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B.C.-based crypto trading platform defrauded customers of $13 million

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VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 12, 2024 /CNW/ – A B.C. Securities Commission (BCSC) panel has found that a B.C.-based crypto trading platform committed fraud by lying to its customers and diverting about $13 million of their assets to gambling.

The platform, which operated under the name ezBtc and was incorporated by then-B.C. resident David Smillie, allowed customers to buy and sell various crypto assets. ezBtc and Smillie told customers that their crypto assets would be held in “cold storage,” a more secure method of keeping digital assets offline to protect them from cyber threats and unauthorized access.

Instead, the BCSC panel found that approximately a third of all the crypto assets that customers deposited with ezBtc or acquired on the ezBtc platform between 2016 and 2019 were diverted to gambling sites or to Smillie’s personal accounts on other crypto trading platforms.

As the panel notes, “customers were unable to recover all of their assets. The deceit led to actual loss.”

The BCSC hired a forensic data analytics firm to determine what happened to the 2,300 bitcoins and over 600 ethers that were supposedly kept in ezBtc’s custody in cold storage. The analytics firm determined that 935.46 bitcoins and 159 ethers were “quickly transferred” to either Smillie’s personal accounts or two gambling websites. In one instance, a customer deposited a certain amount of bitcoin on ezBtc and just 14 minutes later, ezBtc transferred that exact same amount of bitcoin to one of the gambling sites.

The panel found that Smillie directed the affairs of ezBtc and likely directed the transfers of customer assets. Not only was Smillie aware that ezBtc did not keep custody of all of its customers’ assets, but he should have been aware that diverting customer assets could result in serious financial consequences for those customers, the panel said. By authorizing, permitting or acquiescing in ezBtc’s misconduct, Smillie committed the same misconduct as the platform.

Smillie did not attend the hearing, although he was represented by a lawyer. The company, which was dissolved in 2022, did not participate in the proceedings.

The panel will next consider what sanctions to impose, which could include monetary sanctions and bans from market participation.

A list of crypto trading platforms authorized to do business with Canadians is available on the website of the Canadian Securities Administrators, of which the BCSC is a member.

About the B.C. Securities Commission (bcsc.bc.ca

The B.C. Securities Commission, an independent provincial government agency, strives to make the investment market benefit the public. We set rules, monitor compliance by industry, take action against misconduct, and provide guidance to investors and industry. As guardians of B.C.’s investment market, we’re committed to maintaining a market that is honest, fair, competitive and dynamic, enabling British Columbians to thrive.

Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.investright.org

SOURCE British Columbia Securities Commission

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BitradeX BXC First Two Subscription Rounds Sell Out, Total Subscriptions Exceed 14M USDT

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LONDON, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BitradeX Capital’s ecosystem equity token, BXC, has completed its first and second subscription rounds, selling a total of 50 million BXC with subscriptions exceeding 14 million USDT. The first round sold out in 90 seconds, while the second closed within 48 hours.

While the fundraising size is not unusually large by crypto standards, the structure of the sale has attracted market attention. The first two rounds were not open to the public, but limited to high-tier BitradeX users. The first round was available only to V5 users and above, while the second round expanded access to V3 users and above.

According to BitradeX’s tier system, V3+ users typically have higher recurring investment activity through AiBot, longer platform usage history, and stronger ecosystem participation. This means the early BXC allocation was absorbed mainly by the platform’s internal high-value user base, rather than short-term speculative participants.

This approach differs from many token fundraising campaigns that prioritize broad public participation and market hype. BitradeX instead adopted a more selective, staged model, gradually lowering the participation threshold while keeping the sale within its active ecosystem community.

BXC is positioned as more than a standard platform token. Its value framework is linked to BitradeX Capital’s broader ecosystem, including its exchange business, AiBot quantitative strategies, BTX Card payments, and Labs incubation platform. Public information indicates that BXC holders may receive staking rewards, benefit from ecosystem buybacks and burns, and gain priority access to Launchpad projects and governance participation.

The third subscription round is launched on April 30 at $0.35 USDT per BXC, with a total supply of 100 million BXC. It is now open to users participating in AiBot recurring investment. The fourth round price is expected to rise to $0.45 USDT.

The long-term value of BXC will ultimately depend on the growth of BitradeX’s underlying businesses, including exchange profitability, AiBot user expansion, and BTX Card adoption. However, the rapid sellout of the first two rounds suggests that BitradeX’s core user base has already shown strong confidence in the ecosystem’s future.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitradex-bxc-first-two-subscription-rounds-sell-out-total-subscriptions-exceed-14m-usdt-302767467.html

SOURCE BitradeX Capital

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South and East Asia identified as hotspots of global warming related impacts on male fertility

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BEIJING, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A major new study has shown that South and East Asia dominate patterns of global warming related decline in male fertility with the strongest and most consistent evidence coming from India, Pakistan and the southern parts of China.

The effects of increased environmental temperatures on male reproductive health include declining sperm concentration and motility and increased sperm DNA fragmentation, or genetic damage that can hinder fertilisation and embryo development.

Male related factors account for around 50 per cent of infertility cases around the world and the impact of rising ambient heat on semen parameters raises serious implications across wide areas of Asia where total fertility rates are in serious decline.

Outcomes of the study undertaken by the Taiwan IVF Group and Ton Yen General Hospital, Taiwan (China) in collaboration with Stanford University (USA) are being presented at the 2026 Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE) in Beijing.

Research principal and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Dr Jack Yu Jen Huang, MD, PhD, FACOG said: “Given the temperature sensitivity of spermatogenesis, even modest increases in ambient temperature could have cumulative, population-level effects over time.

“As global warming accelerates, male reproductive health may represent an emerging climate sensitive public health concern.”

The testes function optimally at temperatures lower than the internal body heat level, and previous studies have shown elevated scrotal or ambient temperatures can impair sperm production.

The latest research explored global patterns to reveal comparative data across regions. It is based on a systematic review of international studies on temperature exposure and semen parameter trends between 2000 and 2024. Artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning tools were applied to extract key variables including geographic regions and semen outcomes.

Dr Huang said studies examining occupational heat exposure alone were excluded from the analysis as they reflected localised, job-specific conditions rather than broader climatic trends.

“Our findings therefore represent population level climate associated temperature effects including consistent seasonal variations showing poor semen quality parameters in warmer periods.”

The global patterns on temperature associated lower sperm concentration and motility show South and East Asia as major hot spots of concern followed by the Middle East, Europe and North America.

“South and East Asia are likely more affected due to a combination of factors including higher baseline ambient temperatures and rapid urbanisation that contribute to greater cumulative heat stress on spermatogenesis,” Dr Huang explained.

“With ongoing global warming, chronic heat exposure may increasingly impact male reproductive health.”

Dr Huang said potential approaches to address the issue include:

increasing public awareness of heat exposure and reproductive health;encouraging protective behaviours;expanding research integrating climate and reproductive health data; andexploring clinical and lifestyle interventions to mitigate heat-related effects.

The research team was assisted by research intern Jeffrey Zi Kang Huang from Taipei American School, particularly in the application of artificial intelligence in biomedical research including AI-assisted data analysis and pattern recognition across global datasets.

“Further longitudinal and mechanistic studies will be important to better define causality and guide interventions,” he added.

The ASPIRE Congress is being held at the China National Convention Centre in Beijing. More than 3,000 scientists, clinicians, nurses and counsellors in assisted reproduction from around the world are attending the Congress.

For further information, go to https://www.aspire2026.com

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/south-and-east-asia-identified-as-hotspots-of-global-warming-related-impacts-on-male-fertility-302767469.html

SOURCE ASPIRE

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eclicktech Attends Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, Highlighting Four Key Trends Shaping AI-Driven Global Marketing

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SHENZHEN, China, May 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amazon Ads recently hosted its annual flagship event, Amazon Ads unBoxed 2026, in Shenzhen, bringing together advertisers, agencies, and technology partners to explore the next phase of AI-powered marketing innovation. This year’s event focused on how AI is reshaping the advertising ecosystem through advancements in audience targeting, creative production, campaign management, and measurement capabilities.

Yeahmobi, the global marketing brand under eclicktech and an Amazon DSP validated partner, attended the event alongside industry leaders and ecosystem partners to discuss emerging opportunities for international brand growth in an increasingly AI-driven media environment.

During the conference, Amazon Ads introduced a series of product and solution updates across four major areas:

Advanced audience targeting powered by Amazon’s first-party data infrastructure to help brands reach high-intent consumers more effectively;AI-assisted creative production designed to improve content efficiency and support personalized advertising at scale;Intelligent campaign management tools aimed at simplifying cross-channel advertising workflows;Enhanced measurement and attribution capabilities to provide advertisers with clearer visibility into campaign performance and return on investment.

According to Yeahmobi, Amazon DSP is evolving beyond a standalone programmatic buying platform into a broader marketing infrastructure supporting the full customer journey, from brand awareness to conversion.

Since becoming an Amazon Ads partner, Yeahmobi has developed integrated advertising solutions spanning awareness, audience engagement, and conversion optimization. The company stated that it has supported brands across sectors including cross-border e-commerce, consumer electronics, AI applications, and financial services in scaling their global advertising efforts through Amazon DSP.

At the event, Yeahmobi also showcased its proprietary advertising management platform, Yeahgrowth, which integrates campaign management, data analytics, and performance optimization capabilities to support centralized multi-platform operations and improved campaign visibility.

“AI is fundamentally reshaping how brands approach global growth,” said William Liu, General Manager of Yeahmobi. “We see Amazon Ads as a strategically important part of the global marketing ecosystem. Our focus is not only on media execution, but also on building scalable growth infrastructure through deeper API integration, AI-driven optimization, and data collaboration.”

Yeahmobi stated that it will continue expanding its collaboration with Amazon Ads to support brands navigating increasingly complex global media environments.

About Yeahmobi
Yeahmobi is a global marketing brand focused on helping businesses achieve international growth through digital advertising, data-driven operations, and AI-powered marketing solutions.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eclicktech-attends-amazon-ads-unboxed-2026-highlighting-four-key-trends-shaping-ai-driven-global-marketing-302767470.html

SOURCE Yeahmobi

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