Roland Guirdonan
Roland is a Public Relations & Communications guru with an immense passion for the blockchain and crypto industry. A fusion of his expertise and passion led to the dawn of Optimisus in 2020.
Articles by Roland Guirdonan
1 year ago
1 min read
The recent closure of Signature Bank in New York has sent shockwaves through the crypto industry, with authorities citing concerns over the spread of the banking meltdown as the reason for the shutdown. The bank, which had a market value of $4.4 billion on Friday, had been a proponent of digital asset liquidity, offering clients swift payments between exchanges, hedge funds, and other businesses. However, the closure of Silicon Valley Bank earlier in the week had caused many of Signature’s anxious business clients to inquire about the security of their deposits. With the majority of depositors having more than $250,000
1 year ago
1 min read
Japanese carmaker Nissan is the latest automotive giant to invest in Web3 technology, filing four new trademarks related to the decentralized web in the United States. The trademarks cover the Infiniti, Nismo, and Nissan brands and outline plans to create virtual clothes, cars, headgear, trading cards, toys, tickets, and a nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace for trading and minting NFTs. The company is also planning to offer metaverse advertising services and other “entertainment services” covering online video, images, artwork, tickets, audio, sounds, music, and trading cards, as well as a website with information about Nissan’s proposed NFTs and how they will
1 year ago
1 min read
HSBC U.K. Bank, the ring-fenced subsidiary of HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), has announced its acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank U.K. (SVB U.K.) for £1 ($1.21), according to a filing. SVB U.K. had loans worth approximately $6.6 billion and deposits worth around $8.1 billion as of March 10, as per the filing. This acquisition is expected to provide strategic benefits to HSBC’s commercial banking franchise and enhance its ability to serve innovative and fast-growing companies, particularly in the technology and life-science sectors, in the U.K. and beyond, said Noel Quinn, HSBC Group CEO. The sale, which was announced on Monday, was
1 year ago
1 min read
While some global economies have been focused on the instability and ecosystem collapses of cryptocurrencies, South Korea is taking a different approach. The country has recognized the potential of the metaverse as a new economic growth engine and is doubling down on investments in the space. The Ministry of Science and ICT in South Korea recently announced investments in a fund dedicated to driving metaverse initiatives in the country. The government invested approximately $18.1 million (24 billion Korean won) with the goal of creating a fund of over 40 billion Korean won (around $30.2 million) for metaverse development. Through the
1 year ago
2 mins read
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has sent shockwaves through the tech industry and hit the crypto world hard. Here’s a list of the crypto firms caught in the crosshairs of SVB’s closure: It’s worth noting that many of these crypto firms have already taken action to move their funds away from Silicon Valley Bank or have claimed their exposure is minimal. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen what the lasting impact of SVB’s collapse will be on the crypto industry.
1 year ago
1 min read
Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, has announced that it will take responsibility for any shortfall caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. In a blog post, Circle stated that it has a legal obligation to “stand behind” USDC and will use corporate resources and external capital if necessary to ensure that the stablecoin can be redeemed at a ratio of 1 for 1 with the U.S. dollar. The CEO of Circle, Jeremy Allaire, reiterated this commitment in a Twitter thread. The move follows a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank that saw USDC lose its peg to
1 year ago
7 mins read
Middle East’s largest and most impactful cybersecurity event to feature a record 500-plus exhibiting brands from 53 countries New Hack-O-Sphere to gather 1,000-plus ethical hackers in thrilling cyber competition series including US$1 million CyTaka World Cyber Championship Dubai, UAE, 10 March 2023: The 11th edition of GISEC Global, taking place from 14-16 March 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), is set to host a record 500-plus cybersecurity brands, 300 leading InfoSec and cybersecurity speakers, and 1,000 of the world’s top ethical hackers to address opportunities in a global cybersecurity market valued at $2 trillion by McKinsey & Company. Organised by DWTC
1 year ago
1 min read
The cryptocurrency industry is no stranger to scams and frauds, and investors have been warned about the risks of investing in the industry. In a recent development, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed an emergency action against BKCoin and its co-founder, Kevin Kang, for defrauding investors of $100 million. According to the complaint filed by the SEC, BKCoin and Kang had promised investors that their funds would be used to trade crypto assets, which would earn them huge returns on their investments. They even claimed to have received an audit opinion from a top-four auditor. However, the
1 year ago
1 min read
Huobi, one of the leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced the creation of a $100 million liquidity fund to protect against significant drops of its HT token. This move comes in response to a sharp drop in HT’s value late Thursday U.S. time, which was caused by leveraged liquidation on the market. Justin Sun confirmed the transfer of $100 million in USDC to Huobi just after 04:25 UTC, or 11:27 AM Hong Kong time. The broader crypto market has also experienced a correction, with $307 million in positions across the market being liquidated as traders digest the impact of Silvergate’s exit
1 year ago
5 mins read
Position paper ahead of GISEC Global encourages proactive action, adopting a GISEC-first strategy where ‘attack is the best form of defence’ to fight cybercrime GISEC CISO Circle on 15th March to create a ‘community of action’ for the cybersecurity industry by building a united cyber front against digital adversaries Dubai, UAE, 9 March 2023: The UAE Cybersecurity Council and GISEC Global 2023, the Middle East’s largest and most impactful cybersecurity event, today released a special position paper for global CISOs and cybersecurity professionals titled “A GISEC-first Strategy: Attack is the best form of Defence”. Co-authored by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Hamad
1 year ago
1 min read
Nishad Singh, FTX’s former Lead Engineer, recently made headlines after his $3.7 million vacation home in the San Juan Islands was seized by the U.S. government. Singh purchased the property just two weeks before FTX filed for bankruptcy. Now, after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to his role at FTX, including wire fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations, he has been forced to forfeit the home. Located on a wooded hill, the six-bedroom home boasts a lap pool and a hot tub, making it the perfect getaway spot. However, Singh’s luxury lifestyle was funded by money from his
1 year ago
1 min read
Attorneys representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of crypto exchange FTX, have suggested that a delay of his October 2 criminal trial may be necessary. The lawyers argued that additional time may be required to thoroughly review the evidence and prepare a defense for the upcoming trial. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers said that they were still waiting for a “substantial portion” of evidence to be turned over to them and that additional charges had been filed against their client in late February. They noted that, depending on the volume of the additional discovery and
