Dunamu’s Q1 Revenue Drops 28.6% Amid Global Liquidity Contraction

MEXC Ventures, the venture arm of the Seychelles-headquartered MEXC global crypto exchange, has announced a strategic investment into Triv, one of Indonesia’s largest crypto exchange platforms, as part of an effort to drive further expansion of the business.Photo by Eugenia Clara on UnsplashSupporting blockchain & crypto innovationIn a press release published via PR Newswire on Aug. 5, MEXC Ventures confirmed the strategic investment, which was agreed upon based on a $200 million valuation of the Triv business. MEXC Ventures asserted that the investment falls in line with its global strategy of supporting and developing innovative blockchain and crypto sector projects. Additionally, the firm claims that the move will enable it to capitalize on Southeast Asia’s fast-growing digital asset market. MEXC Ventures Investment Director Leo Zhao said that the company was excited “to back Triv in its next phase of growth." He added: "Indonesia is one of the most dynamic and promising digital asset markets in the region, and Triv has earned a strong reputation for compliance, security, and user trust. Through this partnership, we look forward to supporting Triv in serving Indonesian users even better and accelerating the adoption of digital assets across the country." Well-established exchangeEstablished back in 2015, Triv provides spot crypto trading services, alongside staking services for Ethereum (ETH) and Cardano (ADA). The platform supports payment systems like Advcash and PayPal to enable users to make e-commerce payments and to cover everyday expenses such as utility bills. The platform is recognized for its advanced trading features. Earlier this year, Triv added the Triv Shield, a security tool that prevents platform users from inadvertently interacting with malicious contracts. The company operates under the oversight of Indonesian regulators, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency, better known as BAPPEBTI. Gabriel Rey, Founder and CEO of Triv, said that the partnership will enable the platform to expand its coin offerings, “enhance liquidity and introduce more innovative products for both new and existing users.” He believes that the partnership will also be helpful in maintaining CryptoWave Media, an educational platform that forms part of Triv Group, as a leading crypto media outlet in Indonesia.  Earlier this year, MEXC Ventures launched a $300 million Ecosystem Development Fund geared towards accelerating innovation and ecosystem growth within the blockchain sector. At the time, MEXC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Tracy Jin said that the company’s overall vision was to transition from a trading venue to an ecosystem platform, facilitating the needs of crypto industry firms. The company previously made a $16 million strategic investment into Ethena, a stablecoin project built on Ethereum that offers the USDe decentralized stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. As part of that deal, it also bought $20 million worth of USDe. In April, MEXC Ventures launched IgniteX, a $30 million initiative designed to support and foster Web3 talent and innovation.

SBI Remit and Shonan Shinkin Bank Join Forces on International RemittancesSBI Remit, a long-time partner of Ripple, has expanded its collaboration in Japan, partnering with Shonan Shinkin Bank to offer international remittance services.The partnership, operating under the guidance of SBI Group and announced by SBI Remit last week, claims to provide a more efficient and cost-effective solution for international employees living in Japan who need to transfer money abroad.Photo by Naoya Matsuda on UnsplashEfficient overseas transfersBoth Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, the area of operation of Shonan Shinkin Bank alongside the city of Yokosuka where it is headquartered, have witnessed a surge in the number of migrant employees working there. That makes these metropolitan areas ideal locations for this particular collaboration.According to the press release, the partnership “was formed as mutual use of both parties’ network and strengths would allow Shonan Shinkin Bank to offer highly convenient international money transfer services that deliver convenience for foreign nationals working at local companies while enabling SBI Remit to develop new markets.”The collaboration, named SBI Ripple Asia, aims to leverage Ripple’s distributed ledger technology to streamline international payments. The technology has the potential to disrupt the remittance sector by offering real-time processing of cross-border payments. This approach significantly reduces transfer times and costs. One of the key elements of the partnership involves the use of XRP, Ripple’s native digital asset, for on-demand liquidity (ODL) between Japan and the Philippines. ODL allows for near-instantaneous transfers.Broader sector trendThis partnership is part of a broader trend in the financial industry, where blockchain technology is being harnessed to enhance services. Ripple, in particular, has been targeting remittances through an offering that enables a competitive edge through both speed and cost-effectiveness relative to transfers. Foreign workers in Japan, particularly the 280,000 Filipinos working in the country, stand to benefit from this new offering. That’s due to the ongoing need for foreign overseas workers to send money back home.The SBI Remit and Shonan Shinkin Bank collaboration highlights the immense potential of blockchain technology in reshaping financial services, especially in regions with a high concentration of foreign workers.This development represents yet another significant achievement in the longstanding partnership between SBI and Ripple. The two companies first began to cooperate by way of a mutually beneficial partnership in 2016 with the establishment of SBI Ripple Asia. The recent demonstration of using XRP for ODL remittances in Japan and the Philippines showcases the tangible benefits of this collaboration, with the potential to reduce international transfer times from days to mere minutes.With the demand for seamless international money transfers on the rise, the partnership between SBI Remit, Shonan Shinkin Bank, and Ripple is poised to make a significant impact on the remittance landscape in Japan and beyond.Foreign overseas workers and the families they support in their home countries have long since been at the edge when it comes to financial inclusion. In the press release, Shonan Shinkin Bank was stated to be committed to achieving financial inclusion by partnering with various stakeholders to provide solutions to the various issues facing small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as providing international remittances and other solutions to the diverse local community.As the financial industry continues to embrace blockchain solutions, collaborations like this one serve as a testament to the ongoing evolution of global payments systems.

Blockchain.com Secures License to Expand Operations in SingaporeBlockchain.com, the London-headquartered crypto financial services company, has achieved a significant milestone by obtaining a payment license in Singapore.Photo by Mike Enerio on UnsplashAsian expansionThe move signifies the platform’s expansion not only within Asia but also on a global scale. In a press release issued on Monday, Blockchain.com proudly announced its acquisition of a major payment institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on August 1.The development follows an in-principle approval granted to Blockchain.com by the Singaporean central bank back in September 2022. With the newly acquired MPI license, the platform is now authorized to provide “digital payment token” (DPT) services to both institutional clients and investors in Singapore.Removal of transaction volume limitsUnder the regulatory framework of MAS’s Payment Service Act, the license grants Blockchain.com the authority to operate as a platform facilitating the exchange of various DPTs while also conducting DPT transactions themselves. An interesting facet of the license is that it liberates the crypto exchange from certain transaction volume limitations set within Singapore, as outlined on MAS’s official website.Expressing enthusiasm about this accomplishment, the Co-Founder and CEO of Blockchain.com, Peter Smith, lauded the crypto-friendly environment in Singapore. Smith commended the Monetary Authority of Singapore for its transparent regulatory process, on the basis that it strikes a balance between overseeing the crypto industry and fostering innovation. He stated:“We are thrilled to receive this license that will allow Blockchain.com to bring our industry-leading products and services to Singapore. We commend the Monetary Authority of Singapore on its transparent regulatory process that prioritizes crypto industry oversight while allowing innovation to thrive.”Over a decade in operationHaving been established in 2011, Blockchain.com boasts a reputable standing as one of the crypto industry’s pioneers. It’s most well known for its Bitcoin blockchain explorer and its wallet service. With a user base of 87 million active wallets and 37 million verified customers, the exchange business claims that it accounts for a large chunk of all Bitcoin network transactions.Singapore, heralded for its emergence as a crypto hub, has welcomed other crypto entities holding Major Payment Institution (MPI) licenses, including prominent stablecoin issuers Circle and Paxos. The city-state has drawn a significant influx of crypto businesses in recent years, supported by its well-defined regulatory framework and the government’s commitment to nurturing the burgeoning crypto landscape within its borders.Fostering Web3 innovationMAS has demonstrated that it is aligning itself with a dedication to fostering innovation, with its recently announced plans to allocate $112 million over a span of three years for the development of cutting-edge financial technologies. This initiative will encompass fintech solutions grounded in Web3 principles.Nevertheless, Singapore remains cautious about the potential risks associated with the crypto space. In July, MAS directed all crypto businesses within its jurisdiction to transfer user assets to statutory trust accounts before the end of 2023. This precautionary measure is likely to be a reaction to crypto failures such as that of crypto-lender Hodlnaut and crypto exchange FTX, which affected Singaporeans disproportionately. It aims to minimize the risk of asset loss or misappropriation.MAS also has moved to permit crypto firms to offer staking and lending services solely to institutional clients, imposing a ban on the retail market for these services.