.io

About Matterhorn

Matterhorn is the Cowork for Web3 - a full-stack agentic AI platform that lets you vibecode Web3 Apps from start to finish without you knowing anything about Web3. We go way beyond just code generation; Matterhorn is your AI co-founder for planning, building, deploying, and managing your entire Web3 stack. https://www.matterhorn.so/

Contact

Alexandra Domecqalexandra.domecq@singularitynet.io Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Johannesburg, South Africa, April 10th, 2026, Chainwire

VALR, the Pantera-backed crypto exchange, today announced the launch of its AI Service, marking a significant step in making crypto trading more accessible for all participants. The service introduces AI-powered tools for human users while simultaneously opening the platform's infrastructure to autonomous AI agents.

For human users, the AI Service enhances the trading experience by providing intuitive assistance: users can now conduct intelligent market analysis, gain insights into their own account activity and performance, obtain trading suggestions, as well as draw on the service for immediate and tailored AI support. Soon, the AI Service will enable users to develop customised trading strategies and explore automated trading options directly within the VALR platform. This makes complex crypto markets easier to navigate and empowers individuals and businesses to make more informed decisions.

In parallel, VALR is enabling autonomous AI agents to participate directly in digital asset markets as independent economic actors. Following the open Agent Skills Standard, the platform's API infrastructure is fully accessible to agents such as OpenClaw, as well as coding-focused agents, including Anthropic’s Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex, OpenCode, and others. 

The comprehensive suite of endpoints supports secure authentication, real-time market data, trade execution, account management, and portfolio oversight, all within VALR's regulated environment and backed by institutional-grade security and liquidity.

These dual developments, AI assistance for humans and direct access for AI agents, position VALR to serve an expanding ecosystem where both people and intelligent systems create, manage, and exchange value.

The Rise of Agentic Finance

AI agents are autonomous systems that perceive data, reason, plan, and act with minimal human input. Their growing role in financial activities is driving what is called 'agentic finance', where agents manage micro-transactions, portfolios, and on-chain operations.

According to Gartner, 40% of business software applications will integrate task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, up from less than 5% in 2025. Industry analyses project the global AI agents market to grow from approximately USD 8 billion in 2025 to around USD 50 billion by 2030. Reports from institutions such as Deloitte and McKinsey highlight how agentic AI is transforming banking and finance, including treasury management, credit assessment, fraud detection, and compliance. 

In crypto markets, AI agents are already active, particularly in automated trading. Blockchain and crypto infrastructure are especially well-suited to this shift, providing programmable money, instant settlement, and open API access that traditional finance cannot easily offer to non-human market participants.

A Platform for the Next Phase of Digital Finance

With the AI Service launch, VALR is positioning itself at the forefront of the digital economy, one that demands reliable, compliant infrastructure for both human users and AI participants to generate and exchange value seamlessly.

Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR, said: “AI agents herald a significant expansion of the global economy. What was once reserved for humans is now open to intelligent, autonomous systems capable of creating and exchanging value at scale. VALR is proud to be at the forefront of this shift - where crypto and AI intersect - offering regulated, high-performance infrastructure that serves every participant in the digital economy: individuals, corporations, and now AI agents. This is how we build the next generation of humanity’s financial system that unlocks new frontiers of prosperity.”

For developers looking to integrate with VALR’s infrastructure, the open-source VALR Agent Skills repository is available at https://github.com/valrdotcom/valr-agent-skills. 

It equips AI agents with the necessary context and tools to authenticate securely and interact with the VALR platform, in accordance with the Agent Skills Standard.

About VALR

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, VALR is a global crypto exchange offering a comprehensive suite of products – including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Perpetual Futures, Staking, Lending, Borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, Crypto Bundles, and VALR Pay. Backed by leading investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital, VALR is licensed by South Africa’s FSCA, with regulatory approval in Europe. The exchange serves over 1.8 million registered users and 2,000 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. VALR is dedicated to advancing a just financial future that upholds human dignity and the unity of mankind. For more information, visit valr.com.

Contact

VALRpress@valr.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 9th, 2026, Chainwire

Enhanced Labs Inc, a company focused on building DeFi solutions that package sophisticated options and derivatives strategies into very easily-accessible products for users, has successfully closed a $1,000,000 strategic pre-seed funding round. 

The round was led by Maximum Frequency Ventures with participation from GSR, Selini, Flowdesk, and other angel investors. The team has highlighted that this is a strategic pre-seed round, with the composition of its investor base being intentional, prioritising strategic alignment. These investors have targeted expertise in trading infrastructure, market-making, institutional distribution, and more.

According to the announcement article , Enhanced’s approach will be designed around three strategic pillars:

The first is to focus on delivering more competitive rates through improved auction mechanics and capital efficiency. 

The second aims to extend options-based yield strategies beyond major assets to a broader range of on-chain holdings, including tokenised real-world assets. 

The third emphasises operational efficiency, seeking to distil complex strategies into an intuitive, objective-first user experience where participants define desired outcomes — yield, hedging, or structured exposure — rather than navigating the underlying instruments directly.

The newly acquired capital is expected to support product development and the operational groundwork needed. 

The announcement comes during a period of notable momentum in the Options sector in DeFi not seen since 2024. Volatility yield for crypto assets using options strategies seem to also be steadily growing in both institutional and retail interest in recent months. Enhanced is building at the intersection of two major narratives - onchain yield and options.

About Enhanced

Enhanced is building a multi-chain DeFi platform for structured yield and wealth products, starting with various derivative strategies for more assets on-chain. For more information about Enhanced, users can visit https://enhanced.finance or X at https://x.com/enhanced_defi

Contact

FounderKevin AngEnhanced Labs Inckevin@enhanced.finance Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Johannesburg, South Africa, April 9th, 2026, Chainwire

VALR, Africa’s largest crypto exchange by trade volume, has integrated with Onafriq, the continent’s leading digital payments gateway. This partnership enables VALR users across Africa to fund their accounts directly through mobile money in local currencies, significantly broadening access to digital financial services for millions of people. 

Mobile Money’s Role in African Financial Inclusion

Mobile money serves as a foundational element of financial services in Africa, facilitating everyday transactions, remittances, savings, and credit in areas with limited traditional banking access. According to the GSMA’s State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2025, global registered mobile money accounts reached 2.1 billion by the end of 2024, with over half a billion monthly active users. The sector processed approximately 108 billion transactions valued at more than $1.68 trillion in 2024, reflecting 20% year-on-year growth in volume and 16% in value.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, mobile money continues to drive substantial economic impact, contributing around $190 billion to GDP in 2023 alone. This growth is supported by interoperable networks that enable payments across major local currencies, including the Kenyan Shilling, Nigerian Naira, Ghanaian Cedi, and Ugandan Shilling, and through mobile money platforms such as M-Pesa and MTN MoMo. In the majority of these markets, mobile money usage for domestic transactions far outweighs traditional methods such as credit cards and direct bank transfers, according to complementary insights from the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 report, making acceptance of mobile money crucial to successful market entry.

Onafriq operates Africa’s largest digital payments network, connecting nearly 1 billion mobile money wallets across 43 markets. The integration utilises this extensive infrastructure to allow direct, local-currency deposits to VALR, settled in stablecoins or selected crypto, streamlining access and reducing dependence on conventional banking systems.

Enabling Broader Participation in VALR’s Financial Product Suite

Through this integration, with VALR and Onafriq processing all settlements using stablecoins, users in supported markets can deposit funds via mobile money and engage with VALR’s comprehensive offerings. These include spot and margin trading for Bitcoin and over 100 crypto assets, tokenised real-world assets such as gold, equities, and private credit, yield products like lending and staking, and VALR Pay for efficient payments.

By integrating mobile money on-ramps, the partnership facilitates easier entry into global digital markets using established local payment methods.

VALR’s Leadership in Promoting Financial Inclusion

VALR holds a prominent position in Africa’s digital asset sector, serving over 1.7 million registered users and 2,000 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. Licensed by South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and with regulatory approval in Europe, VALR is dedicated to building inclusive financial systems.

“VALR’s partnership with Onafriq deepens our reach across Africa and the world, connecting many more countries and people to VALR’s wide array of crypto asset services and infrastructure,” said Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder and CEO of VALR. “Mobile money has already reshaped financial access across the African continent. By enabling direct connections in local currencies, we offer millions a practical pathway to Bitcoin, stablecoins, tokenised gold, and more, as well as innovative financial tools, supporting greater economic participation for everyone.”

Onafriq’s Founder and CEO, Dare Okoudjou, highlighted the significance of the partnership for financial connectivity across the continent. “We are truly excited to welcome VALR onto the Onafriq Network, enabling their clients across Africa to transact freely with the 1bn mobile wallet users and hundreds of thousands of businesses already on Onafriq’s network. VALR is a recognised pioneer and leader of Blockchain and Stablecoin technologies on the continent and we look forward to working with them to bring the many benefits of these technologies to people and businesses across Africa.”

About VALR

Founded in 2018, headquartered in Johannesburg, and backed by leading investors including Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures and Fidelity’s F-Prime Capital, VALR is a global crypto exchange offering a comprehensive suite of products—including Spot Trading, Spot Margin, Perpetual Futures, Staking, Lending, Borrowing, OTC services, VALR Invest, Crypto Bundles, and VALR Pay. Licensed by South Africa’s FSCA, with regulatory approval in Europe, VALR serves over 1.7 million registered users and 2,000 corporate and institutional clients worldwide. The exchange is dedicated to advancing a just financial future that upholds human dignity and the unity of mankind. For more information, visit valr.com.

About Onafriq

Onafriq is an omnichannel network of networks, making borders matter less by providing our partners with a single pathway to unlock the full power of cross-border and cross-platform payment solutions. With a network spanning 43 African markets, Onafriq connects over 1 billion mobile money wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and over 400,000 agents in Nigeria, enabling domestic and cross-border disbursements and collections, card issuing and processing, agency banking, and treasury services. 

At Onafriq, we bring together global and regional enterprises, mobile network operators, money transfer operators, banks, fintechs, global development organizations, and online and offline merchants. With top-notch regulatory and compliance capabilities and a robust regional presence encompassing 10 offices in Africa, as well as locations in the UK, US, and China, we are paving the way for a new era of access for people across the African continent and beyond. Learn more at onafriq.com.

Contact

VALRpress@valr.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Mahe, Seychelles, April 9th, 2026, Chainwire

BitMEX has released its Q1 2026 derivatives report, highlighting a sharp rise in trading activity for traditional finance perpetual swaps (TradFi Perps), driven by increased demand for tokenised commodities and equities.

According to the report, TradFi perpetual swaps grew from 0.03% of total crypto derivatives volume in December 2025 to 1.72% by the end of Q1 2026, reaching $30.7 billion in weekly trading volume. This expansion was supported by new product launches across prominent exchanges and macroeconomic events, including increased volatility in commodities markets.

“Q1 marked a clear inflection point for TradFi perpetuals, with volume growth driven by real market demand for 24/7 access to commodities and equities,” said Stephan Lutz, CEO at BitMEX. “What we’re seeing is the early formation of a structurally different market, one that removes the constraints of traditional trading hours and introduces new forms of price discovery and liquidity.”

BitMEX has introduced a range of TradFi perpetual products as part of this shift, expanding its derivatives offering to provide continuous access to commodities and equity markets.

The report identifies commodities as the primary growth driver, with trading volume increasing more than 65,000% during the quarter. Precious metals such as silver and gold led early momentum, while crude oil trading accelerated in March amid geopolitical tensions, reaching $6.9 billion in weekly volume.

Equity perpetuals also saw significant growth, rising more than 900% to $4.9 billion in weekly volume. Activity was concentrated in crypto-adjacent equities and major technology stocks, reflecting continued convergence between digital asset markets and traditional finance instruments.

The report further notes structural differences between perpetual swaps and traditional Contracts for Difference (CFD), particularly in areas such as transparent price discovery, peer-to-peer execution, and continuous market access.

Unlike CFD-based models offered by some platforms, these products enable direct market participation, with pricing determined by underlying market dynamics rather than broker-led mechanisms. These characteristics have contributed to increased participation from both retail and professional traders.

Market expansion was also shaped by exchange-level developments. BitMEX recorded more than 1,300% growth over the 90-day period while Binance captured a significant share of new volume following its entry into the category.

In addition, funding rate disparities across exchanges created arbitrage opportunities. The report highlights cases where traders could capture yield through cross-exchange positioning, with some spreads exceeding 100% annualised returns under specific conditions.

Looking ahead, BitMEX expects continued growth in TradFi perpetual markets, supported by broader asset listings across Forex, commodities, and more, increasing institutional awareness, and ongoing demand for 24/7 trading access. The report suggests that weekly trading volumes could approach $100 billion as additional asset classes enter the market.

The full report can be found on BitMEX’s blog.

 

About BitMEX

BitMEX is the OG crypto derivatives exchange, providing professional crypto traders with a platform that caters to their needs with low latency, deep crypto native and especially BTC liquidity and unmatched reliability.

Since its founding, no cryptocurrency has been lost through intrusion or hacking, allowing BitMEX users to trade with confidence that their funds are secure and that they have access to the products and tools required to be profitable.

BitMEX was also among the first exchanges to publish on chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities data. The exchange continues to publish this data twice a week, providing assurance that customer funds are safely stored and segregated.

For more information, users can visit the BitMEX Blog or www.bitmex.com and follow Discord, Telegram and Twitter. 

Contact

BitMEX Presspress@bitmex.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 9th, 2026, Chainwire

Gobi Partners today announced its investment in Transak, a global payments infrastructure provider enabling compliant movement between traditional currencies and stablecoins and other digital assets. The investment reflects Gobi’s conviction that regulated digital asset payment rails will play a growing role in cross-border settlement, remittances, and financial services as blockchain adoption accelerates globally.

Stablecoins and digital assets have moved beyond speculation into real financial infrastructure. Major payment networks and financial institutions are now integrating stablecoin rails, governments are passing dedicated legislation, and the tokenisation of real-world assets is opening entirely new categories of on-chain financial products. For fintechs and financial institutions, the question is no longer whether to adopt stablecoins and digital assets, but how to do so compliantly, at scale, and across multiple jurisdictions.

This is the infrastructure gap Transak was built to solve. Founded in 2019, Transak operates a regulated payments layer that enables fintechs and financial institutions to offer bidirectional conversion between fiat currencies and digital assets through a single API. The platform manages identity verification (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML) controls, risk monitoring, licensing requirements, and local payment integrations across more than 64 countries. Transak holds 21+ regulatory approvals in the United States, United Kingdom, Euro Zone, Australia, Canada, and India, and is soon expanding into the Middle East, LATAM, and broader APAC.

Today, more than 600 applications globally integrate Transak and support access to over 130 digital assets across 45 blockchains. The company powers seamless onboarding and payments for more than 10 million users through bank transfers, cards, local payment methods, and stablecoins.

As stablecoins and digital assets become embedded in mainstream financial products, the ability to onboard retail users, compliantly, across payment methods, and across borders, will determine which platforms scale and which stall. That is the layer Transak provides.

Transak has established its APAC headquarters in Hong Kong and plans to deepen integrations with regional payment networks and banking partners to support regulated digital asset payments and stablecoin adoption across ASEAN markets.

Jamaludin Bujang, Managing Partner of Gobi Partners, said, “The future of digital asset adoption depends on infrastructure that meets the expectations of regulators, financial institutions, and global enterprises. Compliance, licensing, and risk management are no longer differentiators; they are operating requirements. Transak has built a platform that addresses these complexities at scale, positioning itself as a critical bridge between traditional financial systems and digital asset networks.”

Sami Start, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Transak, said, “When we started Transak in 2019, moving between traditional money and crypto was broken. We set out to fix that by building the invisible infrastructure that lets any financial application do it compliantly. Six years and 600 integrations later, the world is waking up to stablecoins. Gobi's investment helps us bring that infrastructure to Asia, where the opportunity is massive.”

Hisham Ibrahim, Managing Director of ASEAN for Gobi Partners, added, “Digital assets and blockchain technologies reshape how value moves globally. Infrastructure providers like Transak ensure that digital payment rails integrate with existing financial systems securely and compliantly. We believe Transak is well positioned to support the next phase of financial innovation across Asia.”

Through this investment, Gobi supports the expansion of blockchain payment rails that meet supervisory standards while enabling responsible growth across Asia.

ENDS

About Transak

Transak builds the payments infrastructure that connects traditional money with stablecoins and crypto. Through a single API, wallets, fintechs, remittance companies, payroll platforms, marketplaces, and financial institutions can enable users to onboard, fund, and withdraw using stablecoins or crypto directly inside their products.

Transak handles licensing, compliance, identity verification, fraud monitoring, and global payment coverage. Today more than 600 applications trust Transak, serving over 10 million users worldwide. 

Headquartered in Miami, Transak operates globally with offices in London, Bengaluru, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

Learn more at transak.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

About Gobi Partners

Founded in 2002, Gobi Partners is a leading pan-Asian investment firm specialising in bespoke capital solutions for family offices, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions and corporate investors. Headquartered in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, Gobi manages US$2 billion across 20 funds, investing in early to growth-stage companies with the potential for generational and global impact.

The firm’s team of over 90 investment professionals operates from 17 locations, curating a diversified portfolio of more than 400 companies, with 75 exits achieved to date. Gobi is recognised for its long-term, values-aligned approach, building ecosystems at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and inclusion. From pioneering TaqwaTech for two billion Muslims, to advancing the circular economy, to promoting gender-diverse leadership, Gobi backs the trends that are reshaping societies.

Gobi's edge lies in identifying structural and demographic shifts, forging partnerships with universities and institutions of higher education; bridging world-class research with private capital and bringing deep technology breakthroughs to commercialisation.

For more information, please visit: https://gobi.vc/

Media Contact

Raof Zainuddin

marcom@gobi.vc

Gobi Partners

Contact

Marketing and Investor Relations LeadHarshit GangwarTransakharshit@transak.com Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

New York, United States, April 8th, 2026, Chainwire

Liquid Banking introduces a full-stack account that lets Hyperliquid users save, spend, trade, and on/off-ramp from one place - without trusted intermediaries.

Hyperbeat has launched Liquid Banking, a non-custodial financial layer built on the Hyperliquid blockchain that unifies trading, borrowing, yield, and payments within a single on-chain account. Developed in partnership with Paxos Labs, whose institutional-grade stablecoin infrastructure backs Hyperbeat's native stablecoin, and Noah, the global fiat on/offramp infrastructure provider, the system is designed for users seeking full access to trading, savings, and payment functionality without transferring custody to centralized platforms

In traditional finance, banking, payments, and trading are handled by separate institutions, while in crypto, centralized exchanges continue to act as the primary gateway for liquidity and fiat access. Liquid Banking consolidates these functions by operating directly on Hyperliquid’s fully on-chain central limit order book, allowing users to retain custody of assets through a smart-account wallet at all times.

“Users today still move between banks, payment processors, and centralized exchanges to manage the same capital,” said Kilian Boshoff, CEO of Hyperbeat. “Liquid Banking is designed to bring those functions together on-chain, with the speed and depth users expect, while removing custody and counterparty risk from the equation.”

"Most stablecoin holders earn nothing on what they hold. The economics stay with the issuer. By powering beatUSD with USDG0, we're changing that model," said Bhau Kotecha, Co-Founder at Paxos Labs. "The yield generated by reserves flows back into the Liquid Banking ecosystem, and to the users as rewards, directly benefiting those who hold and spend it. That's what onchain finance should look like, and it's what any platform can build when they own their stablecoin layer."

As part of the partnership, Noah serves as the default EUR and USD settlement provider for Liquid Banking. The system integrates crypto deposits and withdrawals alongside fiat on- and off-ramps, connecting traditional payment rails such as ACH, SEPA, and FedWire directly to the on-chain account. This design allows users to add funds via regular bank transfers, convert them instantly, and send money back to bank accounts globally without the typical delays of routing through centralized exchanges.

"Hyperliquid is one of the most active ecosystems for on-chain trading, and fiat access is essential for real-world utility," said Shah Ramezani, CEO and Founder of Noah. "As the default EUR, USD and major currency settlement provider for Hyperbeat, we are enabling users to move funds securely and instantly between fiat, stablecoins and native assets for the first time".

Liquid Banking introduces a single on-chain account that enables users to trade spot and perpetual markets, spend via Hyperbeat Pay on credit against assets such as BTC, ETH, SOL, HYPE, and tokenized gold, earn yield on idle balances, and access fiat on/off-ramps directly without moving funds between platforms. Deposited assets can be used as collateral, allowing users to access liquidity without selling underlying holdings.

At the infrastructure level, Liquid Banking is powered by Hyperliquid’s on-chain central limit order book, which delivers execution speed, liquidity depth, and order types typically associated with centralized venues. Hypercore and HyperEVM operate together as a shared execution environment, enabling both high-performance trading and DeFi composability within the same system.

“We built Liquid Banking to support full financial activity on-chain, from trading and borrowing to saving and fiat access”. The goal is a system where users don’t need to step outside the blockchain to access functionality that previously required centralized platforms.”

Further technical documentation for Liquid Banking will be released ahead of wider availability, detailing smart-account architecture, collateral management, and integrations within the Hyperliquid execution environment.

About Hyperbeat

Hyperbeat is building the native banking infrastructure layer for the Hyperliquid ecosystem. The company develops non-custodial systems that unify spot and derivatives trading with payments, borrowing, and savings tools, enabling users to manage financial activity on-chain without relinquishing custody of their assets.

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About Paxos Labs 

Paxos Labs is the financial utility stack for digital assets. Through the Amplify stack, a single integration to embed yield, enable borrowing, and launch branded stablecoins, Paxos Labs provides platforms the tools to make digital assets productive. Incubated with Paxos and built on its $180B+ track record in tokenization and over a decade of regulatory expertise, Paxos Labs brings institutional trust and rigor to the financial products that come next. Making it easy for platforms anywhere to activate the value sitting in their users' digital asset holdings.

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About Noah

Noah builds the financial infrastructure that connects banks, payment networks, and digital finance. Its mission is to make modern finance interoperable, enabling value to move seamlessly between currencies, markets, and networks. Noah powers account issuance, settlement, and global payouts for partners across emerging and developed markets. Products include Bank Onramp, Global Payouts API, Hosted Checkout, and Rules Engine, enabling compliant, real-time money movement worldwide. Visit noah.com

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Contact

CEOKilian Boshoffcontact@hyperbeat.org Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.

Hong Kong, Hong Kong, April 8th, 2026, Chainwire
Financial Layer 1 Pharos Network today announced a $44 million Series A funding round to accelerate the build‑out of on-chain RWA infrastructure across Asia and beyond.
The round was led by a powerful consortium of undisclosed backers, which includes premier Asia-based private equity funds, publicly traded renewable energy giants, and regulated Hong Kong financial institutions. Other strategic investors in this round include traditional industry leaders like Sumitomo Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 multinational Sogo shosha, participating through its subsidiary. Additionally, crypto-native investors SNZ, and Flow Traders joined the round, further bridging real-world assets with on-chain liquidity.
Pharos is a financial‑grade, asset‑native Layer 1 designed to bridge over $50 trillion in real‑world assets (RWAs), TradFi, and cross‑chain capital into a modular, onchain economy at internet scale. Built on a deep‑parallel execution architecture with built‑in compliance, the network is purpose‑built to support real‑time, asset‑backed financial applications.
“This funding allows us to scale RealFi from narrative to execution,” said Wish Wu, Co‑Founder & CEO of Pharos Network. “We are formalizing how institutional capital, risk governance, and onchain infrastructure come together on a financial‑grade Layer 1. With our strategic partners, we are building an environment where real‑world assets can operate at scale with institutional‑grade reliability.”
This Series A funding follows a period of rapid ecosystem expansion for Pharos, which recently secured a strategic capital partnership with global solar and energy storage giant GCL to pilot energy-backed RWAs.
Pharos Network is currently live on Atlantic Ocean Testnet, providing a Mainnet view of its performance and ecosystem readiness. The network has onboarded millions of users and hundreds of millions of unique addresses, validating its ability to handle high‑frequency, high‑value flows in preparation for Mainnet launch.
Partners interested in building on Pharos can access documentation at https://docs.pharos.xyz/ and explore the ecosystem at https://www.pharos.xyz/ecosystem.
About Pharos Network
Pharos Network is an inclusive financial Layer 1 for RealFi, where real value and institutional‑grade assets circulate onchain and compose with decentralized assets at global scale. Pharos combines modular architecture, deep‑parallel execution, and built‑in compliance to power asset‑native ecosystems.
Founded by the former leadership of Ant Group, led by CEO Wish Wu, the team includes pioneers from Ant Group, Microsoft Research, and Stanford, with deep backgrounds in blockchain infra, formal verification, and ZK systems. The team built the infrastructure for Alipay and Asia’s largest blockchain platform.
This Series A round follows an $8 million seed round raised in November 2024 led by Lightspeed Faction and Hack VC, with participation from other investors, bringing the total funding to date to $52 million. The Pharos Testnet went live in May 2025, allowing developers to begin building and testing applications on the platform.
Contact
Michelle Kangmichelle@pharoslabs.xyz Disclaimer. This is a paid press release.