Fintech
Lynx’s Latest Strategic Investment Enables Global Card Issuance, IBAN, eWallet, Prepaid Card Programs and Cryptocurrency in One Platform
- Lynx makes significant investment in StyloPay
- The StyloPay card issuance and banking-as-a-service platform will integrate directly into Lynx’s Southeast Asia operations
- Global card issuance, IBAN, eWallet, prepaid card programs and cryptocurrency available in one platform
- StyloPay plans to scale business with new and innovative products and services
Vancouver, British Columbia and London, United Kingdom–(Newsfile Corp. – November 18, 2021) – Lynx Global Digital Finance Corporation (CSE: LYNX) (OTC Pink: CNONF) (FSE: 3CT0) (“Lynx” or the “Company“) and StyloPay Limited (“StyloPay“), a platform as a service (PaaS) provider for global card issuance, digital banking, cryptocurrency and remittance, announce the closing of Lynx’s acquisition of a significant stake in StyloPay.
Combining StyloPay’s fully-integrated card issuance under one platform with Lynx’s licensed subsidiaries/partner network in Southeast Asia, local businesses can now obtain integrated, seamless digital and physical financial card and payment experiences.
“The Global Prepaid Card Market size was valued at USD 2.01 trillion in 2019 and is predicted to reach USD 18.47 trillion by 2030, with a CAGR of 22.5% from 2020-2030.”[1]
“We believe that providing local small and medium businesses with the ability to offer their customers, vendors and employees a prepaid card will be one of the significant driving forces to banking the unbanked and driving economic growth in the region,” comments Michael Penner, Chief Executive Officer of Lynx. “We are keen to work with StyloPay’s integrated platform to empower any business to offer various financial services to its customers, thereby opening the digital economy to many more.”
StyloPay, headquartered in London, UK is led by experts in payment solutions and guided by well-known and experienced names in the payments industry. The company has built a B2B platform that simplifies domestic and international payments. Businesses, irrespective of their size, can choose between the API and hosted models and can leverage StyloPay’s global reach through local Card Issuance capabilities, Remittance, and BAAS (banking as a service) in many countries.
Stylopay has also simplified the Card Launch product for any organization that is interested in a branded Credit/Debit Payment Cards. Conventionally, companies are required to undergo various steps involved in a Card Launch program, such as identifying, negotiating, gaining approval, and implementing various components of card programs including the issuer, processor, KYC (know your client), card printer, Value Added Services, and card exchange. However, StyloPay has simplified this process by bringing these products under one umbrella which allows a Card Issuer to speed up a Card Program Launch from about a year to a matter of weeks.
Mr. Avishek Singh, Chief Executive Officer of StyloPay, commented, “We are pleased to announce Lynx’s investment in StyloPay, which we believe will bring synergy to the product ranges of StyloPay and Lynx group of companies. This relationship will help our B2B clients launch digital banking, remittance and card programs across geographies, including SEPA, North and Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. Full API stack is available to our business partners for easy integration into their interfaces. We, along with Lynx, will continue in our endeavour to develop products and services that will help customers to take their first step towards a safer and a more convenient way to spend and manage their cash.”
Transaction Details
On November 17, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), Lynx closed its acquisition of a 21.62% interest in StyloPay (the “Acquisition”) pursuant to a share purchase agreement dated effective October 15, 2021 (the “SPA”). Pursuant to the SPA, Lynx acquired 13.51% of StyloPay from an existing shareholder of StyloPay (the “Vendor”) for USD$1,250,000 which was satisfied through the issuance of 5,193,187 common shares of Lynx (the “Consideration Shares”) valued at CAD$0.30 (USD$0.2407) per Consideration Share.
In connection with the Acquisition, the Company also issued 100,000 common shares (the “Finder’s Fee Shares”) to a third party who introduced the parties and assisted with the Acquisition. The Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares are subject to regulatory and voluntary pooling restrictions on resale in the following aggregate amounts until the following dates: (a) 50% of the Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares are subject to restrictions on resale until March 17, 2022; (b) an additional 15% of the Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares are subject to restrictions on resale until May 17, 2022; (c) an additional 15% of the Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares are subject to restrictions on resale until August 17, 2022; and (d) an additional 20% of the Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares are subject to restrictions on resale until November 17, 2021 (the “Pooling Arrangement”). 100% of the Consideration Shares and Finder’s Fee Shares will also be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day.
In addition to the 13.51% interest in StyloPay acquired from the Vendor, Lynx has also subscribed directly to StyloPay for an additional 8.11% interest in StyloPay, with payment to be made in accordance with the following payment schedule:
(1) USD$250,000 due upon the Closing Date;
(2) USD$250,000 due three (3) months from the Closing Date; and
(3) USD$250,000 due six (6) months from the Closing Date.
In connection with the SPA, Lynx also entered into an option agreement (the “Option Agreement”) dated effective October 15, 2021 with StyloPay and the shareholders of StyloPay (the “Optionors”). Pursuant to the Option Agreement, the Optionors granted Lynx an option to increase its shareholdings from 21.62% to up to 51% (the “Option“). The value of any additional StyloPay shares purchased from the Optionors will be based on (a) subsequent financings of StyloPay; (b) a mutually agreed valuation of StyloPay; or (c) a valuation of StyloPay by a third-party valuator. The consideration payable for the exercise of the Option shall be 62.5% in Lynx common shares and 37.5% in cash. Any common shares of Lynx issued in connection with the Option exercise will be subject to a one-year pooling arrangement whereby 50% of the shares will be released immediately, with an additional 15% released after three, six and nine months and the remaining 20% released one year after the issuance, as well as a statutory hold period of four months and one day.
The Acquisition and the exercise of the Option will not constitute a fundamental change for the Company and will not result in a change of control of the Company (within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange).
ABOUT LYNX DIGITAL GLOBAL FINANCE:
Lynx seeks to become a leader in financial technology, solutions, and services for large-scale merchants, financial institutions and other B2B industry partners by way of integration to the Lynx digital payment platform. The Company’s payment solutions are powered by a broad suite of payment technologies and services. The Company has targeted banking and fintech relationships in ASEAN and Oceania, a region with a population approaching 700 million, that can provide Lynx a financial network hub location to service and operate a global traditional and digital financial infrastructure. By working with selected banking and/or licensed EMI partners, the Company will be able to offer a digital payment platform with a full suite of payment solutions, which may include merchant acquiring solutions; card issuing; remittance and forex; and custodial digital asset services, including digital wallet services. The Company seeks organic growth while investigating potential strategic acquisitions that may contribute critical technology applications, additional services and revenue streams, and that can complement or enhance existing offerings and potentially increase or expedite the path to future profitability. While Lynx believes that significant near-term opportunities exist for the Company’s strategic initiatives, there can be no assurance that goals and objectives will be reached or that any such underlying efforts or agreements will provide successful or positive outcomes should they be implemented.
About StyloPay Limited.
StyloPay, headquartered in London, UK is led by experts in payment solutions and mobile applications. They are one of the emerging innovators in contactless payments, offer platform-as-a-service for payment solutions and simplify domestic and international payments. International issuers onboarded on the platform are available to businesses, enabling issuance from most countries, including SEPA, North and Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. StyloPay platform empowers card distributors to choose from pre-approved GPR, Travel and Payroll Prepaid card programs and quickly setup and run payment solutions at a low cost. eWallet, IBAN, Plastic, metal and virtual cards and wearable are available to the end-users, coupled with a web dashboard and a mobile app to manage the card. NFC mWallets will be added soon.
These programs are available on a white label platform. Program distributors can offer these programs to their customers with their brand/logo. For distributors, StyloPay is a one-stop-shop for their card issuance, AML/ KYC compliance, card printing, transactions processing, customer service and card portal and mobile app hosting requirements.
Discover more about the StyloPay payment platform at: https://www.stylopay.com/
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 1-888-273-1332
Email: [email protected]
NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain information contained herein may constitute “forward-looking information” under Canadian securities legislation, including the described initiatives of StyloPay and the goals and objectives of Lynx and any synergies created thereby. The economic materiality of the acquisition of a minority interest in StyloPay is unknown due to the contingent nature of results that may be generated. At this point in time, Lynx considers the StyloPay acquisition is unlikely to yield a substantial short-term economic benefit for Lynx or StyloPay, however, Lynx and StyloPay consider that the business relationship supports the organization’s strategic growth plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, “will be”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, or results “will” occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lynx to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures, other costs, or implied future forecasts. The Company further again cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company’s limited operating history and the need to comply with governmental regulations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Lynx will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/104167
Modern brands stake on influencer marketing, with 76% of users making a purchase after seeing a product on social media.The cryptocurrency industry is no exception to this trend. However, promoting crypto products through influencer marketing can be particularly challenging. Crypto influencers pose a significant risk to a brand’s reputation and ROI due to rampant scams. Approximately 80% of channels provide fake statistics, including followers counts and engagement metrics. Additionally, this niche is characterized by high CPMs, which can increase the risk of financial loss for brands.
In this article Nadia Bubennnikova, Head of agency Famesters, will explore the most important things to look for in crypto channels to find the perfect match for influencer marketing collaborations.
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Comments
There are several levels related to this point.
LEVEL 1
Analyze approximately 10 of the channel’s latest videos, looking through the comments to ensure they are not purchased from dubious sources. For example, such comments as “Yes sir, great video!”; “Thanks!”; “Love you man!”; “Quality content”, and others most certainly are bot-generated and should be avoided.
Just to compare:
LEVEL 2
Don’t rush to conclude that you’ve discovered the perfect crypto channel just because you’ve come across some logical comments that align with the video’s topic. This may seem controversial, but it’s important to dive deeper. When you encounter a channel with logical comments, ensure that they are unique and not duplicated under the description box. Some creators are smarter than just buying comments from the first link that Google shows you when you search “buy YouTube comments”. They generate topics, provide multiple examples, or upload lists of examples, all produced by AI. You can either manually review the comments or use a script to parse all the YouTube comments into an Excel file. Then, add a formula to highlight any duplicates.
LEVEL 3
It is also a must to check the names of the profiles that leave the comments: most of the bot-generated comments are easy to track: they will all have the usernames made of random symbols and numbers, random first and last name combinations, “Habibi”, etc. No profile pictures on all comments is also a red flag.
LEVEL 4
Another important factor to consider when assessing comment authenticity is the posting date. If all the comments were posted on the same day, it’s likely that the traffic was purchased.
2. Average views number per video
This is indeed one of the key metrics to consider when selecting an influencer for collaboration, regardless of the product type. What specific factors should we focus on?
First & foremost: the views dynamics on the channel. The most desirable type of YouTube channel in terms of views is one that maintains stable viewership across all of its videos. This stability serves as proof of an active and loyal audience genuinely interested in the creator’s content, unlike channels where views vary significantly from one video to another.
Many unauthentic crypto channels not only buy YouTube comments but also invest in increasing video views to create the impression of stability. So, what exactly should we look at in terms of views? Firstly, calculate the average number of views based on the ten latest videos. Then, compare this figure to the views of the most recent videos posted within the past week. If you notice that these new videos have nearly the same number of views as those posted a month or two ago, it’s a clear red flag. Typically, a YouTube channel experiences lower views on new videos, with the number increasing organically each day as the audience engages with the content. If you see a video posted just three days ago already garnering 30k views, matching the total views of older videos, it’s a sign of fraudulent traffic purchased to create the illusion of view stability.
3. Influencer’s channel statistics
The primary statistics of interest are region and demographic split, and sometimes the device types of the viewers.
LEVEL 1
When reviewing the shared statistics, the first step is to request a video screencast instead of a simple screenshot. This is because it takes more time to organically edit a video than a screenshot, making it harder to manipulate the statistics. If the creator refuses, step two (if only screenshots are provided) is to download them and check the file’s properties on your computer. Look for details such as whether it was created with Adobe Photoshop or the color profile, typically Adobe RGB, to determine if the screenshot has been edited.
LEVEL 2
After confirming the authenticity of the stats screenshot, it’s crucial to analyze the data. For instance, if you’re examining a channel conducted in Spanish with all videos filmed in the same language, it would raise concerns to find a significant audience from countries like India or Turkey. This discrepancy, where the audience doesn’t align with regions known for speaking the language, is a red flag.
If we’re considering an English-language crypto channel, it typically suggests an international audience, as English’s global use for quality educational content on niche topics like crypto. However, certain considerations apply. For instance, if an English-speaking channel shows a significant percentage of Polish viewers (15% to 30%) without any mention of the Polish language, it could indicate fake followers and views. However, if the channel’s creator is Polish, occasionally posts videos in Polish alongside English, and receives Polish comments, it’s important not to rush to conclusions.
Example of statistics
Wrapping up
These are the main factors to consider when selecting an influencer to promote your crypto product. Once you’ve launched the campaign, there are also some markers to show which creators did bring the authentic traffic and which used some tools to create the illusion of an active and engaged audience. While this may seem obvious, it’s still worth mentioning. After the video is posted, allow 5-7 days for it to accumulate a basic number of views, then check performance metrics such as views, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), signups, and conversion rate (CR) from clicks to signups.
If you overlooked some red flags when selecting crypto channels for your launch, you might find the following outcomes: channels with high views numbers and high CTRs, demonstrating the real interest of the audience, yet with remarkably low conversion rates. In the worst-case scenario, you might witness thousands of clicks resulting in zero to just a few signups. While this might suggest technical issues in other industries, in crypto campaigns it indicates that the creator engaged in the campaign not only bought fake views and comments but also link clicks. And this happens more often than you may realize.
Summing up, choosing the right crypto creator to promote your product is indeed a tricky job that requires a lot of resources to be put into the search process.
Author
Nadia Bubennikova, Head of agency at Famesters
The BIS, along with seven leading central banks and a cohort of private financial firms, has embarked on an ambitious venture known as Project Agorá.
Named after the Greek word for “marketplace,” this initiative stands at the forefront of exploring the potential of tokenisation to significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the monetary system worldwide.
Central to this pioneering project are the Bank of France (on behalf of the Eurosystem), the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Korea, the Bank of Mexico, the Swiss National Bank, the Bank of England, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. These institutions have joined forces under the banner of Project Agorá, in partnership with an extensive assembly of private financial entities convened by the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
At the heart of Project Agorá is the pursuit of integrating tokenised commercial bank deposits with tokenised wholesale central bank money within a unified, public-private programmable financial platform. By harnessing the advanced capabilities of smart contracts and programmability, the project aspires to unlock new transactional possibilities that were previously infeasible or impractical, thereby fostering novel opportunities that could benefit businesses and consumers alike.
The collaborative effort seeks to address and surmount a variety of structural inefficiencies that currently plague cross-border payments. These challenges include disparate legal, regulatory, and technical standards; varying operating hours and time zones; and the heightened complexity associated with conducting financial integrity checks (such as anti-money laundering and customer verification procedures), which are often redundantly executed across multiple stages of a single transaction due to the involvement of several intermediaries.
As a beacon of experimental and exploratory projects, the BIS Innovation Hub is committed to delivering public goods to the global central banking community through initiatives like Project Agorá. In line with this mission, the BIS will soon issue a call for expressions of interest from private financial institutions eager to contribute to this ground-breaking project. The IIF will facilitate the involvement of private sector participants, extending an invitation to regulated financial institutions representing each of the seven aforementioned currencies to partake in this transformative endeavour.
Source: fintech.globa
The post Central banks and the FinTech sector unite to change global payments space appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
TD Bank has inked a multi-year deal with Google Cloud as it looks to streamline the development and deployment of new products and services.
The deal will see the Canadian banking group integrate the vendor’s cloud services into a wider portion of its technology solutions portfolio, a move which TD expects will enable it “to respond quickly to changing customer expectations by rolling out new features, updates, or entirely new financial products at an accelerated pace”.
This marks an expansion of the already established relationship between TD Bank and Google Cloud after the group previously adopted the vendor’s Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) for TD Securities Automated Trading (TDSAT), the Chicago-based subsidiary of its investment banking unit, TD Securities.
TDSAT uses GKE for process automation and quantitative modelling across fixed income markets, resulting in the development of a “data-driven research platform” capable of processing large research workloads in trading.
Dan Bosman, SVP and CIO of TD Securities, claims the infrastructure has so far supported TDSAT with “compute-intensive quantitative analysis” while expanding the subsidiary’s “trading volumes and portfolio size”.
TD’s new partnership with Google Cloud will see the group attempt to replicate the same level of success across its entire portfolio.
Source: fintechfutures.com
The post TD Bank inks multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.
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