LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Over 1,000 consumers in England and Wales have joined a group action legal claim against crypto trading platform Binance and its controversial founder, Changpeng Zhao (‘CZ’), the first of its kind in the UK. The claim now represents approximately 2,700 consumers.

The claim was originally filed in the High Court in London this past June, and is brought on behalf of consumers who traded cryptocurrency derivative products on the Binance.com crypto platform. The total value of the claims issued to date is estimated to be in excess of £250m+, with an eventual total claim expected to be significantly larger.

Represented by group action law firm specialists KP Law, the individuals bringing this claim say Binance sold a number of high-risk, complex derivative and leveraged products to UK-based users of the platform without authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned Binance Markets Limited in June 2021 from carrying out any regulated activities in the UK without prior written consent from the regulator. The UK regulator is expected to open its authorisation gateway for the UK’s new crypto asset regime on September 30, 2026.

Derivative products are financial contracts between two parties which are used to trade on the performance of an underlying asset. They are commonly used by financial professions to hedge against risk or in market speculation. The products which are the subject of the claim were not ordinary crypto investments based on a straightforward market price, but instead offered consumers far higher levels of risk or reward based on movements in the value of the underlying cryptocurrencies. These products often involved the use of leverage (trading using borrowed money) to amplify gains or losses, and futures and options contracts, which allowed users to speculate on the future prices of cryptocurrencies.

The claim argues that Binance, which has over 300 million customers globally, knowingly made these products available to users of the platform in the UK from late 2019/early 2020. Binance promoted the sale of these products on their platform through promotional campaigns, online materials, social media posts, and email communications.

The Claimants contend that these complex products are specified investments within the scope of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). Only authorised persons or exempt persons were permitted to sell these products to UK consumers, and the Claimants assert that Binance was neither authorised nor exempt.

The Claimants are all retail investors based in England and Wales, and are not professional investors. Many suffered substantial losses as a result of transactions placed with Binance, losing tens of thousands and in some cases millions of pounds. For many, the losses were life-changing, with an enormous impact on their day-to-day lives and causing significant mental strain.

Hannah Sharp, Partner at KP Law, made the following comment in support of the updated claim:

“It is public knowledge that Binance have failed to cooperate with regulators. That’s why their UK group company, Binance Markets Limited, was barred from regulated activity in the United Kingdom in 2021. Sadly, this prohibition did not stop Binance from selling our clients crypto derivative products we allege they were not at the time authorised to sell in this market. And so, we will be watching closely as the FCA considers Binance’s expected application for a UK cryptocurrency licence.”

For any further information please contact us on:

lego@trafalgar-strategy.co.uk020 7043 1308

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NANCHANG, China, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from Jiangxi International Communication Center(JXICC): On the afternoon of September 29, the Award Ceremony & Entrepreneurship Forum of the Jiangxi China-Africa Gen-Z Youth Entrepreneurship Competition took place in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.

At the event, two outstanding projects, “The Bamboo Bridges China-Africa: Coolness Co-Creation Project” and “Jiangxi-Based Vertical AIGC Digital Collaboration Platform,” took the stage, showcasing how youth from China and Africa are using innovation to address real-world needs and sharing development opportunities through collaboration. Following the presentations, guests presented awards to the winning project teams and outstanding mentors.

During a roundtable discussion, representatives from the competition’s judging panel, Jiangxi-based enterprises engaged with Africa, Chinese youth, and university career guidance instructors shared insights under the theme “China-Africa Gen Z: Creating New Opportunities for Digital Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship.” Drawing on their respective experience, they discussed how young people from both regions can harness digital technologies to deepen cooperation, foster innovation, and create new entrepreneurial opportunities.

The awards ceremony marked the completion of the 2026 Gen-Z China-Africa Youth Entrepreneurship Platform Series.

Looking ahead, an African youth representative Emmanuel Edward expressed hope that the competition would continue to grow and provide an even stronger platform for youth entrepreneurship between China and Africa. “I am proud to be part of this China-Africa youth journey,” Emmanuel Edward said.

The year 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In January, the Jiangxi China-Africa Youth Entrepreneurship Alliance was established in Nanchang, alongside the launch of the Jiangxi China-Africa Gen-Z Youth Entrepreneurship Competition. Since its launch, the competition has received 147 eligible entrepreneurial proposals, with 56 percent submitted by teams composed of both Chinese and African youth.

After multiple rounds of evaluation, 16 high-quality projects advanced to the final. Throughout the competition, participating teams received ongoing support. They refined and improved their business plans based on the realities of both Chinese and African markets, enhancing the feasibility and potential of their projects.

After systematic development and refinement, the selected projects advanced to the final pitch. These projects addressed practical needs in China-Africa cooperation, covering areas ranging from people’s livelihoods, such as healthcare and vocational training, to industrial sectors including modern agriculture and mining. They combined innovative thinking with strong potential for real-world application. Following intense competition, six projects won first, second, and third prizes, while 10 projects received excellence awards.

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Dr. Drew Feng shares findings showing no propagation to adjacent modules or cabinets, with no sprinkler activation during the test.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ampace, a provider of advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions, today presented results from a large-scale fire test (LSFT) of its PU100 UPS battery system at Data Centre World Asia 2026. In a conference presentation titled “LSFT for UPS Battery System: Last Key Piece toward Ultimate Safety,” Dr. Drew Feng examined evolving fire safety requirements and shared findings from Ampace’s testing.

Under the tested conditions, thermal runaway remained confined to the initiating module, with no propagation to adjacent modules or target cabinets. No sprinklers activated during the test, the fire self-extinguished after approximately 40 minutes, and no re-ignition was observed during the subsequent 24-hour observation period.

Assessing Safety Beyond the Initiating Module

For data center operators, battery fire safety depends not only on reducing the likelihood of failure, but also on limiting its consequences if thermal runaway occurs. Large-scale fire testing evaluates how an event develops and whether fire spreads to surrounding equipment under defined installation conditions.

Dr. Feng’s presentation examined the installation-level LSFT provisions in the sixth edition of UL 9540A and the importance of evaluating fire propagation, thermal exposure and re-ignition. It also highlighted how battery design and installation layout influence the outcome of a severe fire event.

Testing Under Dense Installation Conditions

Ampace tested the PU100 in a configuration representative of dense data center installations. The setup included a 3-meter ceiling height, zero side-by-side cabinet clearance, 20-millimeter back-to-back clearance and 850-millimeter face-to-face clearance. All cabinets were at 100% state of charge.

Heaters initiated thermal runaway in the trigger module, which was then ignited to establish sustained combustion. The test tracked fire development, propagation and sprinkler activation, followed by observation for re-ignition and post-test teardown analysis.

The results presented included:

No thermal runaway propagation to adjacent modules and no fire spread to target cabinets.No sprinkler activation throughout the test.Self-extinguishment after approximately 40 minutes and no re-ignition during the following 24 hours.No burning debris escaping the cabinet.Wall temperature rise below 80°C and ceiling steel beam temperature below 250°C.

According to Ampace’s comparison presented at the conference, the test met the UL 9540A sixth-edition LSFT criteria assessed and demonstrated additional margins on several measures. These included wall temperature rise below the cited 97°C limit and ceiling steel beam temperature below the cited 538°C limit. The 24-hour observation also extended beyond the 12-hour re-ignition period referenced in the presentation, with no sprinkler activation during the test.

Safety Engineered at Module and Cabinet Levels

Designed to support dynamic AI workloads and reliable backup power, the PU100 incorporates multiple layers of protection. These include all-metal module and cabinet enclosures, ceramic thermal insulation in the modules, high-voltage box and cabinet, and thermal barriers designed to limit fire propagation.

Post-test teardown provided further evidence of containment. Modules adjacent to the initiating module showed no thermal runaway and retained normal voltage readings of 53.2 V. The initiating cabinet showed discoloration but no significant structural damage or collapse, while the adjacent cabinet retained its mechanical integrity and was reported to remain operational.

Dr. Feng brings extensive experience in battery safety standards development to this work. He recently became the first expert from China’s lithium-ion battery industry to receive the UL Standards Outstanding Contribution Award and was also awarded the TC Members Five-Year Honorary Medal. As a voting member of UL technical committees, he has contributed to the development of 19 UL standards, including UL 9540 and UL 9540A, which are directly relevant to energy storage system safety and thermal runaway fire propagation testing.

By sharing the test configuration, measured results and teardown findings, Ampace aims to give data center operators and infrastructure partners a clearer basis for evaluating UPS battery fire safety. Combining practical testing with active participation in standards development, the company continues to advance battery systems that support dependable backup power and limit the impact of thermal runaway.

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SOURCE Ampace