Latest news with #Catena
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Tom Brady, once burned by crypto, is getting back in the game
The investment follows Brady's endorsement of failed crypto exchange FTX. Brady was Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Catena was formed in 2022 by Sean Neville and Matt Venables, who were previously a co-founder and a senior executive, respectively, at Circle Internet Group, the Boston cryptocurrency startup that Advertisement Catena aims to become an 'AI-native financial institution' that can transact with the coming wave of AI agents 'safely and efficiently,' Neville said in a statement. Advertisement Boston's Before the Catena deal, Massachusetts-based crypto startups had raised just $3 million so far this year out of $6.4 billion raised by crypto startups nationwide, according to data from research firm Pitchbook. Brady's agent, Don Yee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Aaron Pressman can be reached at
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Circle Co-Founder Sean Neville Takes Catena Labs Out of Stealth with
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Catena Labs today announced its plan to establish the first fully regulated AI-native financial institution (FI) designed to serve the unique needs of the emerging AI economy. As a first step toward their long-term vision, today the company released a new open-source project defining protocols and patterns for agentic commerce. The company also confirmed an $18 million financing round led by a16z crypto, with participation from Breyer Capital, Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, CoinFund, Pillar VC, Stanford Engineering VF, and visionary angels including Tom Brady, Bradley Horowitz, Hamel Husain, Kevin Lin, Peter Mattoon, Sam Palmisano, and Balaji Srinivasan. 'Sean and the Catena team have the expertise to meet that challenge. They're building financial infrastructure that agentic commerce can depend on, and we're excited to support their vision," said Chris Dixon, founder and managing partner, a16z crypto. Share Catena was co-founded by Sean Neville, who previously co-founded Circle Internet Group, Inc., and invented the USDC stablecoin. The company aims to address the shortcomings in legacy financial systems that make them poorly suited to the needs of AI agents and agentic commerce. These challenges include the inability to handle agent identity and trust, slow and expensive payment rails, and a broad lack of capabilities designed for AI commerce. "AI agents will soon conduct most economic transactions, but today's financial systems are unprepared and resistant to interactions with automated intelligence," said Sean Neville, CEO and co-founder of Catena Labs. 'That's why we're building an AI-native financial institution that will give AI agents, and the businesses and consumers they serve, the ability to transact safely and efficiently.' Catena plans to use the new funding to accelerate the development of their AI-native FI and its underlying technology. Key investors expressed confidence in the company's approach to enabling the AI economy. "The rise of AI agents is reshaping what's possible in online commerce, making it clear that we need a financial layer built specifically for how these systems operate—one that can handle authentication, payments, and trust at scale,' said Chris Dixon, founder and managing partner, a16z crypto. 'Sean and the Catena team have the expertise to meet that challenge. They're building financial infrastructure that agentic commerce can depend on, and we're excited to support their vision." 'I've been very fortunate to have worked closely with Sean since co-leading Circle's Series A in 2013 and have seen firsthand his rare combination of deep expertise in payments, fintech, AI, and stablecoins. He's uniquely qualified to lead the creation of the first AI-native bank,' said Jim Breyer, founder and CEO of Breyer Capital. 'Integrating AI into commerce demands a rebuild of financial infrastructure. Legacy systems cannot always keep up — and that's why Catena is so compelling.' As Catena works toward its vision for AI financial services, the company is building upon protocols, patterns, emerging standards, and open source components to address new requirements AI agents create for identity and payments. Today, the company released the open source Agent Commerce Kit (ACK), which defines several of these open source building blocks. The company is building on ACK and other emerging standards to offer a broad suite of licensed financial services addressing new risk, security, and compliance challenges that arise from AI systems working as independent economic actors. 'Today's financial infrastructure creates significant friction for AI agents, with slow, fragile, and expensive legacy payment rails constraining the potential for AI commerce,' said Matt Venables, CTO and co-founder of Catena Labs. 'While we are integrating existing payment networks as we bridge into the future, we're focused on transforming how money moves in the AI economy by using regulated stablecoins that offer near-instant settlement, minimal transaction costs, and easy integration with AI workflows.' About Catena Labs Catena Labs is building a regulated financial institution designed for the AI era. The company is developing new financial infrastructure and services to enable AI agents, businesses, and consumers to participate safely and efficiently in the growing AI-driven economy. Catena is actively seeking collaboration with developers, businesses, and partners involved in the AI space.
Mint
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Soccer-Osasuna edge closer to Europe with Atletico win
PAMPLONA, Spain, May 15 (Reuters) - Osasuna secured a surprise 2-0 home win over Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Thursday as headers by Alejandro Catena and Ante Budimir moved them another step closer to European football. Defender Catena headed in from a corner to put the hosts in front in the 25th minute before Budimir doubled Osasuna's advantage eight minutes from fulltime, moving them up to ninth in the standings. Osasuna are now level on 48 points with eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano, who occupy the spot for the Conference League qualifiers as five LaLiga teams are headed to the Champions League this season. Osasuna will hope to return to a European competition nearly two decades after they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League, back then known as UEFA Cup, in 2007. They reached the Conference League playoffs last season but were eliminated by Club Brugge 4-3 on aggregate. Atletico, who have been out of the title race and had already secured a Champions League spot, remained third with 70 points after 36 games. Diego Simeone's side, who beat Real Sociedad 4-0 on Saturday with striker Alexander Sorloth scoring all four goals inside 30 minutes, looked uninspired and went behind when Catena converted Bryan Zaragoza's corner kick to give Osasuna the lead. Sorloth had an excellent chance to equalise eight minutes later with a diving header but Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera made a superb save. The encounter was largely forgettable after that until Budimir nodded home late on. Enzo Boyomo showed some impressive dribbling skills before passing to Kike Barja, who crossed into the box for Croatian striker Budimir to score his 20th league goal of the campaign. Budimir is third in the LaLiga scoring charts this season, behind Kylian Mbappe (28) and Robert Lewandowski (25). Osasuna host 16th-placed Espanyol on Sunday before visiting Deportivo Alaves, in 17th, in their final fixture. Atletico will play Real Betis and Girona to end their season. (Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk Editing by Christian Radnedge) Estadio El Sadar Spain Osasuna Atlético Madrid
Forbes
12-04-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
From France To Argentina: How Malbec Found Its True Home
Malbec is a story of survival. Long before it became Argentina's signature grape, malbec was a mainstay of French winemaking. In the 19th century it was widely planted in Bordeaux, even outpacing cabernet sauvignon in areas like the Médoc. Today, however, its reputation is tied more closely to the Andes than the Gironde. But malbec's survival was never guaranteed. Its path from European favorite to Argentine flagship was shaped by chance, disaster and the selective forces of climate and soil. The shift began with the phylloxera epidemic, a blight that devastated European vineyards in the late 1800s. By then, malbec had already arrived in Argentina, introduced in 1852 by French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget. Its timing turned out to be critical. 'Yes, it's true that when malbec came to Argentina it was pre-phylloxera, 1852, and at that time malbec was more widely planted in the Medoc than cabernet sauvignon, for example,' says Dr. Laura Catena, managing director and a fourth-generation winemaker at Catena Zapata, via Zoom. 'Then after phylloxera, there's different theories about why malbec didn't get replanted widely in France.' Those theories vary. Some believe the grape was too sensitive to weather variation. Others claim it was hard to graft. But Catena argues the real reason may have been practical: 'Merlot ripened several weeks before malbec, and the producers wanted to have an early grape and a later grape because it's a lot easier in the winery.' France's loss became Argentina's opportunity. 'Malbec kind of almost disappears, and during all that time malbec is widely planted in Argentina and it just adapts well,' Catena says. The grape's resilience was notable. 'It has deep root systems. We have very poor soils. We have a very dry climate. Malbec actually can do well in many parts of Argentina, even in warmer climates, cooler climates.' Argentina produces approximately 75% of the world's malbec, with the majority cultivated in Mendoza. The grape remains the most widely planted red variety in the country, accounting for 38.6% of the 224,707 hectares (555,263 acres) under vine. In 2023 alone, Argentina harvested more than 323,000 metric tons of malbec, reinforcing its dominance both domestically and internationally. Malbec thrived in Argentina not only because of favorable growing conditions, but also because of how it was propagated. Unlike European producers who moved toward clonal selection—using genetically identical cuttings to plant vineyards—Argentine growers continued using traditional massal selection, preserving a broader range of genetic material. 'We never sort of caught on to the clonal revolution,' Catena says. 'Partly it's because of Argentina's economic and political isolation. Partly because it was really expensive to buy these clones and partly because we didn't need to graft.' The result is that 90% of Argentine vineyards are both genetically diverse and ungrafted. 'I think that they're more resilient because when you have a climate phenomenon, some grapes are at one phase, some are at another and so you're gonna be less affected,' she says. Spring frosts in 2023 damaged vineyards across Mendoza, contributing to Argentina's lowest wine production in more than 60 years. Argentina's wine industry faced a significant setback in 2023, with production dropping to a six-decade low of 8.8 million hectoliters—a 23% decline from the previous year—due to spring frosts and hailstorms. Early forecasts from Catena Zapata for the 2024 vintage indicate a recovery, with the harvest expected to be at least 25% larger than 2023. Cooler conditions have delayed picking by 10 to 14 days, encouraging slower ripening and improved balance. Despite the volatility, exports remain strong. The United Kingdom and the United States continue to be the leading international markets, accounting for 26% and 20% of Argentina's still wine exports, respectively. The implications go beyond Argentina. 'I think this is something that needs to be done in Europe, in North America,' Catena says. 'There are still some remaining vineyards that have genetic diversity and if we don't, we will have lost it.' Genetic diversity, she argues, may be one of the most important tools viticulture has against a changing climate. 'There are some genes that once you lose them, you've lost those genes that might have some kind of secret for the future.' That diversity also affects the wine in the glass. 'One has a little more acid, the other one has a little more sugar. One has more of one aroma, one of another,' Catena says. 'It makes sense that that wine made with that kind of diversity would be more interesting.' The label itself is a work of art, narrating Malbec's epic journey through four symbolic women. Malbec's history, as told through the label of a specific bottle, illustrates its survival. The Catena Zapata malbec argentino features four symbolic women: Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Immigrant, Phylloxera and the Renaissance of malbec. 'It was my sister [Adrianna Catena] who came up with the idea of telling the story through these four women,' Catena says. 'She was inspired by an art form, the Allegories of the Continents where you'd have, you know, each continent portrayed by a woman.' The visual narrative highlights how malbec once commanded attention in France, nearly vanished after phylloxera, then reemerged in a new hemisphere. 'It's the grape with the most interesting history in the world of varieties because it's almost gone extinct so many times,' Catena says. The grape's reemergence in Argentina was slow. 'When we started exporting malbec in the early 1990s, people had never heard of malbec. Maybe they had studied it. They hadn't tasted it,' Catena says. 'I had buyers tell me, 'Hey, this is delicious,' but I can't sell it because nobody knows what it is.' Malbec thrives in Argentina's high-altitude vineyards, where varied climates and soils shape its character and complexity. Recognition came gradually, driven by the wine itself. 'To me, the reason why malbec actually did well was mostly because it tastes good. You know, it won people's palates and hearts through the palate,' she says. Catena believes the future of malbec lies in better understanding its aging potential and range. 'I think that the next chapter is for people to understand how beautifully a well-made malbec from specific terroirs can age,' she says. 'I think ageability is a really important thing for malbec in the future.'
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The solo doctor in Sudan covering an area the size of Austria
Dr Tom Catena can't remember the last time he had a day off. The American missionary running the biggest hospital in Sudan's Nuba mountains says he has been on call pretty much 24 hours a day since he opened the facility 17 years ago. 'It's been years,' he said. 'I had pulmonary tuberculosis back in 2017…I guess that was the last time I really took some time off.' Known by locals as Dr Tom, the 60-year-old strives to 'show the love of Christ' through his medical work. 'You do it as a complete service,' he said, adding that his Catholic faith is his 'driving force'. It's good he has faith, because he is up against it. With Sudan mired in civil war, more than a million people have fled to the relative safety of the Nuba mountains, piling pressure on its already overstretched healthcare system. There are now four million people living in the region, but only two hospitals to meet their needs. On top of that, the region is in the grip of a devastating famine, which is stretching Dr Catena's resources to breaking point and creating the most challenging moment for the region since it came under attack in 2011. Dr Catena has no idea how many people have arrived in the Nuba mountains since fighting broke out in Sudan almost two years ago, but many have risked their lives to reach the Mother of Mercy hospital which he runs – word of its work has travelled far and wide. 'We heard of Dr Tom, they say he has treated millions of people,' said Layla Mohammed, 40, who travelled by TukTuk for five days to reach the hospital for her daughter to be treated for severe malnutrition. 'He's a good man, we love him.' Dressed in dusty scrubs and a worn-out Brown University t-shirt – Dr Catena studied engineering at the Ivy League school in the 1980s before converting to medicine – he told The Telegraph that the food security situation in Nuba is 'by far the worst it's been'. In December, famine was declared in at least five areas in Sudan, including the Western Nuba Mountains and Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur. Food shortages are so severe that the hospital has been forced to start rationing the high-calorie peanut paste called Plumpy Nut which is used to treat severe malnutrition in children and breastfeeding mothers, said Dr Catena. Fresh supplies aren't expected until April, he added. A significant proportion of the patients he and his small team of staff, most of whom are locals he has trained himself, see are suffering from malnourishment as a result of the famine. While he credits his faith with giving him the strength to keep going, it's a struggle. Often seeing over 100 patients a day, Dr Catena said he finds it hard to switch off: 'I'm a major insomniac.' 'I'll wake up in the night and I'll start going over an operation that I did…when your brain starts doing that, forget about it. It's really, really hard to sleep,' he said, removing a pair of battered circular glasses to reveal dark rings under his eyes. 'I've had these glasses for 10 years. They're so scratched I have to keep taking them off to see properly!' Dr Catena lives in a basic brick compound attached to the back of the hospital with his wife Nasima, who is from Nuba, and their two adopted sons: Francis, seven, and Vincent, who is six months old. There is no mobile-phone signal, there are no paved roads and there is no running water. It's a far cry from the city of Amsterdam in upstate New York, where he grew up as a devout Catholic with his parents and six siblings. Dr Catena is no stranger to war. In 2011, the Sudanese government dropped more than 10,000 bombs on the rugged mountainous region in a scorched earth campaign against a local rebel group who refused to accept the imposition of Islamic law. Air strikes hit Dr Catena's hospital and home, and the region suffered under a total aid blockade. Every other doctor, aid worker and even major international organisations including the United Nations, left as soon as the assault began. Despite never having treated trauma wounds before, only Dr Catena was left to care for Nuba's three million inhabitants. 'Truckloads of up to a hundred wounded would come. We'd put them on sheets or trolleys in the courtyard, and we just started doing triage,' Dr Catena recalled. In recognition of his work and bravery in staying behind, delivering babies, treating shrapnel wounds and performing amputations, Dr Catena was awarded the prestigious Aurora prize – the top humanitarian award. The Telegraph met Dr Catena in January – before the USAID cuts – and he said he was 'happy' Donald Trump is now president. 'I just didn't like the way the country was going. It just seemed we were losing our moral compass,' he said, calling 'uncontrolled immigration' in the US 'complete madness'. But he said that 'denigrating immigrants is of course wrong', adding that it was incredibly difficult for his Sudanese wife Nasima to accompany him on a recent trip. Dr Catena thinks that Trump will probably have very little effect on Sudan's civil war. 'He is not engaged,' he said. 'George Bush was the last president interested in Africa, he gave us Pepfar', he said, referring to the landmark HIV/Aids programme. A Catholic mission hospital, the Mother of Mercy doesn't provide birth control or abortions under any circumstances. 'As a doctor and as a human, you sympathise with people that are in a bad situation, but it is completely forbidden,' said Dr Catena. 'Culturally, in the Nuba mountains, it is an anathema to have an abortion anyway.' In an effort to offset the dire shortage of medical professions in a region that is largely dependent on poorly paid doctors coming from abroad, in 2022, Dr Catena and a small team opened the St Bakhita Health Training Institute on the hospital grounds. It's the first institution in the Nuba mountains to provide accredited medical courses – a remarkable offering in an area where most don't finish secondary school – and Dr Catena hopes its graduates will one day be able to carry on his work. 'One of our main goals over the past ten years has been to bring care closer to the people as access to care is such an issue,' he said. 'These new graduates will help to transform health care in Nuba as it will double the workforce in our badly under-resourced region.' They currently have 19 clinical officer students and 29 midwifery students. By June 2026, they will have a new intake of around 30 nurses and midwives for the three year diploma course. But even with a solid blueprint for his legacy in place, Dr Catena shows no sign of slowing down. As if on cue, his pager beeped – a message from one of his students asking him for advice on a surgical procedure – and he was back on his feet and striding towards the operating room.
