OpenSea Says Platform is ‘Open-Minded’ Towards Acquisitions

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) Kraken Taps Former N26 and Coinbase Execs for Key Positions

2) OpenSea Says Platform is ‘Open-Minded’ Towards Acquisitions

3) Hut 8 Exec Set to Take Over Celsius Mining Company

4) Bread Financial Names Former Amex CIO Allegra Driscoll As New CTO

5) Louisiana’s b1Bank Partners With KlariVis For Data Analytics Platform

Kraken Taps Former N26 and Coinbase Execs for Key Positions:

• Kraken has announced the strategic hiring of Gilles BianRosa, previously Chief Product Officer at N26, as its new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer. BianRosa brings experience from N26, SoundCloud, and Samsung Electronics, enhancing Kraken's product development and operational capabilities.

• Marcus Hughes, formerly the Managing Director of Europe and General Counsel for international expansion at Coinbase, joins Kraken as the Global Head of Regulatory Strategy. His extensive experience at Coinbase and Morgan Stanley will be crucial in navigating the complex and evolving global regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies.

• These key hires are part of Kraken's broader strategy to prepare for the next phase of growth in the crypto markets, focusing on innovation, product launches, market expansion, and adherence to regulatory standards across multiple jurisdictions.

OpenSea Says Platform is ‘Open-Minded’ Towards Acquisitions:

• OpenSea, previously valued at $13.3 billion, is open to potential acquisition deals, as stated by CEO Devin Finzer. Although not actively seeking a sale, the company is receptive to appropriate partnerships. Currently, there are no immediate plans for OpenSea to be acquired.

• The company's trading volume has significantly decreased, dropping 96% to $171 million, while rival Blur has surpassed OpenSea in daily trading volume. Despite this, OpenSea continues to prioritize user safety by removing problematic NFT collections.

• OpenSea has acquired several companies, including Gem, Dharma, and Mintdrop, focusing on talent in these acquisitions. Finzer notes increased interest in NFTs from content-based companies and trends towards NFTs for physical goods and metaverse experiences. OpenSea had previously reduced its staff for efficiency, not due to financial constraints.

Hut 8 Exec Set to Take Over Celsius Mining Company:

• Matt Prusak, Chief Commercial Officer at Hut 8 is set to depart on January 31 to lead a new mining company formed from the Celsius bankruptcy, as approved by a New York bankruptcy court. Hut 8 will provide managed services for five Texas-based mining sites of the new company, with a $20 million annual management fee plus equity incentives.

• The Texas sites from Celsius, which invested heavily in mining rigs before its bankruptcy, will have a mining capacity of 12 exahashes per second (EH/s), accounting for about 2% of the global bitcoin mining power.

• Bitget, a centralized crypto exchange, reported a significant increase in job applications from the banking sector, rising from 10% in 2021 to 33% recently. Applicants, primarily interested in KYC and compliance roles, are attracted by higher pay and the innovative aspects of crypto. The report suggests that as traditional finance institutions transition to Web3, there could be a reverse trend of professionals moving from crypto companies to traditional finance.

Bread Financial Names Former Amex CIO Allegra Driscoll As New CTO:

• Allegra Driscoll has been appointed as the new Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bread Financial, previously known as Alliance Data.

• Driscoll's focus at Bread Financial will be on advancing enterprise technology priorities, supporting the growth of the fintech's private-label credit card, and enhancing payment, lending, and saving solutions for e-commerce merchants.

• With a robust background in financial services, Driscoll previously led the global commercial services unit at American Express as Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). She also has significant experience from her tenure at Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, where she held various management roles in product and engineering. Ralph Andretta, President and CEO of Bread Financial, highlights Driscoll's expertise as invaluable for driving technology innovation and modernization at the company.

b1Bank Partners With KlariVis For Data Analytics Platform:

• B1Bank, a Louisiana-based community bank, has chosen KlariVis, a fintech startup, as its data analytics partner.

• KlariVis will provide B1Bank with its KlariVis Advantage platform, a core agnostic enterprise dashboard and analytics tool designed specifically for community banks and credit unions. This platform is geared towards compiling and aggregating data into interactive dashboards and pre-built reports.

• The partnership aims to improve B1Bank's internal decision-making processes and enhance its banking services in Louisiana and Texas. Gregory Robertson, EVP and CFO of b1Bank, highlighted the partnership's benefits, including clearer data communication to frontline employees and improved management decision-making capabilities. Robertson emphasized the need for a partner like KlariVis in the rapidly changing financial landscape to better serve clients and drive shareholder returns.

NoRamp:

NoRamp is building Web2’s favorite Web3 apps on our lightning-fast payment infra. Join our discord, dive into our our docs, or check out our website to learn more.