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Global bidding frenzy shatters records at Heffel auction

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Exceptional results achieved at Heffel spring auction, totalling a staggering $22.6MPacked Toronto auction room with cheers from the crowd and remote bidder enthusiasmHighlights included collection of legendary art dealer Torben V. Kristiansen, and masterworks by Jean Paul Riopelle, Tom Thomson, Emily Carr and othersWhite-glove session of Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art (100% sold)

TORONTO, May 23, 2024 /CNW/ – Today in Toronto, Heffel Fine Art Auction House hosted its highly-anticipated spring auction, showcasing more than 90 outstanding works of art to a packed sale room, buzzing with excitement. The auction was nothing short of spectacular, leading the market with three sessions of record-breaking sales of artworks that helped shape Canadian art history. A breathtaking Jean Paul Riopelle painting from the esteemed collection of Torben V. Kristiansen headlined the event, joined by masterpieces from Tom Thomson, Emily Carr and other art giants, collectively fetching an astounding $22.6 million. The event took place in Heffel’s Toronto cutting-edge auction venue, expertly blending live action with a remote audience through their Digital Saleroom, uniting collectors from across the globe in a shared celebration of art. (All prices are in Canadian dollars and include a buyer’s premium.)

A very special addition to Heffel’s time-honoured sessions of Post-War & Contemporary Art and Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art was Legendary: The Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen, one of the most extraordinary single-consignor collections ever to come to market in Canada. Kristiansen, who passed away in 2023, was a legendary figure in Canada’s art world, and was known for his impeccable taste and deep love for the works he collected. The remarkable selection of works garnered global participation for coveted masterpieces and rare gems by the biggest names in Canadian art. The works from the collection totalled an astounding $9.1 million.

“The energy in the room tonight was absolutely electric,” said Robert Heffel, Vice President of Heffel Fine Art Auction House. “The excitement and competitive spirit among bidders were a testament to the enduring appreciation for masterworks of exceptional quality. It was truly a privilege to witness the enthusiasm from across the world.”

Highlights from the Heffel Spring 2024 Live Auction

Jean Paul Riopelle took centre stage, where his 10 outstanding works collectively garnered a staggering $6 million. His works sparked global interest and were led by the incredibly rare 1949 drip canvas, Verts ombreuses, which sold for $2,761,250 (est. $2,500,000 – 3,500,000) and his commanding 1954 masterpiece, Sans titre which fetched $1,321,250 (est. $1,200,000 – 1,600,000).Hugely important works by Emily Carr highlighted the white-glove session of Canadian, Impressionist & Modern Art. The famous War Canoes, Alert Bay, a precursor to her famous canvas of the same title in the collection of the Audain Art Museum, as well as Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky, a study for a major work in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery each sold for $871,250. Heffel is proud to be synonymous with Emily Carr’s market, which continues to draw impressive results and attention from around the world.Due to Tom Thomson‘s untimely and mysterious death, his paintings are considered some of the most coveted in Canadian art. The Kristiansen collection featured three of his rare and impactful oil sketches, with Colourful Maples fetching $961,250 (est. $700,000 – $900,000) and Fall Woods, Algonquin Park selling for $931,250 (est. $500,000 – $700,000).Important works by members of the Group of Seven drew major competition in the auction and soared past their estimated values. A.J. Casson’s graphic and atmospheric Summer Sky fetched $781,250 (est. $150,000 – 250,000) and Lawren Harris’ mesmerising abstract canvas, Mountain Experience reached $541,250 (est. $150,000 – 250,000).Mary Pratt‘s Girl in My Dressing Gown, the intimate and captivating portrait of muse Donna Meaney, set a deserving new record for the artist at $289,250. This special canvas was one of the finest paintings by Pratt to ever grace the art market and is truly museum-quality (est. $150,000 – $250,000).A stunning seascape by Takao Tanabe, a showstopper at the Heffel previews across Canada, shattered the previous artist record by a wide margin. Nootka 1/91: in Hanna Channel, the serene yet powerful 1991 canvas sold for an impressive $451,250, well above its presale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.Two of Andy Warhol‘s most sought-after prints stood out amongst the contemporary works on offer. The vibrant hot pink Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn) sold for $205,250 (est. $80,000 – 120,000) and the iconic Mick Jagger sold for $157,250 (est. $80,000 – 100,000). The market for Warhol’s work remains strong, consistently demonstrating high demand and impressive auction results.Notable examples by six important artists set new benchmarks in the Heffel auction. In addition to Takao Tanabe and Mary Pratt, artist records were achieved with Prudence Heward’s exceptional Sunflowers which sold for $301,250, the rare Still Life with Fruit and Blue Teapot by Christiane Pflug which sold for $25,000.

For more information on the works included in Heffel’s spring live auction, visit www.heffel.com.

Additional works from the Collection of Torben V. Kristiansen are currently on offer through a curated Heffel online auction, closing on May 30, with future auctions to follow.

Heffel is now welcoming consignments for the fall 2024 auction season, encompassing international and Canadian works of art. The deadline for fall consignments is August 2024.

About Heffel Fine Art Auction House
Since 1978, Heffel has connected passionate collectors across the world with outstanding works of art, with sales totaling three quarters of a billion dollars. Heffel is renowned for its expertise in effectively managing and handling estates, serving as trusted experts for navigating the complexities of art collections inherited from estates with precision and care. With facilities in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary, Heffel has the most experienced team of fine art specialists in Canada and provides premium client service to both sellers and buyers internationally.

SOURCE Heffel Fine Art Auction House

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De¹ Introduces Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, Developing Financial Intelligence Across the Full RWA Financial Landscape

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October 19, 2026

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NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — De¹ is launching Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, the first domain-specific world under its Financial World Model (FWM). It introduces specialized financial intelligence designed to understand the full onchain RWA landscape, from trading and collateral to borrowing, credit, liquidation and agent activity, and apply that knowledge to real financial decisions.

Traditional finance moves assets through separate networks of brokers, custodians, clearing systems and lenders. Each institution sees a different part of the lifecycle, while transfers, reconciliation and collateral requirements add friction to capital deployment. Bringing assets onchain makes financial activity more programmable, but it does not automatically connect the knowledge held across trading, financing and risk systems.

De¹ is establishing Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, where that real-assets financial ecosystem already unfolds in live markets. PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Venus, Binance Agent OS and BNB Agent SDK span public trading, collateralized lending, structured credit and authorized agent activity. These activities produce distinct signals: executed prices, liabilities, vault constraints, liquidations and the outcomes of agent actions.

Tokenized Asset World brings fragmented financial knowledge into a coherent, learnable model of the full RWA landscape. The domain model is designed to understand the relationships and consequences across financial operations, with verified execution outcomes continuously refining De¹’s understanding of onchain financial physics. This introduces a new layer of intelligence to BNB Chain, enabling a more complete understanding of the tokenized-asset stack across trading, collateral, credit, vaults and agent activity.

AI agents can tap into this intelligence to operate across tokenized-asset markets with a more comprehensive view of liquidity, borrowing conditions, collateral exposure and liquidation risk as a whole. This deeper market understanding could raise more sophisticated strategies, execution and risk decisions. Each agent interaction, in turn, generates new evidence for the model, creating a continuous feedback loop between financial intelligence and live market execution while strengthening De¹’s broader Financial World Model.

About De¹

De¹ is the intelligent infrastructure platform at the intersection of DeFi and AI, building the Financial World Model grounded in live execution and real market feedback. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and AI agents through intelligent execution, unified liquidity, reinforcement learning optimization, and a continuously evolving data flywheel.

Contact: Marketing, pr@de1.ai

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/de-introduces-tokenized-asset-world-on-bnb-chain-developing-financial-intelligence-across-the-full-rwa-financial-landscape-302912966.html

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Plata reaches $1 Billion ARR Milestone, becoming the fastest digital bank ever

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October 19, 2026

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The Mexico based digital bank shatters traditional digital banking scaling timelines, reaching a $1 Billion Annual Recurring Revenue  in less than 3.5 years from launch

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Plata, the world’s fastest growing digital financial institution, today announced that in September 2026 it has crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching the milestone in less than 3.5 years from launch in April 2023 and less than a year after receiving its full banking license. Plata´s growth makes it the fastest digital bank in history to reach this benchmark, and puts it on par with some of the world’s fastest growing leading AI companies, underlining Plata’s own AI and tech capabilities.

Plata reaches this goal after having reached more than 4 million customers in Mexico and having launched operations in Colombia at the beginning of September. In Mexico, Plata is now the fourth credit card issuer in the country by number of customers, and the only digital bank with a full product suite including credit, debit, investments, and small business banking. Plata’s growth is also nearing profitability, which is expected to be reached for its Mexico business within the next 6 months.

Plata changed the rules by building a universal financial platform powered by its own technology from day one. By setting up its core banking system, the company proved that regulated financial institutions can scale at AI-like speed without undermining operating performance.

“By building our own technology from scratch, we proved that a bank can move at AI company speed without compromising anything. Now we are ready to accelerate our innovation, make finance effortless and accessible for everyone.” Neri Tollardo, CEO of Plata.

As digital adoption accelerates across Latin America, Plata´s performance sets a new benchmark for financial infrastructure scaling, financial adoption, and operational efficiency in emerging markets.

About Plata

Plata is the fastest-growing financial institution in Latin America and the largest private digital bank by customer volume. In less than three years, we reached a valuation of $3.1 billion with 4 million active credit card customers and crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Backed by $1.5 billion in equity investment, 1.5 in financing, and a workforce that includes 800 in-house developers, in Banco Plata we have built our own technological ecosystem, which includes a core banking system, CRM, and an app focused on simplifying the financial experience.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plata-reaches-1-billion-arr-milestone-becoming-the-fastest-digital-bank-ever-302912970.html

SOURCE Plata

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Trends International Announces Kenneth Smith as President and Chief Executive Officer

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October 19, 2026

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Experienced executive to lead company’s next phase of retail, digital commerce and strategic growth

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trends International, LLC, a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products, today announced that Kenneth Smith has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 2026.

Smith will spearhead the company’s overall strategic direction and growth initiatives across its retail, wholesale, e-commerce, licensing and direct-to-consumer businesses. In his role, Smith will oversee Trends International and its portfolio of digital businesses, including Art.com and AllPosters.com.

Smith’s appointment comes as Trends International enters a new phase of expansion focused on broadening its retail presence, accelerating e-commerce, strengthening strategic customer relationships, developing new products and licenses, and pursuing partnerships and business opportunities.

“I am honored to lead Trends International and build on the strong foundation established by the company, its founders and its talented employees,” said Kenneth Smith, “We have an exceptional portfolio of brands, licenses, products and customer relationships, and we see significant opportunities to grow the business. Our focus will be on strengthening our retail partnerships, accelerating our digital businesses, developing innovative products and creating new strategic opportunities that deliver value for our customers, consumers, licensors and partners.”

Expanding Retail and Digital Footprint
Under Smith’s leadership, Trends International will continue to invest in its core retail business while broadening its digital commerce capabilities.

The company is focused on deepening relationships with major retailers, expanding distribution, improving merchandising, and developing new product platforms designed to create incremental sales opportunities.

Trends will also continue to build Trends Digital, bringing together the company’s e-commerce capabilities and creating a platform for future digital growth and potential e-commerce acquisitions.

The company’s digital portfolio includes Art.com and AllPosters.com, providing consumers with access to millions of images, posters, prints, wall art, and complementary décor.

“Trends has a tremendous opportunity to build upon its heritage while positioning the company for the future,” Smith said. “We are focused on growth, but equally important is how we achieve that growth — through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution, innovation and a culture that empowers our people to succeed.”

Strategic Priorities
Smith’s leadership agenda includes several key areas of focus:

Retail growth — Expand relationships and sales with major national retailers and specialty channels.Product innovation — Develop new product formats, displays and seasonal programs that create incremental retail opportunities.Digital commerce — Accelerate the growth of Trends Digital, Art.com and AllPosters.com.Strategic partnerships — Forge new licensing, brand and business partnerships that expand the company’s market opportunity.Operational excellence — Improve organizational alignment, processes, technology, and execution across the company’s businesses.Talent and culture — Build a high-performing organization focused on accountability, innovation, customer service and sustainable growth.

“Kenneth brings a strong combination of leadership, customer focus and business development experience to Trends International,” said Phil St. Jean, Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Trends International. “His vision for the company and his commitment to our customers, employees and partners make him the right leader for this next chapter. We are excited about what the future holds for Trends International and its businesses.”

About Kenneth Smith
Kenneth Smith is an experienced business executive with a background in sales leadership, strategic account development, business development, customer relationships, and organizational transformation. Throughout his career, Smith has focused on developing strategic growth initiatives, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term partnerships with major customers and business partners.

As president and chief executive officer of Trends International, Smith is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, growth, organizational leadership and business performance.

About Trends International
Trends International, LLC is a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products. Established in 1987, Trends built its business around strong partnerships between licensors, retailers and licensees. Today, the company delivers a broad portfolio of licensed and proprietary products distributed through major retail, specialty, and digital channels.

Art.com, acquired by Trends International in 2023, is a leading online specialty retailer of high-quality wall art and complementary décor. The business offers millions of images and products through its digital commerce platform and interactive visualization tools.

AllPosters.com, part of the Trends International family of businesses, offers consumers a broad selection of posters, prints and wall décor.

For more information about Trends International, Art.com, AllPosters.com or Kenneth Smith, contact:

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trends-international-announces-kenneth-smith-as-president-and-chief-executive-officer-302912992.html

SOURCE Trends International

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