Blockchain.com Appoints Lisa Nelson and Luis Berruga to Board of Directors

Blockchain.com Appoints Lisa Nelson and Luis Berruga to Board of Directors

New appointments bolster board experience in scaling finance and technology growth companies

LONDON, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Blockchain.com, a global leader in crypto services for retail and institutional users, today announced the appointments of former Microsoft executive, Lisa Nelson, and former Global X ETFs CEO, Luis Berruga, to its board of directors.

Nelson and Berruga’s appointments add further diversity of background and expertise in scaling technology, traditional finance and digital assets growth companies to Blockchain.com’s board.

With respective experience operating or serving on the boards of publicly traded companies like Microsoft and SOL Strategies, Nelson and Berruga strengthen the board’s expertise in corporate governance, financial oversight, strategic growth and emerging technologies.

“The exceptional caliber and strength of our board already stands out in the digital assets industry and reflects the ambition of Blockchain.com,” said Peter Smith, Executive Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blockchain.com. “Lisa and Luis bring complementary experience across global finance, technology and scaling growth companies. Their diverse perspectives will be invaluable as we continue to scale our own business.”

“Digital assets are moving from the margins of finance toward its core, and that shift will reward companies that earn trust at scale. Blockchain.com has done that for 15 years, across every market cycle,” said Lisa Nelson, Board Director of Blockchain.com. “I’m honored to join the board and help guide its next chapter, building on that foundation with rigor and a relentless focus on customers seeking modern solutions to archaic, legacy financial services.”

“Sitting at the intersection of traditional finance and decentralized finance for much of my recent work, it’s clear that more assets of all types are going to move onchain,” said Luis Berruga, Board Director of Blockchain.com. “Blockchain.com is perfectly positioned to help connect traditional financial markets with the growing onchain economy. I’m very much looking forward to helping scale the business alongside the rest of the board and management team.”

Nelson currently serves on the boards of Banqer Software, Spark New Zealand and Brooks Running. She also advises several venture funds and early-stage tech startups around the world. Nelson is an almost 15-year veteran of Microsoft, where she held executive positions in finance, investor relations, and business development. She also co-founded Microsoft’s first venture fund, M12, and as its managing director, helped deploy hundreds of millions of dollars in funding across more than 80 startups globally. Nelson is a CPA and began her career at EY.

Berruga also serves as an independent director of SOL Strategies, lead independent trustee and audit committee chairman of the Tidal ETF platform, an independent trustee of KraneShares ETFs, and an independent director of the VistaOne Fund by Vista Equity Partners. He was also CEO and board chair of Global X ETFs, which he scaled from a startup into a leading ETF platform, with assets under management of $85 billion across more than 150 ETFs on four continents. Earlier in his career, Berruga spent time at Jefferies and Morgan Stanley.

About Blockchain.com:

Blockchain.com is connecting the world to the future of finance. The most trusted and fastest-growing global crypto company helps millions safely access cryptocurrency. Since its inception in 2011, Blockchain.com has supported over 95M+ wallets, 44M+ confirmed accounts, and more than $1.1 trillion in crypto transactions. Operating in more than 70 jurisdictions, Blockchain.com offers secure self-custody, institutional services, and a growing product suite aligned with global regulation and privacy standards.

Media Contact:

Press@blockchain.com

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Dubai Future Finance Week concludes with global institutions, regulators and innovators setting the agenda for the future of finance

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week concluded on 6 November, bringing together financial institutions, regulators and innovators alongside 1,000 speakers across 85 side events, 13 signature forums and 16 stages in Dubai. Led by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, the week delivered more than 80 partnerships and more than 100 strategic announcements, establishing an annual meeting point for the global financial industry and advancing the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 goal of positioning the city among the world’s top four financial centres.

Held under the overarching theme of “Finance Reimagined: Where Innovation Meets Policy and Purpose,” the week included the Dubai FinTech Summit as the anchor event, alongside the Future Sustainability Forum, the Future Islamic Finance Forum, the Dubai Family Wealth Summit, the Future Tokenisation Forum, IPEM Future Dubai, the Capital Exchange GP-LP Programme, the Investment Leaders Exchange, GAIP InsureTek Middle East, the MENA Banking Excellence Awards and the DealCatalyst Fixed Income Alternatives series.

DIFC confirmed that it is now home to more than 2,000 AI, FinTech and innovation companies and a wealth and asset management community surpassing 600 firms.

DIFC announced plans to launch the Dubai FinTech Stack, an initiative designed to give founders access to the essential capabilities needed to establish, operate and scale their businesses, from customer onboarding and payments to risk management, financial security and AI integration.

Additionally, DIFC Academy will expand by tenfold to 370,000 sq. ft. within DIFC Zabeel District, transforming into a purpose-built academic campus with capacity for 50,000 learners annually from 2030.

To develop the next generation of family-enterprise leaders, DIFC announced a 2027 NextGen Internship Programme under the Dubai Family Wealth Centre, placing participants within DIFC firms.

The DIFC Innovation Hub also announced plans to establish the Islamic Finance Innovation Centre, which will serve as a collaborative, global platform connecting financial institutions with regulators, Shariah scholars, standards bodies, FinTechs and technology companies.

Ignyte, Dubai’s official start-up ecosystem platform operating under DIFC signed several partnerships to develop market-ready solutions, advance Web3 innovation and offer access to banking services for associated start-ups and founders.

In 2027, Dubai Future Finance Week will return for its second edition in May 2027. 

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NABEP Replaces Decades-Old Steel Lines with 1,149 Kilometers of New Pipe on Lake Maracaibo

BACHAQUERO, Venezuela, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) has installed 1,149 kilometers of new flexible pipe on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo since beginning operations there in 2024. The pipe replaces aging steel lines, which have been a main source of leaks that have damaged the lake for decades.

Flexible pipe with protective layers resists the corrosion associated with old steel. Laid in continuous sections from barges, it has fewer joints where leaks typically start. NABEP also repaired critical sections of 12-inch oil and gas trunk lines this year by installing nearly four kilometers of new steel pipe.

Lake Maracaibo’s pollution problem dates to the early 1900s. Decades of intensive production, inadequate maintenance and underinvestment left most of the lake’s estimated 25,000 kilometers of underwater pipeline corroding. In 2021, a Simón Bolívar University scientist told NASA’s Earth Observatory that most of the pipelines were 50 years old. NASA has also cited estimates of 40,000 to 50,000 oil leaks and spills across Venezuela between 2010 and 2016 alone.

NABEP inherited part of that network in 2024 and made replacing it a priority. Rather than patching old lines section by section, the company is replacing each well’s lines entirely. The program has run new flow and gas lines to 435 wells in the Bachaquero and Ceuta fields. Of those, 301 are already producing through the new pipe, with about 52,000 barrels of oil a day now flowing from the wellhead through new lines. The remaining wells have their new lines in place and will produce through them when they come back online.

“Decades of neglect have left oil on Lake Maracaibo’s shores and fishing families struggling to make a living from its waters,” said NABEP CEO Alejandro Betancourt. “Cleanups alone can’t keep up while old pipes keep leaking, so we’re reinvesting in a lasting fix: replacing the corroded lines we inherited, one by one. We are working steadily to replace the graveyard of rusted equipment and oil slicks we see today with modern infrastructure built to the highest safety and environmental standards. We’re committed to being good stewards of this lake and good neighbors to the communities that depend on it.”

The work continues. NABEP has 176 kilometers of new pipe in storage, 791 more in transit, and plans to lay about 3,400 additional kilometers, including new lines connecting 144 wells to the Bachaquero 3 compressor plant. The program is part of broader efforts to clean up and restore Lake Maracaibo.

About North American Blue Energy Partners

North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) is an independent oil exploration and production company operating in North and Latin America, with offices in Caracas, Maracaibo and Lechería. NABEP is committed to the responsible development of energy resources, the safety of its people and the prosperity of the communities where it operates. www.nabep.net

Media contact: press@nabep.com 

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Toptal AI Launches, Delivers Frontier-grade AI With Open-weight Models and Full Data Ownership

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Toptal, recently ranked the #1 Most Reliable Professional Services Company in America by Newsweek, today announced the launch of Toptal AI, a new full-stack AI services company. Toptal AI develops, evaluates, and deploys frontier-grade AI using a combination of open-weight and proprietary models while allowing organizations to retain full ownership and control over their AI systems and data. Launching with more than 200 PhDs in AI-related fields, 100 forward-deployed engineers, and 15 new product lines, Toptal AI serves frontier AI labs, innovative enterprises, and fast-growing startups, acting as the single partner to help organizations realize all of their AI ambitions. Toptal AI encompasses the entire spectrum of AI products, platforms, and services and launches with a curated ecosystem of technology partners, with signed agreements with Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXSI, Gemini, Copilot, Amazon Nova, Databricks, Agentforce, ElevenLabs, Lovable, Miro, Fin, Glean, and Writer.

Toptal AI’s unique AI stack comprises AI strategy, solutions and services, partnerships, talent, platforms, data services, and managed services–everything imaginable in AI. Organizations can develop and fine-tune open-weight, domain-specific models tailored to their data and business; deploy production-ready agents that operate across existing workflows while keeping humans in control; and commercialize their data and AI capabilities to create new revenue streams, all while maintaining full data ownership. Toptal AI also includes a suite of ready-to-deploy outcome agents tailored to specific industries and business contexts.

While Toptal AI is vendor-neutral, it also has its own suite of products and platforms to help companies jump-start their AI journey. AI Workstation serves as the unified control center for connecting and operating any combination of platforms and tools, regardless of provider or vendor. Other Toptal AI platforms include ActionTrace, which captures real work activity across systems and workflows; Operationalize, which fills a critical gap by adding organizational context and establishing a unified business ontology; Maestro, which uses that structured data and context to build and manage models and agents; and RL Refinery, which creates reinforcement learning environments to train models on domain-specific data. This suite of products is a unique recipe for context and model creation that drives enterprise intelligence forward in a repeatable and scalable format.

Toptal AI’s three-part methodology ensures that AI development at all phases captures, implements, and scales anything AI can do with precision, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. Toptal AI maintains these systems through a robust MLOps, LLMOps, and managed services offering.



“Toptal AI gives enterprises the ability to deploy frontier-grade AI while maintaining full ownership and control over their costs, systems, data, and infrastructure,” said Taso Du Val, founder and CEO of Toptal. “Our unique combination of AI products and experts makes developing AI agents and fine-tuned models possible at a scale that was previously unimaginable.”

About Toptal

Toptal is the world’s largest talent network of highly skilled domain experts, connecting businesses with the top 3% of freelance talent on demand. Toptal was ranked the #1 Most Reliable Professional Services Company in America by Newsweek and Statista, based on an independent survey of more than 2,400 decision-makers at Fortune 500s. Toptal’s network includes talent from AI leaders such as OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepMind, and Palantir, as reported by Forbes. Founded in 2010, Toptal has served more than 35,000 clients across more than 140 countries. For more information, please visit Toptal.com.

Contact

Luiz Baia

SVP of Marketing Strategy

luiz.baia@toptal.com

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Apptio Expands Portfolio to Help Enterprises Connect AI Spending to Business Value

Updates include new connections for leading frontier AI systems, expanded financial planning and AI-assisted analysis

Key facts 

• Track AI spending alongside broader technology costs, with direct connections that bring model consumption and usage data into the Apptio portfolio.
• Plan and optimize AI spending with IBM Cloudability capabilities for AI application costing, token usage, budgeting, forecasting and AI service commitment recommendations.
• Connect AI investments and AI TCO to business results with new IBM Apptio AI Value & ROI capabilities.

ARMONK, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Apptio, an IBM company (NYSE: IBM), today is announcing new connections for leading frontier AI systems to help enterprises track AI costs and usage alongside their broader technology spending. The connections accompany expanded AI cost-management capabilities across its portfolio to help organizations forecast spending, evaluate costs against business results and decide which AI investments to scale.

An IBM IBV study published in June 2026 found that 85% of surveyed technology executives reported that they lack full visibility into real-time AI spending. With costs spread across model providers, cloud infrastructure, applications and teams, organizations need a clearer picture of what AI initiatives cost and which are delivering business value.

Beyond the new AI connection capabilities, IBM is expanding capabilities across the Apptio portfolio to help organizations plan AI spending, measure business value and understand Kubernetes network costs. New Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and AI-assisted analysis also help teams access and analyze technology financial data through AI tools of their choice.

“AI investment is growing faster than many organizations can effectively govern and evaluate, and fragmented and outdated technology and AI data only adds to the complexity,” said Eugene Khvostov, Chief Product Officer, IBM Apptio. “We’re expanding these capabilities across our portfolio to address these challenges head-on and give teams the technology financial intelligence they need to understand the economics of AI at the most granular and real-time level, make better decisions and direct investment toward the initiatives delivering the greatest value.”  

Connecting AI usage with enterprise technology economics 

IBM is introducing direct native AI cost and usage connections for leading frontier AI systems across the Apptio portfolio. These connections are designed to help organizations incorporate AI consumption data into their broader technology financial management practices, providing greater visibility into an increasingly important category of enterprise technology spend.

IBM is also introducing MCP servers designed to connect financial, operational, organizational and portfolio data with external AI tools, helping organizations to bring technology into the environments where their teams work and make decisions.

Bringing AI-powered insights across the Apptio portfolio 

IBM is expanding AI-assisted decision support across the product portfolio. Users can ask natural-language questions of their financial, cloud and portfolio data to surface drivers, risks and opportunities and reach insights quickly, helping to reduce reliance on specialist users or manual navigation through reports.

New and enhanced capabilities include:

• More comprehensive AI cost management and AI Insights in IBM Cloudability. Alongside traditional cloud costs, organizations can incorporate AI application costing as well as usage and token data. Cloudability also supports AI and cloud unit economics and optimization of AI rates through commitment recommendations for hyperscalers’ AI services, while financial planning capabilities can support forecasting and budgeting for AI costs.  AI Assistant enables users to ask plain-English questions about cloud and AI spend and receive insights generated from their connected data. 
• Expanded AI capabilities in IBM Apptio.  Features including, IBM Apptio AI Assistant, AI Lens and AI Data Assistant are designed to accelerate analysis and automate data preparation, while expanded AI Economics capabilities provide deeper visibility into AI spend, total cost and usage. New AI Value & ROI capabilities are designed to help organizations connect technology investments with measurable business outcomes, while driver-based planning is designed to improve forecasting of variable spend.
• Enhanced Kubernetes network cost visibility in IBM Kubecost. Expanded network cost visibility helps teams understand the network costs generated by their Kubernetes environments, with added detail for AWS NAT Gateway ingress and egress, cross-zone and cross-region traffic. Organizations can more easily investigate what is driving network spend and connect those charges back to the Kubernetes resources and traffic patterns behind them.

“Enterprises are investing aggressively in AI, but visibility into cost alone isn’t enough. Leaders need to understand what they’re spending, who owns it and, ultimately, what value the business is getting in return,” said Tim Crawford, Founder and Principal Analyst, AVOA. “By bringing together technology, financial and portfolio intelligence, Apptio is helping organizations create a more complete picture of their AI and broader technology investments to make better decisions.”

Together, these capabilities are designed to give technology, finance and business leaders a more connected approach to managing the economics of AI, from understanding underlying consumption and infrastructure costs to planning investments and measuring the business value they generate, helping organizations make smarter, faster and more informed technology investment decisions.

Availability: 

• AI system connectors are generally available, with connectors for additional sources planned for Q4.
• MCP servers for IBM Cloudability (GA: Q4), IBM Apptio (GA: Q4), IBM Kubecost (GA: Q3) and IBM Targetprocess (GA: Q4)
• IBM Cloudability support for AI Commitments available in Q3, with continued incremental support in Q1 and Q2 2027
• IBM Cloudability support for AI Unit Economics is generally available, with additional enhancements in Q4 2026 and incremental support in Q1 and Q2 2027.
• IBM Cloudability Financial Planning for AI services is generally available.
• IBM Apptio AI Assistant (Conversational Insights & Expert Guidance), AI Lens (Report Summarization) and AI Data Assistant are generally available.
• IBM Apptio AI Value & ROI and AI Economics maturity journey via AI Spend, AI TCO & Usage enhancements are generally available as of November 6, 2026.
• Driver-Based Planning will be generally available in Q4.
• AI Scenario Planning will be available in Q4.
• IBM Kubecost expanded network cost visibility is generally available to all product tiers.

About Apptio, an IBM Company 

Apptio, an IBM company, is a leading technology spend and value management software provider. Apptio’s AI-powered data insights empower leaders to make smarter financial and operational decisions across Information Technology (IT), multi-cloud FinOps and digital product development. Apptio’s mission is to deliver business value with every technology investment and team. Powered by Apptio’s cloud platform, Apptio’s SaaS applications help translate technology spend into clear business outcomes and financial ROI. As a pioneer and category leader in Technology Business Management (TBM), FinOps and Agile Portfolio Management, Apptio works with thousands of customers, partners and community members worldwide.

¹ IBM Institute for Business Value, June 2026. Survey of 2,000 senior technology executives across 33 geographies and 19 industries, conducted with Oxford Economics from January to April 2026.

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent, including anticipated availability dates and functionality, are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.

Media contact: 

Jas McDonald

IBM

Jas.McDonald@ibm.com  

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Harley-Davidson Selects Horizon Global as Growth Partner

Partnership Will Bring the Brand’s Media Operations Together Under One Unified Global Operating Model

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Horizon Global, the bold breakthrough agency alternative, has been awarded the global media business for Harley-Davidson, following a months-long review. The move will bring greater transparency, clarity, and consistency to Harley-Davidson’s global media operations, helping the brand better connect with existing and prospective riders across markets, grow its global audience, and bring greater coordination, consistency, and efficiency to its media investment. 

“Harley-Davidson is about delivering joy and swagger to the world of motorcycling. Horizon’s integrated approach to media gives us the opportunity to better serve our core and welcome in new riders. The teams are a great match. They are as passionate about media as we are about motorcycles,” said Marcus Fischer, Chief Brand Officer, Harley-Davidson. 

Horizon Global will manage media strategy, investment, planning and measurement across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. The appointment reflects the appeal of Horizon Global’s approach, offering marketers greater choice through a model that combines global scale and capabilities with the agility and entrepreneurial spirit to challenge convention. For Harley-Davidson, this means greater visibility and coordination across global media operations while preserving the market-level intelligence and flexibility needed to engage in locally relevant ways. 

“Few brands have successfully transformed a customer base into a lifelong lifestyle movement the way Harley-Davidson has,” said Bob Lord, CEO, Horizon Global. “Marcus and his team understand what global marketers need today and share in our belief that meaningful growth comes from challenging conventions. We’ve developed tremendous respect for the Harley-Davidson team throughout this process, and we’re excited to get to work helping them realize their ambitions and drive measurable business growth.” 

About Harley-Davidson 

Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, parts & accessories, experiences, riding gear and apparel. What We Make: The World’s Best Motorcycles. Period. Who We Serve: Motorcycle Riders Worldwide. Why We Do It: To Protect and Grow Motorcycle Culture. What We Stand For: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and has a controlling interest in Harley-Davidson Financial Services and LiveWire Group, Inc. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. LiveWire is committed to developing the technology of the future and investing in the capabilities needed to lead the transformation of motorsports. Learn more at harley-davidson.com. 

About Horizon Global 

Horizon Global is a pioneering joint venture between Horizon Media Holdings and Havas, established as the first global agency network built specifically for the modern marketer in the AI era. Headquartered in New York and spanning over 100 countries, the network commands a combined $20 billion in global billings to service US-centric global client opportunities. Powered by BluConverged — a seamless, AI-native platform uniting Horizon’s Blu and Havas’ Converged.AI — Horizon Global empowers marketers with smarter insights, faster outcomes, and unparalleled platform transparency at a global scale.

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Consello Strengthens Ireland Team with Managing Director Appointments

NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Consello, the leading global advisory and investing platform, today announced the appointment of Niamh Garvey and Peter Davis as Managing Directors in its Dublin office to strengthen the firm’s CEO advisory capabilities in Ireland. Garvey and Davis bring expertise in strategic communications, public policy, transactions, and capital markets to the firm.

Garvey has spent more than 25 years advising CEOs and boards, both internationally and locally, through complex reputational, regulatory and policy issues. She has held senior leadership roles in London and Dublin and led global mandates on issues central to long-term growth and enterprise value, with deep expertise in healthcare. Davis has nearly two decades of experience in public company advisory, mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital markets. He has held corporate finance and investment banking roles at KPMG, Citi and Deutsche Bank, supporting global equity capital markets and M&A.

Consello Founder, Chairman and CEO Declan Kelly said, “Niamh and Peter bring exceptional, complementary skill sets that further strengthen Consello’s ability to support clients in Ireland and across our global platform. As our presence and client needs continue to grow, these leaders will help us even better support the leaders on the ground navigating complex regulatory and capital-markets decisions.”

About Consello

Consello is an Advisory and Investing Platform with offices in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Dublin, Belfast, London, Brussels, and Abu Dhabi.

Consello’s distinct advisory practices provide the complete strategic counsel today’s leaders need to grow and transform their organizations. Consello’s advisory expertise spans Corporate Advisory; M&A; Management Consulting; Talent; Sports and Entertainment; Strategic Communications; Geopolitics; and Risk. Dedicated teams operate in each practice, led by a leadership group with deep operational experience across industries, business growth stages and market cycles and with an expansive set of global corporate relationships.

Consello’s investment business, Consello Capital, identifies high-potential mid-market companies and invests capital and expertise to transform their growth.

Consello Media Inquiries

media@consello.com

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Dubai Future Finance Week concludes with global institutions, regulators and innovators setting the agenda for the future of finance

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The inaugural Dubai Future Finance Week concluded on 6 November, bringing together financial institutions, regulators and innovators alongside 1,000 speakers across 85 side events, 13 signature forums and 16 stages in Dubai. Led by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, the week delivered more than 80 partnerships and more than 100 strategic announcements, establishing an annual meeting point for the global financial industry and advancing the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 goal of positioning the city among the world’s top four financial centres.

Held under the overarching theme of “Finance Reimagined: Where Innovation Meets Policy and Purpose,” the week included the Dubai FinTech Summit as the anchor event, alongside the Future Sustainability Forum, the Future Islamic Finance Forum, the Dubai Family Wealth Summit, the Future Tokenisation Forum, IPEM Future Dubai, the Capital Exchange GP-LP Programme, the Investment Leaders Exchange, GAIP InsureTek Middle East, the MENA Banking Excellence Awards and the DealCatalyst Fixed Income Alternatives series.

DIFC confirmed that it is now home to more than 2,000 AI, FinTech and innovation companies and a wealth and asset management community surpassing 600 firms.

DIFC announced plans to launch the Dubai FinTech Stack, an initiative designed to give founders access to the essential capabilities needed to establish, operate and scale their businesses, from customer onboarding and payments to risk management, financial security and AI integration.

Additionally, DIFC Academy will expand by tenfold to 370,000 sq. ft. within DIFC Zabeel District, transforming into a purpose-built academic campus with capacity for 50,000 learners annually from 2030.

To develop the next generation of family-enterprise leaders, DIFC announced a 2027 NextGen Internship Programme under the Dubai Family Wealth Centre, placing participants within DIFC firms.

The DIFC Innovation Hub also announced plans to establish the Islamic Finance Innovation Centre, which will serve as a collaborative, global platform connecting financial institutions with regulators, Shariah scholars, standards bodies, FinTechs and technology companies.

Ignyte, Dubai’s official start-up ecosystem platform operating under DIFC signed several partnerships to develop market-ready solutions, advance Web3 innovation and offer access to banking services for associated start-ups and founders.

In 2027, Dubai Future Finance Week will return for its second edition in May 2027. 

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Bybit RWA Earn Expands On-Chain Access to JPE, a Japanese High-Dividend Equity Strategy Managed by SBI Asset Management

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the New Financial Platform trusted by more than 80 million users worldwide, is excited to add JPE, a Plume product backed by JX, to Bybit RWA Earn, the first equity product on the platform, broadening user access beyond fixed-income strategies into the dynamic Japanese equity markets. The underlying fund exposure is managed by SBI Asset Management Co., Ltd. (SBI AM).

The underlying JX token is issued by DigiFT, a digital asset exchange for institutional-grade real-world assets. JX is designed to provide accredited or institutional investors with on-chain exposure to a Japanese High Dividend Equity Fund Strategy managed by SBI AM which is a subsidiary of SBI Global Asset Management Co., Ltd.

The underlying JX token is issued on Ethereum. Plume, the Open Finance platform for institutional assets, provides the JPE wrapper offered through Bybit RWA Earn. Subscriptions and redemptions through Bybit are denominated in USDC, with a minimum subscription of 5,000 USDC. All on-chain gas fees are covered by Bybit, and subscribers enjoy zero subscription and redemption fees, and a T+5 settlement cycle (excluding non-trading days in Japan, Singapore, and the United States).

“Ecosystem synergy is crucial in the new era of real-world asset tokenization. Bybit is excited to bring on-chain access to another world-class traditional asset to our users, with Plume and DigiFT delivering institutional-grade infrastructure. The quality of the underlying strategy and the caliber of our partners reflect the standard of access our users deserve,” said Emily Bao, Head of Spot & Assets at Bybit.

“Our focus at Plume is taking institutional grade assets across borders and putting them to work onchain. JX is the first time a Japanese asset manager’s listed-equity strategy has come onchain through regulated infrastructure, and it’s the kind of bridge that moves onchain finance beyond crypto-native assets to the strategies that shape global portfolios,” said Ryan Wen, Chief Operating Officer of Plume.

“Our collaboration with Plume demonstrates how tokenization can connect financial markets with the digital asset ecosystem. We’re pleased to support Plume in this initiative with Bybit and look forward to exploring further opportunities together,” said Henry Zhang, Founder and Group CEO of DigiFT.

A New Asset Class for RWA Earn

Bybit RWA Earn has redefined on-chain access to traditional markets for everyday investors diversifying into global opportunities since the platform went live in June 2026. The unique platform removes barriers to entry to institutional-grade tokenized products across fixed-income and credit strategies for eligible Bybit users.

With JPE, Bybit RWA Earn now extends into equity markets for the first time, offering users indirect exposure to Japanese equities through a professionally managed fund with a disciplined investment approach.

Terms and conditions apply. For restricted regions, eligibility criteria, detailed product information and yield mechanisms, and other requirements, users may visit: Bybit RWA Earn Introduces JPE: Access SBI’s Japanese High-Dividend Equity Strategy

Disclaimer: RWA Earn is not principal protected and involves risk of loss. APR figures shown are based on historical NAV performance, are not guaranteed, and may change over time. Actual returns may differ materially. Availability varies by jurisdiction and user eligibility.

#Bybit  / #NewFinancialPlatform 

About Bybit

Bybit is The New Financial Platform.

We believe every person should have access to every financial opportunity on earth. That’s why we’re building the first intelligent platform that connects anyone, anywhere to the world’s finance.

Trusted by more than 80 million users worldwide, Bybit brings together investing, trading, payments, and wealth-building in a single secure and intelligent ecosystem. Through the combination of AI-powered technology, deep global liquidity, robust security, and transparent operations, Bybit makes global finance more accessible, efficient, and empowering for everyone.

Built for everyone. Powered by intelligence. Open to the world.

Learn more at Bybit.com.

For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press

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UAE becomes first country outside Europe to implement eATA Carnet system

DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The UAE commenced its rollout of the eATA Carnet system on 9 November 2026, becoming the first country outside Europe to adopt the innovative digital solution. The initiative is being implemented through collaboration between Dubai Chambers, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), and Dubai Customs.

The system enables ATA Carnets to be issued and processed electronically, replacing paper-based procedures with digital declarations, QR codes, and transaction records. It is designed to accelerate customs clearance, improve transparency, and facilitate international trade and events.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has served as the UAE’s National Guaranteeing and Issuing Association for ATA Carnets since 2011. The chamber played a key role in preparing for the implementation, working closely with national customs authorities and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on technical consultations, training, and pre-launch testing.

Dubai Chambers is one of only 13 of the ICC’s 1,200 member chambers worldwide to implement the eATA Carnet system.

ATA Carnets allow eligible goods to enter participating countries temporarily without payment of customs duties or taxes, provided they are subsequently re-exported. Valid for up to one year, they simplify customs requirements for exhibitions, commercial samples, and professional equipment, reducing paperwork and the need for separate customs guarantees.

Between the UAE’s adoption of the ATA Carnet system in 2011 and the end of 2025, 63,591 carnets were issued and received, covering goods worth AED 54.4 billion. In 2025 alone, Dubai Chamber of Commerce issued and received 5,960 carnets covering goods valued at AED 5.6 billion, up 11.2% in number and 30% in value year-on-year.

The UAE’s transition follows the June 2026 rollout across 30 European countries. Full global digitalisation of the ATA Carnet system is expected by 1 January 2028.

About Dubai Chambers

Dubai Chambers is a non-profit public entity that supports Dubai’s vision as a global business hub by empowering businesses, providing innovative value-added services, and unlocking access to influential networks.

For more information, please contact:

Mohamad Mouzehem

mohamad.mouzehem@dubaichamber.com

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