Is Decentralized Finance Safe? What You Should Know?

pandora 27 9 月

5 minutes

Estonia / SEAPRWire / September 27, 2021 / – It is understandable that many savers and investors, especially those new to digital assets, are unsure about the safety of decentralized finance (DeFi). Cryptocurrencies as a whole remain an innovative area of finance, and DeFi is a greater innovation still, albeit one that is rapidly growing in popularity. Users are naturally attracted to DeFi by the high, stable APYs available on investment strategies, particularly on stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat money, such as USD Coin (USDC) and USD Tether (USDT), both pegged to the US dollar. DeFi has the power to transform the way we interact with our finances, including the way we bank, borrow, lend, and so much more. But perhaps for some these APYs – often 10% or more – make DeFi look even more suspicious. How can a stable passive income of 10% or more per annum be safe and reliable? It is natural to be skeptical, especially when it comes to such a nascent area of the market. Though the DeFi segment has now grown to more than $100 billion in managed assets, it remains a small part of the crypto universe, with the overall cryptocurrency market cap sitting at nearly $2 trillion (a...

Metech Enters Into Joint Venture to Manufacture and Distribute Lab-Grown Diamonds

pandora 27 9 月

5 minutes

– A lab-grown diamond is a diamond: chemically, physically and optically identical to a mined diamond– Strong market prospects in lab-grown diamonds that are driven by environmental, sustainability and ethical concerns of mined diamonds– New business venture is aligned with Metech’s environmental and sustainability business model and creates new growth drivers for the Group Singapore, Sept 26, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – SGX-listed Metech International Limited (“Metech” or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Asian Green Tech Pte. Ltd (“AGT”), has entered into a joint venture agreement (“JVA”) with X Diamond Capital Pte. Ltd. (“XDC”) on 24 September 2021 to establish a joint venture, pursuant to which AGT and XDC (collectively, the “Parties”) will incorporate a joint venture company (“JV Company”) in Singapore to carry out the business of manufacturing and distribution of lab-grown diamonds (the “Joint Venture”). Under the JVA, AGT shall operate and manage the JV Company while XDC shall provide technical support to the JV Company. The Rising Popularity and Applications of Lab-Grown Diamonds A lab-grown...

Participation in Japan Automotive Model-Based Engineering Center

ruth 27 9 月

4 minutes

TOKYO, Sep 27, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Five Japanese automobile manufacturers (SUBARU CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Mazda Motor Corporation) and five parts manufacturers (AISIN CORPORATION, JATCO Ltd, DENSO CORPORATION, Panasonic Corporation, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation) will be filling the role of executive member in the Japan Automotive Model-Based Engineering center (JAMBE), which went public.. JAMBE's mission is to promote Model-Based Development (MBD)(1) across Japan's automotive industry.The center was founded to fulfill the purpose of creating the most-advanced development community in the mobility sector, able to carry out optimal and high-grade Monozukuri efficiently and without rework. Primarily consisting of private companies, the center succeeds an initiative led by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry called "Enrichment of Suriawase 2.0*2" -- an industry-academia-government and strategic future policy for MBD in the automobile industry - which had been compiled as a result of discussions conducted by the Study Group for Ideal Approaches to Model Utilization in the Automobil...

Hyundai scion Chung turns to leveraged buyouts for green impact fund

elean 27 9 月

5 minutes

SEOUL (BLOOMBERG) - In the world of finance, leveraged buyouts are sometimes seen as controversial - the domain of fictional villain Gordon Gekko from "Wall Street" - where firms borrow large sums of money to buy their targets. But Kyungsun Chung, a grandson of the Hyundai Motor empire founder Chung Ju Yung, is hoping to combine leveraged buyouts with his connections to some of Asia's most powerful clans to drive impact investments that generate a profit but also do environmental, social and governance good. Where most ESG funds try to use slightly cheaper loans or minority stakes and shareholder votes to encourage companies to get greener, Mr Chung's Singapore-based Sylvan Capital wants to buy control of established businesses to force change from within. It's aiming to close an inaugural US$400 million to US$500 million fund by next year, with more than half of that already committed from at least three regional conglomerates before official fundraising begins. It's an idea with few precedents that could help spark a new way to improve the environment and society faster. But with impact investments often coming with added risks, borrowing money to impose 'green' business ideas co...

Evergrande electric car unit ends proposed Shanghai star board listing

elean 27 9 月

2 minutes

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) - China Evergrande Group's electric car unit will not proceed with its proposed issue of yuan-denominated shares on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The Hong Kong-listed unit of troubled China Evergrande Group and Haitong Securities have agreed to drop the listing after "due and careful consideration", the statement said, without giving further details. The decision adds more uncertainty to the company's liquidity situation after it said late on Friday (Sept 24) that it "is encountering a serious shortage of funds" and "has suspended paying some of its operating expenses and some suppliers have suspended supplying for projects". The company said it could not guarantee that it can meet its financial obligations as it keeps hunting for strategic investors. In September last year, the company's board proposed to issue no more than 1.6 billion A shares and pledged to use the proceeds to fund new-energy vehicle projects and working-capital replenishment. Officially created when Evergrande Health changed its name to Evergrande NEV in July last year, the company bills it...

Crypto Financial Services Firm Blofin Raises US$12 Million Series A2 Led by KuCoin Eco Fund

indie 27 9 月

2 minutes

BEIJING, Sep 27, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Crypto financial services firm Blofin has raised US$12 million in a series A2 round of financing, led by KuCoin Eco Fund, followed by Matrix Partners, Lingfeng Capital and Fenbushi Capital. In March of this year, Blofin finished a US$10 million A+ round of financing led by SIG and Matrix Partners.At present, Blofin's current global assets under management (AUM) has reached US$150 million. As a Cayman Island registered crypto finance service agency, its proprietary quantitative database covers over 50+ exchanges worldwide through real-time data and is connected with over 200 global quantitative trading teams.Blofin also provides crypto asset management services by focusing on small and medium sized Quantitative Hedge Funds to provide capital investments, lower trading fees, and other financial services.With this new round of financing, Blofin will onboard more talent to develop new products and apply for more licenses globally. Blofin obtained the US federal MSB license (the last four digits are 0143) signed by FinCEN two weeks ago. Blofin is close to securing additional digital asset management licenses for Hong Kong, Singa...

Manpower, material constraints behind cost spike for construction firms

elean 27 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Manpower and building material costs in the construction sector have spiked since the Covid-19 pandemic began, delaying projects and hitting the cash flow for companies in the supply chain. Here are the main costs companies are grappling with: 1. Salaries Before the pandemic, a basic-skilled worker earned about $800 a month, The Straits Times understands. Higher-skilled workers earned $1,600. But there has been a shortage of workers over the past year due to tighter border rules and safe management measures. Companies with workers whose work permits have expired have also faced difficulties renewing them. As a result, salaries have gone up by 10 per cent to 50 per cent as companies compete for a shrinking pool of manpower. Poaching workers with the promise of higher pay has become more common. The Singapore Contractors Association (Scal) said that average wage costs have gone up 46 per cent for similar jobs compared with pre-pandemic times. 2. Foreign worker levies Contractors are also feeling the pinch from foreign worker levies, which range from $300 to $950 a month, depending on a worker's skill level. The levy rebate for eligible building workers rose from $90 a mon...

‘Things just went south’: Construction firms under pressure as pandemic bites deep

elean 27 9 月

8 minutes

SINGAPORE - As construction costs soar ever higher, it has become a case of every man for himself, as contractor Choo Zhan Rui has seen all too well. Five subcontractors quit on a residential project he is building in Sengkang after they failed to get their existing contracts repriced to cope with skyrocketing labour and raw material costs. He even took legal action against one to recover the $900,000 in costs to hire a replacement but was unsuccessful. Mr Choo, 28, acknowledges that subcontractors have good reason to a jump ship: "Some new building contracts pay so much better. Why hang on to projects that are losing money? Even if I sue them, by the time I win the case, the subcontractor would have folded. Will I get the desired outcome?" Singapore's construction industry has been facing mounting challenges amid the pandemic, from acute labour shortage to skyrocketing material costs, resulting in some firms going under. In the first eight months of this year, Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) data showed that 1,538 business entities in the construction sector had ceased operations. This represents about 2.86 per cent of the total number of construction business...

Contractors may face contractual disputes, claims as Covid-19 legal respite ends

elean 27 9 月

6 minutes

SINGAPORE - Contractors in Singapore could face yet another hurdle next month, after the temporary relief period protecting them from claims and other legal proceedings expires. Lawyers told The Straits Times that there are signs of lawsuits brewing, with contractors preparing for contract disputes when the relief period under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act ends on Sept 30. As a result, companies that are financially weak could go under, with many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) likely to face financial distress, said lawyer Keith Han, partner and co-head of the restructuring and insolvency practice at Oon & Bazul. This will likely affect major construction projects and the sector at large, although the extent of the impact will depend on the degree of forbearance exercised by creditors such as banks and financial institutions, he added. "At the very least, though, we may see some delays in projects caused by key sub-contractors going bust," said Mr Han. The construction industry has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many firms grappling with acute manpower shortages, rising construction costs and reduced cash flow. Up to this point in time, the temporar...

研究者公布有关多格列艾汀糖尿病缓解的重要研究

tallulah 26 9 月

1 minute

SHANGHAI, Sep 26, 2021 - (亚太商讯 via SEAPRWire.com) - 华领医药（「公司」，香港联交所股份代号：2552.HK）今天宣布，在苏州举办的第六届中国医药创新与投资大会（The China BioMed Innovation and Investment Conference，以下简称CBIIC）上，中华医学会糖尿病学分会常委、南京市第一医院内分泌科主任马建华教授作为主要研究者之一，公布了一项名为DREAM的临床研究结果，研究显示华领医药全球首创新药葡萄糖激酶激活剂多格列艾汀(dorzagliatin) 有望在糖尿病缓解方面取得进展。DREAM研究是一项由参与SEED研究（播种研究，又称HMM0301）的部分研究者发起的，非药物干预的观察性临床研究。 SEED研究是一项多格列艾汀单药治疗III期注册临床研究，在新诊断未用降糖药治疗的2型糖尿病患者中展开，观察多格列艾汀单药治疗的长期疗效和安全性。 DREAM研究主要考察参与SEED研究的患者血糖达标后，在不服用任何降糖药物、仅采用生活方式干预的情况下，其后至少52周的糖尿病控制情况，观察其血糖能否维持在正常或接近正常水平，以探索多格列艾汀停药后对糖尿病缓解的作用。DREAM研究在中国5家研究中心、共69名患者中开展。研究者综合评价受试者情况，设定其HbA1c个体控制目标，研究结果显示，研究期内，受试者52周糖尿病缓解率为65.2%（置信水平95%，置信区间53.4%～77.0%）[1]。马建华教授表示：「多格列艾汀作为全新的葡萄糖激酶激活剂类药物，可以有效改善胰岛素早相分泌，改善β细胞功能和胰岛素抵抗。在此前的SEED研究中，多格列艾汀单药治疗也表现出长期稳定疗效和良好的安全性。DREAM研究再次展现出积极的研究结果，患者经过多格列艾汀治疗血糖达标后，在停药状态下，血糖情况和β细胞功能仍能够维持，这一成果有助于我们更加深入地了解糖尿病缓解的机制，并在临床治疗中为患者寻求更为有力的治疗手段。DREAM研究探索了口服用药在糖尿病缓解中的可能性，对于拓展2型糖尿病的治疗方案具有重要意义。」本次CBIIC上，除了DREAM研究成果，华领医药CEO、创始人、首席科学官陈力博士还在上市公司专场中对2型糖尿病的药物治疗格局进行了分析，并分享了华领医药的发展经验和未来发展展望。陈力博士表示：「中国是全球糖尿病患者最多的国家，2型糖尿病患者数量已经超过1.2亿。根据2020年中国研究者BMJ上发表的流行病学研究，2015-2017年中国大陆糖尿病和糖尿病前期发病率分别为12.8%和35.2%，糖尿病防控已经成为关系国计民生的重要战略任务。近日美国糖尿病协会发布的关于糖尿病缓解的共识报告，再次引发了临床医生和新药开发者对于避免糖尿病成为终身疾病的思考。DREAM研究的积极结果增强了我们根...

Researchers Present Key Research Results on Diabetes Remission of Dorzagliatin

indie 26 9 月

6 minutes

SHANGHAI, Sep 26, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Hua Medicine ("Hua Medicine"; SEHK: 2552) today announced that at the 6th China BioMed Innovation and Investment Conference held September 25-27 in Suzhou, China (the "CBIIC"), Professor Jianhua MA, Director of the Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing First Hospital, Standing Member of the Chinese Diabetes Society, as one of the principal researchers, presented the results from a clinical study called DREAM, which showed that dorzagliatin, a glucokinase activator and a first-in-class investigational drug of Hua Medicine, may make progress in diabetes remission.The DREAM study is an observational, non-pharmacologic and non-interventional clinical study initiated by certain researchers participating in the SEED study (also known as HMM0301). The SEED study is a Phase III registered clinical study of dorzagliatin monotherapy in drug-naive Type 2 diabetes patients to observe its long-term efficacy and safety. The main objective of the DREAM study is to evaluate the ability of Type 2 diabetes patients who participated in our SEED Study and achieved glycemic control as defined by investigators, to maintain normal to near-normal ...

Explore three new heritage trails in Sembawang

aseanpr 26 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Sembawang may be better known for its natural hot spring, but three new heritage trails launched on Sunday (Sept 26) will shed light on the area's naval history and the mosaic of cultures there. The trails span a total of 20km, and were curated by grassroots volunteers at Sembawang GRC and the National Heritage Board. The area's five MPs - Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Vikram Nair - officiated at the trails' launch event at Sembawang Park. Each of the self-guided trails, which members of the public can explore using maps found on roots.gov.sg, covers a different aspect of the region's history. The 7km-long Historical Landmarks of Sembawang trail, for instance, will guide participants on a journey through time, featuring sights that mark the major milestones of the area. These include, for example, the Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple. The origins of the temple can be traced back to 1962, when Hindu dockyard workers of the former Sembawang Naval Base first built a small shrine under a tree near Canberra Road. The temple relocated to its current site in 1996. The trail will also take history buffs to the "Sembawan...

Woman who stayed with abusive hubby for 40 years shows need to beef up laws against family violence

aseanpr 26 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - A housewife in her 60s stuck it out with her abusive husband, who rained blows on her over 40 years. This man bashed her until she miscarried in their earlier days of marriage and, more recently, fractured her rib cage. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Singapore’s first priority is its Covid-19 situation at home, says Vivian Balakrishnan

aseanpr 26 9 月

2 minutes

WASHINGTON - Singapore's first priority is to control the Covid-19 pandemic at home and ensure healthcare facilities are not overwhelmed, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said. The issue of relaxation of travel curbs with Asean is being actively discussed, he told The Straits Times on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday (Sept 25). "For a start, we've got to settle mutual recognition of health certificates, vaccine certificates, that's in a sense making sure our digital systems, our ability to verify records, are in place," Dr Balakrishnan said. "The second step is to actually decide when and how we can actually liberalise and allow travel. This is a much more difficult point, because even in the case of Singapore, these decisions whether to open or tighten depend very much on the domestic situation at that point in time." "Right now is the time to be careful," he added. He said the Singapore Government has had to introduce more measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the country, to not overload its medical facilities. UN General Assembly: Vivian Balakrishnan urges urgent multilateral action to address digital divid...

Students in quarantine or on approved Covid-19 absence may still take national exams: MOE

aseanpr 26 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Quarantined students are allowed to take their national examinations this year if they wish to, subject to stringent criteria, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) in a statement on Sunday (Sept 26). They have to test negative for Covid-19 with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the start of the quarantine order, and complete a self-swab with antigen rapid test (ART) kits at home and test negative within 24 hours before each examination paper. Travel arrangements to their exam venue must be by private transport or on foot, with no stops between their place of residence and exam venue. The schools have to be informed that they are taking the particular paper so the exam venue can be prepared. Other measures include: The rooms used for quarantined candidates will be separate from the rest of the cohort and will be thoroughly wiped down after the exams. The students will be seated 3m apart in exam-style seating and have designated entry and exit points and restrooms. They will start the exams 30 minutes after the scheduled start time for the rest of the cohort. These measures will ensure the safety of candidates...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Sept 26

aseanpr 26 9 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Sept 26. 1,443 new Covid-19 cases in S'pore, 3 more seniors die The total number of fatalities in September now stands at 21. READ MORE HERE Johor ramps up vaccination in hopes of reopening border with Singapore The state government in Johor is launching a vaccination plan for Malaysians who used to cross into Singapore daily. READ MORE HERE Release of Huawei's Meng a step towards better US-China ties, Beijing's CPTPP goal But there still remains a raft of issues to be resolved between the world's two largest economies. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Lunch with Sumiko: Noeleen Heyzer on marriage, feminism and how she rose up the UN career ladder Noeleen Heyzer's memoir looks back at how she overcame a difficult childhood to scale the career ladder at the United Nations. READ MORE HERE Employers not allowed to ask staff with positive ART result to come to work even if they feel well Employees who are physically well are advised to self-isolate at home for 72 hours, and then do another ART test. READ MORE HERE Are certain neighbourhoods more prone to being ...

Key car show in Europe goes green

elean 26 9 月

5 minutes

MUNICH (NYTIMES) - Before the pandemic, German car shows looked like this: Automakers competed to occupy the most floor space. Gleaming new models were unveiled to the accompaniment of cheesy light shows. Throngs of mostly male visitors ogled displays of the latest in horsepower and luxury from Wolfsburg, Munich and Stuttgart. But the throngs had been thinning out even before the pandemic brought mass gatherings to a halt. Europe's first major car show in two years, which opened in Munich recently, looks like this: The latest models are being exhibited in outdoor plazas rather than expensive pavilions. Serious discussions on topics such as autonomous driving have replaced light shows. And bicycles are on display. (Yes, bicycles.) What used to be known as the Frankfurt International Motor Show has moved to Munich and been rebranded IAA Mobility. (IAA stands for Internationale Automobil Ausstellung, or International Automobile Exhibition.) All forms of transportation are now welcome, regardless of their propulsion methods. The German Association of the Automotive Industry, which organises the show every two years, is responding to changes in technology as well as the increasing aware...

3 tips on managing money in a pandemic

elean 26 9 月

6 minutes

(NYTIMES) - Maybe you lost your job. Maybe your hours were cut. Or maybe you had to take over caregiving responsibilities. If your income fell precipitously in the past 18 months - even if things have become better - it is an uncertain time. High inflation in some sectors does not help, and neither do rising housing costs. Yet jobs - though maybe not the ones that hotel and restaurant workers, theatre people and small business owners had before - have been increasingly available in many parts of the country, though job growth has slowed recently. No two situations are exactly alike, but when you have been on edge - emotionally and financially - for this long, it is especially important to conduct three types of check-ins. First, find another human to talk to who has seen more (and hopefully knows more) than you. Then, do a quick nuts-and-bolts audit of your financial standing. Finally, check in on your feelings - which can influence how you plot a recovery from a pandemic that has permanently expanded our understanding of what qualifies as a volatile industry. 1. Everyone can use a good financial planner They are a reliable source of guidance, but you may not be able to afford one ...

Does high inequality lower interest rates?

elean 26 9 月

5 minutes

(NYTIMES) - The Federal Reserve's low interest rate policies and other steps meant to boost the economy are driving the value of stocks and other assets to the moon and thus are a major cause of high wealth inequality. New evidence suggests high inequality is the cause, not the result, of the low interest rates and high asset prices evident in recent years. That is a provocative implication of new research by Dr Atif Mian of Princeton, Dr Ludwig Straub of Harvard and Dr Amir Sufi of the University of Chicago. The research looks at two leading explanations: the demographic effects of the baby boom generation's accumulation of retirement savings and the effects of higher inequality, given the fact that rich people save a larger share of their income than the middle class and the poor. They found that the role of higher inequality was far more important than that of demographics. It's not that the high earners increased their savings rates. Rather, they were winning a bigger piece of the economic pie; by the researchers' calculations, the share of income going to the top 10 per cent of earners rose to more than 45 per cent in recent years, up from about 30 per cent in the early 1970s....

Bitcoin uses more energy than some countries

elean 26 9 月

5 minutes

(NYTIMES) - Cryptocurrencies have emerged as one of the most captivating, yet head-scratching, investments in the world. They soar in value. They crash. They'll change the world, their fans claim, by displacing traditional currencies like the dollar, rupee or ruble. And in the process of simply existing, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, one of the most popular, use astonishing amounts of electricity. The process of creating Bitcoin consumes around 96 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, more than is used by the Philippines, a nation of about 110 million. That usage, which is close to half a per cent of all the electricity consumed in the world, has increased about tenfold in just the past five years. The Bitcoin network uses about the same amount of electricity as Washington state does in a year. And more than one-third of what residential cooling in the United States uses up. Indeed, it uses up more than seven times as much electricity as all of Google's global operations. Why is it so energy-intensive? For a long time, money has been thought of as something you can hold in your hand - say, a dollar bill. A government prints some paper and guarantees its value. On the Internet, t...

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