Singapore-based blockchain-focussed firm, ChainUp, has announced a number of strategic updates, including the acquisition of a licensed fund management company, the appointment of an advisory board of directors, and additional key partnerships.
CEO and executive director of the firm, Sailor Zhong, told FinanceAsia that the updates are central to the firm’s vision to make blockchain technology more accessible to businesses around the world.
“Over the next three years, we aim to innovate and expand our product offerings to support the development of the blockchain ecosystem with sustainable global operations,” he told FA.
Founded in 2017, ChainUp provides blockchain-based solutions including: access to digital asset exchanges; digital asset custody and management; NFT trading systems; as well as wallet and liquidity solutions. The crypto participant has five international offices, across Singapore (HQ), Hong Kong, North Carolina, Tokyo and following its establishment in August this year, Seoul.
In June, the company inked a strategic partnership with Singapore’s Bedrock Trust Pte. Ltd, a licensed asset and wealth management firm regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), that caters to family office clients. The pair had set about a collaboration across projects including ChainUp subsidiary Top Value’s IPFS Infrastructure Fund, the Total Return Fund, and the Enhanced Beta Fund and Venture Capital Fund, before ChainUp announced its acquisition of Bedrock on Wednesday (September 28).
“With our scale and Bedrock’s know-how, we will be creating additional compliant financial products that leverage the high growth in the blockchain sector, opening up doors for traditional investors and institutions to engage with the industry,” Zhong told FA.
In the release, CEO and founder of Bedrock, Serena Choo Shui Hui, added that she had observed growing interest from clients in the digital assets space and that the acquisition provided opportunity to leverage ChainUp’s expertise in this area.
Global perspective, strategic expansion
At the celebration of its fifth anniversary last week, ChainUp announced the appointment of a board of directors and products. Comprising eight members including former Singapore prime minister and MAS chairman, Goh Chok Tong, the board will offer the firm’s management team leadership and stewardship. Zhong told FA that Goh’s “truly global perspective and vision” would provide the board with invaluable expertise and guidance.
“With their diverse backgrounds and rich industry experience, our new board of directors will help our company to strengthen its global compliance and risk control efforts.”
“At the same time, we hope to integrate our experience in compliance and risk control into our expanding product suite. This will enable us to provide standardised compliance products that help our partners meet regulatory requirements in each country of operation.”
Also at the event, the firm announced two additional partnerships. The first is with Singapore-based cybersecurity software developer, Metatrust Labs. With a core focus that Zhong explained involves translating state-of-the-art research into automated security scanning capabilities for Web3, he said that the partnership would see the firms work together to develop a combined solution for exchange security.
The second partnership sees ChainUp work with partially state-owned Korean telecommunications company, KT Corporation, and Korean blockchain consultation and services platform, HS88.
“Through this partnership, we will combine our market resources to work together in areas including IDC (international data corporation) business and data storage solutions,” he said.
ChainUp currently deploys its solutions to over 60 million end-users. Its current clients include businesses in blockchain-related industries as well as companies operating in traditional sectors looking for a route into the blockchain space, Zhong confirmed.
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