Category: South Africa

VICTORIA, Seychelles, March 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, is reflecting on the remarkable year of achievements of its Blockchain4Her initiative. Since its inception in January 2024, Blockchain4Her has made impactful strides to bridge the gender gap in Web3 by empowering women through education, mentorship, funding and networking opportunities to thrive in the Web3 ecosystem.

In March 2024, Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget and initiator of Blockchain4Her, was invited to shed light on gender equality initiatives at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). This inclusion illuminates Bitget’s impact on the global stage and its voice in shaping conversations around diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities in the blockchain industry.

To further its mission, Bitget unveiled the Blockchain4Her Ambassador Program, enlisting female crypto leaders to be ambassadors and catalysts for change. Our distinguished ambassadors are; Tess Hau, Founder of Tess Ventures, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-founder of Hacken and Cecilia Hsueh, the CEO of Layer 2 ecosystem project Morph. Leaning on their expertise and experience, the ambassador program aims to encourage more women to join space by building a safe-space for women to explore blockchain.

In September 2024, Bitget participated in the SheFi Summit in Singapore, which saw hundreds of participants from around the world. The event featured the inaugural Blockchain4Her Awards, recognizing five outstanding women for their contributions to the blockchain industry. Looking specifically at Southeast Asia, Bitget also held Southeast Asia Blockchain4Her Awards to honor the achievements of women leaders in the region. Entrepreneurs Jenny Nguyen (Nguyen Ngoc Son Quynh), Bea Llana, Theresa Tjandrawinata and Cheryl Law were awarded for their innovative solutions and contribution to the crypto scene while Tascha Punyaneramitdee won the “Innovative Web3 Female Entrepreneur Award – SEA edition.”

“At Bitget, we believe that innovation thrives when diversity leads the way. Blockchain4Her is more than just a program; it’s a movement. We’re committed to providing women with the education, mentorship, and opportunities they need to participate in the Web3 revolution and to lead it. The future of blockchain is inclusive, and together, we are shaping it,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.

Bitget also launched the “Pitch n Slay” program, aiming to provide financial support, professional guidance, and exposure for female entrepreneurs. The final event was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2024, where shortlisted female-led projects had the opportunity to compete for a share of $100,000 in seed funding via Foresight Ventures. Anne Beh, Founder at Art3mis, an Oracle AI Tarot card fortune-telling achieved 3rd place, whereas Doris Hernandez, Co-Founder at Functor Network, an Automatic Layer for AI agents secured 2nd position. The first prize was won by Julija Bainiaksina, Founder at MiniMe, an AI agent as-a-service project.

In the past year, Blockchain4Her made significant strides in supporting and empowering women in the blockchain industry. The program distributed $50,000 to support promising projects led by women and recognized nine exceptional women with the Blockchain4Her Awards for their inspiring contributions. In addition, Blockchain4Her hosted over 10 meetups globally, fostering meaningful conversations and collaborations within the community. These events attracted more than 1,000 women who participated in networking, learning, and driving innovation in the blockchain space. The initiative also garnered substantial global media attention, amplifying its mission and impact worldwide.

Looking ahead, Bitget will continue to advocate opportunities for women in blockchain. Through partnerships and investing in education and mentorship, Bitget will continue to be a driving force in fostering an inclusive Web3 ecosystem, empowering women to lead, innovate, and shape the future of blockchain together.

To learn more about Blockchain4Her, please visit here.

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world-class multi-chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

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GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001052467

UK AI Leader makes a series of announcements to help customers and partners capitalize on the Operational Revolution of Data and AI at QuanCon25

LONDON, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantexa, a global leader in Decision Intelligence solutions for the public and private sectors, today announced a series of innovative updates and launches across its platform at QuanCon25, its annual customer and partner ecosystem event. Hosted in London at Tobacco Dock, Quantexa highlighted its continued commitment to helping its customers get their data AI-ready, break down organizational silos, and transform decision-making in the era of AI.

A New Era of Decision Intelligence

At the heart of Quantexa’s innovations is its Decision Intelligence Platform, where its Contextual Fabric, is helping customers:

• Unify fragmented data using industry-leading entity resolution and graph technology.
• Enrich data with critical contextual insights to build a real-world representation of how data connections and relationships are impacting an organization.
• Empower their organizations to run contextual analytics that strengthen Gen AI efforts to drive smarter, more transformative decision-making at all levels of the enterprise.

Dan Higgins, Quantexa’s Chief Product Officer, also announced new Decision Intelligence platform capabilities, including:

• Advanced Language Parsers: Now supporting non-Latin scripts such as Japanese—with Chinese and Arabic capabilities on the horizon—enabling organizations to process multilingual data with ease.
• Scalable Knowledge Graphs: Capable of connecting over one billion nodes, these graphs provide deep insights into hidden risks and growth opportunities.
• Real-Time Entity Streaming: Delivering up-to-date insights for fraud detection, know-your-customer (KYC), and master data management (MDM) through ultra-high volume data streaming.
• Enhanced User Experiences: A revamped search and localization interface that ensures users can interact with the platform in their native language, thereby reducing onboarding times and driving engagement.

Higgins also gave a sneak peek into significant platform innovations coming in 2025, which include:

More Support for Unstructured & Expanded Data Formats

• New Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipeline to manage and analyze unstructured data at scale and in multiple languages.
• Contextual insights extracted from internal documents, which incorporate unstructured data from intelligence reports, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and news content.
• The ability to leverage distillation and fine-tuning to deliver hyperscale LLM performance at the efficiency of small local models.

New Workflow and Case Management Capabilities

• A new end-to-end workflow builder to enhance decisioning processes with consistency, traceability, and collaboration.
• The ability to streamline processes for use cases such as data stewardship, escalation decisions, suspicious activity report (SAR) filing, and claims processing.
• Designed for highly regulated environments with improved alerting and reporting capabilities.

Revolutionizing Data Management

• Evolving from traditional methods to a modern, contextual fabric that provides trusted, current, and universally accessible data.
• AI-powered quality assessment and automated root cause analysis for critical source data.

Delivering Tangible Business Impact

To understand its return-on-investment (ROI), Quantexa commissioned a Total Economic Impact study with leading industry analyst house Forrester and a diverse portfolio of customers spanning banking, insurance, telecommunications, and the public sector. The study found that Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform has delivered measurable benefits per use case, including:

• Nearly $8 million in data management efficiency savings.
• Approximately $15 million in operational efficiencies.
• Over $19 million in risk reduction and compliance savings.

Quantexa Founder & CEO, Vishal Marria said: “These results demonstrate that when your data is trusted and contextual, it drives better decision-making and significant bottom-line impact in the era of AI.”

Breaking New Ground with AI and Cloud Solutions

Two major announcements further cemented Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence leadership:

• Q Assist: A context-aware generative AI solution suite designed to democratize access to trusted data, augment decision-making, and provide real-time insights to front-line teams will be available for Early Access in April 2025.
• Quantexa Cloud: A comprehensive suite of native SaaS industry solutions, launching with Quantexa Cloud AML on Microsoft Azure, is available for Customer Preview. This innovative solution, developed in close collaboration with community and mid-size banks in the US, streamlines and modernizes anti-money laundering workflows for faster time to value and strengthened compliance.
• Jamie Hutton, Quantexa’s Chief Technology Officer, highlighted live demonstrations illustrating how these solutions are revolutionizing financial crime detection and operational intelligence by connecting disparate data sources into actionable insights.

Strengthening Strategic Partnerships

Quantexa also highlighted its growing partnership with Microsoft, a collaboration that has delivered transformative industry solutions on the Azure Marketplace. Key initiatives include:

• The public and private preview launch of Quantexa Unify Workload for Microsoft Fabric, empowering organizations to enhance data quality and eliminate silos in a unified, scalable platform.
• Success stories from marquee customers including HSBC, Novobanco, and RSA, who are leveraging Microsoft and Quantexa technology to accelerate their data and AI transformation journeys.

Looking Ahead: The Launch of Q Labs

Quantexa detailed the official launch of Q Labs, a dedicated hub to accelerate groundbreaking ideas and provide a path from concept to commercialization including exploring emerging technologies, accelerating product innovation, and solving complex customer challenges.

Q Labs is currently developing several exciting projects, including:

• Simulation Lab: Helping businesses model real-world scenarios before making critical decisions.
• Supply Chain Intelligence: Leveraging AI to create smarter, more resilient supply chains.

Parsa Ghaffari, Head of Product Innovation, said: “Working hand-in-hand with our engineering and GTM organizations, we turn breakthrough ideas into real-world impact —propelling our customers and partners to their next bold step faster than ever before.”

Recognizing Our Partners

The company also took a moment to honor its key strategic partners. The event featured the presentation of the Innovation Partner of the Year Award to Accenture, whose visionary approach has powered groundbreaking generative AI solutions, and the Growth Partner of the Year Award to KPMG, whose collaborative efforts have significantly expanded Quantexa’s global footprint. Quantexa were thrilled to be joined by their sponsoring partners at this year’s QuanCon25 – PWC, Microsoft, Databricks, Moody’s and Dun & Bradstreet.

To watch QuanCon25 on-demand, please visit https://www.quancon.com/.

About Quantexa
Quantexa is a global AI, data and analytics software company pioneering Decision Intelligence to empower organizations to make trusted operational decisions with data in context. Using the latest advancements in AI, Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence platform helps organizations uncover hidden risk and new opportunities by unifying siloed data and turning it into the most trusted, reusable resource. It solves major challenges across data management, customer intelligence, KYC, financial crime, risk, fraud, and security, throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform enhances operational performance with over 90% more accuracy and 60 times faster analytical model resolution than traditional approaches. An independently commissioned Forrester TEI study on Quantexa’s Decision Intelligence Platform found that customers saw a three-year 228% ROI. Founded in 2016, Quantexa now has over 800 employees and thousands of platform users working with billions of transactions and data points across the world.

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EBC Financial Group announces the return of its Million Dollar Trading Challenge, offering a $1 million prize and a VIP experience at FC Barcelona

LONDON, March 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  EBC Financial Group (EBC), a global leader in financial brokerage, announces the return of its flagship Million Dollar Trading Challenge (MDTC) for its second edition, one of the world’s largest and a global benchmark for skill-based trading competitions, as industry demand for structured, transparent trading opportunities continues to grow.

The 2025 edition of MDTC comes at a time when traders are seeking greater accountability and access to proven strategies amid increasingly volatile markets. From 1 March to 30 May 2025, thousands of traders worldwide will compete for a $1 million trading account in a challenge that integrates real-time strategy sharing and zero-fee copy trading, setting a new standard for competitive trading.

For the first time, top traders will be invited to an exclusive awards ceremony at the FC Barcelona Museum (Barça Immersive Tour), marking a historic moment as a global trading event is recognised within one of football’s most prestigious institutions. The partnership reflects a growing convergence between financial markets and elite sports, reinforcing trading as a profession that demands the same level of skill, precision, and discipline as world-class athletics.

The inaugural MDTC in 2023 set multiple industry benchmarks, with 324 traders achieving profitable accounts and the top 10 traders recording an average return of 3,472.91%. The champion delivered an extraordinary 11,630.98% return in just 30 days, demonstrating the potential of skill-driven trading in a competitive environment.

This year, MDTC II takes it further—allowing traders to access professional-grade trading signals and instantly replicate top-performing strategies for free via copy trading. By combining competition with real-time strategy sharing and zero-fee copy trading, EBC is setting a new standard for transparency and accessibility in trading.

Real-Time Copy Trading: Automatically Replicate Top Traders’ Strategies
The rise of retail trading has transformed financial markets, yet many traders struggle to access transparent, structured learning environments that allow them to develop real skills. MDTC II is designed to bridge this gap—giving traders a unique opportunity to refine their strategies by actively engaging with top-performing traders through real-time copy trading.

Unlike traditional contests that reward high-risk speculation, MDTC II introduces an open, strategy-sharing ecosystem where traders can analyse, track, and instantly replicate the trades of leading participants at no cost. This levels the playing field, allowing both novice and experienced traders to benefit from collective insights while maintaining individual control over their trades.

“When you’re a growing company, you aim to create an event that truly reflects your values and passion—MDTC is ours. We are here to be a light in the industry, proving that traders can succeed; traders can be successful at trading, it requires education and grit, and it’s not just for the 1%. That’s the real beauty of MDTC—every participant must show their trading history, show the world what they are doing. Anyone can log in and take a look, and you can see for yourself what the winners are trading.

“At EBC, we don’t measure this (or any activity) by the number of signups or deposits we get—we measure it by the conversations we create. With this second iteration, we’re introducing more trading tools and enhanced features, another key aspect we’re all really proud of, because at EBC, ‘perfect’ is never enough,” said Samuel Hertz, Director of Operations at EBC Financial Group.

$1 Million Prize and A Once-in-a-Lifetime FC Barcelona VIP Experience
At the heart of MDTC II is one of the industry’s largest prizes—a $1 million trading account—designed to reward skill, discipline, and strategy execution. Rather than a one-time cash payout, the grand prize provides a unique opportunity for the winner to manage significant capital while retaining 100% of their profits, with a maximum allowable loss of $200,000. Alternatively, the winner can choose a $200,000 cash prize.

MDTC II is structured into two categories to ensure accessibility and fair competition. The Rising Stars category is open to traders with a minimum balance of $500, ranked by profit rate, providing an opportunity for those looking to refine their skills in a structured environment.

For more experienced traders, the Dream Squad category is designed for participants with balances between $10,000 and $200,000, ranked by net profit. This category recognises traders who can navigate market conditions effectively while managing larger capital.

Beyond financial rewards, top traders will gain industry recognition and a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the FC Barcelona Museum. In an exclusive awards ceremony, winners will be celebrated at the home of one of the world’s greatest multi-sports clubs—bridging the gap between trading and elite performance in professional sports.

“For EBC Financial Group, the Million Dollar Trading Challenge is a fantastic way for new and seasoned traders to be involved in a real-time event. It allows clients to see traders of all levels to engage with live market conditions, see real-time the trades executed by all entrants, and gives emerging traders the change to follow and learn from those with more experience, in a way that suits their trading style.

“This opportunity to watch, learn, and develop in a fully transparent environment is invaluable, and an excellent way to encourage new traders to understand what strategy works, when, and why. The trades that do not work are as much as lesson as those that do,” said David Barrett, CEO of EBC Financial Group (UK) Ltd.

Maximising Opportunities through Community Management and Cutting-Edge Trading Platforms
To further encourage community participation, MDTC II introduces an enhanced Referral Program, offering participants up to $300 per successful referral, with no cap on the number of referrals. This initiative encourages greater community participation, allowing traders to expand their network while benefiting from the competition.

With a focus on driving innovation in the financial markets, MDTC II expands trading opportunities by integrating Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on US stocks into the competition for the first time. US stocks account for over 65% of global market capitalisation, making them among the most liquid and dynamic assets across industries. This addition allows participants to access some of the world’s most influential companies, providing new opportunities to navigate volatile and fast-moving markets.

The competition takes place on industry-leading MT4 and MT5 platforms, enabling participants to trade Forex, Commodities, Indices, and US Stock CFDs with advanced charting tools, automated strategies, and real-time execution. By combining diverse asset classes, cutting-edge technology, and expanded market access, MDTC II continues to redefine the landscape of competitive trading.

Refining the Contest Experience: MDTC 2023’s Legacy
The first Million Dollar Trading Challenge in 2023 saw strong participation, with traders executing 431,827 trades and generating a total profit of $1,096,718.57. The event highlighted the growing interest in structured trading competitions and the role of copy trading in improving accessibility for traders at different experience levels.

Community engagement was a key aspect of the challenge, with many participants leveraging copy trading features to track and replicate successful strategies. The results underscored the potential for shared market insights to shape trading outcomes.

With MDTC II, the competition continues to evolve, incorporating past insights while maintaining a focus on transparency, strategy development, and trader engagement.

For more information and to be part of the journey that reshapes what’s possible in financial markets, visit https://www.ebc.com/million-dollar-challenge-2.

About EBC Financial Group
Founded in London’s esteemed financial district, EBC Financial Group (EBC) is renowned for its expertise in financial brokerage and asset management. With offices in key financial hubs—including London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Cayman Islands, Bangkok, Limassol, and emerging markets in Latin America, Asia, and Africa—EBC enables retail, professional, and institutional investors to access a wide range of global markets and trading opportunities, including currencies, commodities, shares, and indices.

Recognised with multiple awards, EBC is committed to upholding ethical standards and these subsidiaries are licensed and regulated within their respective jurisdictions. EBC Financial Group (UK) Limited is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA); EBC Financial Group (Cayman) Limited is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA); EBC Financial Group (Australia) Pty Ltd, and EBC Asset Management Pty Ltd are regulated by Australia’s Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

At the core of EBC are a team of industry veterans with over 40 years of experience in major financial institutions. Having navigated key economic cycles from the Plaza Accord and 2015 Swiss franc crisis to the market upheavals of the COVID-19 pandemic. We foster a culture where integrity, respect, and client asset security are paramount, ensuring that every investor relationship is handled with the utmost seriousness it deserves.

As the Official Foreign Exchange Partner of FC Barcelona, EBC provides specialised services across Asia, LATAM, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Through its partnership with the UN Foundation and the world’s largest grassroots campaign, United to Beat Malaria, the company contributes to global health initiatives. EBC also supports the ‘What Economists Really Do‘ public engagement series by Oxford University’s Department of Economics, helping to demystify economics and its application to major societal challenges, fostering greater public understanding and dialogue.

https://www.ebc.com/

Media Contact:
Savitha Ravindran
Global Public Relations Manager (EMEA, LATAM)
[email protected]

Chyna Elvina
Global Public Relations Manager (APAC, LATAM)
[email protected]

Douglas Chew
Global Public Relations Lead
[email protected]

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