Fintech PR

Trends in Focus: Ben Zhou Highlights Compliance, Growth, and AI in Crypto

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2024

trends-in-focus:-ben-zhou-highlights-compliance,-growth,-and-ai-in-crypto

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit, shared his candid views on crypto compliance, sensible AI deployments, and new growth drivers at TOKEN2049. Sharing the main stage with panelists from other leading exchanges, Ben addressed the growing pains of mainstreaming exchanges, and how they are adapting to meet increasing regulatory requirements at the annual premier crypto event, attended by over 30,000 participants and amplifying leading voices in the blockchain and crypto economy.

Advance Compliance: A Necessary Luxury

“Compliance is not cheap, but the penalties are more expensive. And it comes with not just monetary but also other consequences,” Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit remarked.

Steering the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, Ben Zhou admitted Bybit was on the same learning curve as other major exchanges.

“We are not the first ones, and we have the opportunities to learn and adapt the business,” he said about the rapid changes in the compliance landscape, acknowledging that all exchanges including Bybit are ramping up their compliance efforts.

Only a year ago, exchanges used to place an amount limit on compliance checks; but Bybit has been taking a prudent approach of standardizing compliance and safety checks on practically transaction of any amount, after witnessing “what had happened in the industry,” he disclosed.

Compliance overhead has increased accordingly. “The operations are getting a lot heavier with a lot more manpower,” he said, adding that third-party tools such as Chainalysis have been useful in improving due diligence and KYC, adding costs but also efficiency.

At the time of writing, a team of over 50 risk experts operate Bybit’s AI-enhanced risk engine alongside a growing legal and compliance function comprising compliance officers of various specialities and in-house counsel.

Ben also took pride in crypto’s contribution to improving compliance practices and raised the bar to make it harder for rogue actors to bypass sanctions. “In our industry, we have revolutionized how compliance has been done. For instance, someone trying to access our platform from a sanctioned address would be identified within minutes and the address would be blocked. The industry is revolutionizing the old ways of doing things in compliance,” he said.

Incorporating AI Tools and Finding Growth

Bybit takes a “slightly different approach” to AI and recognizes the gap between the native interfaces and users’ demands.

“We don’t like to use APIs because retail users don’t understand them. Instead, we think about the user experience when they interact with exchanges: we use AI to make it a little easier with automation,” he explains.

In the fast-moving world of crypto, users seek not Wikipedia-style explanations of a newly listed token, but hard data and community feedback. Bybit uses AI as a co-pilot to produce a timely summary to break down data points and guide users doing their research to analysis, project background, and social noise. “Basically we look at which part of the process is mundane, and try to streamline it,” he said of the way Bybit deploys AI.

Ben also revealed the geography of growth as crypto continues to serve as a driver for financial inclusion. He commented on the fast-growing TON ecosystem and play-to-earn games, drawing in diverse user groups from Africa, India to parts of Eastern Europe, mapping out a new trend of onboarding users from emerging economies.

Crypto offers an engaging way to empower these communities, he said, where traditional financial infrastructure may fall short for retail users.

Themed “Exchanges at the Helm: Driving Crypto from Niche to Mainstream”, the panel was moderated by Michael Casey, Chairman of the Decentralized AI Society featuring prominent speakers including Ben Zhou at Bybit, Gracy Chen at Bitget, Vivien Lin at BingX, Sonia Shaw at Coin W and Alicia Kao at KuCoin.

#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk / #TOKEN2049

About Bybit

Bybit is one of the world’s top three crypto exchanges by trading volume with 50 million users. Established in 2018, it offers a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One’s reigning Constructors’ and Drivers’ champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press.
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
For more information, please visit: https://www.bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media

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Fintech PR

Exyte completes acquisition of Kinetics

Published

55 mins ago

October 16, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

Closing of transaction following the approval by all required regulatory bodies
Acquisition of industry leader in installation services, equipment, and technical facility management
The company serves high-tech industries such as semiconductor, biopharma, and batteries
Further strengthening of Exyte’s Technology & Services business

STUTTGART, Germany, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Exyte, a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of high-tech facilities, has completed the acquisition of Kinetics Group. The transaction, announced in April 2024, closed on October 15, 2024, following receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

Kinetics is a globally recognized leader in installation services, equipment, and technical facility management. The company’s expertise spans the biopharma, semiconductor, and high-tech industries, with operations across Asia, Europe, and North America. With the acquisition of Kinetics, Exyte significantly enhances the portfolio of its Technology & Services business area, reinforcing its position as a leader in high-tech facility solutions while also increasing its regional coverage.

“Through the acquisition of Kinetics, we are strengthening our capabilities and expanding our service offerings,” says Exyte CEO Dr. Wolfgang Büchele. “Kinetics is an ideal addition to Exyte, allowing us to capitalize on the ongoing investments in high-tech facilities. Together, we will leverage new opportunities and continue providing our clients with innovative solutions.”

With the transaction, Exyte also ventures into the field of technical facility management. Technical facility management services enable Exyte to extend its business activities beyond the engineering, planning, and construction phases, ensuring the continuity of its client relationships by offering services during operations.

Kinetics CEO Peter Maris adds: “Joining forces with Exyte provides Kinetics with a strategic partner committed to our sustained growth and excellence. Together, we will continue to serve our global clients with enhanced expertise and a broader range of high-tech solutions, ensuring ongoing success and innovation.”

Strategic expansion of Technology & Services

Kinetics will operate within Exyte’s business area Technology & Services, leveraging the combined strengths to foster innovation and growth. The business area consists of entities that provide cleanroom technology, installation services, and equipment for subsystems to their clients as well as off-site manufacturing (OSM). Exyte is currently pursuing its “Pathway to Ten” with the goal to achieve ten billion euros in sales by 2027. The business area Technology & Services is expected to contribute significantly to the company’s success in the coming years.

About Exyte

Exyte is a global leader in the design, engineering, and delivery of ultra-clean and sustainable facilities for high-tech industries. With cutting-edge expertise developed over more than a century, the company serves clients in the sophisticated markets of semiconductors, battery cells, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and data centers. Exyte offers a full range of services from consulting to managing the implementation of complete solutions with the highest standards in safety and quality to its customers worldwide. Exyte creates a better future by enabling key industries to enhance the quality of modern life. In 2023, the company generated sales of €7.1 billion with around 9,900 employees worldwide. www.exyte.net

More information about Kinetics can be found on www.kinetics.net.

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Contact
Samy Abdel Aal
Public Relations Manager

Phone: +49 711 88044696
Mobil: +49 172 840 33 01
[email protected]
www.exyte.net

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Fintech PR

Hastee reaches profitability as Earned Wage Access solutions become the norm for top employers

Published

2 hours ago

October 16, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

hastee-reaches-profitability-as-earned-wage-access-solutions-become-the-norm-for-top-employers

LONDON, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hastee, one of Europe’s leading providers of earned wage access (EWA) and financial wellbeing solutions, is proud to announce that it has reached profitability. This marks a significant milestone in its journey to empower employees with greater financial flexibility and control. The achievement comes amid rising demand for on-demand pay solutions, with destination employers now frequently citing these as a necessary benefit to attract, retain, and engage staff.

Founded with a mission to improve the financial resilience of workers, Hastee has grown rapidly since its launch and now has over 350 employer clients spanning nearly all sectors. Notable customers include global leaders in hospitality (such as McDonald’s, Domino’s and Taco Bell), top international retailers (such as IKEA, Mediamarkt and DIA), major healthcare organisations (such as Bupa and the NHS), and many more of the world’s leading employers (such as Unilever, PayPal, Iberia Express and EY).

Hastee operates in 4 of the 5 largest European markets for earned wage access: UK, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal. In 2020, Hastee acquired Typs, one of Southern Europe’s leading financial wellbeing solutions, enabling Hastee to build a unique multi-language, multi-currency, and flexible platform ready for further international scaling. Hastee is majority-owned by IDC, a multi-fund platform with $2.2B AUM, through its innovation vertical IDC Ventures.

Hastee’s solution is built on 3 pillars of financial wellbeing: Earn, Learn, and Grow. Employees can use the award-winning Hastee app to track their earnings, access earned pay flexibly, receive personalized bite-sized financial education and save directly from their payroll. The app is one of the most popular financial wellbeing apps in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with a user rating of 4.7 in each.

“We are extremely proud to be among the very first EWA providers globally to reach profitability,” commented Hastee CEO Jaime Jimenez. “The combination of rapid growth of our customer base alongside a cautious approach to spending has paid off: we have built a highly sustainable business that can service its clients without the need for further external funding.”

Jimenez continued: “Financial wellbeing has risen to the very top of the agenda among HR leaders, and we are honoured to have a role to play in supporting employees improve their financial health, while also helping our clients reach their ambitious ESG targets.”

“We are thrilled to support Hastee in reaching this pivotal moment,” shared Alejandro Rodriguez, co-founder and Managing Partner at IDC Ventures. “Hastee’s focus on financial wellbeing aligns perfectly with IDC Ventures’ mission of backing impactful companies that make a positive difference. We’re excited to be part of this journey, providing real value to both the end users and our partners. This achievement reflects the strength of Hastee’s model and the growing importance of solutions that empower individuals to take control of their financial health.”

About Hastee
Hastee is a financial wellness platform that allows employees to access a portion of their earned wages before payday, helping them manage cash flow and avoid debt. The platform integrates with employers’ payroll systems and provides users with flexible, on-demand access to their earnings. Hastee currently has over 350 employer clients spanning nearly all sectors. Learn more by visiting Hastee.com.

About IDC Ventures
IDC Ventures (IDCV) is a venture capital platform within IDC Network, a global multi-fund asset manager. Serving as the Partner of Choice for over 150 family offices across 30 countries, IDCV offers a diverse range of venture capital opportunities including proprietary funds, co-investments, and co-managed funds in collaboration with industry-leading managers. With $500M in assets under management, IDCV typically leads funding rounds and holds board seats, offering founders guidance drawn from deep expertise in entrepreneurship, banking, law, and consulting. Since its inception in 2019, IDCV has backed transformative founders from Series A to growth stages, with a primary focus on fintech and marketplaces in Europe, the US, and Latin America—particularly Brazil and Mexico. For more information, visit IDCVentures.com.

Media Contact:
Ernesto Bernado
[email protected]

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Fintech PR

Akastor ASA: Invitation to Presentation of Third Quarter 2024 Results

Published

3 hours ago

October 16, 2024

CISION (PR Newswire)

OSLO, Norway, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Akastor ASA invites investors and analysts to a webcast presentation of the third quarter 2024 financial results on Wednesday, 30 October 2024.

Date and time:
Wednesday, 30 October 2024, at 15:00 CET

Presenters:

Akastor: Karl Erik Kjelstad, CEO, and Øyvind Paaske, CFO

HMH: Thomas McGee, CFO, and David Bratton, SVP FP&A and Operational Finance

Link to webcast:
https://akercreativehub.eventcdn.net/events/akastor-audiocast-q3-2024

Questions can be submitted throughout the streaming event. The presentation material will be published on www.akastor.com and www.newsweb.no at 07:00 CET on 30 October.

For further information, please contact:

Øyvind Paaske
Chief Financial Officer
Mob: +47 917 59 705
E-mail: [email protected]

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/akastor-asa/r/akastor-asa–invitation-to-presentation-of-third-quarter-2024-results,c4051353

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