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Bitlayer Secures $9 Million in Extended A Round, Led by Polychain Capital

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Polychain Capital leads Bitlayer’s extended A round, ushering in a new era of verification capabilities for Bitcoin.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bitlayer, the first Bitcoin Layer 2 based on Bitcoin finality, has recently closed a $9M extension to its previously announced Series A funding round. The extended A round is led by Polychain Capital and co-led by Franklin Templeton, with participation from SCB Limited, Selini Capital, G-20 Group and other renowned institutional investors.

 Bitlayer raised a $5M seed round in March, followed by a $11M series A round in July from leading investors including Framework Ventures, ABCDE, Franklin Templeton, StarkWare, OKX Ventures, Alliance DAO, UTXO Management, and more.

This round of financing expands the Bitlayer community to new stakeholders and individuals dedicated to the BTC ecosystem. It further solidifies Bitlayer’s position at the helm of the Bitcoin Layer 2 field, bringing Bitlayer’s total funding raised to $25 million.

Bitlayer has proposed and implemented OpVM, a future-proof Bitcoin Layer 1 verification solution that combines fraud proofs (BitVM) and validity proofs (based on OP_CAT). This solution significantly enhances the security level of various protocols within the Bitcoin ecosystem, enabling the Bitcoin Layer 1 to verify arbitrary computations.

Investors Comments:

“Our investment in Bitlayer reflects our profound belief in the transformative power of their groundbreaking solutions. Bitlayer has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within the Bitcoin space. The Bitlayer team, led by Kevin He and Charlie Hu, have assembled a diverse group of experts with a shared passion for innovation and a deep understanding of the market’s needs. The imminent launch of Bitlayer V2 is set to capture the industry’s attention and validate the immense potential of OpVM.”  – Polychain Capital.

Progressing Toward a Future of Bitcoin Finality

After launching Mainnet-V1 on April 15th, over 280 Dapps have deployed on the Bitlayer network, covering infrastructure and developer tools, wallets, DeFi, NFTs, gaming, metaverse, RWAs, and more.

Moreover, Bitlayer has established itself as a core ecosystem partner for over 30 Web3 platforms, fostering collaboration and shared growth. These partnerships include notable players such as Hacken, AWS Cloud, Ankr, Polyhedra, Babylon, Particle Network, and Meson.

Since its founding, Bitlayer has been fully dedicated to the pioneering research and development of BitVM and OP_CAT, focusing on pushing the limits of the Bitcoin ecosystem’s capabilities and striving to enhance its programmability and efficiency through these advanced technologies.

The newly injected capital will accelerate the development and deployment of Bitlayer, enhancing its scalability, efficiency, and user accessibility. This includes preparation for the imminent launch of Bitlayer V2, a Bitcoin-native rollup in which state transitions are protected by Bitlayer’s OpVM technique, a verification gadget that combines both validity proofs and fraud proofs.

“Bitlayer’s innovative approach to blockchain technology is exemplified by its utilization of OpVM,” Kevin He, co-founder of Bitlayer, said, “It empowers Bitcoin to seamlessly integrate into any programmable blockchain environment in a trustless manner, which will catalyze rapid development and widespread adoption of a decentralized application ecosystem based on Bitcoin‘s substantial liquidity.”

Bitlayer V2 will be the first native Bitcoin Layer 2 utilizing OpVM. This is only the beginning of this exciting new chapter for Bitlayer. More exceptional growth and extraordinary progress is on the way for both Bitcoin and the larger crypto community.

About Polychain Capital

Polychain Capital, founded in 2016 by Olaf Carlson-Wee, is a premier investor in cryptocurrency protocols and companies which utilizes its highly crypto-native team through a hands-on, participatory approach towards investments with the goal to accelerate the global adoption of crypto.

About Bitlayer

Bitlayer is the first Bitcoin Layer 2 based on Bitcoin finality.

Bitlayer provides developers and users with a native Bitcoin Layer 2 environment through its innovative technologies including OpVM, Finality Bridge, and RtEVM. This platform ensures Bitcoin-equivalent security, a trustless cross-chain bridge, and a real-time EVM programming environment.

For inquiries or comments contact press@bitlayer.org.

Follow Bitlayer to stay updated on protocol and ecosystem progress:

Website | Twitter | Discord | Medium | Github | YouTube

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitlayer-secures-9-million-in-extended-a-round-led-by-polychain-capital-302270452.html

SOURCE Bitlayer Labs

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Eddid Financial, SageRock Capital, and ArtWise Sign MOU to Drive Art Tokenisation and Blockchain Finance in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eddid Financial, a leading fintech-driven financial services group; SageRock Capital, which integrates traditional finance with blockchain financial innovation; and ArtWise, a specialist in the art collection industry, jointly announced that the three parties have formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The parties have established a strategic partnership focusing on art tokenisation and blockchain finance, joining hands to help build Hong Kong into an international hub for art collection and blockchain financial innovation.

Harnessing Tripartite Expertise to Drive Art Tokenisation

This collaboration combines the respective expertise of the three parties across investment architecture, compliant financial services, and the art sector. SageRock Capital focuses on investment structuring and asset allocation; Eddid Securities and Futures, a subsidiary of the Eddid Financial, leverages its core strengths in Hong Kong’s capital markets and compliant financial services; and ArtWise contributes its deep expertise in art collection. By integrating blockchain technology, the three parties will jointly construct development pathways for art asset tokenisation, driving the deep integration of traditional finance and digital assets.

Upholding Regulatory Standards to Build an Art Blockchain Financial Ecosystem

Under Hong Kong’s mature and robust virtual asset regulatory framework, the tripartite collaboration will strictly adhere to the compliance requirements of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and other relevant regulatory bodies in advancing the research and development of art tokenisation products. Empowered by blockchain technology, the partnership will focus on enhancing ownership verification and transaction transparency for art assets, bridging traditional and digital financial markets to forge a new pathway for compliant development in Hong Kong’s art market and blockchain finance sector.

By leveraging the traceable and immutable characteristics of blockchain technology, this collaboration significantly enhances the transaction transparency and credibility of art assets. This will not only drive the digital upgrading of Hong Kong’s art market, but also further solidify Hong Kong’s position as a premier international hub for art trading and Web3 financial innovation.

About the Three Parties

About Eddid Financial

Anchored in Hong Kong, Eddid Financial is an all-encompassing financial group centered around fintech and dedicated to integrating latest technologies into its enterprise DNA. The diversified businesses of Eddid Financial range from retail to institutional and include but are not limited to fintech, internet finance, wealth management, asset management, investment banking, and digital assets. Eddid Financial is committed to providing one-stop financial services and products to customers through high-quality investment solutions.

Members of the Group hold a variety of licenses and memberships across key financial markets. These include Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) regulated activities (“RA”) licenses for types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9; SEHK and HKCC participant (OTP-C broker number: 0974 and 0977), Insurance Broker Company license; Trust or Company Service Provider License in Hong Kong. Additionally, our fully owned U.S. broker-dealer subsidiary, Eddid Securities USA Inc., maintains approved membership with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the National Futures Association (NFA), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (NQX), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NYSE American, and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the United States. Our Singapore subsidiary, Eddid Financial Singapore Pte. Ltd., holds the Capital Markets Services License (License No.: CMS101839) issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

About SageRock Capital

SageRock Capital focuses on integrating TradFi with blockchain innovation. With years of experience in asset integration, structural design, and financial innovation cooperation, SageRock is committed to building bridges between traditional and digital finance. It specializes in new economic industries supporting high-quality industrial development. In this cooperation, SageRock will leverage its strengths in capital structure design and asset integration, collaborating with licensed financial institutions and technology/industry partners to explore innovative financing and tokenisation models for art assets under a compliant framework.

About ArtWise

ArtWise is deeply engaged in the art collection and investment sector, possessing rich artwork resources, professional appraisal and appreciation expertise, and profound industry heritage. The company is committed to driving the modernization and digital transformation of the traditional art market, leveraging cutting-edge technology to convert blue-chip artworks into compliant, structured, and tokenised assets. Centred on asset compliance and legal enforceability, ArtWise utilizes custodial trust frameworks and a dual-layer governance structure (direct binding of on-chain smart contracts with off-chain legal contracts) to deliver high-credibility and liquid art finance solutions for institutional investors and private banking clients. In this collaboration, ArtWise will leverage its professional strengths in the art collection industry, select high-quality art assets, and work alongside its partners to build a compliant, transparent, and trustworthy art tokenisation ecosystem.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/eddid-financial-sagerock-capital-and-artwise-sign-mou-to-drive-art-tokenisation-and-blockchain-finance-in-hong-kong-302834847.html

SOURCE Eddid Financial

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BinBase Releases 2026 BIN Data Updates for Subscriptions, Digital Wallet Tokens, and Dynamic Currency Conversion

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BinBase enhances its 2026 dataset with Apple/Google Pay token range identification, Direct Debit attributes, and default ISO currency codes to optimize recurring billing and reduce SaaS churn.

MIAMI, July 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — BinBase, a global provider of payment intelligence and card issuing data, has announced the rollout of specialized subscription and digital wallet attributes within its updated 2026 BIN Database. Engineered for SaaS platforms, recurring billing engines, and cross-border digital merchants, the new dataset addresses silent transaction declines and involuntary churn in recurring revenue models.

As consumer payment preferences shift heavily toward mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, payment gateways frequently encounter Tokenized Device Account Numbers (DPANs) rather than traditional primary account numbers (PANs). Without updated token-range BIN mapping, recurring billing engines fail to recognize underlying issuer capabilities, leading to unexpected declines during subscription renewals.

The 2026 BinBase release resolves these recurring billing challenges through specific data attributes:

Tokenized Range Identification: Dedicated indicators for Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Network Tokens, allowing subscription engines to maintain seamless recurring billing authorization paths.Direct Debit & Pull-Funds Support (Pull Dom): Indicators for recurring debit eligibility, helping subscription platforms optimize automated bank-direct collections.Default ISO Currency Mapping: Precise issuing country currency codes to eliminate friction during Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and prevent cross-border fee surprises for subscribers.Card Tier & Category Precision: Granular identification of premium, rewards, and corporate card ranges to help merchants customize retry logic and billing schedules based on cardholder profiles.

“Involuntary churn is the silent killer of subscription businesses,” said a spokesperson for Damiko Inc. “When a recurring billing charge fails due to misidentified token ranges or currency conversion errors, merchants lose lifetime value. Our 2026 update provides software engineers with the data precision required to maximize subscription authorization rates and protect recurring revenue.”

Software architects and billing platform developers can evaluate the complete 29-field schema and download a free 2026 sample dataset on GitHub.

To learn more about full commercial licensing options, API access, and bulk CSV database downloads, visit BinBase at https://binbase.com.

About Damiko Inc

Damiko Inc is a US-based fintech data provider specializing in card issuer analytics, payment routing data, and global BIN database solutions. Operating through its flagship product, BinBase.com, the company supplies high-precision transaction intelligence to help merchants and payment facilitators worldwide optimize approval rates and mitigate processing fees.

Media Contact
Fedor Lavrikoff, BinBase, 1 7866133334, sales@binbase.com, www.binbase.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/binbase-releases-2026-bin-data-updates-for-subscriptions-digital-wallet-tokens-and-dynamic-currency-conversion-302829565.html

SOURCE BinBase

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Ookla Study in Manila: Carrier VoLTE Networks Prove to Outperform OTT Apps in Voice Quality and Reliability

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MANILA, Philippines, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ookla’s comprehensive controlled network test reveals that traditional mobile operator networks deliver a measurably superior voice experience compared to Over-the-Top (OTT) applications like WhatsApp, particularly in critical areas such as audio fidelity, weak signal resilience, and call reliability.

The study, which evaluated the networks of the Philippines’ three major mobile operators—Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and DITO Telecommunity, demonstrates that carrier-managed VoLTE infrastructure remains the gold standard for consistent, high-quality communication, outperforming OTT voice services.

Operator Voice Deliver Consistent HD Audio, OTT Apps Only Offer Fair Quality

The research found a distinct quality gap in audio performance. While operator voice calls consistently delivered HD-grade audio quality—rated “Good”(scoring > 4.0) to “Excellent” (scoring > 4.3) across all three networks, OTT voice calls were rated only as “Fair” (scoring < 4.0). Smart and DITO achieved higher MOS scores than Globe by deploying the advanced EVS codec, which offers superior audio fidelity over Globe’s AMR-WB.

Conversely, this gap exists because OTT apps treat voice as generic data packets, vulnerable to the internet’s “best-effort” delivery. Even with operator network optimizations, OTT voice lacks the stringent Quality of Connection (QoC) guarantees. Under network stress—such as congestion, weak coverage, high packet loss, or significant jitter—OTT audio degrades noticeably. In contrast, VoLTE leverages exclusive high-priority cellular bearers to safeguard voice quality.

Operator Voice Sustains HD Quality in Weak Coverage While OTT Calls Degrade

The performance gap widens significantly at the cell edge, where signal strength is low. Under moderate-to-low RF coverage conditions (RSRP ≤ -100 dBm), operator-managed VoLTE calls maintained HD-grade clarity.

Conversely, OTT calls degraded further, slipping from “Fair” into the “Poor” (scoring < 3.6) and “Bad” (scoring < 3) ranges. This is a critical finding for consumers in areas with obstructed signals or far from cell sites, proving that dedicated voice bearers protect call quality where best-effort data (used by OTT) cannot.

VoLTE Delivers More Reliable Call Connections Than OTT

Reliability is another key differentiator. The study shows that VoLTE has significantly lower block rates (call setup failure rates) than OTT services. For instance, Globe recorded the lowest VoLTE block rate at 0.47%, versus its OTT rate of 1.64%. This trend was consistent across operators, highlighting that the dedicated signaling protocols of VoLTE (like optimized SIP and SRVCC) provide a more robust connection experience than OTT’s best-effort data model.

The Path Forward: Building a Solid VoLTE Foundation for AI-Driven Voice

As Philippine NTC mandates the 3G sunset by December 2026, the industry must prioritize comprehensive VoLTE coverage and user migration. Looking ahead, the convergence of voice and AI stands as the industry’s definitive future trend. However, a high- performance VoLTE network is the vital prerequisite for this shift. Operators should continuously refine their VoLTE infrastructure, laying a solid foundation to seamlessly integrate voice with AI and unlock the next generation of intelligent calling experiences.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ookla-study-in-manila-carrier-volte-networks-prove-to-outperform-ott-apps-in-voice-quality-and-reliability-302834868.html

SOURCE Ookla

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