Nina Bobro

How Sustainable Building Projects Help Africa Manage Urban Growth
Science & Technology

How Sustainable Building Projects Help Africa Manage Urban Growth

Sustainability is a cornerstone of modern city development. While developed countries around the globe are pursuing net zero emission goals, developing nations in Africa are making efforts to implement sustainable solutions into their rapidly growing urban landscapes.

Volkswagen Adds ChatGPT to Vehicle Voice Assistant
Science & Technology

Volkswagen Adds ChatGPT to Vehicle Voice Assistant

Volkswagen plans to add a popular AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT function into all its car and SUV models equipped with IDA voice assistant.

Samsung Shares AI for All Vision, Upgrades Smart Homes With Maps, AI Avatars and Ballie Robot
Science & Technology

Samsung Shares AI for All Vision, Upgrades Smart Homes With Maps, AI Avatars and Ballie Robot

Samsung Electronics unveiled its vision of “AI for All” along with the new upgrades for its smart home ecosystem: interactive maps, AI avatars and companion robot Ballie.

Fintech Funding in US and UK Sees Sharp Decline in 2023
Fintech & Ecommerce

Fintech Funding in US and UK Sees Sharp Decline in 2023

Inflation, increased interest rates, geopolitical instability, and other macroeconomic challenges brought US and UK fintechs 36% and 63% less money last year, respectively.

Bitcoin-Accepting Merchants Grew 174% in 2023
Blockchain & Crypto

Bitcoin-Accepting Merchants Grew 174% in 2023

The number of merchants accepting Bitcoin payments increased almost threefold last year, with a notable concentration in Europe and Latin America.

Investment Trends 2024
Finance & Economics

Investment Trends 2024

2024 may be a challenging year for investors. Although inflation growth has started to slow down, it is still high enough to impede global economies, businesses, and investing capabilities. Therefore, investors should look for market trends that can help them generate positive returns.

Global Startup Funding Decreases 38% in 2023
Finance & Economics

Global Startup Funding Decreases 38% in 2023

Global startup funding declined to the lows last seen in 2018, illustrating a 38% drop year-on-year.

Central Bank of Nigeria Launches Naira-Pegged Stablecoin Pilot
Blockchain & Crypto

Central Bank of Nigeria Launches Naira-Pegged Stablecoin Pilot

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approves the Africa Stablecoin Consortium (ASC) to pilot cNGN (a stablecoin pegged to the value of Nigerian Naira) in its innovative Regulatory Sandbox.

Spain’s Central Bank Chooses Partners for CBDC Project
Blockchain & Crypto

Spain’s Central Bank Chooses Partners for CBDC Project

Cecabank, Abanca and Adhara Blockchain will experiment with central bank digital currency (CBDC), testing different use cases within the pilot of the wholesale CBDC by Spain’s central bank (Banco de España).

National Bank of Cambodia Partners IFC to Boost Green Finance
Finance & Economics

National Bank of Cambodia Partners IFC to Boost Green Finance

Cambodia’s transition towards a green economy requires a financing boost, with the National Bank of Cambodia and IFC joining efforts to support climate-friendly projects.

Enhanced Blockchain Security Brought Crypto Hack Losses Down 51% in 2023
Blockchain & Crypto

Enhanced Blockchain Security Brought Crypto Hack Losses Down 51% in 2023

The state of Web3 and blockchain security improved over the past year, causing a twofold decrease in losses to crypto hacks and other cybersecurity incidents.

Grayscale Refiles Spot Bitcoin ETF Application
Blockchain & Crypto

Grayscale Refiles Spot Bitcoin ETF Application

Grayscale submitted an amended S-3 filing that includes a cash-only creation model with the U.S. securities regulator.

Adani Green Energy Raises $1.13B to Boost Renewable Energy Transition in India
Science & Technology

Adani Green Energy Raises $1.13B to Boost Renewable Energy Transition in India

India’s largest renewable energy developer, Adani Green Energy, said its shareholders will invest INR 9,350 crore ($1.13 billion) in the company to boost its capacity, achieving its stated target of 45 GW by 2030.

US Holiday Retail Sales Grow 3.1%
Fintech & Ecommerce

US Holiday Retail Sales Grow 3.1%

Mastercard SpendingPulse estimated that this year’s holiday in-store and online retail sales grew 3.1% year over year.

UK Ethnic Minority Businesses Are Twice More Ambitious Than SMEs Overall
Finance & Economics

UK Ethnic Minority Businesses Are Twice More Ambitious Than SMEs Overall

Recent UK research showed that almost 6 in 10 ethnic minority-owned businesses (EMBs) have ambitions to both grow and take risks, significantly higher than the overall percentage of SMEs nationwide (27%).

Spot Bitcoin ETF Updates Deadline Set on Dec. 29
Blockchain & Crypto

Spot Bitcoin ETF Updates Deadline Set on Dec. 29

The SEC has announced a Dec. 29 update deadline for potential spot Bitcoin ETF providers that wish to receive their approvals in early January.