Connect with us
MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024

Fintech

Sayward Capital Corp. Announces a Proposed Qualifying Transaction to Acquire Midex Resources Ltd. and a Proposed Concurrent Financing for up to Approximately CAD$2,650,000

Published

on

Calgary, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – June 13, 2023) – Sayward Capital Corp. (TSXV: SAWC.P) (“Sayward“), a capital pool company as defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV” or the “Exchange“), is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated February 27, 2023 (the “LOI Press Release“), it has entered into a business combination agreement dated June 13, 2023 (the “Definitive Agreement“), with Midex Resources Ltd. (“Midex“), further to the non-binding letter of intent entered into between Sayward and Midex dated February 24, 2023. Sayward anticipates that the transaction (the “Qualifying Transaction“) will constitute its Qualifying Transaction pursuant to Policy 2.4 – Capital Pool Companies of the Exchange (“Policy 2.4“), as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange.

The Definitive Agreement provides for a three-cornered amalgamation (the “Amalgamation“), whereby Midex will amalgamate with 2372845 Alberta Ltd. (“Subco“), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sayward, whereby each of the shareholders of Midex will receive common shares of Sayward, which such shares will be listed on the Exchange, subject to the Exchange’s approval, including all terms and conditions of the Definitive Agreement. Sayward, as it exists upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction (the “Resulting Issuer“), will continue the business of Midex.

In connection with the Qualifying Transaction: (i) Midex intends to complete a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to approximately CAD$1,500,000 (the “HD Private Placement“) from the sale of units of Midex (“HD Units“); and (ii) the Resulting Issuer intends to complete a non-brokered private placement and critical flow-through common share units of Midex (“FT Units“) for gross proceeds of up to approximately CAD$1,150,000 (the “FT Private Placement“, and collectively with the HD Private Placements, the “Concurrent Financing“).

Concurrent Financing Details

It is anticipated that pursuant to the HD Private Placement, Midex will issue up to approximately 10,000,000 HD Units. Each HD Unit will consist of one common share (a “Midex Share“) in the capital of Midex and one Midex Share purchase warrant (a “Warrant“), at a price of $0.15 per HD Unit. Each whole Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one Midex Share at an exercise price per Warrant of $0.25 for a period of two years following the closing date of the HD Private Placement.

It is anticipated that pursuant to the FT Private Placement, the Resulting Issuer will issue up to approximately 6,764,706 FT Units. Each FT Unit will consist of one critical flow-through common share in the capital of the Resulting Issuer (“Resulting Issuer Share“) and one half of a warrant to purchase a Resulting Issuer Share (a “Resulting Issuer Warrant“) at a price of $0.17 per FT Unit. Each whole Resulting Issuer Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one Resulting Issuer Share at an exercise price per Resulting Issuer Warrant of $0.25 for a period of two years following the date in which the Resulting Issuer Shares become listed on the Exchange.

The anticipated aggregate gross proceeds of the Concurrent Financing are up to approximately $2,650,000.

Following closing of the Qualifying Transaction and listing on the Exchange, the Resulting Issuer intends to use the proceeds of the Concurrent Financing for exploration on Midex’s projects in northern Ontario, in particular its Berens Project and Crescent Lake Project (as such terms are defined below) and a portion of the proceeds of the HD Private Placement for general corporate purposes. Both the Berens Project and the Crescent Lake Project host known lithium-bearing pegmatites that have seen minimal exploration.

Closing of the HD Private Placement is expected to occur on or about June 30, 2023, or such other date as may be determined by Midex.

Closing of the FT Private Placement is expected to occur immediately following the completion of the Amalgamation, which is expected to occur in August 2023, or such other date as may be determined by Midex.

Definitive Agreement Details

The Definitive Agreement provides for, among other things, the following: (a) Midex will amalgamate with Subco under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the “OBCA“); (b) all of the issued and outstanding Midex Shares will be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holders thereof (“Midex Shareholders“) will receive one common share in the capital of Sayward (“Sayward Share“) on the basis of one Midex Share for one Sayward Share (“Exchange Ratio“) at a deemed price of $0.15 per Sayward Share; (c) holders of options and warrants to purchase Midex Shares will receive from Sayward options or warrants, as applicable, to purchase the same number of Sayward Shares at the same exercise price per share reflecting the Exchange Ratio; and (d) the amalgamated corporation will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sayward. After giving effect to the Qualifying Transaction, the Midex Shareholders will collectively exercise control over Sayward.

Prior to completion of the Amalgamation, it is intended that: (a) Sayward will effect a share split (the “Split“) of the issued and outstanding Sayward Shares such that each one post-Split share shall be exchanged for such number of pre-Split Sayward Shares as is equal to the product of 1.08 and the price per HD Unit; (b) Subco will continue under the OBCA; and (c) Sayward will continue under the OBCA.

It is intended that immediately following the completion of the Qualifying Transaction: (a) the Resulting Issuer Shares will be consolidated on the basis of one post-consolidation Resulting Issuer share for every two pre-consolidation Resulting Issuer shares (the “Consolidation“); and (b) Sayward will change its name to “Midex Resources Inc.” (the “Name Change“).

Pursuant to the Definitive Agreement, certain conditions precedent must be met prior to closing of the Amalgamation, including, but not limited to: (a) acceptance by the Exchange and receipt of other applicable regulatory approvals; (b) completion of the HD Private Placement; (c) receipt of the requisite approvals for the Consolidation, the Name Change, the reconstitution of the board of directors of Sayward to consist of 6 directors (the “Board Reconstitution“) and the adoption of a new equity incentive plan; (d) the requisite approval of the Midex Shareholders of the Amalgamation; (e) no material adverse change in the business, affairs, financial condition or operations of Midex or Sayward has occurred between the date of entering into the Definitive Agreement and the closing date of the Qualifying Transaction; and (f) with respect to the Amalgamation, Sayward shareholders holding no more than 10% of the Sayward Shares shall have exercised dissent rights. There can be no assurance that the Qualifying Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

The Amalgamation will not constitute a Non-Arm’s Length Qualifying Transaction (as such term is defined in the policies of the Exchange).

If all conditions to the implementation of the Amalgamation have been satisfied or waived, Sayward and Midex will carry out the Amalgamation.

Sayward currently expects that all stock options of Sayward (the “Sayward Options“) and at least a majority of the warrants to purchase common shares in the capital of Sayward (the “CPC Agent’s Warrants“) outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Amalgamation will be exercised for Sayward Shares at the applicable exercise prices therefor.

As at the date hereof it is not possible for the parties to determine the number of Sayward Shares that will be issued upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction nor the ownership percentages associated with Sayward and Midex as this will depend upon the HD Private Placement and the Consolidation, both factors having an impact on the total number of Sayward Shares that will be issued in connection with the Amalgamation. Upon the foregoing being determined, Sayward will issue a press release advising of such.

Upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction, it is expected that Sayward will be a Tier 2 Mining Issuer on the Exchange.

Finder’s Fees

In addition to the finder’s fee contemplated by the LOI Press Release, the payment of which is subject to the Exchange’s acceptance in accordance with the policies of the Exchange, Midex may pay finder’s fees to certain arm’s length parties in connection with the Concurrent Financing equaling: (i) 7% of the cash proceeds of the Concurrent Financing; (ii) Midex Warrants equal to 7% of the number of HD Units at an exercise price of $0.15 per Warrant exercisable to Midex Shares for a period of 18 months following closing of the HD Private Placement; and (iii) Resulting Issuer Warrants equal to 7% of the number of FT Units at an exercise price of $0.17 per Resulting Issuer Warrant exercisable to Resulting Issuer Shares for a period of 18 months following the date in which the Resulting Issuer become listed on the Exchange (the “Financing Agent Fees“).

Midex, the Berens Project and the Crescent Lake Project

Midex is junior private exploration company, incorporated pursuant to the provisions of the OBCA on September 25, 2017 under the name “Midex Resources Ltd.”.

The Berens Project

Midex owns a 100% undivided interest in certain mineral claims located in the Favourable Lake greenstone belt in northwestern Ontario constituting the Berens Lithium North and Berens Gold-Polymetallic Project (collectively, the “Berens Project“). Over 25,000 ha of this land package is prospective for lithium, being adjacent to or on strike with the Frontier Lithium PAK Project. Midex acquired the Berens mineral claims via staking as well as pursuant to several asset purchase agreements with various vendors between the years 2020-2021.

In October 2022, Midex reported the discovery of lithium-bearing pegmatites during a focused prospecting program in the Favourable Lake area of the Berens Project, located directly northwest of the Frontier Lithium Inc. PAK Project. Importantly, some of the larger pegmatite exposures (up to several 10’s of metres in width) returned significant lithium values. Pegmatites discovered by Midex prospectors at the Berens Project ranged from 1 to 10’s of metres in width and where sampled, returned assay values up to 0.13% Li2O, as well as anomalous caesium, tin, beryllium, rubidium, niobium and tantalum. Two widely spaced samples on separate pegmatite intrusive trends returned lithium assays of 0.13% and 0.11% Li2O respectively.

Midex has recently completed a 43-101F1 Technical Report under National Instrument 41-101 (“NI 43-101“) on the Berens Project (“Berens Technical Report“), which will be posted on SEDAR in connection with the Qualifying Transaction. Midex plans to initiate a follow-up exploration program on the Berens Project based on the recommendations in the Berens Technical Report. The early stage exploration will focus on delineation of spodumene mineralization on the newly discovered pegmatite exposures and continue with reconnaissance exploration to locate new spodumene pegmatite occurrences along the Favourable Lake lithium trend.

The Crescent Lake Project

Midex also owns a 100% interest in 4,900 ha of Ontario mining claims hosting four known lithium-bearing pegmatites adjacent to or on strike with the Green Technology Metals Seymour Project, located in the Crescent Lake Area, near Armstrong, Ontario (the “Crescent Lake Project“). The Crescent Lake property resides in the Seymour-Crescent-Falcon lithium belt, an area prominently recognized for the rapid and recent exploration successes of Green Technology Metals. Midex purchased the Crescent Lake mining claims pursuant to an asset purchase agreement between Midex and Antler Gold Inc., dated May 8, 2023.

Other projects in the immediate area include the Battery Age Minerals Falcon Lake Lithium project, the Green Technology Metals North Seymour, Junior Lake and Falcon Lake projects, and the Nuinsco/First Class Metals Zig Zag Lake project. All four spodumene-bearing pegmatite occurrences on the Midex Crescent Lake property returned greater than 1% Li2O from the historic surface and drill core sampling completed in 2016. The highest recorded drilling intercept to date, was 1.17% Li2O along a 49 metre core length drilled down dip by previous operators on the L61W areas East Pegmatite. Surface channels from the 2016 program returned up to 3.14% Li2O over 1.2 metres in the Chappais Pegmatite. Previous workers reported spodumene crystals in the Chappais Pegmatite measuring up to 50 cm in length. A 4.0 metre wide section of the L61W areas East Pegmatite assayed 1.64% Li2O, 0.078% Ta2O5, 2270 ppm rubidium, 418 ppm caesium, and 256 ppm beryllium, from surface channel samples.

Midex is in the process of completing a N1 43-101F1 Technical Report on the Crescent Lake Project (“Crescent Lake Technical Report“) and will be posting this report on SEDAR in connection with the Qualifying Transaction. Midex plans to initiate a follow-up exploration program on the Crescent Lake Project based on the recommendations in the Crescent Lake Technical Report.

For more information on Midex, visit https://midexresources.com.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this release has been approved by David Jamieson, P.Geo. (PGO), who is a qualified person under NI 43-101 as well as a director, Chief Executive Officer and President of Midex. A qualified person has not done any work on behalf of Midex to verify the information in this press release in respect of the Frontier PAK Lithium Project and the Green Technology Metals Seymour Project. Such information is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on any of Midex’s properties.

Proposed Directors and Officers

It is anticipated that in addition to the directors and officers contemplated by the LOI Press Release, Charlotte May will serve as corporate Secretary of the Resulting issuer. Charlotte May, has over 25 years’ experience working in the brokerage and mining, energy and biotech industries providing corporate secretarial services to public companies listed on the TSX, TSXV, NYSE, Nasdaq and OTC Markets.

Scott Young is not expected to serve as an officer of the Resulting Issuer, but will continue his business development role with the Resulting Issuer.

Selected Financial Information

In addition to the financial information provided in the LOI Press Release, below is the interim (unaudited) financial information of Midex as of March 31, 2023:

  • Total Assets: $2,332,838
  • Total liabilities: $350,852
  • Shareholders’ equity: $1.981.986
  • Revenues: nil
  • Net and Comprehensive Loss: ($365,771)

Trading Halt

Trading in the common shares of Sayward is currently halted in accordance with the policies of the Exchange and the trading of Sayward’s common shares is expected to remain halted pending completion of the Qualifying Transaction.

Other Significant Conditions to Closing

As set out in the policies of the Exchange and the Definitive Agreement, completion of the Qualifying Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, approval by Sayward’s shareholders and Midex’s Shareholders. Where applicable, the Qualifying Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Qualifying Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

About Sayward

Sayward is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) and is a capital pool company within the meaning of the policies of the Exchange. Sayward has not commenced operations and has no assets other than cash. Sayward’s principal business is the identification and evaluation of assets or businesses with a view to completing a “Qualifying Transaction” under Policy 2.4.

Further Information

Bennett Jones LLP is acting as legal counsel to Midex, and Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is acting as legal counsel to Sayward.

All information contained in this news release with respect to Sayward and Midex was supplied by the respective party, for inclusion herein, without independent review by the other party, and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Qualifying Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Qualifying Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

For further information, please contact:

Sayward Capital Corp.
Luke Caplette, Director
Email: [email protected]

Midex Resources Ltd.
David Jamieson, President and CEO
Email: [email protected]

Scott Young, Business Development
Email: [email protected]

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has in any way passed upon the merits of the Qualifying Transaction and associated transactions and neither of the foregoing entities accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements“) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “will”, “estimates”, “believes”, “intends” “expects” and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the Split, the continuance of Sayward, the continuance of Subco, the Qualifying Transaction and its proposed structure, the business of the Resulting Issuer, the Concurrent Financing and its timely closing, the use of proceeds from the Concurrent Financing, the Consolidation, the Name Change, the Board Reconstitution, the exercise of the Sayward Options and CPC Agent’s Warrants, the payment of the Financing Agent Fees, the Berens Project, the Crescent Lake Project, the Berens Technical Report, the Crescent Lake Technical Report, the sponsorship requirements of the Exchange and the timely receipt of all required TSXV and regulatory approvals and exemptions (as applicable), as well as other risks and uncertainties. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Midex does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by securities law.

The reader is cautioned that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of Sayward and Midex, including expectations and assumptions concerning Sayward, Midex, and the Resulting Issuer, the Qualifying Transaction, the timely receipt of all required shareholder, court and regulatory approvals (as applicable), including the acceptance of the TSXV, the satisfaction of other closing conditions in accordance with the terms of the Definitive Agreement, as well as other risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to assumptions regarding prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. 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. There can be no assurance that the Qualifying Transaction will be completed in its entirety. Investors are cautioned that any information released or received with respect to the Qualifying Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Such forward-looking statements, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTEREDOR EXEMPT THEREFROM.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/169864

Fintech

How to identify authenticity in crypto influencer channels

Published

on

 

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.

 

  1. 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

Author

Nadia Bubennikova, Head of agency at Famesters

Continue Reading

Fintech

Central banks and the FinTech sector unite to change global payments space

Published

on

central-banks-and-the-fintech-sector-unite-to-change-global-payments-space

 

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.

Continue Reading

Fintech

TD Bank inks multi-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud

Published

on

td-bank-inks-multi-year-strategic-partnership-with-google-cloud

 

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.

Continue Reading

Trending