Latest news with #CASP
RTÉ News
24-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Tusla referred 19 deaths of children to review panel in 2024
Nineteen deaths of children between infancy and 20 years of age were notified to the National Review Panel (NRP) by Tusla last year. The NRP conducts reviews of instances where children in care, in aftercare or known to child protection services, die or experience serious incidents. None of the deaths referred to the NRP by Tusla last year related to children in care. Two related to young people receiving aftercare services and the remaining 17 notifications related to children or young people who were living with their families in the community. Of the 19 deaths notified in 2024; eight died because of natural causes; four died by suicide; two were accidental and five were classified as unknown (where the coroner/post-mortem has not reached a conclusion as to cause of death). Most deaths occurred in two age cohorts, infants under 12 months (13 in total) and those aged between 11 years and 16-years (four in total). There are six recommendations included in the report, including a suggestion that Tusla develop a national policy and strategy to address the mental health needs of children in care. It also recommends that when reviews are conducted on the Child Abuse Substantiation Procedure (CASP) - which is the process to investigate allegations of child abuse - the level of adherence to correct procedure when the alleged victim and perpetrator live in different areas should be examined. The NRP suggests that Tusla and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth review Children First guidance on the key functions of Tusla to mandate it as the lead agency in managing and coordinating inter-agency care planning. It has pointed to cases where the assessment of harm to a child or young person arising from their own actions is high (i.e. life threatening), combined with concerns about a parent's ability to cope with and manage this risk. Other recommendations include that Tusla develop guidance for the management of Child Welfare - High Priority cases with partner agencies and in particular the HSE's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). It also says Tusla should take steps to audit and establish if Medium Priority child welfare cases is an "appropriate classification" where children or young people are at risk and that the Joint Protocol for Interagency Working needs further revision to assist in the management of contested cases. NRP Chairperson Dr Helen Buckley has expressed her sincere sympathy to those affected by the deaths of the children and young people reviewed by the National Review Panel in 2024. "As with previous years, suicide is one of the biggest factors in the death of young people and a stronger inter-agency approach is needed to fully support our young people experiencing mental health difficulties," she said.
Cision Canada
16-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Intellistake Technologies Corp. Secures Exclusive Partnership with Established $90M USD Digital Assets Under Management Asset Firm Singularity Venture Hub with $250M+ USD Token Portfolio for Institutional Custody Services
• $90M USD in digital assets under management by Singularity Venture Hub ("SVH") • $250M USD in valuation of projects incubated for SVH clients • Swiss VASP/CASP licensing for trading and custody operations • SVH operates institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure powered by Fireblocks, the industry-leading custody platform that has processed over $10 trillion in transactions for 1,800+ institutional clients across 100+ supported blockchains VANCOUVER, BC, July 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Intellistake Technologies Corp. (CSE: ISTK) (OTC: GFCOF) (FSE: 3KZ) (" Intellistake" or the" Company"), a technology company focused on decentralized artificial intelligence and blockchain infrastructure, is pleased to announce the execution of an exclusive strategic partnership agreement with Singularity Venture Hub (" SVH"), a premier AI-Web3 venture accelerator managing over $90 million USD in digital assets and specializing in blockchain innovations and digital asset management 1. Under this exclusive partnership framework, Singularity Venture Hub will manage digital asset operations for Intellistake and serve as the Company's supporting partner for security, custody, and treasury management. Singularity Venture Hub brings significant expertise and infrastructure to this partnership, operating as "The AI-Web3 Venture Hub" with comprehensive regulatory compliance including Swiss VASP/CASP licensing for Singularity TM AG trading and custody operations, and Cook Island VASP registration for Singularity Hub. Based in Switzerland with global regulatory frameworks, Singularity TM AG has an established track record in incubation and token launches, including utility tokens and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization projects, with over $250 million USD in combined fully diluted valuation of incubating clients and 20+ clients in their incubation program 2, providing Intellistake with access to proven capabilities across the complete project lifecycle from ideation and corporate setup through token launches, community building, and post-launch market support. SVH operates institutional-grade digital asset infrastructure powered by Fireblocks, the industry-leading custody platform that has processed over $10 trillion USD in transactions for 1,800+ institutional clients across 100+ supported blockchains 3. This ensures Intellistake's assets will be secured through institutional-grade infrastructure with comprehensive protection protocols. With over $90 million USD in assets under management and 24/7 global team coverage¹, SVH delivers proven results with institutional-grade treasury management capabilities. The partnership positions Intellistake to leverage SVH's established ecosystem of next-generation AI and blockchain companies, providing access to a network of disruptive technologies and partnerships that align with Intellistake's mission of democratizing access to decentralized AI infrastructure. "This exclusive partnership with Singularity Venture Hub represents a significant step forward for Intellistake," said Jason Dussault, CEO of Intellistake Technologies Corp."Having a proven digital asset management and custody partner strengthens our operational capabilities and provides the foundation we need to advance our growth strategy." The partnership comes at a critical time as the convergence of AI and blockchain technologies creates opportunities. The Global AI Crypto Market size is expected to be worth around 46.9 Billion USD by 2034, from 3.7 billion USD in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 28.9% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2034 4. The tokenized real-world assets (RWA) market is also experiencing expansion, growing from $5 billion USD in 2022 to over $24 billion USD by June 2025. Leading analysts from RedStone, Gauntlet, and project the tokenized RWA market could reach $16-30 trillion by 2034, with major institutions like BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Franklin Templeton now issuing production-scale tokenized funds on public blockchains 5. "The timing is right for this partnership as institutional adoption of digital assets continues to accelerate," added Gregory Cowles, Chief Strategy Officer of Intellistake. "Having a regulated, experienced partner like SVH strengthens our operations and provides the institutional-grade infrastructure our growth strategy requires." "As the convergence between crypto markets and traditional capital markets enters a new phase of acceleration, we're excited to partner with pioneering institutions like Intellistake—leaders who approach this space with an institutional-grade, compliant, and infrastructure-focused mindset. said Mario Casiraghi, Founder and CEO of Singularity Venture Hub. What sets Intellistake apart is their forward-looking strategy: not only engaging with the surface-level opportunity but going deeper by integrating native Web3 capabilities through partnerships like Venture Hub and focusing on high-growth, high-impact sectors of the market." The partnership is effective immediately, Intellistake will maintain its focus on providing simplified access to decentralized AI infrastructure for traditional investors while leveraging SVH's expertise to expand its capabilities in digital asset management, and blockchain infrastructure development. Intellistake has very recently completed the change of business transaction and is presently at an early stage of development. It has not yet acquired any digital assets, nor has it commenced validator and staking operations. It has also not yet developed any AI technology solutions. With the change of business completed it will now commence the execution of the business plan described in the Listing Statement dated June 30, 2025 and filed with the Canadian Securities Exchange and on SEDAR+ at It is important to note that as with any investment there are risks including that digital assets remain an emerging assets class with government regulation still under development, there has been significant volatility in digital assets and their value can decline rapidly, historical performance of digital assets in not indicative of their future performance and global digital asset demand may not continue to increase due to global financial conditions and other factors. Intellistake is a start-up that does not have the same access to capital as other larger more established companies. Please refer to "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information" and the Listing Statement for additional details on the risks associated with the Company's business. About Intellistake For additional information on the business of Intellistake please refer to Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" concerning anticipated developments and events related to the Company that may occur in the future. Forward looking information contained in this news release includes, but is not limited to, all statements in respect of the Company's growth and development, the operations and business segments of the Company; details of planned validator operations, details of the partnership with SVH and its expected benefits, and expectations regarding the market for digital currencies and decentralized AI. In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "intends", "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "would", or "might" suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain assumptions regarding, among other things, the Company will continue to have access to financing until it achieves profitability; the technology and blockchain industries in which the Company intends to focus its business in will grow at the rate and in the manner expected; the ability to attract qualified personnel; the success of market initiatives and the ability to grow brand awareness; the ability to distribute Company's services; the Company creates strategies to mitigate risks associated with cryptocurrency price fluctuations; the Company remains compliant with all applicable laws and securities regulations; the Company engages and collaborates with local experts, as necessary, to address jurisdiction-specific matters and ensures compliance with foreign regulations to avoid penalties; the Company addresses any potential cybersecurity threats promptly and effectively; and the ability to successfully deploy the new business strategy as a result of the change of business. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, they may be incorrect. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks related to general business, economic and social uncertainties; failure to raise the capital necessary to fund its operations; inability to create strategies to mitigate the risks associated with cryptocurrency price fluctuations; the costs of regulation in the digital asset industries increase to the extent that the Company is no longer generating sufficient returns for shareholders; failure to promptly and effectively address cybersecurity threats; insufficient resources to maintain its operations on a competitive basis; and the actual costs, timing and future plans differs expectations; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; the inherent risks involved in the cryptocurrency and general securities markets; the Company may not be able to profitably liquidate its current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on the Company's operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; failure to attract qualified personnel, labour disputes; and the additional risks identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update forward-looking information.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Europe's Financial Watchdog Probes Malta Over Fast-Track MiCA Authorizations
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the financial watchdog for the 27-country trading block, has carried out a peer review of Malta's application of the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regime, with specific attention to the island's fast-tracked authorization of a certain unnamed crypto firm. ESMA's Peer Review Committee (PRC) focuses on the authorization of a specific crypto asset service provider or 'CASP entity,' which was cleared for MICA despite the fact that 'material issues remained unresolved or pending remediation at the time of the authorization.' OKX, the top five crypto exchange was granted pre-authorization status in Malta at the start of this year and soon after revealed a $500 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ). OKX did not confirm if it is the CASP entity referred to in the review by press time. Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) said it was unable to provide official comment regarding specific operators in relation to the report. 'On the authorization process of the CASP entity, the PRC questions the timing of the authorization of the specific entity under MiCA given that several material issues remained unresolved at the time of the authorization,' said the ESMA review. 'It is unclear to the PRC, why MFSA did not leverage on the authorization process to ensure that the entity would remedy key deficiencies before the authorization would be effective. The PRC is of the view that the overall authorization process should have been more thorough and conducted on a sufficient time to allow MFSA to properly assess compliance against the MiCA framework.' Questions have been circulating about Malta's competency since the island began handing out expedited licenses, some of which, it must be said, came from players in other jurisdictions that are potentially worried about falling behind in terms of authorizing firms. The ESMA findings also stated that any regulator should consider the supervisory history of an entity when assessing a request for authorization. The PRC said, 'the supervisory history of the entity formed part of the authorization assessment, but it was not adequately considered,' including the fact that 'material issues remained unresolved or pending remediation at the time of the authorization, including the remediation of previous enforcement cases and the outcome of (at the time) pending ones.' The ESMA review went on to say that it did not find evidence that certain key aspects of the authorization were adequately assessed. These included aspects of its business plan related to its growth and the on-boarding of new clients, potential conflicts of interest, and governance arrangements. The review also mentioned risks related to the ICT infrastructure, custody, use of the […] booking model, use of Web3 services and certain AML/CFT risks and controls. The ESMA review found that Malta fully or largely met expectations in areas like its supervisory settings and resources, and it was just the authorization process where it had really fallen short. The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) welcomed ESMA's findings. 'The insights provided by the ESMA Peer Review Committee (PRC) (composed of staff from ESMA, European Banking Authority (EBA) and NCAs) are invaluable in supporting the MFSA and other NCAs in their continued efforts to improve and strengthen supervision of this sector,' the MFSA said in an emailed in to access your portfolio
Coin Geek
30-06-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Kraken secures MiCA license in Ireland
Homepage > News > Business > Kraken secures MiCA license in Ireland Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Kraken has joined the growing list of digital asset companies to obtain a license to operate in the European Union under the bloc's Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, providing the company with access to 30 countries in the European market. In a blog post, Kraken, one of the largest digital asset exchanges in the world by trading volume, announced that it had obtained a MiCA license from Ireland, allowing the exchange to operate across all 30 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The full MiCA provisions for crypto asset service providers (CASPs), such as exchanges like Kraken, came into force at the beginning of January. This included a mandate that CASPs must obtain a license from a national competent authority (NCA)—an EU member state's relevant regulator—in order to offer digital asset services within the EEA. Kraken already maintains Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registrations in a number of EU countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, but this comes with limited scope, and such registration is generally primarily focused on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing. A MiCA license from Ireland, on the other hand, means the company can now legally operate across the whole of the EEA and must comply with the MiCA obligations—including investor protection, market integrity, prudential requirements, and disclosure—to be enforced by the authorizing NCA. 'Securing a license from the Central Bank of Ireland, with its long heritage and experience as a rigorous financial regulator, isn't just about compliance. It's a powerful signal of Kraken's commitment to expanding the crypto ecosystem through responsible innovation,' said Arjun Sethi, co-CEO of Kraken. 'Being the first major global crypto platform to receive authorization from the CBI affirms Kraken's commitment to building for the long term. We believe trust is the most valuable currency in crypto, and it's something you earn.' He added that the license places the company 'in a strong position to expand our product offering, grow our institutional and retail client base and deliver secure, accessible and fully regulated crypto services to millions more people across the EU.' Kraken's announcement comes a week after Reuters reported that fellow digital asset exchange giants Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) and Gemini were also on the verge of obtaining MiCA licenses—a fact that, according to the report, was raising some concerns about the rigor with which the regulators were assessing the applications and enforcing the rules. The regulators under the spotlight were those of Malta—who have been particularly active in approving licenses—and Luxembourg. As yet, no such concerns have been raised with regard to the Central Bank of Ireland. Kraken—and if the rumors are true, soon Coinbase and Gemini as well—join OKX, Bybit, and Bitstamp in the growing cohort of digital asset players who have obtained licenses to operate within the EEA under the bloc's new regulation. Watch: Teranode & the Web3 world with edge-to-edge electronic value system title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Coin Geek
19-06-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Philippines SEC lays down rules for crypto service providers
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally issued its rules governing crypto asset service providers (CASPs), requiring entities offering such services to register and obtain a license before operating in the country. The move follows a surge in digital asset activity and a growing number of fraud cases involving unregistered platforms. 'The rules were issued to support local players and go after those unregistered ones,' Atty. Paolo Ong, Assistant Director at the SEC, said during a forum at Philippine Blockchain Week 2025. 'We believe that the rules will give more teeth to our enforcement team, and they can be more assertive in going after unregistered platforms that are operating in the Philippines.' Under the new guidelines issued via a Memorandum Circular dated May 30, all CASPs must register as a stock corporation in the Philippines with a paid-up capital of at least PHP100 million ($1.8 million), excluding digital assets. They are also required to submit a business plan, a risk disclosure matrix, and other documentation to secure approval. Atty. Mark Gorriceta, Managing Partner of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra (left) and Atty. Paolo Ong, Assistant Director of PhilFintech Innovation Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (right) during the forum at the Philippine Blockchain Week 2025 held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines. Focus on fund segregation and investor protection Ong explained that besides corporate registration and capital requirements, applicants must also ensure a clear separation of customer and company funds, an issue surfacing in several global digital asset exchange collapses. 'The CASP guidelines emphasize segregation of customer funds from exchange funds,' Ong said. 'It's because we see that learning from [the] collapse of other exchanges is really a key measure to protect investors [and] funds.' He added that platforms must ensure Filipino users understand the risks involved with owning crypto assets. 'We'd like Filipinos to access these products, but we require [them] to make them knowledgeable of the risks involved before they can engage with the platform.' Marketing restrictions and guidelines for educators, influencers One major provision addresses how digital asset products are marketed and promoted, especially online. According to Ong, anyone marketing or inducing the purchase of digital assets must be registered as a corporation and hold the necessary SEC license, with limited exceptions for third-party providers. 'The standard for us for marketing crypto assets in the Philippines would be simply a Philippine registration of a corporation—basic doing business, a primary license from the SEC,' Ong said. 'You don't need a CASP license for that, just a primary license.' As for content creators and educators, Ong said intent and transparency are key. 'We don't prohibit compensation for educational efforts, but we always look at good faith. If you're educating and not pushing a specific investment or platform, it's generally acceptable,' Ong said, adding that educators who promote specific products or platforms, especially those that are scams, could face enforcement actions. 'The enforcement team would really look at so-called educators that are pushing their audience into a specific platform,' Ong warned. No current license for crypto financial advisors, but sandbox is open Asked whether individuals offering trading or investment advice in digital assets should register as financial advisors, Ong clarified that the SEC currently has no licensing scheme for financial advisors, including in traditional markets. He said such individuals may want to enter the SEC's regulatory sandbox. 'We don't have it right now, but they might want to consider entering the sandbox if they would want to engage in that activity,' Ong said. Enforcement and industry collaboration moving forward The SEC stated that the new CASP rules are designed to evolve in tandem with the industry. Ong encouraged stakeholders to provide feedback as the regulations are implemented. 'We believe that the rules will not have a final form yet. It should continue to develop,' he said. 'We are always open to feedback, whether through forums like this or via email to the FinTech unit of the SEC.' As for enforcement, penalties include fines of PHP50,000 ($885) for a first offense, PHP100,000 ($1,770) for a second offense, and PHP200,000 ($3,540) for a third offense, along with possible license revocation. Unused CASP licenses may be canceled after 12 months, and late filing of reports may result in fines starting at PHP10,000 ($177) plus PHP500 ($8.85) for each day of delay. Ultimately, the SEC states that its goal is to protect Filipino investors while promoting compliant innovation. 'Risk-based supervision is what we aim for,' Ong said. 'The biggest risks we see are from unregistered foreign platforms and scammers. These rules are meant to guard against that.' Watch | The Philippines startup boom: Highlights from Sinigang Valley Build Startup Festival title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
