Russian ‘double-tap’ strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 16 and wounds 130

 By Reuters | Posted by TOE At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when several Russian drones ‌struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, with President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy promising a response to what he called an “act of barbarism.” Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said ​that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskiy’s hometown. “There are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha said. He posted a photo of black ‌smoke billowing from a large ⁠industrial building. In an update early on Saturday, Hanzha said nine people were preliminarily considered missing, including two children, and ⁠that rescuers were continuing to clear the rubble of the shopping centre. Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely cynical and despicable”, saying that a second Russian drone hit the shopping ​centre ​half an...

Citigroup Explores Crypto Custody Partnerships Re-evaluates Metaco Collaboration

Citigroup, a prominent banking institution, is reviewing its partnership with Metaco. This evaluation comes following the recent announcement by Ripple Labs regarding its acquisition of Metaco, a cryptocurrency custody firm, for $250 million.

Citigroup has initiated discussions with various other custody providers. This move suggests that the banking giant is exploring alternative options for its custody services.

In May, the payment company announced its decision to purchase Metaco. The acquisition was announced while Ripple fought, and continues to fight, a legal dispute with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is anticipated to have significant financial implications for the blockchain company.

Citigroup’s Metaco Review Not Directly Linked To Ripple’s Acquisition

Metaco provides custody technology solutions, catering to several major banks. Among these banks, Citigroup (Citi) is the primary one based in the United States. Citigroup has been a key partner of Metaco, utilizing its custody services.

Citi’s significance as a client lies in its role as the world’s fourth-largest custodian bank, following BNY Mellon, State Street, and JP Morgan. Additionally, Citi has initiated the Regulated Liability Network, which aims to link central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) with bank deposit tokens and other tokenized digital assets.

This demonstrates Citi’s commitment to advancing the integration of CBDCs and digital assets within the banking sector. In June of the prior year, Citigroup selected Metaco as its custody partner.

The purpose behind this choice was to expand Citigroup’s range of services to encompass tokenized securities and other products based on blockchain technology. The review conducted by Citigroup was not directly linked to Ripple’s acquisition of Metaco.

Despite Ripple’s announcement that Metaco would retain its independence as a brand and continue to be led by its CEO, the reasons behind Citigroup’s review were not explicitly connected to this acquisition.

Metaco Connected To Major Financial Institutions

Over the past two years, Metaco has secured notable partnerships with various financial institutions. These include BNP Paribas Securities Services, SocGen Forge, Citi, DekaBank, and DZ Bank from Germany.

Before this period, Metaco had already established relationships with prominent clients such as DBS, BBVA, and Zodia Custody, a Standard Chartered subsidiary. These clients are recognized for their active involvement in the tokenization space.

The reasons behind this shift, some firms claim, mainly include concerns over the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, potential risks associated with regulatory compliance, and the need to ensure the safety of clients’ assets.

Metaco

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