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Sygnum Completes USD 58m Strategic Growth Round, AchievesUnicorn Status with 1bn valuation

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ZURICH and SINGAPORE, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Global digital asset banking group Sygnum announces it has raised a total of USD 58 million in its oversubscribed Strategic Growth Round, giving it a post-money valuation of more than 1 billion.

Final close cornerstone investor Fulgur Ventures, a Bitcoin-focused venture capital firm, is joined by new and existing strategic and financial investors, as well as Sygnum team membersBanking group has USD >5 billion[i] in total client assets, with completed Strategic Growth Round bolstering its robust balance sheet and CET1 capital to support future growthProceeds to drive multi-region market entry, expand product portfolio with focus on Bitcoin-technology, enable strategic acquisitions and further strengthen organisational resilience

Fulgur Ventures, cornerstone investor[ii] in the final close of Sygnum’s Strategic Growth Round, is a venture capital firm focusing on Bitcoin technologies, infrastructure and applications that drive Bitcoin adoption. Fulgur is joined by new and existing strategic and financial investors, as well as Sygnum team members again participating on equal terms. The Co-Founders, board and team members continue to hold Sygnum majority ownership.

Proceeds from the completed Strategic Growth Round will be put to work to drive Sygnum’s 2025 expanded EU/EEA market entry and to launch its regulated presence in Hong Kong. Sygnum also intends to use the funds to broaden its institutional infrastructure, expand its product portfolio with a focus on Bitcoin-technology, and enable opportunities for strategic acquisitions as the market develops. As the industry’s trend towards regulatory compliance gathers pace, additional investments will be made to further strengthen Sygnum’s organisational and operational resilience, compliance teams and state-of-the-art risk management.

A key driver of the oversubscribed Strategic Growth Round was Sygnum’s multi-year core business growth. 2024  revenues for all trading products, including crypto spot, derivatives, FX and traditional securities, surpassed the previous year’s total in Q3 for the second year running. Total annual trades in 2024 increased by more than 1,000% YoY, propelled by PostFinance and the 20+ banks on its B2B platform providing regulated crypto services to more than a third of the Swiss population.

Sygnum’s core business growth was matched by its industry-shaping product launches. In July 2024, Sygnum launched Sygnum Connect, a 24/7 multi-asset settlement network, with members at launch including digital asset exchange AsiaNext and prime broker Hidden Road. A few months earlier, Sygnum also opened up a second new platform, Sygnum Protect, exclusively to its global institutional client base. This platform enables them to continue trading on major crypto exchanges while holding their flexible choice of collateral in secure, bank-grade and bankruptcy-remote custody with Sygnum.

Mathias Imbach, Sygnum Co-Founder and Group CEO, comments that: “Sygnum reaching Unicorn status is a strong validation by the market of our business model, strategy and team. While it is an achievement we are very proud of, it won’t alter the values of integrity and humility, and the importance of displaying confidence without attitude at all times, which have acted as our true-north since day one. As Switzerland is currently losing ground to other jurisdictions as a preferred digital asset hub, it is also our obligation to highlight the need for Switzerland to not ignore the importance of continuous innovation in the financial sector and to continue to attract talent and capital to remain relevant in the long-term. In that way, Sygnum’s mission is only at the very beginning.”

Gerald Goh, Co-Founder and CEO APAC, says: “The successful completion of our Strategic Growth Round is proof of Sygnum’s strong and unique position as a leading regulated financial institution in the global digital asset industry. Offering trusted institutional infrastructure and regulated services for digital assets will continue to be the foundation for Sygnum’s future growth strategy.”

Oleg Mikhalsky, Partner of Fulgur Ventures, adds: “Fulgur is a venture capital firm that continues to drive investment into the accelerating convergence of Bitcoin and institutional financial markets. Sygnum’s market-tested infrastructure, digital asset-native team and global ecosystem makes them the ideal partner to co-develop innovative Bitcoin-related financial products and technologies – as well as for future collaborations with other Fulgur portfolio companies. We are proud to be the cornerstone investor for the final close of Sygnum’s Strategic Growth Round, which coincides with a potential inflection point for Bitcoin’s institutional adoption and regulatory clarity.”

In FY 2024, Sygnum achieved operational profitability and continued to grow its 2,000-strong institutional client base domiciled in over 70 countries, serviced through its regulated operations in Switzerland, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hub of Luxembourg and was recently registered in Liechtenstein.

About Sygnum

Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services.

In Switzerland, Sygnum holds a banking licence and has CMS and Major Payment Institution licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg and is registered in Liechtenstein.

We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, please visit sygnum.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Disclaimer: The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. Sygnum expressly disclaims all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal, investment advice, recommendation, offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. 

About Fulgur Ventures

Fulgur Ventures was founded in 2019 as one of the first venture firms focused on startups in the Bitcoin and the Lightning Network ecosystems and today provides early stage, follow-on and growth capital for startups driving adoption of bitcoin and bitcoin scaling technologies, such as Lightning and Liquid networks in consumer and enterprise markets and financial institutions. For more information, please visit the Fulgur Ventures website.

[i] As at 31.12.24

[ii] Via a related investment entity

 

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SOURCE Sygnum

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Viettel Group and Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee Unveil Security Chip Embedding Vietnamese Cryptography in Silicon

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HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group have unveiled VGC v1.0, a security chip integrating a domestically developed cryptographic algorithm directly into silicon, alongside the country’s first domestically designed secure semiconductor platform.

The project addresses concerns over potential data exposure associated with reliance on imported chips. By embedding cryptographic functions directly into hardware, Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group aim to strengthen Vietnam’s control over the design and verification of technologies used to protect sensitive information.

VGC v1.0 contains 300 million transistors in a 10 × 10 mm package and is fabricated using a 28-nanometre CMOS process. In performance tests, it performed encryption and decryption approximately 15 times faster than a software-only solution carrying out the same tasks. The first batch passed technical tests and received certification for socio-economic applications in the first quarter of 2026. Technical safeguards were also applied to protect the design before fabrication, reducing risks of information leakage and reverse engineering.

The Government Cipher Committee’s M2 unit established security requirements, developed the cryptographic algorithm and defined evaluation criteria, while Viettel Semiconductor Center designed and implemented the chip. Based on the open RISC-V instruction set architecture, the underlying platform enables Vietnamese engineers to modify processor designs and reuse established verification processes for future chip generations.

VGC v1.0 has already seen initial deployment in secure USB storage devices for Party, government and defence agencies. Planned applications include supporting Vietnam’s national digital signature certification system, which has more than two million digital certificates in circulation. Other potential uses span financial data protection, connected cameras and sensors, and critical infrastructure systems in electricity, water, oil and gas, and telecommunications. Products intended to protect state secrets would require further testing and certification under applicable standards.

“Researching, designing and developing secure semiconductor chips is a formidable challenge, requiring years of accumulated expertise, technological capabilities and highly skilled talent. Yet we believe that starting later does not mean accepting dependence on others. With the right strategy, focused resources and sustained commitment, we can steadily close the gap and move towards mastering technologies of strategic importance to our country,” said Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and CEO of Viettel Group.

At the launch, the Vietnam’s Government Cipher Committee and Viettel Group signed an agreement covering plans for volume production, multicore security chips, specialist workforce development and testing on real devices. Viettel is also building a semiconductor fabrication plant in Hoa Lac as part of broader efforts to develop domestic capabilities across chip design, manufacturing and packaging.

Beyond the initial chip, the initiative establishes a foundation for future generations of security hardware, supporting Vietnam’s long-term efforts to reduce technological dependence and strengthen control over critical digital technologies.

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SOURCE Viettel Group

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USDGO Plus SP Among First Products on OSL’s Instant Redemption

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Eligible professional investors redeeming units of USDGO Plus SP through OSL may receive redemption proceeds on the same day, subject to OSL’s eligibility criteria and applicable terms and conditions

HONG KONG, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Units of PrimePlus SPC – USDGO Plus SP held via OSL are included in the initial batch of products covered by Instant Redemption, a feature OSL Group announced on 2 November 2026 for tokenised real-world asset (RWA) products on its licensed platform.

Eligible professional investors redeeming designated products through OSL may receive their redemption proceeds on the same day, subject to OSL’s eligibility criteria, product coverage and applicable terms and conditions. Designated products may also be subscribed for and redeemed in USDGO.

USDGO Plus SP is a segregated portfolio of PrimePlus SPC, a Cayman Islands segregated portfolio company registered with CIMA as a mutual fund. Under the co-operation framework of 2WA and OSL, fund units stay in custody via OSL, 2WA does not custody client fund units, and Instant Redemption is an OSL platform feature*.

OSL continues to provide custody and distribution for USDGO Plus SP. Instant Redemption does not change the fund’s redemption terms, registration status, offering documents, risk disclosures or investor eligibility requirements.

*Instant Redemption is only available to investors on the OSL platform who qualify as professional investors.

About 2WA

2WA is a real-world asset (RWA) and digital asset technology development company focused on expanding the utility of regulated assets. 2WA applies blockchain technology, including tokenization, to broaden how regulated assets such as fund units and listed equities are held, used and mobilized. Throughout, the underlying assets remain with licensed custodians. 2WA’s objective is to create new use cases for these assets and, in doing so, enhance their overall value for investors and institutions.

USDGO sits at the core of 2WA’s business. As an active contributor to the USDGO ecosystem, 2WA uses USDGO as the primary settlement and liquidity asset across its RWA products, and works alongside partners to broaden its adoption, deepen its liquidity and support the long-term growth of its ecosystem. For more information, visit https://2wa.io

About OSL

OSL Group (HKEX: 863) is a global stablecoin infrastructure company that strives to provide compliant and efficient digital financial infrastructure services globally, empowering enterprises, financial institutions and individuals to seamlessly exchange, pay, trade, and settle between fiat and digital currencies. Grounded in the core values of Open, Secure, and Liquid, it is committed to building a more efficient ecosystem that connects global markets and enables instant, seamless and compliant value movement worldwide. For media inquiries, please contact: media@osl.com

Media contacts

2WA: media@2wa.io
OSL: media@osl.com

Disclaimer

This press release is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer, solicitation, recommendation or inducement to buy, sell or otherwise deal in any digital asset, security or other financial product, and it is not financial, investment, legal, tax, accounting or other professional advice and should not be relied on as such. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official positions of OSL Group or its affiliates. Descriptions of products and services are for general reference only, and participation is subject to applicable terms, conditions and regulatory requirements. This press release may contain forward-looking or indicative information; actual outcomes may differ materially, and none of OSL Group, 2WA, PrimePlus SPC or their respective affiliates undertakes any obligation to update it.

USDGO Plus SP has not been authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission under section 104 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) (SFO), and its offering documents have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. Interests in USDGO Plus SP may be offered in Hong Kong only to professional investors, and only on the basis of the fund’s offering documents. Investing in digital asset funds involves significant risks, including the possible loss of the entire amount invested. Market-neutral strategies do not eliminate risk, and funding rates may turn negative. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Instant Redemption is a feature of OSL’s platform. Its availability is subject to OSL’s eligibility criteria, limits and platform terms, and may be changed, suspended or withdrawn at any time. It does not amend the redemption terms of USDGO Plus SP and is not a guarantee of liquidity or of the return of any amount invested.

This press release is intended only for “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and its subsidiary legislation, must not be distributed or used in any jurisdiction where doing so would breach applicable laws, and does not constitute active marketing to the public in Hong Kong. Readers are responsible for complying with the laws of their own jurisdiction. The stablecoins referred to in this press release may be “specified stablecoins” under the Stablecoin Ordinance (Cap. 656); their issuers and OSL Digital Securities Limited (OSLDS) are not licensed under that Ordinance to conduct regulated stablecoin activities in Hong Kong. OSLDS is a permitted offeror under that Ordinance and offers such products in Hong Kong only to clients it has verified and accepted as professional investors.

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SOURCE 2WA

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THE KOREA INDUSTRY DAILY: ROBOTWORLD 2026 to Spotlight Physical AI and AI-Driven Manufacturing With 402 Exhibitors From 17 Countries

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Rainbow Robotics, Neuromeka and Samhyun to exhibit Nov. 4–7 near Seoul; NVIDIA and Qualcomm to participate in conference

GOYANG, South Korea, Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ROBOTWORLD 2026 will bring together 402 companies from 17 countries at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) Nov. 4–7. The 1,198-booth exhibition will explore how Physical AI and AI-driven manufacturing systems are being developed for industrial applications.

International exhibitors will include Taiwan’s Advantech, Japan’s FANUC and China’s Booster Robotics, PAXINI and Unitree. A Canadian delegation of 10 technology companies will participate in the exhibition and conference, while companies from India and Bangladesh will exhibit at ROBOTWORLD for the first time.

The International Robot Business Conference 2026 will extend the discussion of industrial applications through 36 sessions on Nov. 4–5. Its three tracks — Manufacturing AX (AI transformation), Humanoid with Physical AI and Mobility — will address AI adoption in production, robot intelligence and mobility across industrial and service environments. The Manufacturing AX track will feature presentations by representatives from Qualcomm and Advantech, while a speaker from NVIDIA will present in the Humanoid with Physical AI track. Qualcomm will also sponsor the exhibition.

According to the International Federation of Robotics’ World Robotics 2026 report, global industrial robot installations reached a record 603,307 units in 2025, marking an 11% increase from the previous year and surpassing 600,000 units for the first time. Asia accounted for 76% of all newly installed industrial robots, with 457,315 units installed, up 14% year-on-year. Global installations are forecast to reach 655,000 units in 2026, reflecting the continued expansion of industrial automation.

Against this industrial backdrop, the exhibition will explore Physical AI technologies that enable robots to perceive their surroundings, assess conditions and perform physical tasks. Korean exhibitors will address both task intelligence and the platforms and components that enable movement and manipulation.

Rainbow Robotics will exhibit its RBY mobile humanoid and RBQ quadruped series, while Neuromeka will present its Physical Skill Foundation (PSF) technology alongside the EIR humanoid and NAMI mobile humanoid platforms. Neuromeka describes PSF as supporting task execution involving unfamiliar objects and changing work environments. Samhyun will showcase its AXLON actuator series for robot joint actuation, torque control and linear motion, together with the BOLDUM autonomous transport robot for industrial material handling with payloads of up to 3 metric tons.

Beyond individual robots, the exhibition will examine AI-driven manufacturing through systems that combine collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), machine vision and manufacturing software. Exhibitors will demonstrate how process data and material flows can inform robot and equipment operations across production processes.

Humanoid, food-tech and healthcare pavilions will provide focused views of these technologies and their applications. The newly established humanoid pavilion will cover complete robots, actuators, reducers, sensors, controllers and AI software. The food-tech pavilion will feature cooking, serving and kitchen automation. The returning healthcare pavilion will cover surgical, rehabilitation, wearable and care robots, as well as hospital logistics.

Business programs will connect the technology presentations with opportunities for procurement, exports and investment. Export and procurement matchmaking sessions will run Nov. 4–6, with suppliers and prospective buyers matched in advance for one-to-one meetings. A seminar on entering international markets will be held on Nov.5 providing practical information on certification requirements in different countries.

Global Scale-up Day on Nov. 6 will be open to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as startups in AI and robotics seeking investment and growth capital. Conducted entirely in English, the program will bring together venture capital firms, accelerators, strategic investors and M&A specialists.

“With increased participation by global companies and the addition of national and special pavilions, we hope this year’s exhibition will showcase the capabilities of Korean robotics companies and expand opportunities for practical cooperation between Korean and international businesses,” a ROBOTWORLD representative said.

ROBOTWORLD 2026 will take place at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1, Halls 3–5, in Goyang. Information on exhibitors, conference sessions and business programs are available at https://eng.robotworld.or.kr/.

About ROBOTWORLD

ROBOTWORLD is an international robotics exhibition covering industrial and service robots, core components, AI software and manufacturing automation solutions, alongside a conference and business programs. ROBOTWORLD 2026 is hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and jointly organized by the Korea Association of AI Robot Industry (KAR), the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA) and the Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems (ICROS).

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SOURCE THE KOREA INDUSTRY DAILY

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