Palo Alto, CA - Bitcoin Latinum, the next-generation insured Bitcoin fork capable of massive transaction volume, digital asset management, cyber security, and capacity is announcing a partnership with Los Angeles based luxury hospitality and lifestyle company, The h.wood Group.

The partnership involves cross-promotional marketing initiatives, event sponsorships, endorsements, and the acceptance of Bitcoin Latinum for services, products, and amenities across The h.wood Group’s diversified portfolio of upscale nightlife and restaurant venues. Guests will have the option to seamlessly pay for tables, drinks, food, and merchandise with Bitcoin Latinum, in addition to Bitcoin and Ethereum tokens.

Founded by successful entrepreneurs John Terzian and Brian Toll, the Independently owned and operated The h.wood Group’s restaurant, nightlife, and events divisions manage restaurants, nightlife and hotel venues across the world. The brand includes restaurant concepts The NICE GUY, Delilah LA, Delilah Las Vegas at Wynn Resorts, Delilah Miami, SLAB, Mason, Petite Taqueria, and hospitality venues include Blind Dragon, Bootsy Bellows, Poppy, The Peppermint Club, SHOREbar, 40 LOVE and FOUND Hotels. The h.wood Group has received multiple awards and international recognition for its design and execution. The h.wood Group venues have also become popular with A-list celebrities and influencers. The implementation of Bitcoin Latinum, along with other blockchain technologies opens new business opportunities for The h.wood Group.

“As entrepreneurs, Brian and I have always looked into the future rather than get stuck in old ways. We are constantly watching, learning and adapting. Crypto and blockchain are the future in many ways and we want The h.wood Group to be ahead of the curve. We are excited for this endeavor with Bitcoin Latinum,” stated Terzian.

Cryptocurrency payments with businesses have been gaining broader acceptance across a wide spectrum of industries. Major credit card issuers Visa and Mastercard have both rolled out the ability for users to buy and make transactions with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. According to Statista, The United States has the greatest number of companies with Bitcoin ATM’s and in-store payment options than any other country in the world, at around 6,000 businesses. In a recent survey by Deloitte, 56% of businesses said their organizations would be making at least $500,000 in blockchain investments over the next twelve months.

Bitcoin Latinum is an enhanced Bitcoin fork. The Bitcoin Latinum algorithm and infrastructure break barriers and speed limits that have prevented some virtual currencies from achieving practical, real-time use. The Bitcoin Latinum tokens are part of an ecosystem being adopted by companies in media, entertainment, gaming, storage, cloud and telecommunications. Bitcoin Latinum tokens can be interchangeably used on each of these partner/supplier networks by consumers. Furthermore, Bitcoin Latinum looks to reduce the cost of a Bitcoin transaction from dollars to pennies for on-chain transactions.

Monsoon Blockchain Corporation, Asia's premier blockchain company, was selected by Bitcoin Latinum as its foundation partner. Monsoon is focused on innovative cloud solutions in the blockchain ecosystem, leveraging the latest blockchain technology to develop powerful business solutions that allow the successful digitization of and listing of assets across a variety of industries, including financial services, telecommunications, and media and entertainment. Dr. Donald Basile, Monsoon's CEO and founder, is the former CEO of Fusion IO, a company known for playing a major role in implementing the cloud systems at Apple and Facebook as well as partnerships with HP, IBM, and Dell.

“It is an honor to work with great entrepreneurs like John and Brian,” said Dr. Donald Basile, CEO of Monsoon Blockchain Corporation. “We look forward to our partnership, and helping companies and individuals understand the benefits of the blockchain to foster widespread adoption across the entertainment and hospitality industries.”

Dr. Basile is also the Co-CEO and Chairman of Roman DBDR, a special purpose acquisition company, which raised $236 million in its initial public offering in November 2020, and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “DBDR.” Roman DBDR announced a merger with CompoSecure, a pioneer in premium payment cards with clients such as J.P. Morgan Chase, American Express, and Crypto.com. The merger of the two companies will create a combined enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion.

Bitcoin Latinum is planning to launch on public exchanges across the globe in Q3 2021 under the symbol LTNM. In Q2 2021 Bitcoin Latinum announced a groundbreaking green initiative to achieve a carbon net-zero footprint. This will be achieved through an enhanced proof of stake consensus protocol system for settling transactions. As a further commitment to sustainable environmental practices, Bitcoin Latinum officially joined the Crypto Climate Accord. Bitcoin Latinum sold out its initial two pre-sales. 

FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY; NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. Any Bitcoin Latinum offered is for educational and informational purposes only and should NOT be construed as a securities-related offer or solicitation or be relied upon as personalized investment advice. Bitcoin Latinum strongly recommends you consult a licensed or registered professional before making any investment decision.

Paya Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYA) (“Paya” or the “Company”) today announced that it has commenced an exchange offer (the “Offer”) and consent solicitation (the “Consent Solicitation”) relating to its outstanding public warrants and private placement warrants (collectively, the “warrants”) to purchase shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company. The purpose of the Offer and Consent Solicitation is to simplify the Company’s capital structure and reduce the potential dilutive impact of the warrants, thereby providing the Company with more flexibility for financing its operations in the future.

The Company is offering to all holders of its warrants the opportunity to receive 0.260 shares of common stock in exchange for each outstanding warrant tendered by the holder and exchanged pursuant to the Offer. Pursuant to the Offer, the Company is offering up to an aggregate of 4,605,885 shares of its common stock in exchange for the warrants.

Concurrently with the Offer, the Company is also soliciting consents from holders of the public warrants to amend the warrant agreement that governs all of the warrants (the “Warrant Agreement”) to permit the Company to require that each Warrant that is outstanding upon the closing of the Offer be converted into 0.234 shares of common stock, which is a ratio 10% less than the exchange ratio applicable to the Offer (such amendment, the “Warrant Amendment”). Pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agreement, all except certain specified modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of holders of at least 65% of the outstanding public warrants. Accordingly, the adoption of the Warrant Amendment will require the consent of holders of at least 65% of the outstanding public warrants. Parties representing 63.2% of the outstanding public warrants have agreed to tender their warrants in the Offer and to consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation, pursuant to a tender and support agreement. Accordingly, if holders of an additional approximately 1.8% of the outstanding public warrants consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation, and the other conditions of the Offer are satisfied or waived, then the Warrant Amendment will be adopted. The offering period will continue until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on September 10, 2021, or such later time and date to which the Company may extend, as described in the Company’s Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange (the “Expiration Date”). Tendered warrants may be withdrawn by holders at any time prior to the Expiration Date.

The Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to a Prospectus/Offer to Exchange dated August 13, 2021, and Schedule TO, dated August 13, 2021, each of which have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and more fully set forth the terms and conditions of the Offer and Consent Solicitation.

The Company’s common stock and public warrants are listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “PAYA” and “PAYAW,” respectively. As of August 13, 2021, a total of 17,714,945 warrants were outstanding.

The Company has engaged Evercore Group L.L.C. as the Dealer Manager for the Offer and Consent Solicitation. Any questions or requests for assistance concerning the Offer and Consent Solicitation may be directed to Evercore Group L.L.C. at (888) 474-0200 (toll-free). D.F. King & Co., Inc. has been appointed as the Information Agent for the Offer and Consent Solicitation, and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company has been appointed as the Exchange Agent. Requests for documents should be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (800) 370-1749 (for warrant holders) or (212) 269-5550 (for banks and brokers) or via the following email address: paya@dfking.com.

Important Additional Information Has Been Filed with the SEC

Copies of the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange will be available free of charge at the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. Requests for documents may also be directed to Evercore Group L.L.C. at (888) 474-0200 (toll-free). A registration statement on Form S-4 relating to the securities to be issued in the Offer has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. Such securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective.

This announcement is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the warrants or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of common stock in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful before registration or qualification under the laws of any such state. The Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made only through the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange, and the complete terms and conditions of the Offer and Consent Solicitation are set forth in the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange.

Holders of the warrants are urged to read the Schedule TO and Prospectus/Offer to Exchange carefully before making any decision with respect to the Offer and Consent Solicitation because they contain important information, including the various terms of, and conditions to, the Offer and Consent Solicitation.

None of the Company, any of its management or its board of directors, or the Information Agent, the Exchange Agent or the Dealer Manager makes any recommendation as to whether or not holders of warrants should tender warrants for exchange in the Offer or consent to the Warrant Amendment in the Consent Solicitation.

Commenting on Olam picking London for its premium IPO, Mark Lynch, Partner at corporate finance house, Oghma Partners, said: “The listing of Olam ingredients in the UK is a vote of confidence in the London Equity market and reflects, amongst other things, its deep pool of liquidity. Assuming that the Company does qualify as a UK Food Manufacturer, it provides a significant boost to the sector that has lost many former FTSE companies over the last twenty years including, Cadbury Schweppes, United Biscuits, Hillsdown Holdings, Albert Fisher, Northern Foods and Unigate. Importantly it also offers investors a route into the changing world of food ingredients which is seeing an expansion in its opportunities through the growth in demand for plant based foods, plus expanding Ag Tech and Food Tech applications and the focus of consumers and clients on traceability and sustainability.”

The National Garden Scheme (www.ngs.org.uk) continued to lead the digitalisation of charity at Chilworth Manor in Surrey on 11th August, at an event supported by Dame Mary Berry, President of the National Garden Scheme, in partnership with London-based fintech SumUp (www.sumup.co.uk).

Chilworth Manor – rarely open to the public - played host to an evening of hospitality and live music from jazz quartet Down for the Count, in the magnificent setting of the walled garden.

How Brits give money to charity is changing. The days of rattling charity buckets full of coins are dwindling as payment technology has evolved in line with our habits. Gone are the days when you would have to scramble for change in your pocket or bag, often these days you can tap away, do your bit, and keep moving. 

According to SumUp data, 73% of charities are saying that street giving is falling simply because people do not carry enough cash, so investing in digital solutions seems the inevitable way forward, however only 14% of charities say they are well prepared to take advantage of contactless payments. 56% of charities said they have not adopted the tech because of the cost required to buy the equipment and 50% of charities are actively exploring investment in new ways for their supporters to donate. 

Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme, George Plumptre, said of the event:

“The National Garden Scheme’s new partnership with SumUp has transformed the charity’s financial efficiency. From being a cash-only organisation with all the challenges that brings in a Coronavirus world, we have been able to offer our garden owners the option to have a card reader on their open day with all the benefits this brings for them and their visitors who now have the option to pay by card. SumUp have dealt with and supported our order for 1,000 card readers and our complicated financial reporting structure brilliantly. 

“At a stroke we have gone from being a financial dinosaur to being properly up to date with the offering for our customers. SumUp’s generous support for our event at Chilworth Manor and enabling us to use the card readers at our wider fundraising events is the icing on the cake.”

Commenting, Umberto Zola, Country Growth Lead UK at SumUp, said:

“SumUp is delighted to support the UK’s charitable sector through our partnership with the National Garden Scheme and CollecTin. It is only right to make our technology and network available to the people that provide care and support to people in need. Supporters of the National Garden Scheme are funding incredible work and we at SumUp are only too happy to help in any way we can.”

The partnership between SumUp and CollectIn (www.collectin.com) means that charitable donations are as effortless as buying a coffee. In a single deft motion, you can now change someone’s life, fund invaluable research, and provide support to some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Events such as those organised by the National Garden Scheme are central to the charity’s long-term health and success, as it supports numerous charities such as the Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. 

- SGT Capital to purchase Utimaco, the global leading provider of mission-critical professional cybersecurity and data intelligence solutions for regulated critical infrastructures

- Co-headquartered in Aachen, Germany, and Campbell, CA, US, Utimaco provides on-premises and cloud-based hardware security modules, as well as key management solutions and compliance solutions for governments and corporations globally

- Utimaco has more than 470 employees around the globe and with its focus on protecting data, identities and critical infrastructures against cyber-crime, the Company is a crucial force in contributing to making the world and societies a safer place

SGT Capital is pleased to announce that the EQT Mid Market Europe fund ("EQT Private Equity") has agreed to sell Utimaco Verwaltungs GmbH ("Utimaco" or the "Company") to SGT Capital, a global alternative asset manager with offices in Germany and Singapore.

Headquartered in Aachen, Germany, and Campbell, CA, US, Utimaco is the leading platform provider of trusted cybersecurity and compliance solutions and services. The Company provides on-premises and cloud-based hardware security modules, as well as key management solutions and data intelligence solutions for regulated critical infrastructures. Utimaco has more than 470 employees around the globe and with its focus on protecting data, identities and critical infrastructures against cyber-crime, the Company is a crucial force in contributing to making the world and societies a safer place.

Joseph Pacini, Co-Managing Partner of SGT Capital, said: "Utimaco is the clear market leader in global cybersecurity as well as data intelligence solutions and has executed an impressive innovation, growth and M&A strategy. We look forward to working with Stefan Auerbach and the entire Utimaco team as well as EQT Private Equity and Bain Capital Credit going forwards."

Florian Funk, Partner within EQT Private Equity's Advisory Team, said: "Utimaco plays a crucial role in fighting cyber-crime making the world a safer place. We would like to thank all employees for this exciting journey - we are convinced that Utimaco will continue its successful path with its new majority owner and are happy to stay invested as a minority owner."

Tom Maughan, Head of Private Credit in Europe for Bain Capital Credit, said: "We have been very impressed with the performance of Utimaco over the last few years. Bain Capital is delighted to support SGT Capital in their investment and to continue to work alongside this talented management team led by Stefan Auerbach. "

Stefan Auerbach, CEO of Utimaco, said: "In the last years, we have built a global platform leader for trusted cybersecurity solutions, providing the highest level of security and compliance to the world's largest corporates and governments. We look forward to the next phase of growth together with SGT Capital."

Carsten Geyer, Co-Managing Partner of SGT Capital, said: "Utimaco clearly fits within the SGT Capital business model of investing in market leading business with excellent executives and significant future global growth potential – particularly into high growth regions such as Asia. We look forward to opening up doors of success together with the Utimaco team, EQT Private Equity and Bain Capital Credit."

The transaction is subject to regulatory conditions and approvals and is expected to close in Q4 2021. The parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction value.

SGT Capital was advised by E&Y (commercial/technology, financial, tax) and Willkie Farr Gallagher (legal). Bain Capital Credit provided the financing for this transaction.

A new digital cash service offering fast-tracked payments for emergency use is being pioneered for local councils and charities through The Post Office.

The digital concept has been developed by Eastbourne-based security-print company Zunoma. It provides cash relief to people facing financial hardship without the need for a bank account. Currently, eight councils across the country use the Payout NOW! service.

Payout NOW! was developed with the Post Office to allow individuals to withdraw emergency cash. It allows local authorities, charities, and businesses to send a payment digitally through an emergency barcode via SMS, email, or a printed voucher. The cash is immediately ready for collection at any one of 11,500 Post Office branches. 

Steve Hancock, Director of I.T. and Digital Services at Zunoma, said: “In this day and age we are increasingly reliant on digital accessibility and because of this, digital security is vital.

“The Payout NOW! process is simple, secure and flexible, with the ability to give anonymity to the payee. The emergency barcode is a protected solution for councils to provide funds to those facing any emergencies, be it medical, homelessness or child support payments. As innovators we are proud to offer this service across the country.”

Andy Locker, Commercial & Product Manager at The Post Office, said: “The Post Office Payout® service is a cash payment gateway specifically designed to simplify the sending of emergency cash payments to vulnerable people, and is commonly used by businesses to issue payments, incentives, energy top-ups or refunds to customers, without the associated time and cost of issuing cheques or organising payment transfers.

“Zunoma helped to develop and host Payout NOW! which is an extended version of Payout® that enables local authorities to digitally release funds without the need of paperwork, which makes it more accessible to the individual.”

The Post Office Payout® / Payout NOW! service uses identity verification, single use barcoded vouchers, and unique reference codes that provide real time connectivity to any Post Office counter system

Chip, the digital savings app, has analysed the demographics and behaviours of its 350,000 users to find a record number of female investors as well as trends that not only indicate a higher appetite for risk among women compared to typical data but also a strong uptake in Environmental, Social, and Governance (or ESG) investing.

Chip has given cash savers access to greater possible returns through its new investment fund offering earlier this summer. The company is aiming to give users the control of a savings product as well as access to the returns potential of investing.

The fintech, which last month launched the hotly-anticipated ChipX plan, bringing even more new BlackRock funds to its users, found that close to a third - or 27% - of its investors are women. This is 17% higher than the national average reported by the Office for National Statistics and significantly higher (in some cases 80% and 42% more) than some of the figures reported by single-share trading platforms.

Chip also found that 46% of its female investors have a Stocks & Shares ISA - nearly four times more than the UK average of 12%, as reported by Boring Money.

The analysis of specific funds women choose to invest in found that the top five funds most popular among female investors are:

1. Balanced (official name BlackRock Consensus 60 - Acc (D)
2. Ethical X (official name MyMap 5 Select ESG Fund)
3. Cautious X (official name MyMap 4)
4. Clean Energy (official name iShares Global Clean Energy UCITS ETF)
5. Emerging Markets (official name BlackRock Emerging Markets Fund)  

For contrast, the most popular funds among male investors are:

1. Cautious (official name Blackrock Consensus 35 - Acc (D)
2. Healthcare Innovation (official name iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF)
3. Balanced X (official name MyMap 5)
4. Adventurous X (official name MyMap 6)
5. Adventurous (official name BlackRock Consensus 85 - Acc (D)

The above findings suggest that the traditional notion that women adopt a more conservative and cautious approach while men tend to have more appetite for risk, including investing in new and untested shares, is becoming increasingly outdated.  
Instead, Chip’s data suggests that the most popular fund among men is Cautious - one of the lowest risk funds from Chip’s core investment offering. It’s closely followed by Healthcare Innovation showing a leaning towards moderate risk investing and interest in timely and topical thematic funds.

For women, Balanced and Ethical X funds came out on top, showing a leaning towards ESG funds and suggesting that women are more open to taking investment risk than typical data indicates.

Simon Rabin, CEO of Chip, commented: “Our goal is to democratise savings and investments. I believe that everyone should have access to tools that can effortlessly take their savings to the next level and help grow their wealth. This includes levelling out the playing field, which has traditionally skewed male.”

“We want to show that investing is no longer an elite, exclusive world dominated by dusty legacy wealth managers or macho crypto-trading “bros”. Investing is a tool everyone should consider using. I hope that by removing barriers in the form of mountains of paperwork, overly complicated interfaces and complex language, we can empower absolutely everyone to put their money to work.”

UK retail investors favour trading and investing in stocks and shares online over low-interest savings accounts, and they prefer to do it themselves rather than use an IFA

According to the findings of a new survey, people in the UK are choosing to trade and invest in stocks and shares online rather than receive potential returns from savings accounts with all-time low-interest rates.

The poll of 2,000 people across the UK, commissioned by Capital.com and conducted by OnePoll, also reveals that people in the UK are choosing to trade online themselves because they cannot afford to use an IFA and believe that banks charge too much to manage investments.

Four in ten respondents (38%) are trading or investing in stocks and shares online at home or have done so in the past, and a fifth (21%) are considering it, according to the survey.

More than half (52%) of those respondents say that they decided to do this because the potential returns are better than savings rates offered by banks. A further 44% believe that online trading is a convenient way to make some extra income.

The main reasons given for choosing to do the trading online are that it is cheaper to do it themselves than to go through a traditional bank (37%) and they cannot afford an IFA (35%).

Respondents’ reasons for choosing to trade stocks and shares online include planning for the longer term and saving for retirement or their future (41%) and trying to make up for lost earnings due to covid-19 (24%). Also, some have chosen to do this because global stocks are experiencing a bull run and they do not want to miss out (21%) and others took the plunge because they saw the headlines about GameStop armchair investors (20%).

Asked to choose how they would invest £1,000, trading in stocks and shares featured in the top three choices for 26% of respondents, just behind ISAs (29%) and savings accounts (36%).

Jonathan Squires, CEO of Capital.com, said: “This independent national survey reveals people's genuine concern about their financial futures. But even as savings rates remain low and questions persist about how they can make their money grow, it is important that people understand the different risks associated with online trading versus a savings account. Savings shouldn’t replace trading and people should only trade what they can afford to lose and even then, they should invest with the long-term in mind.

“The survey also raises the important question about whether traditional sources of financial management are offering value for money. There is a clear willingness for people to take matters into their own hands by trading and investing in stocks and shares directly online, themselves. The internet has broken down barriers to education and investing, making it easier for people to find information online.”

The survey also reveals a stark age divide in online trading experience levels. Respondents from the Gen Z cohort (18-24) indicated that they feel they are the most experienced when it comes to trading, with 32% describing their investing or trading experience as professional, followed closely by 20% of millennials (25-40).

But only 7% of Gen X aged people (41-56) and just 2% of baby boomers (57-75) think that they have a professional level of trading experience. The oldest respondents aged 76 plus state they have novice-level or zero trading experience (72%), followed by 65% of baby boomers, 56% of Gen X, 43% of millennials and 29% of Gen Z.

Mr Squires added: “Long gone are the days when trading was the sole preserve of pinstriped suites in the square mile – technology is allowing ever more people the chance to trade. As a mobile-first generation, millennials and Gen Z are likely to hone their skills using trading tools and resources that are easily accessible via apps and websites. Education remains key to ensuring safe and responsible trading, especially if you are young and just starting out.”

The survey also reveals a gender divide, with 47% of male respondents either currently trading in stock or shares or having done so in the past, compared with 29% of women. However, the same number (21% of men and 20% of women) are considering doing so in the future.

Among those who said that they would not trade stocks and shares online, 48% said that they did not know enough about online trading to do it themselves while 20% said they were afraid of being charged a lot of fees to trade online. Only 7% said they wouldn't trade online themselves because they only trust IFAs or banks to do so and 59% said they don’t trade online themselves because they consider it too risky.