business
Bitpanda acquires London-based crypto custodian Trustology
This is the first acquisition deal for the crypto exchange headquartered in Vienna The exchange views the acquisition as a step toward its goal of debuting a Prime Brokerage service Austrian cryptocurrency exchange Bitpanda has completed an acquisition deal for institutional-grade DeFi custodian wallet provider Trustology. Neither party revealed the specifics, but according to a source familiar with the developments, the deal is in the range of eight figures in US dollars. This is the first acquisition the exchange has completed and represents a stride towards unveiling brokerage services under the Bitpanda Pro platform. “The introduction of Bitpanda Custody is the first step in launching a Prime Brokerage offering under Bitpanda Pro to go alongside the regulated digital asset ...
Amber Group completes $200M Series B+ funding round featuring Temasek Holdings
Amber Group extended its Series B funding as a special effort to bring Temasek around the investors’ table The raised funds will support global expansion and grow its OpenVerse and WhaleFin products According to a press release shared on Monday, leading digital asset platform, Amber Group confirmed that it had completed a $200 million Series B+ funding round led by Singapore-based investment firm Temasek Holdings. The raise also saw participation from other investors, including Tiger Global Management, Sequoia China, Coinbase Ventures, and Pantera Capital. The round’s completion at a $3 billion valuation represents three times as large as the valuation the firm reached in June 2021, the last time when capital was raised. It also brings the sum raised by Amber Group since its in...
Huobi is planning a comeback in the US market, but not as an exchange
Huobi Tech co-founder Du Jun confirmed in an interview that the exchange is mulling a return into the US The exchange is, however, seeking to re-enter the market in the lines of asset management as opposed to an exchange Crypto exchange Huobi has plans to enter the US market, targeting a different sub-niche. Speaking in an interview with CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal, Huobi co-founder Du Jun expressed the company’s desire to expand into the US. Jun explained that Huobi was ready to get back into the competitive US market after redefining its strategy. The Huobi brand operated in the US market for a short while between 2018 and 2019 through– a US-based entity called Huobi US. The entity failed to stick the landing and consequently withdrew from the market in December 2019, citing regulat...
Alok se apoiou em produtores fantasmas não pagos para criar seus hits de Brazilian Bass
Nota do Editor: A Billboard publicou anteriormente uma versão condensada deste artigo em português. Como uma cortesia aos nossos leitores brasileiros, a Billboard decidiu publicar a matéria original em inglês na íntegra em português. Inclui atualizações sobre o status de “Un Ratito”. RIO DE JANEIRO – Atrás de um complexo murado numa estrada de terra cercado por palmeiras e uma exuberante montanha verde, os produtores e DJs Sean e Kevin Brauer aprenderam a fazer música enquanto viviam na comunidade religiosa Meninos de Deus nas duas primeiras décadas de suas vidas. O objetivo, no entanto, não era o estrelato na dance-music — era produzir rock cristão e música folclórica para apoiar o movimento religioso. Os irmãos Brauer tiveram uma educação domiciliar, não tiveram acesso à internet e tiver...
Kanye West Touts $1.3M in Stem Player Sales, Says Exclusive ‘Donda 2’ Release Sinks Apple Deal
After announcing Thursday that his forthcoming album, Donda 2, would be streaming exclusively on his branded Stem Player, Kanye West (now known as Ye) says he’s raked in over $1.3 million in sales over the past day alone. On Instagram Friday (Feb. 18), Ye posted that as of 11:09 a.m. PST he had sold more than 6,200 Stem devices in the past 24 hours, with sales totaling over $1.3 million. “Thats faster than I’ve ever sold any T shirt. God has a plan. New frontier,” Ye wrote of the sales figures. “Everyone that is supporting our revolution is changing the game for all artist. We no longer have to bow to people who don’t even truly care about music. I feel like I’m back at SOB’s performing Jesus Walks.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news At the time ...
Dan Rutman Joins Spotify as Head of Music Creator Partnerships
Dan Rutman has been hired at Spotify as head of music creator partnerships, the confirmed with Billboard on Friday (Feb. 18). Music Business Worldwide first reported the news after Rutman posted an update to LinkedIn the day prior. According to a job post advertising the role, Rutman will spearhead a partnerships strategy “that drives positive sentiment toward Spotify for Artists, accelerates creator adoption of our offerings, and positions Spotify as the ultimate place to build, reach, and monetize an audience.” He’ll also be tasked with developing “scalable processes to manage multiple partnerships simultaneously” while collaborating with Spotify for Artists leadership, creator marketing and Spotify’s corporate and business development teams. Rutman arrives at Spotify from TuneCore,...
Kanye West Files Legal Objections to Kim Kardashian’s Plan for a Quick Divorce
Attorneys for Kanye West are formally objecting to Kim Kardashian’s request to be declared legally single in March, saying the proposal creates a “risk of adverse consequences” that must be resolved. The objections are a response to Kardashian’s December request to split the divorce proceedings in two – a plan that would allow her to immediately be declared “single” before slower-moving proceedings, over child custody and assets, fully play out in court. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news That proposal is set for approval in early March, but in a filing on Wednesday (Feb. 16), West’s attorneys said he’d only consent to the plan if several pre-conditions are imposed. Among his stipulations are requirements that would be imposed on Kardashian’s abil...
Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Lil Baby & Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Acquire ‘True Classic’ Lifestyle Brand Mitchell & Ness
Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Maverick Carter, Fanatics, the D’Amelio family and more have officially acquired iconic lifestyle brand Mitchell & Ness from former owner Juggernaut Capital Partners. The announcement came early Friday (Feb. 18). “Fashion is cyclical, but classics are forever,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Mitchell & Ness is a true classic. I was an early adopter of this brand, as well as a part of a departure from athletic wear. I’m proud to play a small role in bringing it back, and in some cases, introducing the authenticity and quality of the Mitchell & Ness brand to a new generation.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Founded in 1904, Mitchell & Ness remains a go-to shopping hub for nostalgic sports jerseys, license...
Joe Rogan’s Spotify Deal Is Reportedly Worth Double What Was Originally Thought
Joe Rogan’s podcasting deal with Spotify was worth at least double previously believed, according to a report from The New York Times. On Thursday, The Times reported the streaming services’ exclusive arrangement with The Joe Rogan Experience was priced at “at least $200 million” for three and a half years, according to two anonymous sources — far exceeding the originally reported deal sum of more than $100 million. This puts the former Fear Factor host and comedian’s deal in the same ballpark as Spotify’s acquisition of entire audio studios — like Gimlet and Ringer — for slightly less than $200 million. The spending was all part of the company’s plan to become a premier destination for all audio content, not just music. Music, for the streaming service, has not proven to not incredib...
US Trade Rep Identifies 7 Online Platforms as Significant Threats to Music Creators
A U.S. government report highlighted the ongoing challenges that piracy poses to creators around the world, including from seven online platforms that pose significant threats in the music realm. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in its 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy released Thursday (Feb. 17), identified 42 online markets and 25 physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate significant trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. The 2021 findings reflect a slight improvement over the 2020 report, which identified eight online threats to music creators. Last year’s list includes all the same sites listed this year in addition to Russian social media site VK. While VK is still listed in the 2021 report for its popularity in the...
Universal Music Group Partners With Curio for Future NFT Projects
Universal Music Group and NFT platform Curio will partner together on future NFT projects from UMG’s labels, subsidiaries and artists worldwide, the companies announced Thursday (Feb. 17). Curio, which has released over 75,000 NFTs since last February, will launch its first project through the agreement with Capitol Records artist Calum Scott in March. “With Curio, our labels will have a secure and dedicated platform to host these premium projects and provide new opportunities for collectors and fans from around the world to acquire unique pieces, inspired by their favorite artists and labels,” said Michael Nash, UMG executive vp digital strategy, in a statement. “UMG is focused on developing new opportunities in this space that place our artists and labels at the forefront, working to ens...
Red Bull Racing Team scores a $150M multi-year deal with Bybit exchange
The multi-year agreement defines Bybit as a Principal Team partner As the ‘new’ Tech Incubator Partner, Bybit will push for sustainability, diversity, and inclusion The Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team revealed on Wednesday that it reached a $150 million agreement with Singapore-based crypto exchange Bybit. The deal is expected to run for three years, with the funding split evenly at $50 million annually. According to the press release, the deal also marks the “single largest per-annum cryptocurrency venture” within the international sporting space. Bybit will join the team as a principal team partner – a newly-introduced level of partnership for the team. Among other activities, the exchange will also become the sole cryptocurrency exchange partner and Oracle Re...
