Bridget Nichols

Pier Two joins Zodia Custody Gateway! We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Pier Two, the Australian-based enterprise staking and infrastructure services provider, further expanding the number of staking options available via Zodia Custody Gateway. The partnership aims to cater to the needs of institutional investors by further diversifying the options available to institutions to earn potential rewards from digital asset holdings. “Performance works best when it goes hand in hand with security. Zodia Custody ensures our APAC clients can participate in non-custodial staking,” said Jack Deeb, Co-Founder & COO at Pier Two. “We—the entire digital asset ecosystem—are at a crucial turning point. The innovation of institutional offerings has been strong, but it needs to be matched with the utmost rigour in security and compliance. Balancing the support of cutting edge blockchain technologies without compromising on safety.” “This partnership with Pier Two is a perfect example of how we can level up the digital asset ecosystem not just across APAC, but globally,” said Kate Cooper, CEO, Zodia Custody Australia. “Together, we are putting into place another crucial piece of the puzzle: providing greater diversity and options for institutions, while minimising risk, all from one place—connecting institutions with best-in-class services at the touch of a few buttons. This collaboration makes this a reality, and provides a framework for the future development of institutional staking. We look forward to working together with Pier Two to bolster our staking options available to clients”. #ZodiaCustody #Staking

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Australian crypto regulation (and enforcement) didn't take Friday off. 1. ASIC has just released its 24/25 Corporate Plan. The term 'crypto' isn't plastered all over its face, but it'll certainly affect the digital asset industry. See references to, for example, emerging financial markets, scams, the design and distribution of financial products (foreshadowing there), scams again, and market integrity. TL;DR, ASIC's ramp-up of investigative and enforcement activity in the digital asset space seems set to continue and perhaps accelerate. Full document here: https://lnkd.in/grwFX7HA 2. ASIC v Kraken. Speaking of design and distribution - at first instance (which we have to say now because it seems to now be the normal course that ASIC's crypto enforcement litigation ends up on appeal), ASIC has successfully persuaded the Federal Court that Kraken's 'Margin Extension' product (which, as well as crypto, permitted the borrowing of fiat) was a credit facility attracting obligations to make a target market determination. Judgment here: https://lnkd.in/gRV875z6 . Now, subject to any appeal, on to the fight about whether a penalty applies. Diagnosis: industry maturing; and the Court starting to get more comfortable talking about crypto.

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Are cryptocurrency derivatives reportable to ASIC? Neither the regulation nor ASIC guidance have given a definitive position as of yet. To help your firm determine whether to report crypto derivatives and CFDs in the meantime, TRAction has looked at the current industry practice and available information. #ASIC #Cryptocurrency #RegulatoryReporting #TradeReporting #TransactionReporting #Regtech #TRAction

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Australian investors are banking on ASX companies delivering a big jump in earnings and profit margins next year: ASX 200 Industrials earnings per share growth is expected to rise from 5 per cent in financial year 2024 to 9.6 per cent in fiscal 2025, and most of that is coming from a lift in margins, from 6.3 per cent to 6.7 per cent. So in essence , and as always the closer to shareholder expectations often matters more than actual results Coupled with retailers well positioned for the market upswing Prepared to grow your business ? Talk to the team at Retail Doctor Group Retail Doctor Group Brian Walker

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Global X ETFs launches Defence Technology ETF amid surge in global defence spending #australianfintech #fintech #fintechnews #finance #financialtechnology #technology #tech #technews #ETFs #DefenceTechnology #investing #investors #defence Global X ETFs AU

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💳 Capital Brief covers ASIC's new guidance for cryptocurrencies, highlighting the regulator is ramping up enforcement and engaging with the industry ahead of upcoming legislation. Liam Hennessy comments in the publication saying he expects the updated note would build on ASIC’s recent enforcement actions. “There’s trillions of dollars going into crypto, it’s huge too in Australia, so I think ASIC’s doing a good job getting forward on it and this guidance will expand its thinking,” he said. Read the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gp8wjweY #Cryptocurrencies #Regulatory #Crypto #DigitalAssets

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These are timely and relevant resources. We hooray help directors as boards as the AI environment is navigated

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Barings has launched two new APAC private credit funds, totaling over A$690 million. The funds are the Barings Australian Private Credit Fund and the Barings Developed Asia Pacific Private Loan Fund 1A. The Australian fund is an open-ended private credit solution focusing on middle-market companies in Australia and New Zealand, while the Developed Asia Pacific fund targets high-quality borrowers in developed economies like Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. “The Asia Pacific private credit market is rapidly evolving into an appealing opportunity for investors,” said Shane Forster, APAC Head of Investment Management and Managing Director in Barings’ Asia Pacific Private Finance Group. “It exhibits comparable attributes to private credit in North America and Europe, including exposure to high-quality borrowers, but with less competition for lending opportunities, geographical diversification and exposure to expanding developed economies such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.” https://lnkd.in/gxkJZyrM

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If you've been waiting for the ACCC Data broker (now "data firms") report to drop... it's here. Some key points: - consumers have limited choice and control in the management of their data. - privacy law updates - the fair and reasonable test on information gathering and right to erasure could be crucial. - there are competition risks here in how data companies amass portfolios of services and can put in place restrictive contracts that could lead to the foreclosure of rivals in industries where only a small number of providers offer certain services. - mergers are "extensive" in the industry.... will new merger laws be influential here? #databrokers https://lnkd.in/gZuUir45

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BREAKING NEWS: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has activated it Debt-to-Income (DTI) restrictions and the loosening of Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) restrictions at the settings it announced earlier in the year. The new DTI restrictions will create limits on the amount of high-DTI lending that banks can make whereas the LVR restrictions limit the amount of low-deposit lending that they can make. Deputy Governor Christian Hawkesby said DTIs and LVRs are “complementary”. “LVRs target the impact of defaults by reducing the number of potential losses in the event of a housing down-turn,” Hawkesby said. “While DTIs reduce the probability of default by targeting the ability of borrowers to continue to repay debt.” “Both act as guardrails reducing the build-up of high-risk lending in the system.” https://lnkd.in/giRAjCQT #LVR #DTI #RegulatoryChanges #mortgagemarketNZ #lendingNZ #NZAdviser #advisernews #bankingnews

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A couple of thoughts on the "Half of crypto ads on Facebook are scams or violate Meta’s policies, consumer regulator alleges" piece by Josh Taylor published in the Guardian Australia. ◾ The recent revelations in relation to Meta's advertising practices underscore a critical juncture in the technology, regulation and consumer protection nexus. ◾ ACCC's allegations spotlight the pervasive issue of unchecked digital advertising on global platforms. ◾ These allegations highlight the ethical responsibilities tech giants such as Meta have in safeguarding their users from harm. ◾ The involvement of crypto in this case adds a layer of complexity; the intersection of crypto and fraudulent adverting is leveraged by scammers to create schemes that appear legitimate especially when promoted by the unauthorized use of trusted public figures. ◾ Meta has indeed failed in deploying effective safeguards against the manipulation of its advertising system by scammers bringing to light numerous critical flaws in Meta's governance of its advertising platform. ◾ Meta prioritized ad revenue over user safety. ◾ The case of Meta calls for reconsideration of the role that such platforms play within the digital economy and the reasons of why they should be held accountable for the hosting and provision of content that cause direct harm to users. ◾ If ACCC is successful in this case, it could set a precedent for holding tech companies legally accountable, marking a truly significant shift in how digital platforms are regulated. ◾ The ACCC's allegations against Meta call for stricter vetting processes for crypto-related adds, enhanced transparency requirements for crypto projects and better collaboration among tech companies, regulators, policy-makers and law enforcement agencies to swiftly identify and shut down such fraudulent schemes.  #meta #facebook #cryptoadds #cryptoscams #scams #scamsprotection #fintech #emergingtechscams #cryptoeconomy

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The Australian financial landscape is undergoing a significant shift, with the non-bank lending sector poised for explosive growth. A recent report by Foresight Analytics predicts a doubling of the market size within the next five years, reaching a colossal $146 billion by 2028. The data highlights this trend, with the projected size of the non-bank sector in 2024 originally estimated at $50 billion (Plan1 Consultancy). The reality has far surpassed expectations, reaching $74 billion. This surge signifies a fundamental change in how Australian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), access the capital they need to thrive. The underserved SMEs are seeking flexible financing solutions that traditional banks often struggle to provide, due to slow decision-making and inflexible loan structures. This creates an opportunity for the non-bank sector, which prides itself on agility, speed, and tailored solutions. At Vestyn Capital, we've witnessed this firsthand. For over 6 years, we've helped SMEs navigate the non-bank lending landscape. We understand SMEs needs when applying for a commercial loan. Our slogan says it all: Invest with confidence, borrow with certainty. #VestynCapital #CommercialLending #Economy

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$𝟔𝟕 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐤𝐲𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐀𝐌𝐋 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 AUSTRAC and SkyCity Adelaide Pty Ltd (SkyCity) have submitted a joint submission to the Federal Court to propose a $67 million penalty over the latter's #AML breaches, which will be considered by the Court at the hearing scheduled for 7 June 2024. SkyCity has made admissions that: 🔶 it contravened s 81 of the AML/CTF Act in failing to have an AML/CTF Program that complies with the requirements under the Act or the rules. 🔶 it contravened s 36 of the Act by failing to carry out proper ongoing customer due diligence related to higher risk customers and customers transacting through higher risk channels. There has not been a great deal of AML/CTF case law. Certainly looking forward to the release of the judgement itself to learn more about the case, especially SkyCity's actual contravening conduct! https://lnkd.in/gMWj8dgN

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Remara's Private Credit Fund has posted another month of outstanding returns for investors and continues outperforming its benchmark with a 12 month return of 13.20% (post fees).   Now accessible to retail and wholesale investors, the Fund is invested to provide a consistent monthly income, risk-adjusted returns and portfolio diversification. It's particularly suitable for SMSF, fixed-income, wholesale, and retail investors looking for monthly distribution payments or a reinvestment plan to grow their wealth further.   View the Fund’s latest performance report and invest with confidence. To learn more about our range of investment option contact our Australian based team today. https://lnkd.in/gqcb55E4 Ben Dixon Hugo Hayman Timothy Wilson Catalina Castillo   *All investments carry risks and target returns are not guaranteed. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 12 month return to 30 June 2024 Andrew McVeigh David Verschoor

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Bailador Technology Investments (ASX:BTI) invests $10 million in DASH to fund Integrated Portfolio Solutions acquisition #australianfintech #fintech #fintechnews #finance #financialtechnology #acquisition #investments #investors #investing #funding

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