Latest news with #RachelConlan
Arabian Post
4 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
University of Sharjah Teams Up with Binance for Blockchain Education
The University of Sharjah has entered into a strategic partnership with Binance Academy, aiming to foster innovation and education in blockchain technology. The Memorandum of Understanding between UOS and Binance's educational arm marks a significant step towards creating new opportunities in blockchain research and talent development. This collaboration aligns with both parties' commitment to equipping students and researchers with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in the rapidly advancing Web3 ecosystem. The MoU was officially signed by Professor Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies at UOS, and Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer at Binance, in a move designed to pave the way for long-term cooperation. The agreement will see both entities working together to enhance blockchain education, research, and skills development across a range of fields related to emerging technologies. This initiative underscores the growing demand for expertise in blockchain, a field that continues to disrupt various sectors, from finance to logistics and beyond. UOS, known for its robust academic offerings, will integrate blockchain curriculum and training into its programs, ensuring that students are equipped with cutting-edge knowledge. Binance Academy, leveraging its global blockchain ecosystem, will provide support with educational materials, workshops, and expert-led sessions to ensure students and researchers have access to the latest industry insights and tools. ADVERTISEMENT The partnership between UOS and Binance is set to contribute to the development of a highly skilled workforce capable of navigating the complexities of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and decentralized systems. With Web3 technologies rapidly transforming industries, it is essential for academic institutions and tech companies to collaborate in developing a skilled workforce capable of driving these innovations forward. Experts predict that blockchain technology will play a key role in shaping the future of digital transactions, governance, and online security. As such, universities like UOS are increasingly looking to align their curricula with industry needs, preparing students for the evolving demands of the global job market. By working with Binance Academy, UOS hopes to offer an advanced understanding of these transformative technologies, with a focus on real-world applications. The partnership will facilitate knowledge exchange, where UOS faculty and researchers can engage with blockchain pioneers and industry leaders. This two-way collaboration is expected to foster an environment where academic research can influence real-world blockchain solutions, while industry innovations can be tested and refined within the academic sphere. The ultimate goal is to create a pipeline of talent that is both theoretically grounded and practically skilled in blockchain technologies. This agreement comes as blockchain adoption continues to accelerate across multiple sectors, with a particular focus on financial services, supply chain management, and data security. As governments and businesses explore the potential of blockchain to enhance transparency, efficiency, and security, the need for skilled professionals in the field is more critical than ever. Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has been a strong proponent of blockchain education through its Binance Academy. This initiative is designed to help users and institutions navigate the complexities of blockchain technology. Binance Academy offers free courses, educational resources, and hands-on training on topics such as decentralised finance, blockchain protocols, and crypto assets, all aimed at empowering the next generation of blockchain innovators. ADVERTISEMENT For UOS, this partnership aligns with its broader mission of driving research excellence and innovation within the UAE's educational landscape. The university has long been at the forefront of integrating emerging technologies into its academic offerings, and this collaboration with Binance marks a new chapter in its pursuit of excellence in research and education. UOS also stands to benefit from Binance's deep expertise in the blockchain space, providing students with access to a global network of professionals, innovators, and technologists. Through this collaboration, UOS aims to position itself as a leader in blockchain education within the region, attracting students and researchers who are eager to develop their expertise in a field that is shaping the future of technology. Blockchain's potential to decentralise systems and increase transparency has made it one of the most transformative technologies of the modern age. With widespread adoption expected across both developed and developing nations, educational institutions that focus on blockchain research and development are set to play a pivotal role in fostering the next generation of leaders in the space.
Business Insider
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Binance.com creating an environment of financial literacy and inclusion for women
Binance has also made a strong commitment to promoting greater inclusion within the crypto community, with a particular focus on gender diversity. In a recent X post, Binance CEO Richard Teng showcased the latest numbers of women using the exchange for remittances, 'Over the past year, 500,000 women used #Binance to send $4B+ in domestic and international remittances. A powerful reminder: Crypto isn't just about tech, it's a tool for financial inclusion.' Through these efforts, Binance seeks to fulfill the original promise of cryptocurrency: financial empowerment for everyone. Not only that, greater inclusion of women in the crypto community could help make considerable progress when it comes to a longstanding issue in the developing world: access to adequate banking and other financial services. Female Inclusion is Transforming Binance, Both Inside and Out Binance's commitment to gender equality and inclusion extends both inside the company, as well as into the global cryptocurrency community. As Binance CMO Rachel Conlan has noted, 'Binance remains a leader in driving gender diversity across crypto and tech. Women now represent 40% of our workforce and half of our marketing team.' As for the company's crypto inclusions efforts for the global community at-large, Binance has engaged in extensive promotion of greater female inclusion in crypto. These efforts have included educational programs, financial literacy programs, and community-building initiatives, such as by holding events around the world for International Women's Day this past March. For several years, Binance has been active in co-hosting educational and community-building events in sub-Saharan Africa, a region considered ripe for cryptocurrency adoption. These efforts have seemingly already made an impact. More than 20% of crypto startups in the region are founded or led by women. The percentage of crypto held by women in the region (31%) is also in line with the percentage of crypto held by women worldwide. Fostering increased female inclusion and participation in crypto is not merely a matter of fairness: it may just well serve as the catalyst for improving living standards, particularly in underdeveloped regions of the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, a longstanding roadblock has been a lack of access to traditional banking. Although the number of unbanked or underbanked individuals has fallen by around 44% over the past fifteen years, one-sixth of the global population unfortunately still falls within this category. However, with the advent of crypto and the blockchain, a viable alternative to inefficient traditional banking systems in the developing world has emerged. In terms of personal banking, crypto-based platforms now enable women in these regions to accumulate and grow wealth, Namely, by putting their savings into stablecoins. Women-owned businesses in these regions now have both the ability to safely save/accumulate wealth, as well as obtain access to growth capital, thanks to the emergence of crypto-based microfinance platforms. Besides improving the personal and business finances of the unbanked and underbanked, crypto-based platforms are also emerging as a safer and lower-cost alternative to traditional money remittance systems. The Work Continues Binance's commitment to gender inclusion has already both transformed the company and the industry at-large. As Conlan has also previously noted, 'We're seeing more women take on leadership roles, not just at Binance but across the board. At Binance, we are making conscious efforts to create an inclusive environment where diverse voices are valued,' These efforts have also indirectly helped to address and resolve a major hindrance to the eradication of global poverty. However, all this progress notwithstanding, Binance knows the work continues. In other words, the company is not resting on its laurels, when it comes to engaging in activities that help continue to bridge the crypto gender gap. For example, the percentage of women working in crypto has increased considerably, but women remain highly underrepresented in senior leadership and C-suite positions. Still, while there's much work to be done, given how quickly the efforts of Binance in this area have made a material impact, this is a promising sign that subsequent efforts will pay off in a big way as well.
Mint
10-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Bitcoin Pizza Day: From Novelty to Global Utility
Once dismissed by skeptics as a passing fad, cryptocurrencies become an integral part of the global financial ecosystem. Impressively, this incredible journey has taken shape over the span of just fifteen years. Back in May 2010, on what has become known as 'Bitcoin Pizza Day,' Bitcoin was first used in a real-world payment transaction. This pivotal event demonstrated Bitcoin's utility as a medium of exchange, paving the way for crypto to rise from the fringes of the internet, into the mainstream. Since then, the crypto community has celebrated this day, and not just as an excuse to throw a pizza party. "From two pizzas to a global financial movement, crypto's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary—and our community has been the driving force behind it,' said Rachel Conlan, Chief Marketing Officer at Binance. Back in May 2010, Bitcoin, which first became available for sale the previous fall, was steadily building up a following. However, until then, early adopters had simply traded U.S. dollars for BTC. Bitcoin owners yet to utilize the original cryptocurrency for anything more than as a speculative investment. That all changed on May 18, 2010. That's when early adopter Laszlo Hanyecz posted a thread on the BitcoinTalk forum, offering anyone 10,000 BTC if they would order two large pizzas, and send them to his home. On May 22, 2010, Laszlo confirmed in a subsequent post that his request had been fulfilled. For the first time, Bitcoin demonstrated its real world utility. As this event coincided with the aftermath of the late 2000s Global Financial Crisis, there was growing interest in building an alternative financial system, Bitcoin soon emerged as the vehicle to build such a system. Over the next fifteen years, Bitcoin went from facilitating a simple pizza order, to sparking the development of other cryptocurrencies. As you can see from this chart, the value of Bitcoin has increased significantly every year since that first 'Pizza Day' in 2010. It also led to the development of an entire alternative ecosystem to the highly-centralized and dollar-based global financial system, before becoming integrated with said mainstream system. In short, one can say that crypto has gone from 'Domino's to DeFi' in the fifteen years following this event. No longer a nerdy novelty hidden away in an obscure corner of the interest, Bitcoin's attainment of global utility has brought with it a sudden influx of institutional backing of this and other major cryptocurrencies. This has sparked another wave of high price appreciation. Today, the price of 1 BTC is well-within the six-figure category, with Bitcoin recently changing hands for over $110,000. In other words, Laszlo's 10,000 BTC pizza may have only translated into $41 at the time of the first 'Bitcoin Pizza Day,' but those same 10,000 BTC are now worth over $1.1 billion. That said, without this event, it's questionable whether Bitcoin's journey would've played out the same way. Even as Laszlo's pizza day was a fairly easy achievement, given Bitcoin's low price and low mining requirements at that time, it's possible that this event happened at the right place at the right time, sparking a chain of events that led to Bitcoin's meteoric rise in status. The crypto community continues to observe 'Bitcoin Pizza Day,' mainly for how it demonstrates how everyday transactions can profoundly affect the future. That's definitely the case for crypto users even today, as we found out from interviewing Binance users about their own personal 'Bitcoin Pizza stories.' Take, for instance, the story of Jimmy, a Canadian who became an accidental early 'HODLer' of Bitcoin. Back in 2012, Jimmy purchased 5 BTC in order to complete a textbook purchase. As Jimmy explains his story, 'My first encounter with crypto was in late 2012, when Bitcoin was around $13. I wasn't thinking about investing, I just needed it to buy a textbook on compilers from an online seller who insisted on Bitcoin payment. I bought five whole Bitcoins on Coinbase, used a few to pay for the book, and forgot about the rest. I didn't dive deeper into crypto until years later when I joined Binance. That old Coinbase account? It sat untouched for years, and I became an accidental HODLer.' Another poignant story comes from Binance Angel @Gerrit92 got into crypto back in 2019. Through patient 'buying and HODLing,' Gerrit92 built a small fortune. To celebrate, he cashed out some of his profits, using them to buy a Rolex. Besides fulfilling a long-held desire to own this valuable watch, the Rolex to this user also serves as a token of the friends and profits he has made via crypto. @Gerrit92 explains, 'I've been investing in crypto since 2019 and have never cashed out a large amount. I traded occasionally to rebalance my portfolio, but I always believed in a long-term vision. After many years in crypto, I decided to take a small portion of my profits to invest in another asset, fulfilling a childhood dream with a valuable purchase, a Rolex. It may be less volatile, but I look at it every day, and it reminds me of crypto and the friends I've made in this community.' The payoff from his efforts helped to build his self-esteem, and to prove himself to his ex-girlfriend and her father, who rejected him due to his past poverty. Note to readers: This article is part of Mint's paid consumer connect Initiative. Mint assumes no editorial involvement or responsibility for errors, omissions, or content accuracy. 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Cision Canada
02-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Binance Traders League Returns with $6 Million Prize Pool and New Enhancements including Regional Competitions and Trader's Passport
Binance's global flagship trading event introduces Trader's Passport for users to track their performance across competitions and new Regional Categories to promote friendly competition DUBAI, UAE, June 2, 2025 /CNW/ -- Binance, the global blockchain ecosystem trusted by over 270 million users worldwide, is excited to announce Binance Traders League Season 2 with a prize pool of up to $6 million. Traders League is Binance's flagship trading competition where traders from around the world go head-to-head for crypto rewards and is a fun and engaging way to celebrate our users and for them to connect. Pre-registration starts today, from 2 to 8 June 2025, and the trading activity period will run from 9 June to 6 July 2025. Users can enjoy enhanced solo and team competitions across spot and futures, a refreshed landing page featuring shareable widgets, a trader's "Passport" to track their performance across competitions, and a new and exciting regional competition category. Rachel Conlan, CMO at Binance, shared, "We are introducing a number of new features in Traders League Season 2, such as regional teams to promote camaraderie and a Trader's Passport for users to track their personal achievements across competitions. The variety of competition categories and tasks ensures there will always be a category and activity for every user regardless of their experience levels. Binance Traders League provides a platform for traders from around the world to exchange their knowledge and is a rewarding way to connect." One of the new highlights of Traders League will see users who register automatically be part of a regional team based on their KYC location to compete for prizes, as well as be automatically added to their region's open solo competition categories. The available regions are Asia, CIS & Europe, LATAM, Africa, and MENA. Overview of Traders League competitions and prize pool: Spot Traders League - total prize pool of up to $1.8 million Comprising Solo ROI Competition and Team PnL Competition Users eligibility: All verified regular and VIP 1-6 users, except liquidity providers Eligible trading pairs: All trading pairs except zero fees trading pairs Futures Traders League - total prize pool of up to $3 million Comprising Solo ROI Competition and Team PnL Competition Bonus rewards for new Binance Futures users Users eligibility: All verified regular and VIP 1-6 users, excluding market makers. Eligible trading pairs: All USDⓈ-M contracts and COIN-M contracts on Binance Futures Side Tasks, Regional ROI Competitions and Side Quests - total prize pool of $1.2 million Side Tasks with a prize pool of $1 million Regional ROI Competition prize pool of $100k Affiliates Booster prize pool of $50k Trading Live Showdown prize pool of $50k — where Futures trading content creators can stream their strategy on Binance Square to grow their audience and compete for prizes For more information and terms and conditions, visit the Binance Traders League here. Disclaimer: The products and services referred to herein may be restricted in certain jurisdictions or regions or to certain users, in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. These materials are intended only for those users who are permitted to access and receive the products and services referred to and are not intended for users to whom restrictions apply. Digital asset prices can be volatile. The value of your investment may go down or up and you may not get back the amount invested. You are solely responsible for your investment decisions and Binance is not liable for any losses you may incur. Futures trading, in particular, is subject to high market risk and price volatility. You may be called upon at short notice to make additional margin deposits or interest payments. If the required margin deposits or interest payments are not made within the prescribed time, your collateral may be liquidated. Moreover, you will remain liable for any resulting deficit in your account and interest charged on your account. All of your margin balance may be liquidated in the event of adverse price movement. Past performance is not a reliable predictor of future performance. Before trading, you should make an independent assessment of the appropriateness of the transaction in light of your own objectives and circumstances, including the risks and potential benefits. Consult your own advisers, where appropriate. This information should not be construed as financial or investment advice. To learn more about how to protect yourself, visit our Responsible Trading page. For more information, see our Terms of Use and Risk Warning.
Business Mayor
17-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Preventing Phishing Attacks on Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Cryptocurrency exchanges are intensifying security measures in 2025 to focus on preventing phishing attacks, as these scams reach alarming levels and have caused millions in losses for investors. As digital assets continue gaining mainstream adoption, cybercriminals deploy increasingly sophisticated techniques to compromise exchange accounts and steal funds. While exchanges implement advanced security features, experts emphasize that user vigilance remains crucial in preventing successful attacks. The first quarter of 2025 has witnessed unprecedented phishing activity targeting cryptocurrency holders. Coinbase users reportedly lost over $46 million to phishing scams in March alone. Blockchain analyst ZachXBT tracked several significant thefts, including a notable incident on March 27 when 400.099 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $34.9 million, was stolen from a Coinbase user. A widespread phishing campaign targeting Coinbase users emerged in mid-March. The campaign involved fake notifications about a mandatory wallet migration following a supposed class action lawsuit. The scammers sent emails through a compromised SendGrid account from Akamai, providing victims with 'recovery phrases' that, when imported into Coinbase Wallet, allowed attackers to drain funds without requiring additional phishing links. Coinbase warned users after discovering the attack, 'We will never send you a recovery phrase, and you should never enter a recovery phrase given to you by someone else. ' Modern crypto phishing attacks employ various sophisticated techniques. Standard methods include creating fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate exchange login pages, sending deceptive emails or SMS messages appearing to come from exchanges, and using social engineering to trick users into revealing sensitive information. 'Phishing scams are one of the oldest tricks in the book, and they are expected to remain prevalent in 2025,' notes a recent report from OSL. These attacks often use 'wallet spoofing' and 'address poisoning,' where scammers deceive users into sending money to addresses that closely mimic legitimate ones. Major cryptocurrency exchanges have deployed sophisticated security measures to protect users in response to the escalating threat. Binance, recognized as one of the safest exchanges in 2025, offers robust account-level security features, including two-factor authentication, whitelisted withdrawal addresses, and an anti-phishing code system. These measures helped recover over $9.1 million in scammed funds and prevented approximately $129 million from being scammed annually. 'The evolving nature of cyber threats in the crypto industry reinforces the need for exchanges and custodians to continuously strengthen their security frameworks,' explained Binance CMO Rachel Conlan. 'As threats continue to grow in sophistication, so must our defenses.' Kraken has implemented phishing-resistant Passkeys, which are bound to a website or app's identity and use biometric authentication like fingerprint or face scans. 'The browser and operating system ensure that a Passkey can only be used with the website or app it was created for so you can never be tricked into using your Passkey to sign into a fraudulent app or website,' explains Kraken's support documentation. While exchanges strengthen platform security, experts emphasize that users must take personal responsibility for protecting their assets. The Federal Trade Commission recommends four key protection strategies: using security software on computers with automatic updates, configuring cell phones for automatic software updates, implementing multi-factor authentication for accounts, and regularly backing up data. Crypto security specialists further advise users to: Verify email authenticity by checking sender addresses and looking for personalized anti-phishing codes Access exchange websites only through bookmarked links rather than search engines or email links Never share private keys, passwords, or recovery phrases with anyone Enable multiple two-factor authentication methods Maintain separate email accounts exclusively for cryptocurrency activities Regulatory bodies are also taking action. In February 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission created the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU) to protect retail investors against fraud. The unit focuses on emerging technology-related fraud, including cryptocurrency assets and blockchain, replacing the previous Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit. 'The unit will not only protect investors but will also facilitate capital formation and market efficiency by clearing the way for innovation to grow,' stated Mark Uyeda, the SEC's acting chair. As cryptocurrency adoption grows, exchanges, users, and regulators will need to be vigilant against phishing scams. While technological solutions like anti-phishing codes and passkeys provide necessary protective layers, user education remains fundamental to stemming the tide of successful attacks. 'In a rapidly evolving world of innovation, freedom can be misunderstood, taken for granted, and exploited by bad actors who abuse honest users,' notes a recent Binance security assessment. The most effective defense combines advanced security technology with informed, cautious user behavior.
