Naarden, The Netherlands, and Zug, Switzerland - Digital Trust Solutions (DTS), a software development, management and consultancy firm specializing in customer compliance, and Concordium a Web 3 company providing a Layer-1, proof-of-stake blockchain with built in ID layer to ease regulatory compliance, announce today a new partnership, where DTS will act as global ID verification provider on the Concordium blockchain. Concordium’s ID layer, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology, and partnership with ID providers, such as DTS, ensures user privacy while enhancing accountability and trust in the digital ecosphere.

“With DTS' Identity Services, users of CCD wallets are authenticated based on locally available digital identities, NFC chip reader or by means of a Passport/Driving License or National ID card with a selfie check,” said Arjan van Diemen, CEO of Digital Trust Solutions and further explains, “All transactions will be stored in an identification file with independent evidence, off-chain. If required by regulators, user identities and their transactions may be revoked by a set of independent identity revokers. In this way we bridge the gap between the virtual and real world and meet regulatory requirements”.

Headquartered in Switzerland, Concordium is a Layer-1, proof-of-stake, sustainable blockchain with ID layer which makes it compliance ready from day one. This innovative identity layer, at the protocol level, offers transactional privacy while supporting accountability towards relevant regulators and, as such, lays the basis for compliance readiness from day one. Concordium’s methodology ensures instant finalization and high throughput, at low and predictable transaction fees.

In addition to running identity verification services on Concordium, Digital Trust Solutions will actively participate in the ecosystem development and collaborate with Concordium on use case development and enterprise blockchain adoption.

"With the Concordium ecosystem, the decentralized blockchain space is maturing and we are looking forward to working as a part of this ecosystem which provides so many interesting new business model options for the ever increasing number of participants," said Arjan van Diemen, CEO of Digital Trust Solutions.

“It's a great pleasure to work with the DTS team who has shown great interest in the decentralized blockchain space and we look forward to collaborating with DTS on driving innovative solutions to the Concordium ecosystem," said Mikael Breinholst, Head of Partner Integration at Concordium.

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European Union lawmakers decided last week Friday to back tougher safeguards for transfers of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, in the latest sign that regulators are tightening up on the crypto sector. Two committees in the European Parliament narrowly voted to require not only exchanges, but also "obliged entities", to obtain, hold, and submit information on those involved in transfers. It is yet to be understood who the obliged entities are in case of transfers between unhosted wallets. The suggested law increases regulatory demands for crypto payments and is in response to recommendations from the global Financial Action Task Force that sets standards for combating money laundering.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of the Swiss based blockchain company Concordium says, “The new draft regulations require significant changes in the way current cryptocurrency transfers are made. It may be a huge challenge for the decentralized crypto solutions that hold anonymity as a core value and are committed peer-to-peer (P2P) and self-custody. Moreover, many projects could be held back by their community from changing their solutions”.

Lone Fønss Schrøder adds: “Crypto currency regulation has been a hot topic across world governments for some time. Although blockchain is by nature decentralized, with its P2P exchange and self-custody, it has been clear to us at Concordium that regulation was inevitable. From inception we anticipated this, and have uniquely incorporated an encrypted identity stamp into the protocol layer of our blockchain. This is done without compromising GDPR.”

Zero-knowledge-proofs (ZKP) allows parties to verify information without exchanging or storing that information on-chain other than hash functions. Concordium is already capable of soliciting and validating ZKPs and we’re currently building this capability into our wallets. If required by a court order, personal data can be uncovered through a legal process by an independent network of “identity revokers” vis a vis the ‘identity verifiers’.

The solution is unique as it balances the requirements of regulation with individual privacy as required by GDPR.“Concordium is by design and philosophy ready to implement solutions and processes needed to comply with regulations of blockchain based applications - using techniques developed by leading researchers'', says Fønss Schrøder. “Together with our very low and stable transaction fees, high transaction speed and finalization without possibility of rollbacks, we are uniquely positioned to offer forward-thinking businesses, application developers, and cryptocurrency traders unrivaled security, privacy, transparency and most importantly, regulatory compliance”.

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Geely Holding and the Concordium Foundation will jointly finance the establishment of a Geely Holding Blockchain Innovation & Application Center located in Wuxi, China. The purpose of the joint venture is to further develop blockchain technologies and improve blockchain standards in the automotive industry and other industries. The joint venture will use Concordium’s Blockchain technology to become a leading Blockchain Technology- and Service Provider in China. Moreover, the joint venture will offer Concordium access to hundreds of developers, innovative new use cases and a variety of tools and applications which can serve the Concordium ecosystem.

Since announcing its intention to establish a joint venture with the Concordium Foundation last February, Geely Holding established a Digital Technology Sector subsidiary ("Geely Digital Technology") to invest in blockchain, big data, data security, among other cutting-edge technologies. Geely Holding is now accelerating the development building a blockchain global headquarters in Wuxi, China.

The joint venture will allow Geely and Concordium to offer businesses and customers access to new blockchain platform-based business models and dApps. As mentioned, the JV marks a new era of collaboration, using Concordium’s strong cryptographic security, permissionless blockchain with ID at the protocol level and Geely’s technological leadership and implementation power in the Chinese market.

Daniel Donghui Li, CEO of Geely Holding Group said, "The in-depth cooperation between Geely Holding and Wuxi Economic Development District in the field of blockchain technologies will help accelerate the development of the blockchain industry in Wuxi. The policy and resource support of Wuxi Economic Development District is also conducive to the rapid development of Geely Holding's blockchain technology and business."

Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman of Concordium Foundation, speaking on the occasion said: "We will do our utmost to contribute with our advanced blockchain technology backed by some of the most innovative brains from top-ranked universities in the world and developed by top software developers for the benefit of enterprises and start-up companies throughout China."

Working with Concordium, the Geely Digital Technology has developed blockchain as a Service (BaaS) platform, digital asset management platform, blockchain traceability platform among other products and solutions, which have been applied to some of Geely's automotive products and brands. This research and development puts Concordium in line with some of the most cutting-edge technologies and use cases, and with a large number of developers who are building new capabilities on the Concordium blockchain. In the future, Concordium will cooperate more deeply with Geely Holding to focus on accelerating blockchain application in the automotive and other industries by empowering the industrial internet, traceability in supply chains, carbon neutrality, meta-verse, and other fields.

The Concordium Reg DeFi Lab, launched by Concordium and Verum Capital, is the first lab for regulated decentralized finance projects. It aims to support and fund projects developing the next generation of DeFi products and services with a community endowment program of 650M CCDs. Concordium and Verum Capital forecast that the next generation of DeFi applications will facilitate enterprise and institutional client adoption.

The opportunities that Web3 offers have become undeniable. Current DeFi applications do not conform with many of the financial services regulations in force today. Prompted by these challenges, the Reg DeFi Lab aims to close the gap between decentralized finance and regulation, by supporting and funding new applications that will conform to regulatory requirements.

The next evolution of DeFi applications, DeFi 3.0, will see the introduction of new products and services that incorporate regulatory requirements to support the interests of enterprise, institutional stakeholders and not least the consumers. The Reg DeFi Lab exists to serve these projects.

Three pillars to support DeFi projects:

The Reg Defi Lab will provide comprehensive support to the teams building the next generation of DeFi products. This support will allow them to proactively assess regulatory requirements, secure early-stage funding, and scale quickly using essential tools, all built on the Concordium blockchain. The lab’s offerings include:

1.  Funding Vehicle: Via 6.5% of the genesis block, Concordium will fund projects in the form of CCD enabling them to build and scale regulatory compliant DeFi solutions on the Concordium blockchain.

2. Thought Leadership: The Reg DeFi Lab is a platform for industry leaders, regulators, etc. in the DeFi space to actively participate and gain expertise in the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape relevant to the DeFi industry.

3. Out-of-the-Box Developer Tools: Out-of-the-box developer tools, a low-code/no-code platform, and software modules will be developed by the Reg Defi Lab and its partners to facilitate the quick time to market.

Now Accepting Applications: The Reg DeFi Lab is now accepting applications from projects, with funding available as early as March 2022. The projects will be funded on a rolling basis. Founders, entrepreneurs, developers and companies etc. are encouraged to submit their funding requests. The Lab is looking for:

• Early-stage companies with an innovative business idea, strong founding team, and a clear vision requesting pre-seed/seed capital.
• Later-stage investments (Series A and beyond) in companies with a validated business model to support adoption.

For more information and to apply, visit our website: www.theregdefilab.com

According to Concordium CEO, Lone Fonss Schroder: “The teams building next-gen DeFi products are vital to the overall success of the ecosystem. DeFi solutions are driving blockchain adoption at present and their introduction to mainstream, commercial users will bring blockchain to the masses. We offer the backbone for DeFi 3.0 applications, which may need to be regulatory compliant. The Reg Defi Lab is our latest initiative to offer comprehensive support to the teams driving DeFi adoption.”

According to Verum Capital CEO, Matthias Weissl: “Navigating regulatory requirements is challenging for any venture. These challenges can be particularly crippling for DeFi projects that are operating in an unresolved and ever changing regulatory landscape. A vehicle that provides guidance and facilitates dialogue with regulators and offers funding and essential tools to projects, could accelerate the space in terms of widespread adoption. Verum Capital is proud to be launching the Reg DeFi Lab with Concordium to make this a reality.”

Gamer’s Gold announced today a partnership with Concordium to together develop the world's largest ‘Play to Earn’ platform based on the Concordium blockchain. The platform will enable an ecosystem of gamers, companies and NGOs to prosper from the world of gaming safely, responsibly and securely. Gamer’s Gold will introduce a new way to create an income for all those involved in online gaming.

Today, approximately one in three people play online games in a market estimated to generate a revenue of over $200B USD. Covid-19, and the corresponding lockdowns, further drove demand and had a major impact on the size of the market. Major online championships drawing an ever growing viewership further drove market growth and penetration. However, it is estimated that today only the top one percent of gamers earn money for their skill.

The use of in-game currencies is not new, however blockchain provides the ability to trade in-game currency for crypto currencies, without the need for players to link to their personal bank details. The possibilities now stretch even further than just being able to access rewards and items with greater ease and security. Gamers can now potentially earn digital currency in real life for their in-game efforts or rewarded for their participation with in-game assets, cryptocurrencies or even digital assets through tokenization.

Gamer’s Gold aims to even out the playing field by enabling gamers of all skill levels to earn an income. Tokens and cryptocurrencies will be earned by players via tournaments, referral programs as well as sponsorship programs backed by ecosystem partners. In this manner, Gamer’s Gold hopes to more equally divide the wealth amongst the massive gaming market. Moreover, they hope to make the Gamer’s Gold platform a safe haven for gamers.

Concordium, based in Switzerland, is defining a new category of compliance facilitating blockchains. Concordium is a Web 3 based, sustainable and science-proven blockchain. It is the first decentralized blockchain with identification at the protocol level which helps facilitate greater regulatory compliance. This identity layer offers transactional privacy while supporting regulatory accountability, and, as such, is a great match with use cases of this nature.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO, Concordium, commented: “Online gaming has always been an exciting arena. With the advent of blockchain, it can now be a more secure haven for gamers to make in-game purchases. Our partnership with Gamer’s Gold has developed out of our joint vision of a better (more democratic and decentralized) world being enabled by blockchain technology. It is an honor to have been chosen by this team for their project.”

Steffen Kirkegaard, Founder and CEO, Gamer’s Gold commented, "With blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) will enable us to provide our gamers with a better, more egalitarian experience. Gamers will get their money on time, they will get their winnings no matter the size of the prize. Companies and developers can also get a piece of the pie, whether they are mainstream or niche players. In Concordium, we found a partner with a shared vision and the ability to promote in-game accountability and fairplay by utilizing the ID function to balance between identity verification and privacy."

Hypery, a European NFT start-up in the music industry and Concordium, a public, proof-of-stake blockchain with a built-in identification layer to meet the regulatory requirements, announce today a cooperation set to revolutionize the future of distribution in the music industry by offering artists the opportunity to offer their music as NFT (non-fungible tokens).

The music industry has been traditionally one sided in terms of distribution. In return for promoting, distributing and advertising music, the labels could enjoy major returns on investment, while the artists themselves received limited payment in the form of royalties. In the transition to the digital world with various streaming services, the underlying distribution issues remain the same with many middlemen operating and benefitting from the artists. In fact, it is estimated that musicians enjoy only 12% of the music industry’s revenues.

Hypery is building the world’s first music NFT ‘store’, open to artists across Europe and the globe. With the help of Hypery, artists will be able to sell direct-to-consumer whether it be a general release, an acoustic track, a concert recording, or a backstage experience. This is set to create a fair ecosystem for music creators that will enjoy a more transparent and democratic share of income, without middlemen and ‘corporate-centric for-profit’ approach. Moreover, with Hypery tokens, the fan base can also benefit from the growth of their favorite artist. Hypery’s creators become self-sovereign by joining the ecosystem.

This offers completely new opportunities to express oneself artistically, and also new commercial opportunities and greater engagement with fans and followers. Hypery offers an additional earnings channel for the benefit of both artists, fans and record companies.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO, Concordium, commented: “Music distribution has traditionally been a touchy subject for many artists. With the help of blockchain technology, we can ensure that artists will have greater control in the distribution and of the proceeds of their passion. Concordium has set its sights on bringing blockchain to the masses. This is just one of the many use cases we have lined up for our ecosystem.”

Karl Oliver Goedicke, CEO, Hypery, commented: "We are delighted to be working with Concordium. In Concordium we have found a business partner, and a platform for turning our dream into reality. Concordium’s unique identity protocol ensures compliance, accountability and trust."

Concordium, based in Switzerland, is defining a new category of compliance facilitating blockchains. Concordium is a Web 3.0 based, sustainable and science-proven blockchain. It is the first decentralized blockchain with identification at the protocol level which helps facilitate regulatory compliance. This identity layer offers transactional privacy while supporting regulatory accountability, and, as such, is a great match with use cases of this nature.

Concordium and Hypery share a common vision of a legitimate and secure ecosystem in which every right holder (or artist) receives their fair share of proceeds. The first exciting artists have already joined the Hypery platform including: Ida Corr who has been streamed 2.5B+ times to date on TikTok, and DJ's Boilers and DJ Thoby and many more.

PHI Inc. is the first company in Japan to be awarded the ‘Free and Open Grant’ by the Concordium Foundation. The grant has been awarded for the development of an innovative electronic open voting project, called Govote, which will run on the Concordium blockchain.

The PHI team has been working on a business model for managing teams and projects through a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) preparing for the Web3 era.The Govote project is part of PHI's vision of digital governance of DAO society. Govote can be used for a general meeting of shareholders, distributed teams building and online communities.

In their search for a blockchain platform to meet the requirements of the next-generation voting system, the PHI team found Concordium blockchain which implements identity management. Privacy and anonymity are inherent  to voting mechanisms to Govote, which uses blockchain technology and zero-knowledge proofs to provide voting rights, vote anonymity, and tamper-resistance of voting results.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO, Concordium, commented: “Online voting has long been talked about and is gaining momentum, especially in the post-COVID era. While the technology has been available for quite some time, concern is still rampant about the permeability and vulnerability of these systems. Using blockchain to overcome some of the challenges, is yet another use case for this technology. It is our honor to work together with the PHI team to make online voting a reality.”

Takashi Oka, Co-founder of PHI commented, "We are delighted to be the first team in Japan to receive a grant from the Concordium Foundation. PHI team will be a bridge between Web2.0 and Web3.0, which will greatly contribute to the development of the blockchain space. Behind the slow progress in the use of public blockchain by companies and public cases, there is a very high hurdle to meet the regulatory requirements such as AML/CFT. On Concordium, it is possible to develop applications/services that solve this problem by utilizing the ID function to achieve both identity verification and privacy."

Concordium, based in Switzerland, is defining a new category of compliance facilitating blockchains. Concordium is a Web 3.0 based, sustainable and science-proven blockchain. It is the first decentralized blockchain with identification at the protocol level which helps facilitate greater regulatory compliance. This identity layer offers transactional privacy while supporting regulatory accountability, and, as such, is a great match with use cases of this nature.

Concordium, a public, proof-of-stake blockchain with a built-in identification layer to meet the regulatory requirements, is thrilled to announce the official listing of its native CCD token on Bitfinex and BitGlobal, two leading crypto exchanges. Bitfinex is the first exchange where users can trade the CCD token, beginning at 10:00 AM CET on February 10, 2022. Trading on BitGlobal will open on February 11, 2022 at 10:00 AM CET.

Founded in 2012, Bitfinex is one of the world’s oldest crypto trading platforms. It offers a suite of highly advanced and diversified trading features, charting tools, and unparalleled support. BitGlobal is designed to enable every user to trade, participate, or contribute to the digital assets ecosystem with ease. It offers a user-friendly digital asset ecosystem with increased liquidity and tighter security measures of international standards.

Both Bitfinex and BitGlobal users will be able to trade CCD against BTC, ETH, and USDT. The exchanges will initially support only spot trading of the token at launch. In the near future, Concordium intends on bringing CCD to more exchanges thereby increasing the liquidity of the CCD and enabling wider utilization of the CCD.

As the native token of the Concordium platform, CCD is key to interacting with the blockchain. It can be used as a means of payment on applications using the Concordium technology as well as paying transaction fees to the validator nodes that process transactions and secure the network. These fees are deterministic, known in advance and stable in Euro-terms. The CCD token will also power the vibrant ecosystems built on Concordium, with a special focus on Regulated DeFi, Decentralized Fintech, and innovation.

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority has classified CCD as a payment token, meaning it is suitable to be used for on-chain settlement of transactions, collateralization, and all other use-cases applicable in Decentralized Finance (DeFi).

The Concordium Foundation will develop and implement a fair governance structure that allows the project to evolve over time. It means that CCD holders will ultimately have on-chain voting powers in Concordium’s decentralized governance.

Concordium, the first layer-1 blockchain with built-in protocol level user identity, announces today that as of March 1, 2022, Kåre Kjelstrøm will join Concordium, in a newly established position as Group CTO and CPO with the holistic responsibility for the Product and Technology. Kåre will act as Group CTO/CPO responsible for leading the rapid development of the core technology and the products required to position Concordium as the leading permissionless, decentralized blockchain platform.

Throughout his career, Kåre has served in a variety of senior technology roles with extensive hands-on experience in building systems at scale. Moreover, Kåre has a proven track record of designing and delivering large systems and infrastructure components in heterogeneous environments. In his latest role, he is responsible for the core infrastructure of a high-profile Silicon Valley Startup. Prior to this, Kåre held high ranking positions at Uber, Dansk IT and Silverbullet. Kåre has a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Århus University specializing in object-oriented, distributed systems.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of Concordium, states that “Concordium’s decentralized, sustainable blockchain platform is reaching its biggest milestone yet with the upcoming listing of Concordium´s cryptocurrency the CCD. The use of permissionless, decentralized blockchain has a huge potential for supporting new business models in a wide range of domains including Web3, decentralized finance and more. However, it's still difficult for people to understand the technology, its use cases and probable impact on the future economy”.

“Concordium is focusing on the swift development of the blockchain infrastructure with an accessible product offering in focus. We decided to bring in Kåre who has global experience from other top technology companies where the customer experience and usability are of prime importance. Kåre is the right person to accelerate the development of the Concordium platform – enabling our platform to become the best-in-class from a user and technology perspective” she continues.

“I’ve spent the last decades working on building and scaling products with a major focus on the customer experience”, said Kåre of his new role. “Concordium is ripe with fascinating challenges along these lines, as do current and future Web3 business models. These have both research and practical implications that I’m keen to take the lead on”.

Café Dan Turèll, a Parisian inspired café in Copenhagen announced today, that it will start accepting $CCD, Concordium blockchains´ crypto currency as of Thursday February 10th, 2022.

The café is named after the iconic Danish poet Dan Turèll who was a unique but frequent sight at the pubs and cafés of the time, with his black lacquered nails and his large, wide black hat. His poems are still loved for their quirky and clear views of everyday life in the big city. Since the beginning of 1977, Café Dan Turèll has had a special place in the hearts of many Copenhageners. Concordium´s founder Lars Seier Christensen recently took over the café and had it renovated. The café was brought back to its former glory, with a deep respect for it's spirit and long history, but also with a modern, quality-conscious twist.

Payment via cryptocurrencies is on the rise as these gain popularity and enter the mainstream. What was once primarily the domain of Bitcoin (BTC) has seen an influx of consumers and businesses using digital tokens other than Bitcoin for purchases.

Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman Concordium, commented: After I posted today ‘You like CCD tokens from Concordium, but you also like great cocktails and good wine. Problem solved as we now accept CCDs as payment in the iconic Cafe Dan Turell in Copenhagen!’, people have reached out to me to see how they too can take payments with the CCD. So obviously the potential is out there. Web 3.0, blockchain and crypto currencies will drive many new business opportunities. I love to test and try, this is a great way to get a better understanding of what Web 3.0 and the future economies are all about. At Concordium, we aim to define some of this future.”

Aleksander Haugstrup, CEO, Café Dan Turèll, commented: “We’re delighted to announce our support for Concordium at Café Dan Turèll. With the growth of our business and customer base and the increasing use of crypto-currency, we chose to work with a company that prides itself on identity verification and look forward to accepting CCD as payment at our café in the center of Copenhagen”.

Copper.co, multi-award-winning provider of digital asset custody and trading solutions, announced it will be the first institutional custodian for CCD,  Concordium blockchain’s native cryptocurrency. Copper will support staking solutions for CCD and provide sophisticated and secure cross-exchange trading infrastructure for effective and fast management of crypto assets.

Concordium, based in Switzerland, is defining a new category of compliance facilitating blockchains. Concordium is a Web 3.0 based, sustainable and science-proven blockchain. It is the first decentralized blockchain with identification at the protocol level which helps facilitate greater regulatory compliance. This identity layer offers transactional privacy while supporting regulatory accountability, and, as such is a natural partner to Copper’s secure digital asset custody offering. Transactions at Concordium have instant finalization and high throughput in terms of trades processed per second.

Copper’s infrastructure is underpinned by multi-award-winning custody and an Aon brokered crime insurance policy. Copper´s secure digital asset custody solution uses Multi-Party Computation technology whereby the private key is split, largely eliminating the risk of key exposure in online transactions. Over 400 institutions already trust Copper as a custodian for their crypto assets both for the paramount security provided by Copper and for the wide range of supported tokens, which currently stands at over 450.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO, Concordium, commented: “Copper provides the gold standard in institutional crypto asset management. They are leading the way in secure custody and trading in the same way that we are pioneering accountable and responsible blockchain technology. We are pleased that Concordium’s token holders can now benefit from Copper´s service  and we look forward to continued cooperation as we grow.”

Dmitry Tokarev, CEO, Copper, added: “We’re delighted to announce our support for Concordium as their first institutional custodian. Their commitment to transparency and accountability echoes our own commitments to security in crypto asset engagement.”

Transaction fees on Concordium are low and stable in FIAT terms. Low fees and predictability are essential for the use cases and will support growth.  Concordium’s native cryptocurrency , the CCD, is key to interacting with the Concordium blockchain and users will pay transaction fees with the CCD. The CCD cryptocurrency also powers the vibrant ecosystems built on the Concordium platform, which supports a wide range of applications such as tokenization, Regulated DeFi and decentralized platforms as well as secure sharing of data, NFT marketplaces, royalties tracking, payments and real-time IoT operating systems. The CCD will also be used for paying the baker rewards and finalization rewards to Bakers and Finalizers.

Concordium™, the first layer-1 blockchain with built-in protocol level user identity, partners with the Fintech Association of Nigeria (FinTechNGR) to further accelerate and innovate on its blockchain solution made for the future economy.

FinTechNGR is a self-regulatory, not-for-profit and non-political organisation incorporated in Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and a global body Global Fintech Hubs Federation member. It prides itself in working with over 200 corporate Pan-African and international organizations, notably with Mastercard, Flutterwave and The Nigerian Stock Exchange.

The Association was established to serve as a platform for developing the financial technology (“Fintech”) industry in Nigeria and to be a forum for exchanging ideas and disseminating information by and between various stakeholders in the Nigerian financial technology services industry.

For Concordium, membership in the FinTechNGR presents an opportunity to form relationships with Pan-African regulators who play a massive role in consolidating one of its many use cases, the financial services solutions. Moreover, the initiative will help increase knowledge and awareness of compliance-ready, public and permissionless blockchain technology. Businesses and individuals will be able to transact in a manner that supports regulatory transparency. Concordium helps them do so on the blockchain without disclosing sensitive financial information to external entities and allowing accountability to relevant regulators.

Concordium aligns well with FinTechNGR's goal of serving as a platform for financial technology development in Nigeria by building and supporting blockchain and fintech development in all areas, including Nigeria.

Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman of Concordium Foundation, says: With a personal family relationship to Nigeria, I am particularly excited about how we could help grow innovation and inclusion in Nigeria and the African continent in general. There are considerable opportunities to leapfrog many historical legacy problems we know in Europe, and we are therefore very pleased to join and support the efforts of the Fintech Association of Nigeria.

As a member of FinTechNGR, Concordium has the opportunity to participate in working groups that address issues that are crucial to it’s technological advancement in the Nigerian blockchain space and the cryptocurrency space as a whole, including regulation, Decentralized Finance, privacy, sovereignty, social justice and more.

Concordium, the first layer-1 blockchain with built-in protocol level user identity, becomes a member of  SiBAN to provide sovereignty and social justice for the future economy via its regulatory compliant blockchain solution.

SiBAN’s sole mission is to promote blockchain education and adoption in Nigeria; self-regulate the blockchain and cryptocurrency space for consumer protection and investor confidence in the country; and champion blockchain advocacy, regulations, and reforms towards ensuring that both private and public sectors embrace blockchain technology to transform lives, businesses, and governance in Nigeria.

It was founded by stakeholders in Nigeria’s blockchain and cryptocurrency community for the purpose of: supporting players in the space, educating users and members of the public about the blockchain technology, promoting adoption by both private and public bodies, ensuring consumer protection and safeguards against scams, and working with regulators to help maximize the untapped potentials of the blockchain.

The admission of Concordium into SiBAN is a significant step in bringing its blockchain solution to the Nigerian public. Concordium is a blockchain solution built for the future economy, it’s innovative identity layer at the protocol level offers transactional privacy whilst allowing accountability to relevant regulators, aligns well with SiBAN mission making this an important initiative in the space.

“It is a privilege for Concordium to join the Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria. Concordium has spent years researching and building a compliance ready blockchain made for global adoption and to support the future economy. Naturally, our next step is to introduce our technology in Nigeria, a regional leader in Blockchain adoption, and Africa as a whole. Together with the association, we hope to continue driving the interesting innovation which blockchain supports” says Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO Concordium.

By becoming a member of SiBAN, Concordium’s voice will be one of few who are committed to innovation, blockchain solutions provider for the future economy. Our membership with the SiBAN is an important step in this journey.

Concordium, the layer 1 blockchain with an ID layer at the protocol level, has announced its sponsorship and backing of a new crypto-focused news channel: Crypto Channel Direct.

Crypto Channel Direct (CCD) is an independent and impartial Youtube-based news show that will cover news and information from around the crypto sphere on a weekly basis with plans to ramp up productions in the future.

Concordium has come on as a key sponsor of the show and hopes to see it grow into a powerful and reputable news source, something that is much needed in the current space.

“News and information is the lifeblood in the sector of blockchain and crypto, but there is a lot of misinformation and biased reporting out there. We see CCD as a way to present the news to people in an entertaining, informative, professional and journalistically sound manner,” explained CEO of Concordium Lone Fønss Schrøder.

CCD will take the approach of a traditional news show with English actress Claire Ross-Brown anchoring the show. However, with an entire new ownership structure:  “We want to involve the community at large in the CCD and are working with the idea of creating a kind of a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) for the channel,” said the Concordium Founder and Chairperson Lars Seier Christensen.

“We want CCD to be the place that people come to hear what is happening in the world of crypto; we want them to be entertained and informed by our show. There is so much noise out there, and a lot of people pushing their agendas in video form. We aim to be a dynamic shining light of crypto news reporting and presenting,” Ross-Brown said.

Crypto Channel Direct was launched today, January 7, 2021. The show rounds up the news of the week while also presenting interviews and other segments to bolster the content and diversify its production.

To view the first show, please see the following link.

Concordium, the layer 1 blockchain with an ID layer at the protocol level, has announced an airdrop of 4,500,000 of its CCD token, worth $2,5 million to all the users who have downloaded their wallet.

Concordium CEO Lone Fønss Schrøder explained the reasoning behind the airdrop: “This airdrop is part of Concordium’s further plans of decentralization of the network and follows the successful initial airdrop that we created for our core original founding community.”
“By awarding tokens to our faithful community and new members we help users and developers with the first $CCD they need to interact on the Concordium network and in deploying smart contracts on Concordium” added Lars Seier Christensen, Concordium s founder and Chairman.

In signing up for Concordium´s AirDrop users must perform a few steps, such as assisting in validating some of the network's mechanisms. Users can gain access to a pool of $CDD to be evenly distributed amongst participating new members of our community.

To participate in the airdrop, users just need to download Concordium’s wallet until December 20th, 2021 11:59 PM CET.

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More news from Concordium

Last week, Concordium announced the launch of the first blockchain focused Regulated (Reg.) Decentralized Finance Lab The Reg. DeFi Lab will establish a funding vehicle and allocate up to  $100 M in $CCD in the form of grants and investments through its community endowment program.

Concordium also announced that the Norwegian Grandmaster, reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen´s Play Magnus Group has chosen Concordium as a partner for Chess NFT´s.

Concordium has also communicated that its cryptocurrency, the $CCD will soon be listed.

To celebrate yesterday’s victory of World chess champion Magnus Carlsen, five hundred chess enthusiasts will have the chance to become genesis members in a new era of chess when Play Magnus Group and Concordium release a unique set of NFTs.

Carlsen, who in October this year received a NFT trophy for his win at the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, admits he is excited about this burgeoning space. The champion also adds that through this partnership with Concordium, he is looking forward to seeing Chess Champs, a leading provider of chess NFTs, getting the chance to infiltrate the space further.

"I've appreciated my NFT trophy last season and am excited that we will now be able to give away more NFTs to our fans and build a collectors' community," said Carlsen commenting on the fusion of chess and NFTs.

The Concordium blockchain is a future-proof sustainable blockchain platform with cost-effective and low-emission transactions. It was founded by Lars Seier Christensen, the Danish entrepreneur who co-founded and helped build Saxo Bank into a global financial powerhouse and who, with his investments, stands behind multiple blockchain use case initiatives, Christensen is also involved in several sports clubs and two of the world's top restaurants; Geranium and Alchemist.

During next season's Champions Chess Tour, Concordium will feature the Play Magnus Group's and MUST Group's NFTs called Chess Champs.

"Concordium's identity approach, on the blockchain, where all transactions come with an ID stamp, is interesting for businesses that want to lead the charge into the metaverse while living up to the highest compliance standards. We believe there is a great use case here in the chess world and are proud to partner with the most strategic and innovative in the sport, "commented Lars Seier Christensen.

"NFTs represent the way for us to engage with our fans in the future. Concordium's ID, fast finalization, low transaction fees, and eco-friendliness allow us to offer compliant NFTs in any future scenario. This is important," said Play Magnus Group CEO Andreas Thome.

The Play Magnus Group partnered with MUST Group earlier this year to launch the sports world's first pure NFT trophy for the Champions Chess Tour Finals together, and have since created several series of chess-related NFTs at ChessChamps.io, most notably the trophy that Carlsen received when he won the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour in October.

"With Concordium, we will be able to engage more chess fans at more affordable and low stable transaction fees, opening up many more opportunities for fun innovation and gamification. To celebrate the new partnership, we will give away 500 NFTs for free," remarked Michael Jeppesen, CEO of MUST Group.

"Moving forward, fans of our Champions Chess Tour who open Concordium wallets may encounter some nice surprises in their wallets from time to time," added Chief Business Development Officer Sebastian J. Kuhnert.

"For me as a player in the Champions Chess Tour, it is exciting to see that digital innovation leaders are moving chess forward in a way that fans and players can both feel. It is going to be interesting to see which players are going to create the highest value with their NFTs," commented Grandmaster and World no. 7, Anish Giri.

All matches in the next season of the Champions Chess Tour will be played on www.chess24.com and be free to watch on the platform's Twitch and YouTube channels as well as on ChampionsChessTour.com. The Tour's Chess Champs NFT collection is available at www.chesschamps.io.

How to get a free NFT´s (CCxC Genesis Pawn NFT)

On the occasion of the new Chess Champs x Concordium partnership, we give away 500 x $CCD10 and airdrop 500 CCxC Genesis Pawns!

Register for the Chess Champs Airdrop to receive a $CCD10 gift from Chess Champs, enabling you to buy one of our first 500 CCxC Genesis Pawns.

Become part of a growing world of chess NFTs and be among the first to join the journey of chess collectibles on Concordium Blockchain, using Spaceseven's Marketplace.

About the Champions Chess Tour & Chess Champs

The Champions Chess Tour is the leading online chess Tour worldwide, determining the world's best chess player over a full competitive season of online chess. The 2022 season begins in February 2022 and features monthly tournaments culminating in a Final in November 2022. The best chess players in the world are competing in rapid chess. All games take place online on www.chess24.com, with players competing for a total prize pool of over USD 1.6 million in 2021 and an even larger, yet to be announced prize pool in 2022. For more information, visit www.championschesstour.com. For more information about the Tour's Chess Champs NFT collection, visit www.ChessChamps.io.

For further comments, contact:

Andreas Thome, CEO Play Magnus Group
andreas@playmagnus.com

Sebastian J. Kuhnert, Chief Business Development Officer, Play Magnus Group
sebastian@chess24.com

Lars Seier Christensen, Founder, and Chairman, Concordium
lsc@concordium.com

Michael Jeppesen, Founder, and CEO, MUST Group
michael.jeppesen@mu.st

About Play Magnus Group

Play Magnus Group is a global leader in the chess industry focused on providing premier digital experiences for millions of chess players and students. The company offers e-learning and entertainment services via its market-leading brands: chess24, Chessable, iChess, New In Chess, Everyman Chess, Silver Knights, Aimchess, the Play Magnus App Suite, and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. The Group's mission is to grow chess to make the world a smarter place by encouraging more people to play, watch, study, and earn a living from chess. Play Magnus Group is listed on Euronext Growth Oslo under the ticker PMG. www.pmg.me

Concordium and Verum Capital AG are collaborating to launch the first lab focused on developing regulated decentralized finance products: the Concordium DeFi Lab.The lab will establish a funding vehicle and allocate for $100 M in $CCD in the form of grants and investments through its community endowment program. The Concordium DeFi Lab offers everyone a one-of-a-kind opportunity to participate in the future of regulated decentralized finance.

Context for the Concordium DeFi Lab:

Over 30% of the financially-included population are currently aware of Cryptocurrencies.

As of Q2 2021, it was estimated that there were more than 300 million cryptocurrency users across the world.  The average crypto ownership rate by country is now 3.9% [1] and more than 18,000 businesses worldwide now accept some form of cryptocurrency as payment. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) represents the primary opportunity for individual investors to use their cryptocurrency holdings for financial gain. As of Q4 2021, the total value locked in the DeFi space is USD 195 B[2] .

There is no doubt that crypto is here to stay.

Despite the incredible growth and increasingly widespread use of cryptocurrency, its primary application area, DeFi remains isolated from consumer protections. Regulators across the globe are already playing catchup, struggling to apply the supervision designed to improve traditional financial systems to this fast-growing space. There are general concerns about how to regulate this space in order to further facilitate its growth. Concordium DeFi Lab intends to alleviate these concerns and foster DeFi products that can deliver and even increase consumer protections'

The Concordium (Reg)DeFi Lab:

The Concordium Lab for regulated DeFi products will prove that the next generation of financial products, built on the back of decentralized networks, can deliver consumer protection and fulfill user needs

The Concordium (Reg)DeFi Lab will consist of three streams.

1.    Thought Leadership:

Stream 1 will consist of practical research to show how new functionality from smart contracts, embedded ID, and cryptographic signatures can be created to support compliance and regulatory needs.  It will deliver input to national and regional regulators as they seek to transcribe global directives into precise national law.

2.    Proof-of-Concept:

Stream 2 will focus on developing products as proof-of-concept. Proof-of-concepts will provide valuable precedents within the DeFi space that evidence the capability of various protocols to allow for regulatory fulfillment and oversight.  It is where Concordium DeFi Labs will connect the words to actions.

3.    Commercially Viable Products:

Stream 3 will accelerate the development of incubated concepts such that they become commercially viable products with a clear roadmap and market launch strategy. The priority of all commercially viable products will be regulatory compatibility and minimised centralisation.

The (Reg)DeFi Lab will move projects through these three streams to incubate and accelerate the most promising ideas in the DeFi space. Areas of specific interest for the lab include NFTs and new digital asset classes, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), and Decentralised Exchanges (DEXs). The lab, which is open to collaboration with any organization and sector, has already received various soft commitments from global players in the public and private sector.

According to Concordium CEO, Lone Fønss Schrøder: “Concordium is the first blockchain in the world to have an embedded identity layer at the protocol level. As such, it is well positioned to empower regulatory-approved applications and solutions intended for enterprise clients. Our specific interest in bridging the gap between the DeFi space and regulated financial solutions will come together in the (REG)DeFi Lab. With the support of Verum Capital, who have experience delivering projects with enterprise clients from all sectors and building new solutions for the DeFi space, we are confident that the lab will be a step toward a fully inclusive financial future.”

According to Verum Capital CEO, Matthias Weissl: “Verum Capital has worked closely with Concordium since its inception. The network offers tremendous benefits for applications that require identity verification and KYC processes. In the DeFi space we see legitimate protocols requiring this more and more. Our venture-building team is currently working with clients in the DeFi space and traditional industry to bring the benefits of DeFi to their users. The DeFi Lab represents a unique moment in the evolution of the DeFi space, bringing together powerful technology, deep insight, and experience, with strong teams that have solid ideas in order to drive adoption and make the space more accessible.”

A framework for proposing projects and applying for grant funding will be made available in the near future. Concordium has allocated as much as $100M worth of Concordium´s cryptocurrency, the CCD,  to fund successful grant projects, such is our commitment. It will also offer exclusive access to technology and resources.

Launching the (Reg)DeFi Lab:

Together, Concordium and Verum Capital will combine their cutting-edge technology and extensive industry experience to launch the (Reg)DeFi Lab. The lab will be based in Zurich, Switzerland, a centre of global finance, and provide projects with a full spectrum of support. Technology and legal resources will be highly emphasized as projects pursue the agenda of the lab to create regulated DeFi products.

GENEVA and PARIS, Sept. 17, 2021 /CNW/ — #WeToo, the world’s first global organisation to eradicate child abuse, launches today. It will bring together leading businesses and individuals to raise funds and awareness to help tackle the growing abuse of children worldwide.

UNICEF and the World Health Organisation estimate that every year 55 million children in Europe – and about a billion worldwide – are the victims of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse or neglect. That is more children than the population of Europe being abused globally.

While both governments and NGOs such as UNICEF have done much to tackle child abuse, the problem is still growing, made worse by the COVID pandemic. #WeToo aims to bring the private sector’s dynamism and resources into the work of ending child abuse.

It will do so in three ways:

Raise money: the fight against child abuse is under-funded. Individuals and leading businesses can help correct that.

Distribute effectively: it is not enough just to raise money; we also need to get it to those who can use it most effectively and quickly. The #WeToo expert committee will choose projects to fund worldwide according to impact and quality. All donations will be distributed, monitored and publicly reviewed every 6 months with interim reviews to ensure milestones are achieved on time by use of the latest blockchain technology from Concordium.

Campaign for action: we, too, can do our best raise awareness of not just the problem, but also the solution. The further up the public agenda child abuse goes, the more likely that society, including governments, is to act.The movement’s first event takes place on October 16, 2021, with a global DJ’ed yoga event hosted by Stewart Gilchrist and Friends, with sessions being held in the Himalayas, London, Paris, Bali, Copenhagen, Shanghai and New York.

“Children’s voices need to be prioritized and heard, not silenced. It is timely and appropriate that adults unite and commit to stopping child abuse, and I am so delighted that leading figures in the private sector have offered to help us solve this pressing and urgent global child abuse crisis. This is just what is needed to improve the outlook for our children,” said Hanna Dam-Stokholm, #WeToo’s founder.

#WeToo has already agreed to work alongside one of the world’s leading professional service providers Ernst & Young, Live Nation, the world’s leading live music promoter, and Concordium, the leading blockchain company.

The organisation’s campaign plan has been drawn up by the #WeToo Expert Committee, comprising some of the world’s best child protection experts, such as Dr Pierre Levy-Soussan, an expert at the French Tribunals and international child protection expert, and Dr Rasmus Kjeldahl, Director of the Danish children’s NGO “Børns Vilkår.”

#WeToo already has in place an exciting agenda of forthcoming events, campaigns, alliances and concerts, more details of which will be released at a later date.

About Hanna Dam-Stokholm

Senior expertise from the logistics sector and in launching and building luxury brands globally (A.P.Moller-Maersk, Estee Lauder, KAO…). Activist, determined to stop ignorance of child abuse and conjugal violence.

#WeToo contact:
Maribel Conti
Press Officer
maribelc@wetoo.info
+44 (0)7557 491860
6 Rue de la Rôtisserie, 1204 Genève, Switzerland
15 Rue Danielle Casanova, 75001 Paris, France

Partnership aims to enhance the Swvl customer experience and change the paradigm of mass transit on a global scale

Swvl continues to expand its platform and growth potential through compelling partnerships with industry leaders

ZUG, Switzerland and DUBAI, UAE – August 10, 2021 – Concordium, a leading blockchain technologies company, and Swvl, Inc. (“Swvl”), a Dubai-based provider of mass transit and shared mobility solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to, for the first time, use blockchain technologies to develop transformative next generation mass transit systems.

Swvl is a global tech start-up based in Dubai, with an implied, fully diluted equity value of approximately $1.5 billion, providing a semi-private alternative to public transportation for individuals who cannot afford or access private options. On July 28, 2021, Swvl announced entry into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital (“Queen’s Gambit”) (NASDAQ: GMBT), the first special purpose acquisition company led by women.

Swvl makes mobility safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, while ensuring that it is accessible and affordable for everyone. Customers book rides on an easy-to-use app with varied payment options and access high-quality private buses and vans that operate according to fixed and semi-fixed routes, stations, times, and prices.

Concordium will provide a blockchain-based technology platform that aims to upgrade the mass transit travel experience for Swvl’s customers. The platform is intended to help solve the highly-complex logistical challenges inherent in mass transit, while advancing Swvl’s efforts at decarbonization and smart, green mobility.

Concordium’s platform is intended to, among other things, provide these key benefits:

Natural ebbs and flows in customers’ travel needs can be traced faster and more accurately, and fed into evolving travel routes through Swvl’s dynamic routing capabilities, making trips faster and cheaper.

The technology allows for the creation of interactive relationships between Swvl and its customers with enhanced driver monitoring and performance tracking, as well as increased efficiency and quality of service – making trips with Swvl even safer and more reliable.

Driver remuneration can also be better linked to performance, incentivizing drivers to provide the best possible service.

Lone Fonss Schroder, Concordium’s chief executive, said: “Mass transit systems are inherently flawed, with inefficiencies that create significant barriers and cause daily commuting to be a struggle. Combining Concordium’s differentiated blockchain technology with Swvl’s cutting-edge mobility platform provides a seamless commuting experience that will change mass transit on a global scale.”

Mostafa Kandil, Swvl Founder and CEO, said: “Swvl set out to create the mass transit system of the future, for the cities of the future. Our partnership with Concordium will improve the real-time capabilities of our offerings. We will be even better positioned to capitalize on fast-changing customer demands, resulting in quicker and more flexible commuting experiences.”

Contacts

Concordium Media
Lone Fonss Schroder
Concordium
+45 53 80 88 39

Swvl Media
Daniel Yunger
Kekst CNC
kekst-swvl@kekstcnc.com
917-574-8582

Swvl Investors
Youssef Salem
Swvl CFO
Investor.relations@swvl.com

About Concordium

Concordium is a Public and Sustainable Proof-of-Stake-blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium differs from other participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of transparency, and regulation without compromising privacy by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy.

About Swvl

Swvl has built a parallel mass transit system offering intercity, intracity, B2B and B2G transportation in 10 megacities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Following the closing of its business combination with Queen’s Gambit, which is expected to occur in the fourth calendar quarter of 2021, Swvl will become the first $1bn+ unicorn from the Middle East to list on Nasdaq and the only tech-enabled mass transit solutions company to list on any exchange.

The transaction is expected to accelerate its long-term growth strategy and expansion into 20 countries across five continents by 2025.

Additional Information

In connection with the business combination, Pivotal Holdings Corp (“Holdings”) intends to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form F-4, which will include a preliminary prospectus and preliminary proxy statement and, after the registration statement is declared effective, Queen’s Gambit will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents relating to the business combination to its shareholders. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Queen’s Gambit will send to its shareholders in connection with the business combination.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE BUSINESS COMBINATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at www.sec.gov. The definitive proxy statement/final prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of Queen’s Gambit as of a record date to be established for voting on the business combination. Shareholders of Queen’s Gambit will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital, 55 Hudson Yards, 44th Floor, New York, New York, 10001.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made herein are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future events, the proposed business combination between Swvl and Queen’s Gambit, the estimated or anticipated future results and benefits of the combined company following the business combination, including the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the business combination, future opportunities for the combined company and other statements that are not historical facts.

These statements are based on the current expectations of Swvl and/or Queen’s Gambit’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Swvl and Queen’s Gambit. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Swvl’s business and the business combination, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general economic, political and business conditions, including but not limited to the economic and operational disruptions and other effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the inability of the parties to consummate the business combination or the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the business combination agreement; the number of redemption requests made by Queen’s Gambit’s shareholders in connection with the business combination; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties following the announcement of the business combination; the risk that the approval of the shareholders of Swvl or Queen’s Gambit for the potential transaction is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, including as a result of a delay in consummating the potential transaction or additional information that may later arise in connection with preparation of the registration statement on Form F-4 and proxy materials, or after the consummation of the business combination as a result of the limited time SPAC had to conduct due diligence; the risk that the business combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the business combination; the ability of the combined company to execute its growth strategy, manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; competition with other companies in the mobility industry; Swvl’s limited operating history and lack of experience as a public company; the lack of, or recent implementation of, certain policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including with respect to anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and cyber protection; the risk that Swvl is not able to execute its growth plan, which depends on rapid, international expansion; the risk that Swvl is unable to attract and retain consumers and qualified drivers and other high quality personnel; the risk that Swvl is unable to protect and enforce its intellectual property rights; the risk that Swvl is unable to determine rider demand to develop new offerings on its platform; the difficulty of obtaining required registrations, licenses, permits or approvals in jurisdictions in which Swvl currently operates or may in the future operate; the fact that Swvl currently operates in and intends to expand into jurisdictions that are, or have been, characterized by political instability, may have inadequate or limited regulatory and legal frameworks and may have limited, if any, treaties or other arrangements in place to protect foreign investment or involvement; the risk that Swvl’s drivers could be classified as employees, workers or quasi-employees in the jurisdictions they operate; the fact that Swvl has operations in countries known to experience high levels of corruption and is subject to territorial anti-corruption laws in these jurisdictions; the ability of Holdings to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities on a U.S. national securities exchange following the business combination; costs related to the business combination; and other risks that will be detailed from time to time in filings with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. There may be additional risks that Swvl presently does not know or that Swvl currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Swvl’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Swvl anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Swvl’s assessments and projections to change. However, while Swvl may elect to update these forward-looking statements in the future, Swvl specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Swvl’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Participants in the Solicitation

Holdings, Swvl, Queen’s Gambit and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Queen’s Gambit’s shareholders in connection with the business combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the business combination of the directors and officers of Holdings, Swvl and Queen’s Gambit in the registration statement on Form F-4 to be filed with the SEC by Holdings, which will include the proxy statement of Queen’s Gambit for the business combination. Information about Queen’s Gambit’s directors and executive officers is also available in Queen’s Gambit’s Annual Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and other relevant materials filed with the SEC.

No Offer or Solicitation

This news release is for informational purposes only and is not a “solicitation” as defined in Section 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This news release is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the business combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Zug – June 20 2021 – Concordium has today unveiled an ambitious, industry-leading partnership programme for global developers as part of its ongoing commitment to build a credible, trusted and sustainable blockchain industry.

The programme offers developers a chance to work alongside some of the most respected names in the blockchain industry and help release the full potential of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology.

Concordium’s platform offers access to a safe, transparent, regulatable and sustainable blockchain and cryptocurrency, marking the end of an era of anonymity and distrust that has undermined the development of the industry.

The Concordium platform differs from other industry participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of governance and transparency, without compromising privacy.

Users are identifiable and the provenance of every transaction is trackable, creating trust for users and meeting the needs of global regulators. At the same time, identities can be made available, but only if necessary

The Swiss-based company made its Mainnet debut in June, clearing the way for any developer or user to access the Concordium platform and – from today – start receiving financial support to work alongside the company in its mission to revolutionise the industry.

The newly-announced Concordium Free & Open Grants Programme offers developers up to USD20,000 for initial grants and USD75,000 for follow-up grants.

“We are not just a company, we are part of a community,” said Lone Fønss Schrøder, Concordium’s chief executive. “We know we can’t help this industry maximise its potential alone. That’s why we are supporting developers and asking them to join us.”

Developers will be able to work alongside members of Concordium’s Executive and Steering Committee, which includes some of the most respected names in the industry, such as ETH Zurich Prof.Ueli Maurer and Prof. Hans Gersbach, Dr. Torben Pedersen Concordium’s CTO and Father of the Pedersen Commitment, and Michael Jackson former Skype COO and Mangrove Capital Partner.

“This is a two way street,” said Torben Pryds Pedersen, Concordium’s CTO. “All good science is collaborative. As an open and decentralized project, Concordium’s vision is grounded in reciprocity and giving back to developers and the science community. First, we created the Concordium Blockchain Research Center in Aarhus, then we announced the DevX Initiative and now, with this grants programme, we will support and strengthen the science and development behind blockchain and technology in general.”

Concordium believes credible participants in the blockchain industry must be responsible for driving change and building trust in the technology.

“The need is urgent,” said Lone Fønss Schrøder. “Failure to act risks delaying the broader adoption of the technology and will prevent businesses and consumers from benefiting from the potential blockchain and cryptocurrency offers.”

Concordium focuses on the requirements of developers and companies, taking into account future regulatory rules and doing so sustainably solves the problems that have so far prevented the widespread use of blockchain technology.

Concordium was founded by a non-profit Swiss foundation and is backed by a select group of respected academics and industry veterans. From its birth in 2018, it has combined the development of its own blockchain and cryptocurrency with a desire to help redefine the values upon which the industry has been associated.

The company’s combination of cutting-edge technology and commitment to a global rules-based system has attracted the interest of investors. Earlier this year, it successfully raised over USD 41m from private and strategic sales, valuing the company at USD4.45bn.

The Concordium Free & Open Grants Programme process is open to any developer or technology project eager to contribute to the Concordium and/or Rustlang ecosystems.

Applicants can find a list of areas in the Concordium Technology Stack that demand particular development here. The application is open to any developer or technology project, if you are interested you can apply here.

Grants are tracked transparently on GitHub and disbursed in Euros, US Dollars, or CCD, Concordium’s cryptocurrency.

About Concordium
Concordium is a Public and Sustainable Proof-of-Stake-blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium differs from other participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of transparency, and regulation without compromising privacy by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy.

Contact
Maria Rojas
Concordium
Communications
E: mar@concordium.com

ZUG, Switzerland, (June 23, 2021): Concordium AG is proud to announce that it has been accepted as a full member of the Japan Blockchain Association. It now becomes the first overseas blockchain platform to join the Association, which comprises over 120 domestic and international companies and organizations. The news comes only a week after Concordium launched the mainnet of its enterprise-grade blockchain, which features a unique built-in identity protocol.

The Japan Blockchain Association (JPA) was established in 2014 as the country’s first general incorporated association dedicated to the education and promotion of blockchain technology. From a small group of founding members, the JBA membership now includes international firms such as Microsoft and Deloitte, along with crypto-native companies such as Kraken and bitFlyer.

Concordium now joins them, becoming the first non-Japanese blockchain platform to do so.

“The Japanese vision for blockchain and cryptocurrency regulation fits very well Concordium’s regulatable, transparent, and sustainable blockchain, and we are proud to join the Japan Blockchain Association” said Lone Fønss Schrøder, Chief Executive Officer of Concordium.

In joining the JBA, Concordium aims to further its goal of building a stronger connection between blockchain technology and the real world. By participating in JBA activities and working together with other members, Concordium hopes to promote the adoption and development of blockchain technology in society.

Concordium welcomes the opportunity to expand its network into the Japanese blockchain community at an exciting time, having only just launched on mainnet in recent weeks. The launch comes after four successful testnet runs and means that Concordium is now onboarding enterprise developers to start building production-ready applications. The platform’s unique identity protocol uses a hybrid approach combining on-chain zero-knowledge proofs to assure privacy with off-chain real-world identity verifiers to ensure provenance.

To find out more, visit: https://concordium.com/
About Concordium

Concordium is a decentralized and sustainable public blockchain that solves the shortcomings of traditional blockchains through built-in user identification and Zero-Knowledge-Proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with securing private data. The technology supports encrypted payments, provides relevant authorities the ability to identify users, and allows the user to verify the identity of counterparties.

Based on science-based- and peer-reviewed protocols, Concordiums blockchain has a solid cryptographic focus, with protocols developed by academics from some of the world’s leading universities in this field together with Concordium’s research team. The project is led and advised by senior business executives from industries including banking, automotive, logistics, retail, energy, and telecommunications. It has also established partnerships with several esteemed scientific institutions, including the Concordium Blockchain Research center Aarhus, Aarhus University, ETH Zurich, and the Indian Institute of Science.
About the Japan Blockchain Association

The Japan Blockchain Association (JBA) aims to promote a healthy business environment and user protection system for blockchain technology and the cryptographic assets supported by it and to contribute to the development of the digital asset industry in Japan.

JBA activities include promoting interaction among members, detecting trends and taking up various topics through subcommittees and study groups, and sharing knowledge and information. The JBA also analyzes the factors and issues that hinder the development of innovation, organizes discussions, prepares voluntary guidelines, and compiles them as governmental proposals to serve as a platform for cooperation between the public and private sectors.

The JPA was established in 2014 and is Japan’s oldest general incorporated association dedicated to the education and promotion of blockchain technology.

‍

Zug – June the 9th 2021 – Concordium, the blockchain company, will for the first time offer the world access to a safe, transparent, regulatable and sustainable blockchain and cryptocurrency, marking the end of an era of anonymity and distrust that has undermined the development of the industry.

After three years of development, the Concordium Blockchain and its Cryptocurrency, the CCD, will make its Mainnet debut on June 9, a move that for the first time clears the way for any developer or user to access the Concordium platform.

The Concordium platform differs from other industry participants by offering previously unseen guarantees of governance and transparency, without compromising privacy.

Users are identifiable and the provenance of every transaction is trackable, creating trust for users and meeting the needs of global regulators. At the same time, identities can be made available, but only if necessary. “Privacy, but not anonymity” said Lone Fonss Schroder, Concordium’s chief executive.

The company said credible participants in the industry were being damaged by a subset of users that was undermining trust in the technology, delaying broader adoption and hindering businesses and consumers from benefiting from the potential blockchain and cryptocurrency offers.

“The time has come for the blockchain industry to respect the general rules of society. With the launch of Concordium Blockchain, the era of anonymity, opacity and lack of transparency has come to an end,” said Lars Seier Christensen, Concordium’s chairman.

This commitment to a set of modern values for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry also applies to sustainability. Concordium uses 0.001 percent of the energy required for other leading cryptocurrencies currently available.

Concordium believes focusing on the requirements of developers and companies, taking into account future regulatory rules and doing so sustainably solves the problems that have so far prevented the widespread use of blockchain technology.

“This is the tool that global businesses have been waiting for,” said Ms Fonss Schroder. “This industry needs to realise that without trust and acceptance there is nothing.”

Concordium was founded by a non-profit Swiss foundation and is backed by a select group of respected academics and industry veterans. From its birth in 2018, it has combined the development of its own blockchain and cryptocurrency with a desire to help redefine the values upon which the industry has been associated.

“This is not just an image problem, it’s far more serious,” said Ms Fonss Schroder. “Global business is rules-based. The sooner the blockchain and crypto industry wakes up to the need to play by the rules the sooner the full potential of blockchain will be realised.”

The company’s combination of cutting-edge technology and commitment to a global rules-based system has attracted the interest of investors. Earlier this year, it successfully raised over USD 41m from private and strategic sales, and the most recent sales is valuing the company at USD 4.45bn.

Contacts
Maria Rojas
Concordium
PR Manager
P: +45-42958375
E: mar@concordium.com

About Concordium
Concordium is a layer 1, public and permissionless Proof-of-Stake-based Blockchain with a unique Identity layer at the protocol level. Concordium’s core features solve the shortcomings of classic blockchains by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy. Upon launch of its mainnet, Concordium will provide integrated high-quality user tools and extensive smart-contract layer features. This provides cutting-edge functionality and allows for programmable decentralized smart contracts capable of transferring value and information in a secure, scalable fashion, features that are particularly relevant to enterprise applications.

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Zug, Switzerland – April 2, 2020  

Concordium, next-generation blockchain for enterprises and the first with user ID verification built-in at the protocol level, has released its Public Testnet and an updated White Paper.

Concordium’s CEO, Lone Fønss Schrøder, says: “After many months of intensive scientific research and development, we are happy to announce that our first Public Testnet has gone live and that we have issued our updated White Paper.”

The main objective of Concordium Testnet is to identify any system and operational design imperfections by inviting participants to stress-test the network via various performance-based challenges. Participants will be able to bake new blocks on the chain and play a part in the novel finalization protocol. Besides, they can explore Concordium’s 1.0 web-based wallet, creating IDs, simulate transfers, and more.

Lone Fønss Schrøder adds:  “We are looking forward to experimenting together with our community on this Testnet in preparation for our Mainnet launch later this year”.

Concordium’s Chairman and Founder, Lars Seier Christensen, says: “I’m pleased by this crucial milestone achievement, not least that Concordium during the COVID-19 crisis has been able to work entirely online and decentralized. I am very passionate about Concordium – and it is more relevant than ever because the crisis will make governmental authorities, financial institutions, and society at large re-evaluate how our financial, logistics, provenance, production and most other business systems work and how blockchain can support and improve it in the future.”  

Media Contact
Maria Rojas // Concordium
PR Manager
P: +45 42958375
E: mar@concordium.com

About Concordium

Concordium is the next-generation, enterprise-focused, decentralized blockchain and the first with ID built-in at the protocol level.

Concordium’s core features solve the shortcomings of classic blockchains by introducing built-in identity management at the protocol level and zero-knowledge proofs, which are used to replace anonymity with perfect privacy. This is in addition to regulatory compliance for payments made on the blockchain.

Concordium will, in the Mainnet release, also provide integrated high-quality user tools and extensive smart-contract layer features coded in a proprietary programming language. This provides cutting-edge functionality and allows for programmable decentralized smart contracts capable of transferring value and information in a secure, scalable fashion, features that are particularly relevant to enterprise applications.

Concordium’s Mainnet release is due later in 2020.

Danish Industry Foundation awards grant to pursue blockchain education initiatives for C-suite executives.

Zug, Switzerland – December 20, 2019 - Concordium, the world’s leading open- source, permissionless and decentralized blockchain with built-in identity management at the protocol level, together with its partners, has received a grant of one million euros from the Danish Industry Foundation to develop an online blockchain education course geared toward C-suite executives.

Blockchain Academy Network will educate company leaders in the use of blockchain technology as part of a new two-year project. The purpose of the initiative, which is targeted at senior executives and IT and Digital managers in Denmark, is to give them an insight into the blockchain concept, not only from a technological viewpoint, but also from managerial and business-related perspectives. The partners behind the initiative are the Alexandra Instituttet, Concordium Blockchain Research Center Aarhus at Aarhus University, the Institute of Future Studies, the European Blockchain Center at the IT University in Copenhagen and Concordium.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of Concordium, comments: “Blockchain technology opens up many possibilities for further democratizing market forces for the benefit of people and companies. It’s important to educate people about the possibilities of this technology and which factors are important when choosing a blockchain technology. As one of the world’s only blockchains, Concordium has built-in user ID, is poised to meet regulatory demands, is secure and fast, and is a ‘green’ blockchain in the sense that it doesn’t entail the irresponsible energy consumption that many other blockchains do. All these are important factors for people and companies wanting to reap the potential of blockchain technology.”

Part of the EUR 1 million (DKK 6.7 million) grant will support the creation of a globally accessible,
online course available through Concordium’s website. Concordium’s course aims to provide a general insight into blockchain. Modules will include what blockchain is, how companies can use blockchain successfully, how to evaluate different blockchain platforms, and how to approach, develop and implement use cases.

“We’d like to thank the Danish Industry Foundation for this significant seal of approval and look
forward to delivering high-quality blockchain modules informed by key industry insights,” Lone Fønss Schrøder concludes. Besides the many education activities on offer under the new project, a blockchain panel will be set up with the purpose of stimulating a shared, future-oriented dialog on how to strengthen the competitiveness of Danish businesses from a blockchain perspective.

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO of Concordium, is available for interview.

About Concordium
Swiss-based Concordium is creating the world’s leading open-source, permissionless and decentralized blockchain with built-in identity management at the protocol level. Concordium enables regulatory compliance, allowing businesses to harness the power of blockchain technology.

Concordium’s protocol is deeply rooted in the latest scientific research in collaboration with the
Concordium Blockchain Research Center at Aarhus University, Denmark, and ETH Zürich, Switzerland. Among the protocol’s key features are sharding, formal verification, transactional privacy and smart contract flexibility, enabling the network to operate at unprecedented speed and security.

These advancements place Concordium at the threshold of a new paradigm shift, one that will
change the overall tenor of the space and leave older blockchains behind in the wake of a new
generation of projects for the future economy.

Concordium’s team has unmatched professional experience across multiple disciplines and
industries, with senior executive leadership hailing from some of the world’s leading organizations
and from the highest levels of government and systemically critical banks.

Media Contact
Alette Pramming // Concordium
Head of Communication
P: +45 53735750
E: ahp@concordium.com

The Swiss non-profit behind the Concordium Blockchain Network, announces the establishment of the Concordium Blockchain Research Center, in partnership with Aarhus University’s Department of Computer Science. The Center’s mission is to provide the foundational research to support the development of energy-efficient, scalable blockchains that are provably secure. The initial grant is 50 million DKK, or about 7.5 million USD, over a five-year period.

The first blockchains that followed Bitcoin were focused on trying to make their systems operational, rather than worrying about efficiency and security. This strategy made sense during the early exploratory phase of the blockchain space, but many early iterations were slow and insecure due to poor design. Often, these problems were built into the fabric of the blockchains and could not be fixed later.

The Concordium Blockchain Research Center’s goal is to build on decades’ worth of research to create new blockchain technologies. The center will focus on areas such as consensus protocol efficiency, sharding, and state-flattening, as well as new cryptographic techniques supporting privacy-preserving identification, KYC and AML, better zero-knowledge techniques, and formal verification of smart contracts.

“Aarhus University and the Concordium Blockchain Network have both developed special expertise in blockchain technology and the foundational theory behind it. Both parties wish to expand their knowledge in this area through research projects,” said Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman of the Concordium Foundation. “The knowledge generated by the Concordium Blockchain Research Center will be freely available to the public. For Concordium, the aim is to enable business entities to deploy a public blockchain safely, legally, and efficiently.”

“The foundation of the blockchain revolution has so far largely been built on sand. The next generation of blockchain will have to be built on science to ensure a solid foundation of the space,” said Professor Jesper Buus Nielsen, leader of the Concordium Blockchain Research Center. “At Aarhus University, we have several research groups that are world leading in the techniques that are needed to lay this foundation. They’ve gained this reputation through decades of curiosity-driven, foundational research. Our team is uniquely qualified to broadly attack the challenges standing in the way of a blockchain revolution. It would be almost criminal not to step up to the plate.”

“Denmark is at the forefront of digitalization providing companies and researchers a solid foundation for taking full advantage of the opportunities new technologies present,” said Anders Samuelsen, Denmark’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. “With an investment of this scale in the world-class computer science team at Aarhus University, Concordium brings together technological development with commercial opportunities to the future benefit of society. It confirms the attractiveness of Denmark as a premier destination for technology development.”

The Concordium Foundation has announced initial funding of approximately 10 million DKK (about 1.5 million USD) per year for the Concordium Blockchain Research Center for the first five years. In addition to its seven principal investigators, the center has hired four PhD students and four postdoctoral researchers for 2019.

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