OKEx, a world-leading cryptocurrency spot and derivatives exchange, is thrilled to announce the listing of FLOW, the native asset of the Flow blockchain. Flow is a decentralized blockchain platform created for gaming and non-fungible token use cases. It’s already home to an NFT making mainstream headlines — NBA Top Shot. OKEx is one of the first exchanges in the world to offer FLOW trading, which launches today with three trading pairs.

Developed by Dapper Labs — the team behind another wildly successful digital collectibles DApp, CryptoKitties — the Flow blockchain provides the foundation for a new generation of digital assets, games, and dApps, including NBA Top Shot.

Officially licensed by the National Basketball Association, NBA Top shot is currently pushing NFTs to mainstream adoption, already reaching more than $45 million in sales over the past 24 hours alone. Just last week, one blockchain-based collectible “Moment” — 13-second video of star player Zion Williamson — sold for a massive $100,000.

Spot trading of FLOW against USDT will go live at 5:00 pm UTC today, Feb. 23, with trading against ETH and BTC opening one hour later. Deposits of FLOW were available from 3:00 am UTC today, and withdrawals will open at 10:00 am UTC on Feb 24, 2021.

Flow is a blockchain protocol designed to scale in order to support DApps with mainstream demand. Smart contracts on Flow are written in the widely-used Cadence programming language and power applications that can reportedly serve billions of people.

Developed and tested in collaboration with several top-name global partners, including the NBA, Samsung and Warner Music Group, Flow is now open for anyone to develop decentralization applications. Flow lets developers build new crypto-powered businesses, creating new unique digital assets that can be traded on open markets.

Commenting on today’s listing of FLOW, OKEx CEO Jay Hao stated:

“It’s extremely exciting to see so much innovation in the NFT field and real progress being made to allow decentralized applications to scale to accommodate mainstream use. We are also proud to add that as one of the first exchanges to offer FLOW trading, we continue to strive to ensure a rewarding and enjoyable experience for our users.

Flow is already proving to be a fast and secure platform for developers to create a whole host of games, digital assets, and consumer applications on, and will undoubtedly play a large role in taking NFTs – and crypto – to the mainstream, as we’re already seeing with NBA Top Shot.”

As the Bitcoin SV blockchain expands so does the need for easy accessibility and as a result you can now buy Bitcoin SV (BSV) on BuyBSV.com with VISA or MasterCard in: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Greenland, Kenya, Peru & Taiwan.

This global expansion is additional to the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and European countries, namely, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania and United Kingdom.

Furthermore, websites, portals, blogs and vlogs can now embed our specially designed widget to their content allowing visitors easily purchase BSV and tip, pay for content, products or experiences with BSV. Just fill out the form at the bottom of the buyBSV.com website.

SkyBridge Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm, today announced the launch of the SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP, which provides mass-affluent investors with an institutional-grade vehicle to gain exposure to Bitcoin. Additionally, on behalf of its flagship funds, SkyBridge initiated a position, valued at approximately $310 million at the time of this release, in funds investing in Bitcoin during November and December 2020.

To launch SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP, SkyBridge and its affiliates have invested $25.3 million. SkyBridge is among the most well-established financial institutions to launch a Bitcoin product, offering a secure and easy way to buy and sell Bitcoin. Fidelity will serve as custodian, and Ernst & Young will audit the fund.

“We believe Bitcoin is in its early innings as an exciting new asset class,” said SkyBridge founder and managing partner Anthony Scaramucci. “With the institutional quality custody solutions available today, we believe the time is right to allocate capital and provide our clients access to the digital assets space.”

Despite growing retail demand for digital currency, Wall Street firms have largely avoided the market due to concerns around security. With the launch of the SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP, investors will have access to institutional-quality custody and operation, without forcing investors to directly hold Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin is leading a digital monetary revolution around the world,” said Brett Messing, SkyBridge President and Chief Operating Officer. “We believe the onus has shifted from ‘why are you investing in Bitcoin?’ to ‘how are you not investing in Bitcoin?'”

In 2020, Bitcoin more than doubled in price and surpassed its 2017 market capitalization for an all-time high of over $500 billion. Today, one Bitcoin is valued at approximately $32,000.

“Our investment team has grown enthusiastic about Bitcoin’s properties as a portfolio diversifier and return generator,” said Troy Gayeski, SkyBridge Co-Chief Investment Officer and Senior Portfolio Manager. “Investors trust us to see around corners, and we believe it’s prudent now to allocate a small portion of your portfolio to digital assets.”

SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP builds on the firm’s longtime commitment to making alternative investment accessible to wider audiences. Among its products, SkyBridge’s flagship Series G fund offers modest minimum investment requirements for access to leading hedge fund managers.

“With global money printing at an all-time high, Bitcoin offers a strong alternative to gold as a store of value and hedge against future inflation,” said Ray Nolte, SkyBridge Co-Chief Investment Officer and Senior Partner.

The SkyBridge Bitcoin Fund LP will charge a 75-basis point management fee and no incentive fee. Accredited investors can subscribe directly to the fund, which requires a minimum investment of $50,000, at skybridgebitcoin.com. SkyBridge co-CIO Troy Gayeski authored a whitepaper on the firm’s decision to enter the Bitcoin market, which can also be found at skybridgebitcoin.com.

About SkyBridge 
SkyBridge is global alternative investment manager that provides a range of investment solutions to individuals and institutions. Addressing every type of market participant, SkyBridge’s investment offerings include commingled funds of hedge funds products, customized separate account portfolios, hedge fund advisory services, and an Opportunity Zone focused non-traded REIT. The firm is headquartered in New York. For more information, visit: www.skybridge.com.

Future FinTech Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FTFT) (“Future FinTech”, “FTFT” or “the Company”), a leading blockchain based e-commerce company and a service provider for financial technology, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 4,210,530 shares of its common stock and common stock warrants to purchase up to 4,210,530 shares of common stock at a combined purchase price of $8,000,007 in a registered direct offering. The common stock warrants have an exercise price of $2.15 per share, and will be immediately exercisable and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about December 29, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224686) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and declared effective on December 11, 2020. A prospectus supplement describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at [email protected]

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Future FinTech Group Inc.

Future FinTech Group Inc. (“Future FinTech”, “FTFT” or the “Company”) is a leading blockchain e-commerce company and a service provider for financial technology incorporated in Florida. The Company’s operations include a blockchain-based online shopping mall platform, Chain Cloud Mall (“CCM”), a cross-border e-commerce platform (NONOGIRL), an incubator for blockchain based application projects. The Company is also engaged in the development of blockchain based technology and services as well as financial technology services. For more information, please visit http://www.ftftex.com/.

AST today announces that its mutual fund proxy campaign management platform ProxyIQ has been recognized as a Benzinga finalist in the Best New Product category. Benzinga Fintech finalists comprise carefully vetted and renowned companies across 27 categories and executives who are striving to revolutionize the fintech industry. From deeply established companies to the newest startups, this group is impacting sectors like payments, banking, investing, technology and financial literacy. This list of carefully selected companies will be honored each year as Benzinga continues to highlight the fintech industry’s most innovative minds.

“We’re honored to have received this recognition for ProxyIQ from Benzinga, a reputable go-to destination for fintech trends and analysis,” said Martin Flanigan, President and CEO of AST. “The advantages of ProxyIQ and their recognition by Benzinga further confirm our leadership in providing ownership data management and analytics. We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to helping clients harness the power of their data.”

ProxyIQ is being recognized in the Best New Product category. ProxyIQ is a blockchain based proxy solicitation, tabulation and reporting engine supporting Mutual Fund, Equity, Insurance and other shareholder meetings or member voting events. Through blockchain technology, ProxyIQ provides near real time vote recognition and tabulation, allowing for transparency throughout the campaign. The immutable audit trail inherent in the blockchain provides confidence in the results for all parties. To date, AST has managed over 130 meetings on ProxyIQ, including over 26.5B shares voted through direct and third party channels.

“AST is harnessing the power of blockchain technology to provide companies and mutual funds with superior access to, and management of, ownership data. The blockchain technology positions AST to create deeper connectivity within the industry to streamline the process of reaching shareholders and tabulating voting,” says Paul Torre, President of Governance, Proxy and Ownership Services at AST.

Curzio Research, an emerging leader in the financial newsletter industry, has announced the successful listing of its digital security on MERJ Exchange under the ticker CEO. Curzio Research, a U.S. Delaware corporation (the “Company”), aims to disrupt the multi-billion-dollar financial newsletter industry. The Company’s current model helped generate more than $6 million in revenue in the first 24 months of operation. “MERJ Exchange offers the best of both worlds for investors of the CEO token… they get the benefits of a natively digital security and the protection of a regulated exchange,” stated Curzio Research CEO, Frank Curzio. “We chose MERJ Exchange because of their focus on regulatory compliance, global access and our ultimate ability to commence a public listing.”

In 2019, the Company partnered with Securitize, a token issuance and lifecycle management platform, to complete its digital security issuance and private placement offering to U.S. accredited investors and non-U.S. investors with exemptions under Regulation D and Regulation S of the Securities Exchange Act. The Company raised approximately $4 million almost entirely from its own client base. Upon the passing of the 12-month lock-up for CEO Token holders, the required process under rule 144 of the Securities Exchange Act, including the receipt of a legal opinion letter was completed, allowing global trading to public investors on MERJ Exchange.

MERJ commenced operations in 2011, as the national exchange operator for the Seychelles, and now counts over 40 issuers with a market cap of $1.6 billion. Through the adoption of innovative technologies, the exchange has become a leading venue for digital securities listings. Curzio Research is the fourth issuer to list a digital security on MERJ. Earlier this year MERJ successfully completed its own digital security IPO and according to World Federation of Exchanges data, became the fastest growing securities market in the world. Recently the exchange took a big step towards its goal of 24/7 trading by increasing its market trading hours from 6 to 20 hours to cover North America and more of the Asian trading time zones.

Ed Tuohy, CEO of MERJ Exchange, commented: “We are delighted to work with Curzio Research to bring its CEO Token to market. Curzio Research is an example of a high-quality company leveraging digital technology to provide an access point for investors from all over the world. The collaboration between Curzio, Securitize, Exponential and MERJ is helping to deliver a new interconnected version of the capital markets built on digital rails.”

Curzio Research was advised by Exponential Capital & Markets (ExC&M), a Sponsor Advisor to MERJ Exchange. Kyle Fry, CEO of ExC&M commented “The CEO token listing showcases best practices for preparing for a listing and is an important milestone for the entire global digital security space. Frank and his team at Curzio Research did everything to ensure regulatory and compliance guidelines were met from the start. We look forward to continuing to work with Curzio Research and the MERJ team to keep current and potential investors informed.”

Security Token Advisors acted as liquidity and investor relations advisor to Curzio Research and have supported the company since June 2020.

National Digital Asset Exchange Inc. (“NDAX”) is celebrating a milestone of $200 million in institutional trading with the expansion and re-branding of its over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk as NDAX Wealth. NDAX Wealth is a cryptocurrency OTC trading desk, tested and optimized to meet the needs of institutions (globally) and investors (in Canada) looking to trade $50,000 or more. NDAX Wealth offers seamless execution of high-volume block trades and gives access to a deep liquidity pool, industry-leading security, no price slippage, zero transaction confirmation, and same-day settlements against a range of cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies (CAD, USD, EUR, AUD).

Huobi Global announces today the H-token series – a suite of assets that are issued on Ethereum and backed by cryptocurrencies from other blockchains to bring more digital assets to the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem.

Simple Facts of H-Token Series 

In February 2020, Huobi Global launched HBTC, an Ethereum-based token that can be  1:1 exchanged for BTC. A design like HBTC, which aims to be the bridge between the centralized and decentralized finance, ensures that users do not lose the value of BTC while enjoying the flexibility of Ethereum.

Today, approximately 5,000 HBTC has been minted, and these tokens enable users to seamlessly access decentralized protocols such as Uniswap, Curve, Balancer, Nest, and ForTube. In the near future, HBTC will also be used as DAI collateral on MakerDAO. HBTC’s growing use cases prove that its value has been recognized by the market.

At today’s launch, Huobi Global will provide three H-tokens, including DOT, LTC, and BCH. The combined market cap of these assets has approximated $1.1 billion and they are welcomed by crypto enthusiasts around the world.

The issuance of the H-series assets will allow more users in the crypto world to benefit from DeFi, accelerate the development of the Ethereum DeFi ecosystem, and promote the growth of Ethereum-based assets. As a bridge between centralization and decentralization, Huobi aims to make assets freer and allow hundreds of millions of people around the world to truly benefit from the development of DeFi.

“Huobi, as a bridge between the centralized and decentralized world, aims to liberate the wealth of the world. We hope to grow together with the Ethereum community, empower community projects, and actively embrace an open ecosystem,” said Huobi CIO and head of Huobi DeFi Labs Sharlyn Wu. “Huobi’s mission in DeFi is to provide the community with more high-quality assets, to make DeFi more inclusive, to make the global financial system better, and to realize the vision of enabling hundreds of millions of people around the world to truly benefit from the development of DeFi.” Huobi DeFi Labs is an incubator backed by Huobi to support the DeFi ecosystem.

Binance, the global blockchain company behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, today announced it is joining Blockchain for Europe, the European membership association representing international blockchain industry participants at the EU-level. Teana Baker-Taylor, U.K. Director at Binance has also been appointed to the Board of Blockchain for Europe, alongside Fetch.ai, Ripple, Block.one, and Blockseed Ventures. Together this group of industry experts and stakeholders collaborate to advocate for balanced policy and regulatory governance for blockchain in Europe and contribute to educating and supporting European policymakers as they evaluate the future potential opportunities for this new technology.

“As a global leader in the digital asset industry, Binance is committed to working with policy makers to educate and support the development of informed and effective governance models which promote the overall growth of the blockchain ecosystem,” said Baker-Taylor. “We’re delighted to join Blockchain For Europe to collaborate with some of the industry’s top companies to advocate for blockchain technology and tokenisation innovation in Europe.”

“At Blockchain for Europe we are very excited to welcome Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, to join our global team of blockchain industry leaders. Together we will continue to support European regulators and policy-makers in their efforts to unlock the potential of blockchain technology and to ensure Europe remains at the forefront of the technological innovations that will shape our future.” said Maria Minaricova, Chairwoman of the Board for Blockchain for Europe.

“Welcoming Binance to the Blockchain For Europe family is another great step in our mission highlighting the opportunities Blockchain technology offers to Europe. We are looking forward to incorporating the expertise and experience this global leader in blockchain brings to the table. In this process we remain committed to help ensure an innovation and business-friendly regulatory framework that fully fosters the benefits this new technology offers to European companies and citizens” said Robert Kopitsch, Blockchain for Europe Secretary General.

Blockchain for Europe and its members are currently focused on responding to the EU Action Plan on AML public consultation, the Digital Services Act (DSA) consultation on Smart Contracts, and contributing to ongoing discussions on the proposed EU Framework for Markets in Crypto-assets consultation conducted in December 2019.