Technology

Squads Raises $18M to Build Business Finance on Stablecoin Infrastructure

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2026

NEW YORK, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Squads today announced an $18 million strategic round led by Solana Ventures, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Haun Ventures, L1D, Collab+Currency, Electric Capital, Placeholder, Jump Crypto, and Robot Ventures, bringing total funding to $42.9M. This raise accelerates Altitude, a financial operating system built on stablecoin infrastructure.

Stablecoins are changing the infrastructure of business finance. For the last decade, building financial products for businesses meant building on top of banks – bank partnerships were required to hold customer funds and access payment rails. Every new market meant a new bank and a new compliance cycle. Blockchains changed the underlying infrastructure. Stablecoins turned money into software, allowing treasury and payments to be separated from the fractional reserve system for the first time.

This separation has produced a new category of licensed Payment Service Providers (PSPs) that move money across both stablecoin and traditional banking rails. The market has moved quickly: Stripe acquired Bridge for $1.1 billion, Mastercard acquired BVNK for $1.8 billion. These PSPs were the missing piece to build a full-stack financial operations platform on stablecoin rails.

Altitude is built on this shift. It does not hold customer funds. Treasury is held in stablecoins. When funds need to move, they settle on stablecoin rails instantly, 24/7, at low cost. When they need to reach traditional banking rails, they do so through a network of licensed stablecoin PSPs.

Since publicly launching in December 2025, Altitude has processed over $200 million in payments for exporters, global agencies, crypto-native companies, and cross-border remote teams. Customers choose Altitude for what stablecoin infrastructure unlocks: global-by-default coverage, multi-currency support, instant settlement, and programmable controls. With $18M in new funding, Altitude is growing its team, expanding its payment network, and accelerating product development.

“This raise backs a simple idea: businesses are better off running on stablecoins than on legacy banking infrastructure. Solana is now mature enough to carry global business finance, regulators have built the frameworks to support it, and for the first time you can build a full financial platform on a genuinely new system,” said Stepan Simkin, CEO of Squads.

“The Squads team spent the last four years building the security infrastructure that most of the Solana ecosystem runs on. Stablecoins and programmable blockchains are changing how global finance works. This is the team with the technical depth and the vision to build the financial platform that sits on top of that shift. We believe Altitude will be how the next generation of global businesses runs their financial operations,” said Matthew Beck, Head of Solana Ventures.

Two criticisms have historically limited stablecoin adoption in mainstream business finance: compliance gaps and security concerns. Altitude addresses both directly.

On compliance, Altitude has built a proprietary engine that imposes the same checks expected from any regulated fintech: continuous sanctions screening, AML checks, transaction monitoring, and KYB verification. This engine enables every Altitude account to plug into licensed PSPs including Bridge, MoonPay, Infinite, Due, and others for global coverage.

On security, Altitude enforces controls at each layer of the stack. At the product layer, every business account comes with programmable controls, granular permissions, and configurable multifactor authentication. At the infrastructure layer, Squads Protocol handles asset custody and money movement, securing over $10 billion in value. At the settlement layer, every transaction is recorded and settled on Solana.

“As we scaled, treasury and payments turned into an operational headache. Complexity and fees kept compounding. Altitude removed both,” said Kash Dhanda, COO, Jupiter.

About Squads

Squads is a financial infrastructure company building on Solana. The company operates two products: Squads Multisig, the smart account standard securing over $10 billion in assets across the Solana ecosystem, and Altitude, a financial operating system that gives businesses multi-currency accounts, corporate cards, global payments, APY on balances, and a CFO stack to run it all. Learn more at altitude.xyz or squads.xyz.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/squads-raises-18m-to-build-business-finance-on-stablecoin-infrastructure-302757566.html

Technology

139th Canton Fair Phase 3 Advances Toward a Better Life with New and Strengthened Product Zones

Published

26 minutes ago

May 3, 2026

GUANGZHOU, China, May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 139th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) has rolled out nine newly established product zones. Phase 3 features an expanded and upgraded Intelligent Healthcare zone and the inaugural presentation of a Functional & Technical Fabrics zone.

The upgraded Intelligent Healthcare zone brings together 50 companies presenting a full spectrum of intelligent medical solutions, spanning AI-powered diagnostics, surgical robotics, and next‑generation eldercare technologies. Exhibits highlight how medical devices are becoming smaller, more precise, and increasingly non‑invasive. Capsule endoscopy systems demonstrate how gastrointestinal screening can be completed without discomfort, while AI‑enabled traditional Chinese medicine analyzers compress the inspection and inquiry process into minutes. Wearable glucose monitors make chronic disease management easier and more convenient.

Robotic technologies play a prominent role as well. Endoscopic and orthopedic surgical robots showcase enhanced precision through integrated human‑machine coordination, while bionic prosthetic hands use non‑invasive myoelectric sensing to independently control each finger. Intelligent rehabilitation systems, including lower‑limb exoskeletons and hand‑training devices, provide consistent support for patients recovering mobility. Companion‑style eldercare robots, equipped with monitoring and telemedicine functions, signal the rise of integrated home‑based health services.

The debuting Functional & Technical Fabrics zone highlights how the traditional textile industry is moving toward higher-end and smarter products. Exhibitors present materials that combine multi‑layered performance with intelligent responsiveness. Textiles featuring temperature‑regulating fibers, phase‑change materials, and light‑ or heat‑sensitive color‑shifting effects illustrate how fabrics are evolving into adaptive platforms capable of responding to environmental conditions.

Sustainability emerges as a defining theme. Bio‑based fibers, degradable films, recycled polyester, and organic cotton reflect a shift from isolated eco‑products toward full‑chain green manufacturing. High‑performance outdoor and protective applications further shape the narrative. Materials engineered for waterproof breathability, UV resistance, flame retardancy, and long‑term durability address rising demand across sportswear, professional protection, and medical environments. Smart textiles with embedded health‑monitoring modules demonstrate how apparel is beginning to function as a continuous wellness interface.

Both technology‑driven healthcare and advanced textiles are converging around a shared pursuit of a better life. As these advancements continue to evolve, they reflect a manufacturing landscape increasingly shaped by innovation, resilience, and a commitment to improving everyday living.

For pre-registration, please click: https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/139th-canton-fair-phase-3-advances-toward-a-better-life-with-new-and-strengthened-product-zones-302760704.html

SOURCE Canton Fair

Technology

CupidFeel Insights Show How Shared Interests Affect Initial Connection Outcomes

Published

1 hour ago

May 3, 2026

New behavioral insights from CupidFeel offer a carefully considered look at how shared interests influence whether an initial connection on a dating platform is sustained or abandoned in those first critical exchanges.

GIBRALTAR, May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The findings by CupidFeel are not dramatic, but they are telling. People who referenced a shared interest — whether a genre of music, a type of cuisine, a sport, a creative practice, or even a shared discomfort with small talk — within the first few exchanges of a new conversation were found to be measurably more likely to continue that conversation beyond the initial contact window. The effect was not uniform across all interest categories; certain types of shared interest appeared to carry more relational weight than others.

It was also observed by CupidFeel that the timing of when shared interests entered a conversation mattered. Connections where common ground was discovered organically — through the natural flow of exchange rather than prompted by a profile field or a direct question — showed stronger indicators of sustained interest. The discovery, in other words, carried more meaning when it felt like something found rather than something declared.

Among the most quietly striking findings in the CupidFeel data was the role of specificity. Broad shared categories — “we both like travel,” “we both enjoy cooking” — were associated with polite, often brief exchanges that rarely extended past pleasantries. But when specificity entered the picture — when one person mentioned a particular documentary that had stayed with them, or a city they had visited and could not stop thinking about — the conversational energy shifted. Something opened up.

In a CupidFeel review of trends in profile engagements, those whose profiles reflected specific, idiosyncratic interests — rather than broadly appealing ones — also showed higher rates of receiving first messages, a finding that runs gently counter to the instinct many people have to present themselves in the most universally appealing terms possible.

What seemed to matter most was not the quantity of overlap but whether the overlap that existed was felt — whether it produced a sense of being seen in some particular, non-generic way. A CupidFeel review of early conversation patterns suggests that a single deeply resonant shared interest may be more generative for early connection than a long list of surface-level commonalities that, taken together, feel more like a demographic profile than a person.

About CupidFeel

CupidFeel is an online dating platform built around the belief that meaningful connections begin with emotional honesty and the willingness to let a conversation go somewhere real. It came into being for people who are less interested in the mechanics of dating and more drawn to the possibility of something that feels grounded — exchanges that move at their own pace, guided by genuine curiosity rather than performance.

A CupidFeel review of its own design principles returns consistently to the same question: what does it take for a first message to feel like it might be worth the journey? The platform makes room for the kind of interaction that doesn’t always have a clear destination but feels, from the first exchange, like something real. CupidFeel is a place where the unexpected is not something to be managed, but something to be welcomed.

Media Contact

Timothy Albers, CupidFeel, 1 14845691657, smm@cupidfeel.com, https://cupidfeel.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/cupidfeel-insights-show-how-shared-interests-affect-initial-connection-outcomes-302759951.html

SOURCE CupidFeel

Technology

Las Vegas Review-Journal Launches VegasBusiness, a New Multiplatform Business Brand Serving Southern Nevada Leaders

Published

2 hours ago

May 3, 2026

LAS VEGAS, May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ –The Las Vegas Review Journal today announced the launch of VegasBusiness, a new multiplatform brand designed to deliver authoritative reporting, analysis, and insight to Southern Nevada’s business leaders and decisionmakers.

VegasBusiness debuts with a biweekly print section distributed in the Sunday Las Vegas Review Journal, a new digital hub at VegasBusiness.com, a weekday business email newsletter, and a bi monthly podcast. Together, the platforms create the most comprehensive local business news and intelligence offerings in the Las Vegas market.

Vegas Business, powered by the state’s largest and most experienced business reporting team, focuses on the people, companies, and forces shaping Southern Nevada’s economy, including gaming and hospitality, real estate development, technology, finance, logistics, and small business.

“Las Vegas is one of the fastest evolving business markets in the country, and its leaders need timely, trustworthy intelligence to compete and grow,” Keith Moyer, publisher and editor of the Las Vegas Review Journal, said. “VegasBusiness expands our business journalism across platforms and delivers deeper insight, greater frequency, and broader reach for Southern Nevada’s decision makers.”

Expanded Business Coverage Across Platforms

VegasBusiness features business coverage designed for how executives consume news today—through print, digital, email, audio, video, and social channels.

Editorial franchises include CSuite Insider, featuring executive interviews; Building Las Vegas, with in depth reporting on major projects and deals; Innovation, spotlighting people and ideas driving change; Price Points, examining data and consumer trends; Small Business, highlighting enterprising local companies; and a curated Calendar of business events and conferences.

“We created this section to provide Las Vegas business leaders with practical, locally grounded intelligence so t hey can make faster, more informed decisions on growth, talent, and regulation,” Erin Edgemon, business editor of the Review Journal, said. “VegasBusiness is designed to help business leaders understand what’s happening in the economy, why it matters, and how it impacts their organizations and communities.”

A Premium Environment for Advertisers

In addition to expanded editorial coverage, VegasBusiness provides a new advertising and sponsorship platform for brands seeking to reach business decision makers in Southern Nevada. The brand offers integrated opportunities across print, digital, newsletters, podcasts, video, social media, and events, supported by advanced audience targeting and measurement.

“VegasBusiness gives advertisers access to the largest concentration of local business decision- makers in the market,” Michael LaBonia, senior vice president of sales for the Las Vegas Review Journal, said. “It’s a high impact, data driven platform that connects brands with influence, intent, and measurable results.”

Availability

VegasBusiness Magazine: Biweekly, Sundays in the Las Vegas Review JournalDigital: 24/7 at VegasBusiness.com**Newscast:** Weekday segment mornings on 7@7 a.m.**Newsletter:** Featured in the weekday Business Brief

Additional information is available at VegasBusiness.com.

Since 1909, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has been Nevada’s comprehensive media leader. Over the years, it has transformed from an award-winning newspaper that delivers local and community news and spans the globe with far-reaching topics and coverage. The Review-Journal has forged into multimedia and digital platforms through its website, Reviewjournal.com, which includes a network of niche publications, breaking news, e-newsletters, customized content, custom printing, a production studio, and more to meet the specific needs of readers and advertisers alike.

Media Contact

Wanda English Blair, Vice President of Marketing
(702) 383-0223
wblair@reviewjournal.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/las-vegas-review-journal-launches-vegasbusiness-a-new-multiplatform-business-brand-serving-southern-nevada-leaders-302760627.html

SOURCE Las Vegas Review-Journal