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Galaxy Announces Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

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Equity capital was $2.1 billion as of June 30, 2024

Net loss of $177 million for the second quarter, driven primarily by net losses on digital assets and investments as a result of a decline in digital asset markets

Net income of $245 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024, driven by strong operating performance and positive digital asset markets

Assets Under Stake of $3.3 billion as of July 18, 2024, up from $486 million at the end of March 2024

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2024 /CNW/ – Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd. (TSX: GLXY) (the “Company” or “GDH Ltd.”) today released financial results for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2024, for both itself and Galaxy Digital Holdings LP (the “Partnership” or “GDH LP”). In this press release, a reference to “Galaxy”, “we”, “our” and similar words refer to GDH Ltd., its subsidiaries and affiliates including GDH LP, or any one of them, as the context requires.

Corporate Updates

US Listing and Reorganization: Galaxy continues to work on completing its proposed reorganization and domestication to become a Delaware-incorporated company and subsequently list on the Nasdaq, upon completion of ongoing SEC review and subject to stock exchange, shareholder and applicable regulatory approvals of such transactions. On July 26, 2024, Galaxy filed an amendment to its registration statement responding to SEC comments, which is under review.

CryptoManufaktur Acquisition: On July 19, 2024, Galaxy announced that it acquired the assets of CryptoManufaktur (“CMF”), a blockchain node operator that provides trusted, secure services to decentralized protocols across the digital asset ecosystem. The addition of CMF brings approximately $1 billion in Ether assets under stake (“AUS”), raising the Company’s total AUS to $3.3 billion as of July 18, 2024. As part of the transaction, CMF’s seasoned three-person engineering team, led by founder Thorsten Behrens, joined Galaxy’s Blockchain Infrastructure team, which provides staking and validator services to investors, protocols, and digital asset platforms.

Select GDH LP Financial Metrics

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Equity Capital

$2,129M

$2,192M

(3) %

Liquidity

$1,328M

$1,499M

(11) %

Cash & Net Stablecoins1

$409M

$163M

150 %

Net Digital Assets Excluding Stablecoins2

$501M

$821M

(39) %

Spot Bitcoin ETFs

$418M

$515M

(19) %

Net Income (loss)

($177M)

$422M

N.M.3

Book Value Per Share in CAD4

$8.45 CAD

$9.11 CAD

(7) %

Note:

Throughout this document, totals may not sum due to rounding. Quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year percentage change calculations are based on unrounded results.

(1)

Includes Cash Equivalents.

(2)

Refer to page 15 of this release for a breakout of our net digital assets position.

(3)

Abbreviation for “Not Meaningful”.

(4)

Calculated as equity capital divided by outstanding Class A and Class B Units multiplied by the end of period foreign exchange rate.

Galaxy Global Markets

Galaxy Global Markets (“GGM”) offers institutional-grade expertise and access to a broad range of digital asset products, including digital asset spot and derivatives trading, financing, capital markets and M&A advisory services to a diversified client base. GGM operates in two discrete business units – Trading and Investment Banking.

Trading

Trading reported counterparty trading revenue of $24 million in the second quarter. The decrease was primarily driven by lower trading volumes, which decreased by 19% quarter-over-quarter (“QoQ”), and unfavorable asset price movements. Despite the QoQ decrease, our counterparty trading business generated approximately $90 million in revenue year-to-date through June, a nearly 80% increase relative to the first half of 2023. Galaxy’s average loan book size expanded to $699 million, driven by increased borrowing demand from both new and existing counterparties. Galaxy continues to onboard new counterparties, including large traditional institutions, and ended the second quarter with 1,212 total trading counterparties.

Key Performance Indicators

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Counterparty Trading Revenue

$24M

$66M

(64) %

Loan Book Size (Average)

$699M

$664M

5 %

Total Trading Counterparties

1,212

1,161

4 %

Active Trading Counterparties

294

281

5 %

Investment Banking

Investment Banking successfully closed two deals in the second quarter, serving as the exclusive financial advisor to Toposware in its sale to Polygon and to another client on its strategic financing. In the quarter, Galaxy also served as the exclusive financial advisor to Bitstamp in its pending sale to Robinhood, which is expected to close in the first half of 2025 at which time Galaxy expects to recognize the revenue associated with this deal. Galaxy is executing against a pipeline of mandates representing $2.1 billion in potential deal value.

Key Performance Indicators

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Deals Closed

2

1

100 %

Pipeline

19

20

(5) %

Deal Value of Pipeline

$2.1B

$2.2B

(5) %

____

KEY TERMS

Counterparty Trading Revenue: revenue from counterparty-facing activities from our Derivatives, Credit, Over-the-Counter Trading, and Quantitative Trading businesses, net of associated funding charges.

Loan Book Size (Average): average market value of all open loans, un-funded arrangements to finance delayed trading/settlement (for example over weekends), and uncommitted credit facilities in the period.

Active Trading Counterparties: counterparties with whom we have traded within the past 12 months and who are still onboarded with Galaxy’s trading business.

Pipeline: the number of open engagements and transactions the Investment Banking team has in market.

Deal Value of Pipeline: the theoretical aggregate deal value associated with the Investment Banking pipeline. 

Galaxy Asset Management

Galaxy Asset Management (“GAM”) provides investors access to the digital asset ecosystem via a diverse suite of institutional-grade investment vehicles that span passive, active, and venture strategies. 

GAM reported assets under management (“AUM”) of approximately $4.6 billion and management and performance fees of $14.5 million in the second quarter, down 42% and 19% QoQ respectively, primarily driven by the continued successful liquidation of assets associated with an ongoing opportunistic mandate to unwind portfolios on behalf of the FTX estate and market depreciation. In the quarter, GAM announced a collaboration with State Street Global Advisors to develop a suite of manager-directed digital asset ETFs that will offer investors exposure to companies in the digital asset space, going beyond crypto and bitcoin. Subsequent to quarter-end, GAM, in partnership with Invesco, announced the launch of the Invesco Galaxy Ethereum ETF (ticker: QETH). GAM conducted a $113 million initial close for Galaxy Ventures Fund I LP at the end of June, a venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage companies across crypto protocols, software infrastructure, and financialized applications.  

Key Performance Indicators

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Management and Performance Fees

$14.5M

$17.8M

(19) %

Total AUM1

$4,563M

$7,818M

(42) %

     Passive AUM

$2,392M

$2,730M

(12) %

     Active AUM2

$632M

$3,584M

(82) %

     Venture AUM

$1,539M

$1,504M

2 %

(1)

In Galaxy’s monthly AUM disclosures, the “funds” line item consists of AUM held in GAM’s Passive, Active, and Venture funds, excluding opportunistic assets. Total AUM for Q1 2024 was updated from what was previously reported as AUM for quarterly close vehicles are reported as of the most recent information available for the applicable period.

(2)

Includes opportunistic AUM. “Opportunistic” AUM are near-term or mid-term engagements to unwind portfolios managed by GAM. Opportunistic AUM was $520M as of June 30, 2024 and $3,440M as of March 31, 2024.

____

KEY TERMS

Assets Under Management: all figures are unaudited. AUM is inclusive of sub-advised funds, committed capital closed-end vehicles, seed investments by affiliates, affiliated and unaffiliated separately managed accounts, engagements to unwind portfolios, and fund of fund products. Changes in AUM are generally the result of performance, contributions, withdrawals, liquidations and opportunistic mandate wins.

AUM for committed capital closed-end vehicles that have completed their investment period is reported as NAV (Net Asset Value) plus unfunded commitment.AUM for quarterly close vehicles is reported as of the most recent quarter available for the applicable period.AUM for affiliated separately managed accounts is reported as NAV as of the most recently available estimate for the applicable period.

Passive Strategies: single- and multi-asset private funds, as well as a suite of regulated spot digital asset exchange-traded funds offered through partnerships with asset managers globally. 

Active Strategies: Galaxy’s Liquid Crypto Fund and the management of certain opportunistic mandates.

Venture Strategies: organized around two investment themes: Interactive Ventures and Crypto Ventures. Galaxy Interactive invests at the intersection of content, technology, and social commerce, managing client capital across three funds. GAM’s Crypto Ventures sleeve includes Galaxy’s inaugural crypto venture fund, which is focused on investing in early-stage companies across crypto protocols, software infrastructure, and financialized applications, as well as two global, multi-manager venture funds and a subset of Galaxy’s balance sheet venture investments. 

Galaxy Digital Infrastructure Solutions 

Galaxy Digital Infrastructure Solutions (“GDIS”) consists of proprietary and hosted bitcoin mining services, GK8 self-custody technology solutions, and blockchain infrastructure.

Mining

Mining revenue was $24.0 million for the second quarter, relative to power purchase costs and external hosting expenses, net of curtailment credits, of $10.5 million, resulting in a 56% direct mining profit margin. The QoQ decrease in revenue was primarily driven by the Bitcoin halving in April. Currently, Galaxy has 200 megawatts of energized mining capacity and is bringing on an additional 300 megawatts of high-voltage capacity in the third quarter of 2025. Galaxy has firm capacity approval from both the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Wind Energy Transmission of Texas to scale up to 800 megawatts of power from the existing interconnect. In the first quarter, we expanded our campus by purchasing an additional 160 acres adjacent to Helios. We now have a total of 320 acres of contiguous land and have submitted additional load studies and a new interconnection request that are pending approval.

Key Performance Indicators

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Mining Revenue

$24.0M

$31.5M

(24) %

Proprietary Mining Revenue

$16.3M

$20.1M

(19) %

Hosted and Other Mining Revenue1

$7.7M

$11.4M

(32) %

Total Hashrate Under Management

5.6 EH/s

5.7 EH/s

(3) %

Proprietary Mining Hashrate

2.9 EH/s

3.1 EH/s

(5) %

Hosted Mining Hashrate

2.6 EH/s

2.6 EH/s

(1) %

Number of Proprietary BTC Mined

242

373

(35) %

Average Marginal Cost to Mine 

<$22.5K

<$19.5K

N.M.

(1)

Includes revenue from hosting clients and other mining related activities.

Blockchain Infrastructure and GK8

Blockchain Infrastructure and GK8 continue to build and invest in the technology that powers the digital assets ecosystem. Blockchain Infrastructure expanded its Assets Under Stake by 341% QoQ to $2.1 billion as of June 30th, with Galaxy growing to become one of the largest validators globally on the Solana network. As of July 18, 2024, AUS grew to $3.3 billion with the addition of approximately $1 billion in Ether AUS from the acquisition of CMF. GK8 continues to execute against its pipeline of enterprise clients.

Key Performance Indicators

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Assets Under Stake

$2,144M

$486M

341 %

GK8 Total Client Count

22

21

5 %

_____

KEY TERMS

Hashrate Under Management: the total combined hashrate of active proprietary and hosted mining capacity managed by Galaxy.

Proprietary Mining Hashrate: the hashrate attributed to Galaxy owned and operated mining machines.

Hosted Mining Hashrate: the hashrate attributed to third-party machines operated by Galaxy for a client. 

Number of Proprietary BTC Mined: the total amount of bitcoin mined from proprietary mining operations.

Average Marginal Cost to Mine: the average marginal cost of production for each bitcoin generated during the period. The calculation excludes depreciation, mark-to-market on power contracts, and corporate overhead.

Assets Under Stake: all figures are unaudited. AUS reflects the total notional value of assets bonded to Galaxy validators, based on prices as of the end of the specified period. This includes certain Galaxy balance sheet assets, Galaxy affiliate assets, and third party assets.

GK8 Total Client Count: the total number of clients contracted to use GK8’s technology solutions.

Summary of Operating Expenses

Operating expenses

Q2 2024

Q1 2024

Q/Q % Change

Compensation and compensation related

$43M

$42M

1 %

Equity based compensation

$12M

$18M

(36) %

General and administrative

$45M

$48M

(6) %

Mining costs

$10M

$15M

(31) %

Trading and commission expense

$4M

$6M

(35) %

Technology

$7M

$6M

13 %

Depreciation and amortization

$14M

$11M

18 %

Impairment reversal

$0M

$0M

N.M.

Other

$9M

$8M

13 %

Professional fees

$14M

$13M

2 %

Staking costs

$32M

$1M

N.M.

Interest

$21M

$20M

5 %

Notes interest expense

$7M

$7M

1 %

Note:

Quarter-over-quarter percentage change calculations are based on unrounded results.

Overview of Second Quarter Operating Expenses:

Compensation and compensation related expenses of $43 million were roughly flat QoQ.Equity based compensation decreased by approximately $6 million QoQ, primarily driven by fully vested high-priced equity grants issued in 2021, partially offset by new grants issued in 2022, 2023 and 2024 at lower share prices.General and administrative expenses declined by approximately $3 million from the first quarter of 2024, driven by lower mining costs and trading and commission expenses, partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization costs.Mining costs decreased by approximately $5 million QoQ; reflecting our actively managed power strategy, leading to a reduction in electricity costs.Trading commission expenses decreased by approximately $2 million QoQ, on account of lower trading volumes in the quarter.Depreciation and amortization expenses increased by over $2 million QoQ, reflecting the additional depreciation from new mining machines and electrical infrastructure that were energized during the prior quarter.Professional fees of $14 million were slightly up QoQ.Staking costs was a new line item this quarter, and reflected the staking rewards that Galaxy generates from its AUS, which were paid to the delegators. This amount offsets the staking rewards received, which were included in the Lending and Staking revenue.Interest expense of $21 million was up approximately $1 million QoQ, reflecting our ability to source non-dilutive wholesale financing to help fund our Trading and Lending businesses and consistent with our risk management principles of sound Asset and Liability Management and maintaining substantial liquidity buffers.

GDH Ltd.’s Financial Highlights

As the only significant asset of GDH Ltd. is its minority interest in GDH LP, its results are driven by the results of GDH LP. GDH Ltd. accounts for its investment in this associate (GDH LP) using the equity method. The investment, initially recorded at cost, is increased or decreased to recognize GDH Ltd.’s share of the earnings and losses of GDH LP. The net comprehensive income (loss) of GDH Ltd. was $(49.4) million for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and $60.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

Earnings Conference Call

An investor conference call will be held today, August 1, 2024, at 8:30 AM Eastern Time. A live webcast with the ability to ask questions will be available at: https://investor.galaxy.com/. The conference call can also be accessed by investors in the United States or Canada by dialing 1-800-274-8461, or 1-203-518-9814 (outside the U.S. and Canada) using the Conference ID: GALAXY. A replay of the webcast will be available and can be accessed in the same manner as the live webcast on the Company’s Investor Relations website. Through September 1, 2024, the recording will also be available by dialing 1-844-512-2921, or 1-412-317-6671 (outside the U.S. and Canada) and using the passcode: 11156334.

About Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd. (TSX: GLXY) (“GDH Ltd.”) and Galaxy Digital Holdings LP (“GDH LP”)

Galaxy (TSX: GLXY) is a digital asset and blockchain leader providing access to the growing digital economy. We serve a diversified client base, including institutions, startups, and qualified individuals. Since 2018, Galaxy has been building a holistic financial platform spanning three complementary operating businesses: Global Markets, Asset Management, and Digital Infrastructure Solutions. Our offerings include, amongst others, trading, lending, strategic advisory services, institutional-grade investment solutions, proprietary bitcoin mining and hosting services, network validator services, and the development of enterprise self-custodial technology. The company is headquartered in New York City, with global offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Additional information about Galaxy’s businesses and products is available on www.galaxy.com

This press release should be read in conjunction with (i) GDH LP’s Management Discussion and Analysis and Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 and (ii) GDH Ltd.’s Management Discussion and Analysis and Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 (together, the “Consolidated Financial Statements” and “MD&As”), which have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

Disclaimers and Additional Information

The TSX has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. The Ontario Securities Commission has not passed upon the merits of the disclosure record of Galaxy.

This press release is not an offer to buy or sell, nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, interests in the fund or any advisory services or any other security or to participate in any advisory services or trading strategy. If any offer and sale of securities is made, it will be pursuant to the confidential offering memorandum of the fund (the Offering Memorandum or fund prospectus (“Prospectus”)). Any decision to make an investment in the fund should be made after reviewing such Offering Memorandum or Prospectus, conducting such investigations as the investor deems necessary and consulting the investor’s own investment, legal, accounting and tax advisors in order to make an independent determination of the suitability and consequences of an investment.

No Offer or Solicitation

As previously announced, the Company intends to complete its proposed reorganization and domestication to become a Delaware-based company, and subsequently list on the Nasdaq, upon completion of the SEC’s ongoing review and subject to stock exchange approval of such listing. The proposed reorganization and domestication is subject to approval by shareholders the Company and applicable regulatory authorities, including the Toronto Stock Exchange. In connection with the proposed reorganization and domestication, the Company has filed a registration statement, including a management information circular/prospectus, with the SEC, which has not yet become effective. SHAREHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THE FINAL VERSIONS OF SUCH DOCUMENTS, WHEN AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain a free copy of the registration statement (including the management information circular/prospectus) and any other relevant documents from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the final versions of such documents can also be obtained, when available, without charge, via Galaxy’s investor relations website: https://investor.galaxy.com/ The Company anticipates holding a shareholder meeting to seek approval following the effectiveness of the registration statement, and further details will be included in the management information circular to be mailed to shareholders and posted on the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca

This document shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the domestication or any of the other proposed reorganization transactions. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote of approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

CAUTION ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The information in this document may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and “forward-looking information” under Canadian securities laws (collectively, “forward-looking statements”). Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Galaxy’s business pipelines for banking and Gk8, mining goals, focus on self custody and validator solutions and our commitment to the future of decentralized networks and the pending domestication and the related transactions (the “transactions”), and the parties, perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to estimates, projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us taking into account information currently available to us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: (1) the inability to complete the proposed domestication and reorganization transactions, due to the failure to obtain shareholder and stock exchange approvals, or otherwise; (2) changes to the proposed structure of the transactions that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining shareholder or stock exchange approval of the transactions; (3) the ability to meet and maintain listing standards following the consummation of the transactions; (4) the risk that the transactions disrupt current plans and operations; (5) costs related to the transactions, operations and strategy; (6) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (7) the possibility that the Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (8) changes or events that impact the cryptocurrency industry, including potential regulation, that are out of our control; (9) the risk that our business will not grow in line with our expectations or continue on its current trajectory; (10) the possibility that our addressable market is smaller than we have anticipated and/or that we may not gain share of it; and (11) the possibility that there is a disruption in mining impacting our ability to achieve expected results or change in power dynamics impacting our results, (12) any delay or failure to consummate the business mandates or achieve its pipeline goals in banking and Gk8, (13) liquidity or economic conditions impacting our business (14) regulatory concerns, technological challenges, cyber incidents or exploits on decentralized networks (15) those other risks contained in the Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 available on the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and its Management’s Discussion and Analysis, filed on August 1, 2024. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; the possibility that our addressable market is smaller than we have anticipated and/or that we may not gain share of the stated addressable market; the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem; a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for our business or our businesses achieving our banking and Gk8 mandates; delays or other challenges in the mining business related to hosting, power or our mining infrastructure; any challenges faced with respect to decentralized networks, considerations with respect to liquidity and capital planning and changes in applicable law or regulation and adverse regulatory developments. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, they could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. We are not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You should not take any statement regarding past trends or activities as a representation that the trends or activities will continue in the future. Accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on these statements.

©Copyright Galaxy Digital 2024. All rights reserved.

Galaxy Digital Holdings LP’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position (unaudited)

(in thousands)

June 30, 2024

December 31, 2023

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalent

$                         314,033

$                         316,610

Digital assets

1,954,398

1,078,587

Receivable for digital asset trades

26,907

41,339

Digital assets loans receivable, net of allowance

177,230

104,504

Digital assets receivables

44,576

14,686

Investments (includes $45.1 million and $0 of equity method investments, respectively)

508,380

Assets posted as collateral

203,942

318,195

Receivables

25,840

15,983

Derivative assets

153,470

173,209

Prepaid expenses and other assets

27,780

37,910

Loans receivable, net of allowance

404,991

377,105

Due from related party

31,891

5,007

Total current assets

3,873,438

2,483,135

Digital assets receivables

3,854

6,174

Investments (includes $394.8 million and $290.4 million of equity method investments, respectively)

800,315

735,103

Restricted digital assets

15,863

41,356

Digital asset loans receivable, non-current

12,881

Loans receivable, non-current

10,259

Property and equipment

267,431

259,965

Other non-current assets

107,284

95,000

Goodwill

44,257

44,257

Total non-current assets

1,251,885

1,192,114

Total assets

$                     5,125,323

$                     3,675,249

Liabilities and equity

Current liabilities

Investments sold short

115,240

25,295

Derivative liabilities

118,770

160,642

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

73,118

69,212

Payable to customers

94,816

3,503

Taxes payable

12,636

25,936

Payable for digital asset trades

34,751

4,176

Digital assets loans payable

950,178

398,277

Loans payable

211,384

93,069

Collateral payable

811,656

581,362

Due to related party

87,403

67,953

Lease liability

3,960

3,860

Total current liabilities

2,513,912

1,433,285

Notes payable

427,679

408,053

Deferred tax liability

46,734

33,894

Lease liability

8,271

10,236

Total non-current liabilities

482,684

452,183

Total liabilities

2,996,596

1,885,468

Equity

Partners’ capital

2,128,727

1,789,781

Total equity

2,128,727

1,789,781

Total liabilities and equity

$                     5,125,323

$                     3,675,249

 

Galaxy Digital Holdings LP’s Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (unaudited)

(in thousands)

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

Income

Fee revenue

$                 26,483

$                 11,097

$                 54,611

$                 25,526

Net realized gain (loss) on digital assets

(161,738)

20,179

108,660

86,298

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

12,826

48,334

(160,008)

46,356

Lending and staking revenue

54,371

10,809

84,309

21,318

Net derivative gain

105,322

9,641

188,962

64,725

Revenue from proprietary mining

16,312

8,563

36,440

10,980

Other income

140

43

475

206

53,716

108,666

313,449

255,409

Operating expenses

Compensation and compensation related

42,921

34,632

85,397

65,252

Equity based compensation

11,601

15,655

29,590

38,925

General and administrative

44,721

14,742

92,777

29,647

Mining costs

10,452

(130)

25,638

5,830

Trading and commission expense

4,112

2,341

10,434

3,285

Technology

7,356

4,599

13,852

8,994

Depreciation and amortization

13,505

7,318

24,932

11,765

Impairment reversal

(5,932)

(11,914)

Other

9,296

6,546

17,921

11,687

Professional fees

13,704

8,785

27,077

18,603

Staking costs

32,034

308

32,696

539

Interest

20,927

4,334

40,775

9,873

Notes interest expense

7,040

6,790

14,016

13,521

(172,948)

(85,246)

(322,328)

(176,360)

Other

Net unrealized gain (loss) on digital assets

42,900

(4,774)

139,713

(1,745)

Net unrealized gain (loss) on investments

(114,314)

(65,850)

121,538

16,863

Net loss on notes payable – derivative

(2,573)

(799)

(12,286)

(2,104)

Foreign currency gain (loss)

1,474

63

1,353

(75)

(72,513)

(71,360)

250,318

12,939

Income before income taxes

(191,745)

(47,940)

241,439

91,988

Income taxes expense (benefit)

(14,736)

(1,900)

(3,216)

3,826

Net income for the period

$             (177,009)

$               (46,040)

$              244,655

$                 88,162

Other comprehensive income

Foreign currency translation adjustment

1,724

$                        39

1,089

(416)

Comprehensive income for the period

$             (175,285)

$               (46,001)

$              245,744

$                 87,746

 

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

June 30, 2024

June 30, 2023

GDH LP Net income (loss) per unit:

Basic

$                        (0.52)

$                        (0.14)

$                          0.74

$                          0.28

Diluted

(0.52)

(0.14)

0.70

0.27

Weighted average units:

Basic

338,212,221

321,392,562

331,685,773

320,391,466

Diluted

338,212,221

321,392,562

350,414,148

327,417,371

Reportable segments (unaudited)

Income and expenses by each reportable segment of GDH LP for the three months ended June 30, 2024 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate

 and Other

Totals

Income (loss)

Fee revenue(1)

Mining hosting fees

$                   —

$                   —

$                  7,775

$                   —

$              7,775

Licensing fees

612

(120)

492

Management and performance fees

3,694

14,535

(734)

17,495

Advisory fees

721

721

Total fee revenue

4,415

14,535

8,387

(854)

26,483

Lending and staking revenue

Lending income

16,012

8

16,020

Blockchain rewards

578

3,808

37,497

(3,532)

38,351

Total lending and staking revenue

16,590

3,808

37,497

(3,524)

54,371

Net realized gain on digital assets

(178,808)

16,274

796

(161,738)

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

10,206

2,620

12,826

Net derivative gain

105,550

(228)

105,322

Revenue from proprietary mining

16,312

16,312

Other income

(4)

33

111

140

Total revenues and gain (loss) from operations

(42,051)

37,270

62,875

(4,378)

53,716

Operating expenses

68,604

13,781

69,230

21,333

172,948

Net unrealized gain on digital assets

136,323

(86,685)

(6,738)

42,900

Net unrealized gain (loss) on investments

(81,230)

(34,369)

1,285

(114,314)

Net loss on notes payable – derivative

(2,573)

(2,573)

Foreign currency loss

1,474

1,474

56,567

(121,054)

(5,453)

(2,573)

(72,513)

Income (loss) before income taxes

$           (54,088)

$           (97,565)

$               (11,808)

$           (28,284)

$         (191,745)

Income tax expense

(14,736)

(14,736)

Net income (loss)

$           (54,088)

$           (97,565)

$               (11,808)

$           (13,548)

$         (177,009)

Foreign currency translation adjustment

1,724

1,724

Comprehensive income (loss)

$           (54,088)

$           (97,565)

$               (11,808)

$           (11,824)

$         (175,285)

(1)

Asset Management fee revenue includes management fees generated off the Partnership’s balance sheet venture investments. Licensing fees are attributable to GK8, and include license fees paid by the Partnership for the use of GK8’s technology. All intercompany transactions are eliminated in the Corporate & Other segment.

Income and expenses by each reportable segment of GDH LP for the six months ended June 30, 2024 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate

 and Other(1)

Totals

Income (loss)

Fee revenue (1)

Mining hosting fees

$                   —

$                   —

$                17,916

$                   —

17,916

Licensing fees

1

1,419

(240)

1,180

Management and performance fees

3,694

32,372

(1,481)

34,585

Advisory fees

930

930

Total fee revenue

4,625

32,372

19,335

(1,721)

54,611

Lending and staking revenue

Lending income

32,756

5

2

12

32,775

Blockchain rewards

5,660

11,046

43,575

(8,747)

51,534

Total lending and staking revenue

38,416

11,051

43,577

(8,735)

84,309

Net realized gain on digital assets

91,497

16,367

796

108,660

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

(173,323)

13,315

(160,008)

Net derivative gain

188,095

867

188,962

Revenue from proprietary mining

36,440

36,440

Other income

153

33

289

475

149,463

73,138

101,304

(10,456)

313,449

Operating expenses

133,033

29,585

110,110

49,600

322,328

Net unrealized gain on digital assets

184,582

(41,358)

(3,511)

139,713

Net unrealized gain (loss) on investments

98,480

23,108

(50)

121,538

Net loss on notes payable – derivative

(12,286)

(12,286)

Foreign currency loss

1,353

1,353

284,415

(18,250)

(3,561)

(12,286)

250,318

Income (loss) before income taxes

$          300,845

$            25,303

$               (12,367)

$           (72,342)

$          241,439

Income tax expense

(3,216)

(3,216)

Net income (loss)

$          300,845

$            25,303

$               (12,367)

$           (69,126)

$          244,655

Foreign currency translation adjustment

1,089

1,089

Comprehensive income (loss)

$          300,845

$            25,303

$               (12,367)

$           (68,037)

$          245,744

(1)

Asset Management fee revenue includes management fees generated off the Partnership’s balance sheet venture investments. Licensing fees are attributable to GK8, and include license fees paid by the Partnership for the use of GK8’s technology. All intercompany transactions are eliminated in the Corporate & Other segment.

Income and expenses by each reportable segment of GDH LP for the three months ended June 30, 2023 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate

 and Other

Totals

Income (loss)

Fee revenue (1)

Mining hosting fees

6,548

$           6,548

Licensing fees

610

610

Management and performance fees

4,216

(762)

3,454

Advisory fees

57

57

Other fee revenues

428

428

Total fee revenue

57

4,216

7,586

(762)

11,097

Lending and staking revenue

Lending income

9,990

9

9,999

Blockchain rewards

(706)

1,516

810

Total lending and staking revenue

9,284

1,525

10,809

Net realized gain on digital assets

17,601

2,578

20,179

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

23,725

24,609

48,334

Net derivative gain

8,769

1,008

(136)

9,641

Revenue from proprietary mining

8,563

8,563

Other income (expense)

96

(96)

11

32

43

Total revenues and gain (loss) from operations

59,532

33,840

16,024

(730)

108,666

Operating expenses

40,894

13,790

7,748

22,814

85,246

Net unrealized gain (loss) on digital assets

(1,067)

(3,707)

(4,774)

Net unrealized gain on investments

(23,726)

(45,532)

3,408

(65,850)

Net loss on notes payable – derivative

(799)

(799)

Foreign currency loss

63

63

(24,730)

(49,239)

3,408

(799)

(71,360)

Income (loss) before income taxes

$         (6,092)

$           (29,189)

$               11,684

$        (24,343)

$       (47,940)

Income tax expense

(1,900)

(1,900)

Net income (loss)

$         (6,092)

$           (29,189)

$               11,684

$        (22,443)

$       (46,040)

Foreign currency translation adjustment

39

39

Comprehensive income (loss)

$         (6,092)

$           (29,189)

$               11,684

$        (22,404)

$       (46,001)

(1)

Asset Management fee revenue includes management fees generated off the Partnership’s balance sheet venture investments, which are eliminated in the Corporate & Other segment.

Income and expenses by each reportable segment of GDH LP for the six months ended June 30, 2023 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate

 and Other

Totals

Income (loss)

Fee revenue (1)

Mining hosting fees

$                —

$                    —

$               12,816

$                 —

$         12,816

Licensing fees

790

790

Management and performance fees

9,148

(1,382)

7,766

Advisory fees

2,265

2,265

Other fee revenues

(54)

1,943

1,889

Total fee revenue

2,211

9,148

15,549

(1,382)

25,526

Lending and staking revenue

Lending income

19,078

17

19,095

Blockchain rewards

707

1,516

2,223

Total lending and staking revenue

19,785

1,533

21,318

Net realized gain on digital assets

82,633

3,665

86,298

Net realized gain (loss) on investments

24,099

22,257

46,356

Net derivative gain

63,319

1,542

(136)

64,725

Revenue from proprietary mining

10,980

10,980

Other income (expense)

134

(163)

55

180

206

Total revenues and gain (loss) from operations

192,181

37,982

26,448

(1,202)

255,409

Operating expenses

83,103

29,978

17,062

46,217

176,360

Net unrealized gain (loss) on digital assets

(1,744)

(1)

(1,745)

Net unrealized gain on investments

16,647

(6,435)

6,651

16,863

Net loss on notes payable – derivative

(2,104)

(2,104)

Foreign currency loss

(75)

(75)

14,828

(6,436)

6,651

(2,104)

12,939

Income (loss) before income taxes

$       123,906

$               1,568

$               16,037

$        (49,523)

$         91,988

Income tax expense

3,826

3,826

Net income (loss)

$       123,906

$               1,568

$               16,037

$        (53,349)

$         88,162

Foreign currency translation adjustment

(416)

(416)

Comprehensive income (loss)

$       123,906

$               1,568

$               16,037

$        (53,765)

$         87,746

(1)

Asset Management fee revenue includes management fees generated off the Partnership’s balance sheet venture investments, which are eliminated in the Corporate & Other segment.

Assets and liabilities by reportable segment of GDH LP as of June 30, 2024 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate
and Other

Totals

Total assets

$        3,972,284

$           643,731

$           351,145

$           158,163

$        5,125,323

Total liabilities

$        2,356,282

$               1,250

$             10,055

$           629,009

$        2,996,596

Assets and liabilities by reportable segment of GDH LP as of December 31, 2023 are as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate
and Other

Totals

Total assets

$       2,726,950

$          575,056

$          321,322

$            51,921

$        3,675,249

Total liabilities

$       1,289,792

$            10,968

$              9,817

$          574,891

$        1,885,468

Select statement of financial position information

Select assets by reporting segment of GDH LP as of June 30, 2024 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate
and Other

Totals

Digital assets

$     1,925,574

$          44,687

$                     —

$                 —

$     1,970,261

Digital assets receivables

12,241

35,253

936

48,430

Assets posted as collateral

203,942

203,942

Loans receivable

595,102

595,102

Investments

764,285

532,084

12,326

1,308,695

Property and equipment

260,258

7,173

267,431

$     3,501,144

$        612,024

$            273,520

$            7,173

$     4,393,861

Select assets by reporting segment of GDH LP as of December 31, 2023 is as follows:

(in thousands)

Global
Markets

Asset
Management

Digital
Infrastructure
Solutions

Corporate
and Other

Totals

Digital assets

$     1,052,013

$          67,930

$                     —

$                 —

$     1,119,943

Digital assets receivables

6,506

13,135

1,219

20,860

Assets posted as collateral

318,195

318,195

Loans receivable

491,868

491,868

Investments

244,807

476,262

14,034

735,103

Property and equipment

109

252,552

7,304

259,965

$     2,113,498

$        557,327

$            267,805

$            7,304

$     2,945,934

Net Digital Assets Position

Net digital assets includes all digital assets categorized as assets, less all digital assets categorized as liabilities on the statement of financial position and is included in the Company’s liquidity measure. Net digital assets as of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 is as follows:

(in thousands)

BTC (3)

ETH (4)

Stablecoin

Other (5)

As of

June 30, 2024

Assets

Digital assets

$           1,202,920

$              344,110

$              236,122

$              171,246

$           1,954,398

Digital asset loans receivable, net of allowance

16,656

28,612

118,733

26,110

190,111

Digital assets receivable, current

44,576

44,576

Digital assets receivable, non-current

3,854

3,854

Assets posted as collateral – Digital assets(1)

163,950

28,594

1,429

193,973

Restricted digital assets, non-current(2)

15,863

15,863

1,383,526

401,316

354,855

263,078

2,402,775

Liabilities

Digital asset loans payable

620,602

57,089

242,529

29,958

950,178

Collateral payable(1)

584,957

145,166

17,807

14,621

762,551

Payables to customers

94,586

94,586

1,300,145

202,255

260,336

44,579

1,807,315

Digital assets, net

$               83,381

$              199,061

$               94,519

$              218,499

595,460

Stablecoins, net

$                       —

$                       —

$               94,519

$                       —

94,519

Digital assets, net excl. stablecoins

$               83,381

$              199,061

$                       —

$              218,499

$              500,941

Bitcoin spot ETFs included in Investments

418,068

418,068

(1)

Excludes cash portion of balance on the Partnership’s statement of financial position.

(2)

Represents TIA and SOL tokens that are subject to a sale restriction of greater than one year.

(3)

Includes associated tokens such as wBTC. The Partnership also held interests in investment vehicles designed to hold BTC, including Galaxy sponsored BTC funds and Mt. Gox Investment Fund LP, valued at $129.1 million as of June 30, 2024 reflected in the investments balance in addition to the digital assets noted above. The Partnership also held bitcoin derivative positions not reflected above in addition to the noted bitcoin investment vehicles. 

(4)

Includes associated tokens such as wETH and stETH. The Partnership also held interests in investment vehicles designed to hold ETH, including Galaxy sponsored ETH funds, valued at $42.3 million as of June 30, 2024 reflected in the investments balance in addition to the digital assets noted above. The Partnership also held Ether derivative positions not reflected above in addition to the noted Ether investment vehicles.

(5)

Includes $43.6 million net SOL and $45.3 million net TIA. The Partnership also held an interest in investment vehicles designed to hold SOL, the Galaxy sponsored Galaxy Digital Crypto Vol Fund LLC valued at $91.4 million as of June 30, 2024 reflected in the investments balance in addition to the digital assets noted above, and the Partnership held digital asset derivative positions not reflected above in addition to the noted investment vehicle.

(in thousands)

BTC (4)

ETH (5)

Stablecoin

Other (5)

As of December
31, 2023

Assets

Digital assets

$              589,011

$              174,978

$              179,222

$              135,376

$           1,078,587

Digital asset loans receivable, net of allowance

3,044

87,252

12,000

2,208

104,504

Digital assets receivable, current

14,686

14,686

Digital assets receivable, non-current

6,174

6,174

Assets posted as collateral – Digital assets(1)

197,092

119,012

316,104

Restricted digital assets, non-current(2)

41,356

41,356

789,147

381,242

191,222

199,800

1,561,411

Liabilities

Digital asset loans payable

48,202

14,603

297,762

37,710

398,277

Collateral payable(1)

437,889

116,723

9,457

5,926

569,995

486,091

131,326

307,219

43,636

968,272

Digital assets, net

$              303,056

$              249,916

$            (115,997)

$              156,164

593,139

Stablecoins, net(3)

$                       —

$                       —

$            (115,997)

$                       —

(115,997)

Digital assets, net excl. stablecoins

$              303,056

$              249,916

$                       —

$              156,164

$              709,136

Bitcoin spot ETFs included in Investments

$                       —

$                       —

$                       —

$                       —

$                       —

(1)

Excludes cash portion of balance on the Partnership’s statement of financial position.

(2)

Represents TIA tokens that are subject to a sale restriction of greater than one year.

(3)

As of December 31, 2023, stablecoin liabilities were greater than stablecoin assets.

(4)

Includes associated tokens such as wBTC. The Partnership also held interests in investment vehicles designed to hold BTC, including ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF, Galaxy sponsored BTC funds, and Mt. Gox Investment Fund LP, valued at $123.1 as of December 31, 2023 reflected in the investments balance in addition to the digital assets noted above. The Partnership also held bitcoin derivative positions not reflected above in addition to the noted bitcoin investment vehicles.  

(5)

Includes associated tokens such as wETH and stETH. The Partnership also held interests in investment vehicles designed to hold ETH, including Galaxy sponsored ETH funds, valued at $22.1 million as of December 31, 2023 reflected in the investments balance in addition to the digital assets noted above. The Partnership also held Ethereum derivative positions not reflected above in addition to the noted Ethereum investment vehicles.

(6)

Includes $12.0 million net SOL and $68.5 million net TIA. The Partnership also held digital asset derivative positions not reflected above.

 All figures are in U.S. Dollars unless otherwise noted.

 

SOURCE Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd.

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Technology

Global Times: Head-of-state diplomacy shines at WAIC, fostering ties and advancing global governance consensus

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BEIJING, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday held a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, sitting down successively with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The bustling diplomatic activity transformed the WAIC from a premier showcase of AI technologies and industrial breakthroughs into a vibrant platform for head-of-state diplomacy and global governance coordination.

Analysts said hosting intensive head-of-state diplomatic events in Shanghai, a core hub of reform, opening-up and technological innovation, carries profound meaning. In addition, Friday’s high-level meetings embody the innovative model of “technology builds the stage while diplomacy takes the leading role.” It not only deepens China’s bilateral relations with ASEAN members, but also helps advance inclusive global AI governance centered on the UN mechanism.

Strategic guidance

According to the two separate official releases by Xinhua, during his meetings with the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia, President Xi spoke of the long-standing friendship China shares with both nations. He called on China and Thailand, as well as China and Cambodia, to join hands to advance the development of their respective communities with a shared future.

Furthermore, the Chinese leader stressed the need for China to expand pragmatic cooperation with Thailand and Cambodia respectively across traditional and emerging sectors, and work with each country to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, according to Xinhua.

He called for the proper handling of border frictions between Thailand and Cambodia and called on the two sides to resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation, with China standing ready to continue playing a constructive role in this regard, per Xinhua.

During their respective meetings with the Chinese leader, the prime ministers of Thailand and Cambodia both expressed willingness to deepen multi-field cooperation with China and spoke highly of China’s positive efforts to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the Thailand-Cambodia border conflicts.

Xu Liping, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that head-of-state diplomacy has charted the fundamental course for the advancement of China’s ties with both Cambodia and Thailand.

WAIC exemplifies the innovative model of “technology builds the platform, while diplomacy takes the leading role,” said Xu, “In addition, AI cooperation is also expected to serve as a vital entry point to further deepen and substantiate China’s ties with Thailand and Cambodia going forward.”

Furthermore, addressing the sensitive and thorny Thailand-Cambodia border dispute amid the relatively relaxed atmosphere of a tech summit enables all relevant parties to handle differences in a rational and pragmatic manner, which embodies Eastern wisdom and an Asian approach to resolving issues, said Xu.

The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, witnessing the official rollout of the new Plan of Action on the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030). It also kicks off the implementation of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

The critical juncture offers a perfect window to align China’s development plans closely with the national development strategies of Global South countries and ASEAN members, said Xu. “Thailand and Cambodia’s willingness to ramp up cooperation with China mirrors the aspiration of the majority of ASEAN members to leverage China’s development dividends and pursue win-win outcomes and common prosperity in the region.”

Firm support for UN

In his meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday, Xi reiterated China’s firm support for the UN.

Noting that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China at the UN, the Chinese leader said China has since been committed to building world peace, contributing to global development, defending international order, and firmly supporting the UN, Xinhua reported.

Xi added that he proposed the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity and the four global initiatives with one important consideration in mind – to uphold the status and authority of the UN.

Currently, the international landscape is marked by more pronounced changes and turbulence, making it all the more necessary to practice true multilateralism and reinvigorate the status and role of the UN, he said.

Guterres commended China for its steadfast support for multilateralism, the cause of the UN, and international cooperation, saying that China has set an example for the world.

Guterres said the UN will continue to strengthen cooperation with China, oppose unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonic bullying, safeguard the UN Charter and international law, as well as advance the process toward a multipolar world.

At this pivotal juncture where talks on AI development and UN multilateral governance converge, China, leveraging head-of-state diplomacy as a top-tier platform, has elaborated in a systematic manner its vision for global governance in the AI era, Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.

He added that China’s emphasis on the UN-centered global governance architecture will further strengthen the UN’s authority and operational capacity.

Before the official opening of the WAIC, on Thursday, representatives from 29 countries, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan, Russia and Indonesia, signed an agreement on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai. UN chief Guterres was among representatives from countries and international organizations present at the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, WAICO will be an independent intergovernmental international organization, which aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on AI, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe and fair, thereby promoting its healthy and orderly development to benefit all humanity.

President Xi on Friday also announced that in the next five years, China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs. China will also develop international AI application cooperation centers with the ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS.

However, some international media, including Reuters and Nikkei, used the term “AI diplomacy” describing the grand gathering in Shanghai, claiming that Beijing seeks a new global AI order, challenging US dominance.

In rebuttal, Wang pointed out that China advocates open, inclusive technology that lets AI benefit all humanity under the vision of “AI for All”. In contrast, the US adheres to a mindset of “All for AI”, weaponizing AI for geopolitical rivalry and aiming to outpace China in technological competition. Driven by the “America First” doctrine and capital-centric priorities, Washington’s approach forms a sharp contrast with China’s.

Meanwhile, China’s resolute commitment to upholding the UN system underscores that for China and a wide array of Global South countries, the sensible path lies in reforming and improving the existing global governance architecture rather than discarding it to build parallel institutions from scratch, the expert added.

This article first appeared on Global Times

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-head-of-state-diplomacy-shines-at-waic-fostering-ties-and-advancing-global-governance-consensus-302828946.html

SOURCE Global Times

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Technology

Global Times: China sends fresh signal on global AI cooperation at WAIC

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BEIJING, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — “AI development should not be a solo performance by a single country, but a symphony of international cooperation,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference (WAIC) and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, stressing that China is ready to be more open, take more practical actions, and assume a more visionary perspective.

We are ready to work with all parties to seize the opportunities of AI development and meet the challenges, and join hands to create a brighter future for humanity, he added.

Xi’s remarks received positive responses from domestic and foreign enterprises and experts, as they spoke highly of China’s scientific and technological achievements in recent years while noting that China’s commitment to openness and cooperation can help ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all humanity and Chinese solutions in AI governance enable other countries to better tackle the common challenges brought about by AI development.

Openness and win-win cooperation

Xi presented four observations on AI development and governance in the speech. The Chinese leader called for adhering to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation while boosting innovation-driven development. He highlighted the importance of encouraging open-source, openness, collaboration and sharing to facilitate technological innovation, industrial development and scenario-based application of AI.

He also called for strengthening risk-awareness and ensuring that AI is secure and controllable.  Stressing the need to ensure that AI is always under human control, Xi urged all sides to jointly oppose overstretching the national security concept in the field of AI or placing one country’s security over that of others.

Third, he called for encouraging inclusiveness and promoting mutual learning among civilizations.

Fourth, he called for advocating solidarity and improving global governance. The important role of the United Nations should be recognized, Xi said, calling for further alignment and coordination on AI development strategies, governance rules and technical standards.

“We must carry out extensive international cooperation and help Global South countries with capacity building to bridge the AI and digital divides, promote sustainable development and prevent creating new historical injustice in AI,” he said.

In the next five years, China will provide developing countries with 5,000 opportunities in AI training and seminar programs, Xi said. He said China will develop international AI application cooperation centers with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS. China will enable 30 countries to use the AI-powered meteorological warning system, or MAZU, to safeguard homes around the world.

“President Xi’s remarks underscore China’s commitment to advancing global AI governance and technological innovation through opening-up and win-win cooperation, bringing new opportunities for sharing AI dividends and achieving shared prosperity to countries worldwide, especially developing countries,” Song Yang, professor of School of Economics and research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday.

China is sending a clear and important message: AI should become a bridge between countries, not a new dividing line, Luigi Gambardella, president of the Brussels-based international digital association ChinaEU, told the Global Times on Friday on the sidelines of the forum.

“No country, however technologically advanced, can develop and govern AI alone. China’s commitment to openness and cooperation can help ensure that the benefits of AI are shared by all humanity. It can help prevent the fragmentation of technologies, standards and markets, while ensuring that the opportunities created by AI are shared more widely,” Gambardella said.

“President Xi proposed ‘adhering to the principle of openness and win-win cooperation’ and ‘advocating solidarity’, and announced a series of pragmatic measures to support global AI development. These remarks have deeply inspired me and further strengthened my confidence in promoting the inclusive development of AI through opening-up and cooperation,” Xu Li, chairman and CEO of Shanghai-based AI software company SenseTime, told the Global Times on Friday.

Looking ahead, SenseTime aims to bring more field-tested technologies, products, and talent cultivation expertise to more countries and regions, and boost “China innovation” to deliver sustained value across a wider spectrum of industrial scenarios, thereby enabling AI to better benefit all of humanity, Xu said.

China actively supports strengthening global cooperation on AI governance, advocates multilateralism, and promotes the establishment of a global governance framework, which has received positive responses from many Global South countries.

Twenty-nine countries on Thursday signed an agreement in Shanghai on establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). As an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai, WAICO will uphold the purposes of the UN Charter, be committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit and adhere to a people-centered approach, according to the agreement, per Xinhua.

Global spotlight on WAIC

Since its inception in 2018, the WAIC has successfully convened for eight consecutive editions, becoming an important window for showcasing cutting-edge AI technologies from China and around the world while deepening international opening-up and cooperation.

Themed “AI Partnership for a Brighter Future”, the exhibition area exceeds 100,000 square meters for the first time this year, attracting the participation of over 1,100 enterprises. The exhibitors are showcasing more than 3,000 products and technologies, with over 300 products making their global debuts.

Among the exhibition highlights are Huawei’s latest AI computing super node system Atlas 950, MiniMax M3 multimodal foundation model, and the world’s first agentic AI phone, alongside a range of humanoid robots and AI-powered dexterous hands.

A German BMW representative, who attended WAIC for the first time, expressed enthusiasm about the event, highlighting the humanoid robotics showcased in the exhibition area – technologies he said he has never encountered before.

The representative told the Global Times that his company has adopted Chinese AI-powered large language models such as Qwen and DeepSeek. “The new updated versions of these models emerge weekly, which is very impressive,” the representative said, speaking highly of the cost efficiency of Chinese models.

However, some Western media outlets keep smearing China’s AI advancements and international cooperation. The Economist even claims that China’s open-source AI is a “trap” and that embracing China is “risky.”

Debunking this groundless smearing, Song said that China’s AI development has consistently adhered to the philosophy of a people-centered approach and AI for good, accumulating a wealth of vivid, replicable, and scalable experiences.

At the opening ceremony of the WAIC, the China Meteorological Administration unveiled the MAZU-FengYun Satellite AI Box. The launch marks a new stage in MAZU’s intelligent early-warning initiative, which was unveiled last year, shifting from providing shared meteorological products to delivering AI-enabled forecasting capabilities, according to the administration.

“Over the past year, meteorological and disaster reduction agencies from more than 40 countries have accessed the MAZU early warning technologies and products via cloud platforms. Customized versions of the tool have been deployed in Nigeria, Djibouti, Pakistan, and other nations, earning widespread recognition from users,” You Yang, a staff member with the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, told the Global Times on Friday.

“From base models to industry-specific applications, China is opening up its low-cost, replicable technological pathways to the world, thereby lowering the threshold for underdeveloped nations to enter the AI era. Meanwhile, China actively helps developing countries address gaps in technology, talent, and governance capabilities to bridge the digital divide in the age of intelligence,” Song said.

According to a March report from Hugging Face, one of the world’s largest AI open-source communities, China has surpassed the US in monthly downloads and overall downloads. In the past year, Chinese models quickly accounted for the plurality or 41 percent of downloads.

“China possesses three unique institutional advantages in promoting AI for good and inclusive development: First, the new system for nationwide mobilization of resources coordinates development and security, achieving synergistic progress in key technological breakthroughs and rule-making. Second, a people-centered approach ensures that technological advancement benefits the people. Third, a multi-stakeholder agile and collaborative governance model links governments, universities, research institutions, enterprises, and social organizations to explore the synergy between rules and technology, providing China’s experience to the world,” Zeng Yi, a member of the UN Advisory Body on AI, told the Global Times on Friday.

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SOURCE Global Times

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Ecopetrol Reports Cybersecurity Incident

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BOGOTA, Colombia, July 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) (the “Company”) announced that it has identified an unauthorized access to certain digital resources owned by the Company and its subsidiaries by an external actor who has not been identified, as well as an attempted ransomware attack that was blocked by the cybersecurity controls implemented across the Company and its subsidiaries. The unauthorized access affected cloud-based file storage environments of approximately 15 subsidiaries (including the Company), resulting in the unauthorized download of data associated with approximately 3,300 user accounts. The external actor communicated extortion demands, threatening to publicly disclose the information that had been unlawfully extracted.

In response to this incident, the Company initiated an investigation and activated its incident response and management protocols. In addition, the Company deployed the following measures aimed at preventing the public disclosure of the unlawfully extracted information, addressing supervisory actions and/or potential financial costs associated with investigation, remediation, and regulatory compliance, as follows:

a. Immediate revocation of unauthorized access to the compromised digital assets.
b. Blocking of mechanisms associated with the mass download of information.
c. Identification, analysis, and containment of the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the malicious actor.
d. Filing of a criminal complaint before the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia and deployment of cooperation activities with specialized national authorities.
e. Identification of external infrastructures used for the storage or download of information to pursue restriction or blocking actions.
f. Activation of support mechanisms with insurers and specialized capital markets teams to ensure the proper management of the event.
g. Detailed assessment of the downloaded information and determination of its criticality.
h. Enhanced monitoring of the technology infrastructure under critical alert protocols and continuous validation of preventive and detective controls.

As of the date of this report, the Company has not identified any material disruption to its critical operations, production capacity, or essential services; any direct financial impact that would prevent it from continuing to conduct its business activities; or any disclosure of the information subject to the unauthorized access. However, the Company continues to assess the potential exposure of corporate information, which could include confidential, restricted, proprietary, or personal data, as it cannot guarantee that this incident will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, reputation, operating results, or financial condition.

Ecopetrol S.A. will continue to monitor developments related to this matter and, should any material facts or information requiring disclosure to the market be identified, will promptly disclose such information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 19,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA’s shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla – Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico), Brazil, and Mexico, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. 

This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company’s prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company’s business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company’s competitiveness and the performance of Colombia’s economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations Office
Email: investors@ecopetrol.com.co  

Head of Corporate Communications (Colombia) 
Marcela Ulloa 
Email: marcela.ulloa@ecopetrol.com.co 

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SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.

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