Trezor Releases Crypto Hardware Wallet Trezor Safe 5

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) Trezor Releases Crypto Hardware Wallet Trezor Safe 5

2) Riot Platforms Raises Bitfarms Stake to 14%

3) Helio Upgrades Its Solana Pay Plugin for Shopify

4) Oscilar Launches AI-Powered ACH Fraud Detection

5) Agora Acquires Clearshift’s Real Estate Division

Trezor Releases Crypto Hardware Wallet Trezor Safe:

• Trezor has launched its latest flagship device, the Trezor Safe 5 (TS5), designed for crypto storage with enhanced security features, a haptic color touchscreen, improved backup options, and available in various finishes. The Bitcoin-only version of the TS5 is priced at $169 and was unveiled by CEO Matěj Žák at BTC Prague.

• The TS5 aims to help users transition from centralized exchanges to self-custody of their crypto on hardware wallets. Trezor Expert assists customers in correctly setting up their wallets and understanding the security considerations of self-custody, covering topics such as private key management and safe online practices.

• Trezor wallets, like the TS5 and Model T, are known for their advanced security features, including secure element protection, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and support for multi-signature transactions. They support over 1,800 cryptocurrencies and offer a comprehensive management platform through the Trezor Suite application, which includes buying, selling, swapping cryptos, portfolio tracking, and market analysis. The wallets also provide a secure recovery process using a 24-word seed phrase and can integrate with third-party apps like MetaMask and Exodus for staking and NFT management.

Riot Platforms Raises Bitfarms Stake to 14%:

• Riot Platforms acquired an additional 1,432,063 shares of Bitfarms at approximately $2.70 per share, totaling about $3.87 million. This acquisition brings Riot's ownership to 57.62 million shares, or roughly 14%, as part of its ongoing hostile takeover attempt.

• Riot previously attempted to acquire Bitfarms for about $950 million and criticized Bitfarms' "poison pill" strategy designed to thwart the takeover. The poison pill plan, if triggered, would dilute the acquirer's ownership by issuing fresh shares.

• Riot plans to requisition a special shareholder meeting to nominate independent directors to Bitfarms' board. Bitfarms' stock rose 15% following the announcement of a significant increase in its future hash rate. Riot Platforms has a market cap of $3.17 billion compared to Bitfarms' $1 billion.

  

  Source: Blockworks

Helio Upgrades Its Solana Pay Plugin for Shopify:

• Helio has upgraded its Solana Pay Shopify plugin, allowing e-commerce businesses to accept payments via the Solana network with a transaction fee of 0.75%, lower than the typical 1.5 to 3.5% charged by credit cards. The plugin now supports hundreds of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, solana, PayPal’s PYUSD, and various memecoins, expanding from its previous limitation of only accepting USDC.

• The new version of the plugin uses Jupiter to automatically swap accepted coins to stablecoins and allows users to onramp crypto using fiat and merchants to offramp crypto to fiat automatically. It also features a streamlined checkout process, NFT airdrops, and allow lists for customers. Helio took over operations of the integration from the Solana Foundation in December 2023, following the initial integration led by the Solana Foundation in August.

• Since Helio took over, the Shopify plugin has seen $50 million in sales volume through partnerships with over 200 stores. Entrepreneur and anti-aging influencer Bryan Johnson is a customer, and Solana Labs used the plugin for preorders of the second Solana Mobile device. Payments on Ethereum, BNB, and more than 10 other blockchains will be added soon.

Oscilar Launches AI-Powered ACH Fraud Detection:

• Oscilar has introduced an AI-powered ACH Fraud Detection product, leveraging machine learning algorithms, generative AI, and real-time data analysis to identify and prevent fraudulent transactions for FinTechs and financial institutions. This new solution targets various types of fraud, such as first-party fraud, account takeover, stolen account details, scams, business email compromise (BEC), money mules, and ACH check kiting.

• Neha Narkhede, co-founder and CEO of Oscilar, stated that the new product addresses one of the biggest challenges for their customers, helping them prevent fraud in real-time and navigate regulatory requirements with confidence. The solution analyzes bank account usage patterns, validates intent, detects new attack vectors, and aids risk operations teams in scaling their investigations and reviews.

• The introduction of this product comes as both same-day and regular ACH payments have seen significant spikes in fraudulent activities. A PYMNTS Intelligence and Hawk AI report found that 66% of financial institutions with assets of $5 billion or more are now using ML and AI technologies to combat fraud, up from 34% in 2022. Meanwhile, Nacha reported a 4.8% rise in ACH payment volume and a 4.4% increase in payment value in 2023 compared to 2022.

Agora Acquires Clearshift’s Real Estate Division:

• Agora has acquired Clearshift’s real estate division to enhance cross-border payments in investment management. The division previously used Clearshift’s international payments infrastructure for mass payouts and capital investments between foreign investors, asset managers, property managers, and fund administrators.

• Following the acquisition, Agora will become the primary client-facing interface, offering user-friendly investment management tools, while Clearshift will continue to manage payment execution and compliance. This integration will provide existing Clearshift clients with enhanced capabilities and offer Agora clients a transparent solution for foreign exchange activity, enabling seamless global distributions and contributions.

• The acquisition comes after Agora's recent $34 million Series B funding round supported by Qumra Capital, Insight Partners, and Aleph. Agora’s CEO Bar Mor stated that the deal would streamline and reduce the cost of international payments, benefiting from the substantial customer overlap between the two companies.

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