Bullish acquière Equiniti auprès de Siris dans le cadre d’une transaction de 4,2 milliards de dollars, créant ainsi un agent de transfert mondial pour les titres tokenisés

  • Bullish (NYSE : BLSH) a conclu un accord définitif en vue d’acquérir Equiniti, un agent de transfert mondial de premier plan qui compte près de 3 000 clients émetteurs, 15 000 entreprises clientes et 20 millions d’actionnaires pour un total de 500 milliards de dollars de paiements traités annuellement.
  • Cette alliance donne naissance au premier prestataire de services pour émetteurs de référence entièrement intégré et basé sur la blockchain, combinant un agent de transfert réglementé à une infrastructure de tokenisation de bout en bout.
  • Cette transaction, d’un montant de 4,2 milliards de dollars comprend 1,85 milliard de dollars de reprise de dette d’Equiniti et environ 2,35 milliards de dollars en actions de Bullish, sous réserve des ajustements habituels du prix d’achat.
  • Sur une base pro forma, la société issue de cette fusion devrait générer environ 1,3 milliard de dollars de chiffre d’affaires total ajusté et un peu plus de 500 millions de dollars d’EBITDA ajusté hors Capex pour 2026 (estimations). Elle devrait ensuite atteindre une croissance de 6 à 8 % entre 2027 et 2029 (estimations) dont une croissance de 20 % de revenus issus des services de tokenisation et de blockchain.
  • La transaction devrait se finaliser en janvier 2027, sous réserve de l’obtention des autorisations réglementaires requises et des conditions de clôture habituelles.

GEORGE TOWN, Îles Caïmans, 06 mai 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bullish (NYSE : BLSH), la plateforme institutionnelle d’actifs numériques, a annoncé aujourd'hui avoir signé un accord définitif pour acquérir Equiniti, un des principaux agents de transfert mondiaux et fournisseurs de services essentiels aux actionnaires, dans le cadre d’une transaction évaluée à 4,2 milliards de dollars. Cette alliance donne naissance à un agent de transfert mondial pour les titres tokenisés et vise à positionner Bullish comme leader de la transition vers une infrastructure de marché de capitaux native de la blockchain.

L’acquisition permet de réunir l’offre native de la blockchain de Bullish, à savoir : conception, émission, exploitation et conformité des tokens ; distribution sur les marchés réglementés à l’échelle mondiale ; apport de liquidité ; et visibilité grâce aux médias, aux données et aux études de CoinDesk. Avec ce nouvel agent de transfert agréé, Equiniti répond aux besoins de toute société cotée sur la plupart des grands marchés.  Le système d’enregistrement d’Equiniti, utilisé par près de 3 000 entreprises cotées de premier plan, permet de traiter environ 500 millions de dollars de paiements annuels et prend en charge plus de 20 millions d’actionnaires vérifiés. La plateforme combinée, conçue pour fonctionner en parallèle de l’infrastructure de marché existante, prend en charge l’intégralité du cycle de vie des actifs tokenisés.

Un changement générationnel sur les marchés de capitaux

Alors que les marchés de capitaux entrent dans l’ère de la blockchain avec des titres tokenisés, cette alliance permettra de combler une lacune fondamentale dans l’infrastructure du marché : l’absence d’un agent de transfert conçu pour la blockchain. La transformation en cours est profonde : en l’espace d’une décennie seulement, les stablecoins (dollars américains tokenisés) ont atteint une capitalisation boursière déclarée de plus de 300 milliards de dollars et un volume annuel de paiements estimé à 10 000 milliards de dollars. Il s’agit d’une des transformations structurelles les plus importantes sur les marchés de capitaux depuis l’avènement du trading électronique. L’entité issue de cette fusion sera idéalement positionnée pour en devenir le système d’exploitation.

Tom Farley, le PDG de Bullish a déclaré « La tokenisation marque un tournant historique dans le fonctionnement des marchés de capitaux, c’est la tendance structurelle déterminante des 25 prochaines années. Une adoption généralisée à l’échelle institutionnelle nécessite trois éléments : des services de tokenisation de bout en bout, un grand livre unique et unifié ainsi qu’un vaste réseau de relations avec des émetteurs de premier plan, à grande échelle. Cette alliance réunit ces trois éléments et j’estime qu’elle nous offre une position unique pour mener la transition vers les titres tokenisés ».

Des avantages pour l’ensemble de l’écosystème

Cette alliance devrait apporter des avantages concrets à l’ensemble de l’écosystème. Alors que la technologie blockchain et la tokenisation des actifs du monde réel se généralisent, cette fusion permettra aux émetteurs de bénéficier d’une visibilité en temps réel sur leurs tableaux de capitalisation – ce qui représente une avancée majeure par rapport aux délais de plusieurs jours, voire plusieurs semaines, des registres traditionnels – d’automatiser les opérations sur titres, d’élargir l’accès aux investisseurs et de réduire les coûts. Les investisseurs pourront effectuer des transaction 24h/24 et 7j/7, bénéficier d’un règlement instantané et d’un transfert d’actifs fluide. Bullish fournira une infrastructure de trading secondaire pour les actions tokenisées éligibles hors des États-Unis, s’adressant ainsi aux investisseurs non américains à la recherche de liquidités sur des actions tokenisées, faisant ainsi le lien entre les marchés des titres certifiés et ceux des titres tokenisés.

« Equiniti occupe une place centrale sur les marchés de capitaux à l’échelle mondiale, accompagnant des clients qui comptent sur une infrastructure fiable et robuste. Lorsque j’ai rejoint l’entreprise, la mission était claire : accompagner nos clients dans leur processus de modernisation en alliant une expertise professionnelle approfondie à des technologies modernes de manière responsable » a indiqué Dan Kramer, PDG d’Equiniti. Il a ensuite ajouté « Cette transaction illustre parfaitement cette intention. Cela renforce notre capacité à accompagner nos clients à mesure que les marchés évoluent, tout en préservant la stabilité, le service et la confiance qu’ils attendent d’Equiniti. En travaillant en étroite collaboration avec Tom ces derniers mois, il est apparu évident que nous partagions le même point de vue : la modernisation des infrastructures de marché doit se faire de manière réfléchie, en toute sécurité et en accordant la priorité aux clients ».

La plateforme combinée sera conçue pour interagir avec les infrastructures existantes des marchés de capitaux, notamment les dépositaires centraux de titres (CSD) tels que DTCC, Euroclear et Clearstream, les dépositaires et les courtiers-négociants et viendra compléter les registres et archives existants. Elle fonctionnera dans le cadre des dispositifs réglementaires existants, en s’appuyant à la fois sur le statut d’agent de transfert d’Equiniti enregistré auprès de la SEC et sur ses opérations britanniques réglementées par la FCA, ainsi que sur l’infrastructure d’actifs numériques agréée de Bullish. Elle est conçue pour s’aligner sur les nouveaux cadres réglementaires tels que le projet pilote DLT de l’UE, offrant aux émetteurs et aux investisseurs institutionnels la clarté nécessaire à une adoption à grande échelle.

À propos de l’Opération

En rachetant Equiniti en 2021, Siris a joué un rôle central dans le développement stratégique de l’entreprise.

« Lorsque Siris a investi dans Equiniti, nous avons identifié une plateforme d’infrastructure d’envergure et de grande qualité, dotée de relations solides avec ses clients. Nous avons alors travaillé en étroite collaboration avec Dan et son équipe pour renforcer l’entreprise et la préparer à sa prochaine phase de croissance. Ce résultat reflète notre stratégie consistant à soutenir des entreprises de services technologiques positionnées au cœur de la transformation du marché, et nous sommes convaincus que Bullish est particulièrement bien placée pour tirer parti des atouts d’Equiniti dans un écosystème de marchés des capitaux en pleine évolution », a indiqué Frank Baker, Co-fondateur et associé-gérant de Siris.

Equiniti passera sous l’égide de Bullish, aux côtés de Bullish Exchange et CoinDesk. Le PDG Dan Kramer et l’équipe dirigeante d’Equiniti conserveront la responsabilité des opérations quotidiennes, des obligations réglementaires et des relations avec les clients. Bullish fournira une infrastructure stratégique et un soutien visant à accélérer la mise en œuvre de la feuille de route commune des entreprises en matière de tokenisation. Dans le cadre de cette opération, Siris se verra attribuer deux sièges au conseil d’administration. La conclusion de la transaction est prévue pour janvier 2027, sous réserve de l’obtention des conditions de clôture habituelles et des autorisations réglementaires requises.

Principaux indicateurs financiers

  • Cette transaction, d’un montant de 4,2 milliards de dollars comprend 1,85 milliard de dollars de reprise de dette d’Equiniti et environ 2,35 milliards de dollars en actions de Bullish, sous réserve des ajustements habituels du prix d’achat.
    • La contrepartie en actions Bullish est fixée à 38,48 $ par action, sur la base du cours moyen pondéré par le volume (VWAP) sur 30 jours de Bullish, au cours de clôture du 4 mai 2026.
  • La transactions comprend une option d’achat permettant à Siris d’acquérir les activités non stratégiques d’Equiniti, dont les données financières ont été exclues de toutes les informations divulguées liées à la transaction.
  • Sur une base combinée pro forma, les entreprises devraient gérer environ 1,3 milliards de dollars de chiffre d’affaires total ajusté et un peu plus de 500 millions de dollars d’EBITDA hors Capex pour 2026 (estimations), ce qui témoigne d’une plateforme très rentable et à grande échelle avant même la concrétisation des synergies.
  • Bullish prévoit une croissance annuelle de son chiffre d’affaires de 6 à 8 % entre 2027 et 2029 (estimations), ainsi qu’une progression annuelle de son EBITDA hors Capex supérieure à 100 millions de dollars.
    • Objectif de marge d’environ 50 % ou plus sur l’EBITDA à taux de croissance constant pour 2029, hors dépenses d’investissement

Retransmission en direct

Bullish organisera une conférence téléphonique et une retransmission en direct pour présenter cette opération aujourd’hui, 5 mai, à 8h30 (heure de l’Est). La retransmission en direct ainsi que les supports de présentation associés seront accessibles dans la section « Relations avec les investisseurs » du site Internet de Bullish à l’adresse investors.bullish.com.

Conseillers

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC est intervenu en tant que conseiller financier exclusif auprès de Bullish. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP est intervenu en qualité de conseiller juridique. Alvarez & Marsal a également conseillé Bullish.

Evercore et FT Partners sont intervenus en qualité de conseillers financiers principaux de Siris, aux côtés de Wells Fargo et LionTree Advisors. Sidley Austin LLP est intervenu en qualité de conseiller juridique auprès de Siris.

Contacts auprès des médias

Bullish : [email protected]

Equiniti : [email protected]

À propos de Bullish : 
Bullish (NYSE : BLSH) est une plateforme mondiale d’actifs numériques destinée aux investisseurs institutionnels, offrant une infrastructure de marché réglementée ainsi que des services d’information. Cela inclut Bullish Exchange, une bourse d’actifs numériques au comptant et de produits dérivés destinées aux investisseurs institutionnels. Elle intègre un moteur de mise en correspondance des ordres centralisé et hautement performant, associé à un système de gestion de marché automatisé, afin de proposer une liquidité importante et prévisible. Bullish Europe est soumise à la réglementation MiCAR en tant que prestataire de services sur actifs cryptographiques proposant des services de trading au comptant et de conservation d’actifs numériques.

Bullish est la société mère de CoinDesk, l’un des principaux fournisseurs de services d’information et de médias spécialisés dans les actifs numériques. L’offre CoinDesk comprend : CoinDesk Indices, un ensemble d’indices de référence et d’indices négociables, exclusifs et axés sur un unique actif, qui suivent la performance des actifs numériques pour le compte d’institutions internationales issues des secteurs des actifs numériques et de la finance traditionnelle ; CoinDesk Data, une gamme complète de données et d’analyses sur le marché des actifs numériques, offrant des informations en temps réel sur les prix, les tendances et les dynamiques du marché ; et CoinDesk Insights, un éditeur spécialisé dans les actifs numériques et l’organisation d’événements, ainsi que l’exploitant de coindesk.com, une plateforme médiatique numérique qui couvre l’actualité et les analyses relatifs aux actifs numériques, aux marchés sous-jacents, aux politiques et à la technologie Blockchain. Pour obtenir de plus amples informations, consultez le site bullish.com et suivez-nous sur LinkedIn et X.

À propos d’Equiniti : 
Equiniti fournit des données fiables, des analyses pertinentes et une gestion fluide tout au long de vie de la détention d’actions. Nous accompagnons les émetteurs, les investisseurs et les salariés pour naviguer dans un environnement complexe, pour renforcer leur engagement sur les marchés et pour obtenir de meilleurs résultats grâce à des solutions technologiques soutenues par un service d’experts. Nous comptons plus de 5 000 collaborateurs à travers le monde qui accompagnent plus de 12 000 entreprises et plus de 20 millions d’actionnaires dans le monde entier.

Utilisation des sites Internet pour la diffusion d’informations importantes de l’entreprise
Nous utilisons le site Internet de Bullish Investor Relations (investors.bullish.com) et notre compte X (x.com/bullish) pour diffuser des informations utiles destinées aux investisseurs, y compris celles pouvant être considérées comme importantes, en complément des documents que nous déposons auprès de la Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) des États-Unis et de nos communiqués de presse. Nous invitons les investisseurs à consulter régulièrement les informations publiées sur notre site et notre compte X, ainsi que nos documents déposés auprès de la SEC et nos communiqués de presse, afin de se tenir informés des dernières évolutions.

Déclarations prospectives
Le présent communiqué de presse contient des « déclarations prospectives » au sens de la loi américaine « Private Securities Litigation Reform Act » de 1995. Les phrases contenant des mots tels que : « croire », « avoir l’intention de », « prévoir », « pourrait », « va », « s’attendre à », « devrait », « pouvoir », « anticiper », « estimer », « prédire », « projeter » ou leurs formes négatives, ou d’autres expressions similaires de nature prospective ou tournées vers l’avenir, doivent généralement être considérées comme des déclarations prospectives et comprennent, sans s’y limiter, les déclarations et informations relatives à l’acquisition d’Equiniti, aux performances financières ou opérationnelles futures, à la stratégie commerciale et aux opportunités de marché potentielles de Bullish, d’Equiniti ou des sociétés combinées, ainsi que les attentes liées à la croissance et à l’adoption des titres tokenisés et de la technologie Blockchain. Ces déclarations prospectives reposent sur des estimations et des hypothèses qui, bien que jugées raisonnables par Bullish, sont intrinsèquement incertaines et soumises à un certain nombre de risques, d’incertitudes et d’autres facteurs connus ou non, qui pourraient entraîner un écart significatif entre les résultats réels et ceux exprimés ou sous-entendus dans ces déclarations prospectives. Les facteurs susceptibles d’entraîner des résultats différents de ceux exprimés dans nos déclarations prospectives comprennent, sans s’y limiter, la satisfaction des conditions nécessaires à la conclusion de l’acquisition et du regroupement dans les délais prévus, voire leur conclusion tout simplement, l’incapacité à obtenir les autorisations réglementaires requises, la capacité à concrétiser les avantages attendus du regroupement, la capacité à intégrer avec succès l’activité, les litiges ou les mesures réglementaires liés à l’acquisition et au regroupement, les perturbations résultant de l’acquisition et du regroupement et leur impact sur notre capacité à développer notre activité et nos opérations, y compris dans de nouvelles zones géographiques, les coûts ou les dépenses qui y sont associés, la concurrence dans notre secteur, ainsi que l’évolution des règles et réglementations applicables aux actifs numériques, à la tokenisation et à notre secteur. Il vous est ainsi déconseillé de vous fier indûment à ces déclarations prospectives, qui ne sont uniquement valables qu’à la date à laquelle elles sont formulées, et Bullish n’assume aucune obligation quant à leur mise à jour.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714594)

Bullish übernimmt Equiniti von Siris im Rahmen einer Transaktion im Wert von 4,2 Milliarden US-Dollar und schafft damit den globalen Transferagenten für tokenisierte Wertpapiere

  • Bullish (NYSE: BLSH) hat eine endgültige Vereinbarung zur Übernahme von Equiniti geschlossen, einem weltweit führenden Transferagenten, der fast 3.000 Emittenten, insgesamt 15.000 Unternehmenskunden und 20 Millionen Aktionäre betreut und jährliche Zahlungen in Höhe von 500 Milliarden US-Dollar abwickelt.
  • Durch den Zusammenschluss entsteht der erste vollständig integrierte, Blockchain-fähige Blue-Chip-Dienstleister für Emittenten – die Verbindung eines regulierten Transferagenten mit einer durchgängigen Tokenisierungsinfrastruktur.
  • Die Transaktion hat einen Gesamtwert von 4,2 Milliarden US-Dollar. Davon entfallen 1,85 Milliarden US-Dollar auf übernommene Verbindlichkeiten von Equiniti und 2,35 Milliarden US-Dollar auf eine Gegenleistung in Form von Bullish-Aktien, jeweils vorbehaltlich üblicher Kaufpreisanpassungen.
  • Das zusammengeführte Unternehmen wird voraussichtlich einen bereinigten Gesamtumsatz von rund 1,3 Milliarden US-Dollar sowie ein bereinigtes EBITDA abzüglich Capex von mehr als 500 Millionen US-Dollar auf Pro-forma-Basis für 2026 erzielen. Für die Jahre 2027 bis 2029 wird anschließend ein kombiniertes Umsatzwachstum von 6 bis 8 Prozent erwartet, einschließlich eines Umsatzwachstums von 20 Prozent aus Tokenisierungs- und Blockchain-Dienstleistungen.
  • Der Abschluss der Transaktion erfolgt voraussichtlich im Januar 2027, vorbehaltlich behördlicher Genehmigungen und der üblichen Abschlussbedingungen.

GEORGE TOWN, Kaimaninseln, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bullish (NYSE: BLSH), die institutionelle Plattform für digitale Vermögenswerte, gab heute bekannt, dass sie eine endgültige Vereinbarung zur Übernahme von Equiniti geschlossen hat, einem weltweit führenden Transferagenten und Anbieter geschäftskritischer Aktionärsdienstleistungen. Die Transaktion hat einen Wert von 4,2 Milliarden US-Dollar. Durch den Zusammenschluss entsteht die weltweit führende Transferstelle für tokenisierte Wertpapiere. Zugleich soll Bullish damit eine Vorreiterrolle beim Übergang zu einer blockchain-nativen Kapitalmarktinfrastruktur einnehmen.

Die Übernahme vereint das blockchain-native Angebot von Bullish – Token-Design, Emission, Betrieb und Compliance; Vertrieb über regulierte Märkte weltweit; Liquiditätsbereitstellung; sowie Reichweite durch die Medien, Daten und Analysen von CoinDesk – mit dem, was börsennotierte Unternehmen in den meisten großen Märkten benötigen: eine regulierte Transferstelle. Als System of Record für fast 3.000 börsennotierte Blue-Chip-Unternehmen wickelt Equiniti jährlich Zahlungen in Höhe von rund 500 Milliarden US-Dollar ab und betreut mehr als 20 Millionen verifizierte Aktionäre. Die kombinierte Plattform ist auf die Anbindung an die bestehende Marktinfrastruktur ausgelegt und unterstützt den gesamten Lebenszyklus tokenisierter Vermögenswerte.

Ein Generationswechsel an den Kapitalmärkten

Während die Kapitalmärkte mit tokenisierten Wertpapieren in das Blockchain-Zeitalter eintreten, wird diese Fusion eine zentrale Lücke in der Marktinfrastruktur schließen: das Fehlen einer eigens für die Blockchain konzipierten Transferstelle. Der derzeitige Wandel ist tiefgreifend: Stablecoins – der tokenisierte US-Dollar – haben in nur einem Jahrzehnt eine gemeldete Marktkapitalisierung von mehr als 300 Milliarden US-Dollar und ein geschätztes jährliches Zahlungsvolumen von 10 Billionen US-Dollar erreicht. Dies ist eine der bedeutendsten strukturellen Veränderungen an den Kapitalmärkten seit dem Aufkommen des elektronischen Handels. Das fusionierte Unternehmen wird gut positioniert sein, um als Betriebssystem zu fungieren, das diese Entwicklung vorantreibt.

„Die Tokenisierung ist ein einmaliger Wandel in der Funktionsweise der Kapitalmärkte und prägt den Infrastrukturtrend der nächsten 25 Jahre“, so Tom Farley, CEO von Bullish. „Eine breite Einführung auf institutioneller Ebene erfordert drei Dinge: End-to-End-Tokenisierungsdienste, ein einziges, einheitliches Ledger und ein breites Netzwerk an Beziehungen zu erstklassigen Emittenten in großem Maßstab. Dieser Zusammenschluss vereint alle drei Elemente. Ich bin überzeugt, dass sie uns in eine einzigartige Position bringt, um den Übergang zu tokenisierten Wertpapieren anzuführen.“

Vorteile für das gesamte Ökosystem

Es wird erwartet, dass dieser Zusammenschluss konkrete Vorteile für das gesamte Ökosystem mit sich bringt. Da sich Blockchain-Technologie und tokenisierte reale Vermögenswerte zunehmend durchsetzen, erhalten Emittenten dadurch Echtzeit-Einblick in ihre Kapitalisierungstabelle – eine deutliche Verbesserung gegenüber den Verzögerungen von Tagen oder Wochen bei herkömmlichen Registern – sowie automatisierte Kapitalmaßnahmen, einen breiteren Zugang für Investoren und niedrigere Kosten. Anleger können rund um die Uhr handeln, von sofortiger Abwicklung profitieren und Vermögenswerte reibungslos übertragen. Bullish wird außerhalb der USA eine Sekundärhandelsinfrastruktur für zulässige tokenisierte Aktien bereitstellen, um nicht-US-amerikanischen Anlegern Zugang zu Liquidität in tokenisierten Aktien zu bieten und eine Brücke zwischen zertifizierten und tokenisierten Märkten zu schlagen.

„Equiniti steht im Zentrum der globalen Kapitalmärkte und unterstützt Kunden, die auf eine robuste und vertrauenswürdige Infrastruktur angewiesen sind. Als ich zu Equiniti kam, war unsere Mission klar: Kunden bei ihrer Modernisierung zu unterstützen, indem wir fundierte operative Expertise verantwortungsvoll mit moderner Technologie verbinden“, so Dan Kramer, CEO von Equiniti. „Diese Transaktion spiegelt genau diesen Anspruch wider. Sie stärkt unsere Fähigkeit, Kunden im Zuge der Marktentwicklung zu begleiten und zugleich die Stabilität, den Service und das Vertrauen zu wahren, die sie von Equiniti erwarten. Durch die enge Zusammenarbeit mit Tom in den vergangenen Monaten ist deutlich geworden, dass wir eine gemeinsame Überzeugung teilen: Marktinfrastruktur sollte durchdacht, sicher und kundengeführt modernisiert werden.“

Die kombinierte Plattform wird darauf ausgelegt sein, mit der bestehenden Kapitalmarktinfrastruktur – einschließlich Zentralverwahrern wie DTCC, Euroclear und Clearstream, Depotbanken und Broker-Dealern – zusammenzuarbeiten und bestehende Bücher und Aufzeichnungen zu ergänzen. Die Plattform wird innerhalb etablierter regulatorischer Rahmenbedingungen operieren und dabei auf Equinitis Status als bei der SEC registrierter Transferagent sowie auf die von der FCA regulierten britischen Geschäftsaktivitäten aufbauen – ergänzt durch die lizenzierte Infrastruktur für digitale Vermögenswerte von Bullish. Sie ist zudem auf neue Rahmenwerke wie das EU-DLT-Pilotregime ausgerichtet und bietet institutionellen Emittenten und Investoren die regulatorische Klarheit, die für eine groß angelegte Einführung erforderlich ist.

Über die Transaktion

Siris übernahm Equiniti im Jahr 2021 und spielte seither eine zentrale Rolle bei der strategischen Weiterentwicklung des Unternehmens.

„Als Siris in Equiniti investierte, sahen wir eine skalierte, hochwertige Infrastrukturplattform mit engen Kundenbeziehungen. Wir arbeiteten eng mit Dan und seinem Team zusammen, um das Geschäft zu stärken und auf die nächste Wachstumsphase vorzubereiten. Dieses Ergebnis spiegelt unsere Strategie wider, technologiegestützte Dienstleistungsunternehmen zu unterstützen, die im Zentrum des Marktwandels stehen. Wir sind zuversichtlich, dass Bullish hervorragend positioniert ist, um auf den Stärken von Equiniti in einem sich wandelnden Kapitalmarkt-Ökosystem aufzubauen“, so Frank Baker, Mitbegründer und Managing Partner von Siris.

Equiniti wird unter dem Dach von Bullish neben Bullish Exchange und CoinDesk tätig sein. CEO Dan Kramer und das Führungsteam von Equiniti bleiben für das Tagesgeschäft, die regulatorischen Verpflichtungen und die Kundenbeziehungen verantwortlich. Bullish wird strategische Infrastruktur und Unterstützung bereitstellen, um die gemeinsame Tokenisierungs-Roadmap der Unternehmen zu beschleunigen. Siris erhält im Rahmen der Transaktion zwei Sitze im Board of Directors. Der Abschluss der Transaktion wird für Januar 2027 erwartet, vorbehaltlich der üblichen Abschlussbedingungen und der erforderlichen behördlichen Genehmigungen.

Wichtige Finanzdaten

  • Die Transaktion hat einen Gesamtwert von 4,2 Milliarden US-Dollar. Davon entfallen 1,85 Milliarden US-Dollar auf übernommene Verbindlichkeiten von Equiniti und 2,35 Milliarden US-Dollar auf eine Gegenleistung in Form von Bullish-Aktien, jeweils vorbehaltlich üblicher Kaufpreisanpassungen.
    • Der Preis für die aktienbasierte Gegenleistung beträgt 38,48 US-Dollar je Bullish-Aktie, basierend auf dem volumengewichteten 30-Tage-Durchschnittskurs (VWAP) von Bullish zum Börsenschluss am 4. Mai 2026.
  • Die Transaktion beinhaltet eine Call-Option für Siris zum Erwerb von Geschäftsbereichen von Equiniti, die nicht zum Kerngeschäft gehören; deren Finanzdaten wurden aus allen Transaktionsangaben ausgeschlossen.
  • Auf Pro-forma-Basis wird für die zusammengeführten Unternehmen im Jahr 2026 ein bereinigter Gesamtumsatz von rund 1,3 Milliarden US-Dollar sowie ein bereinigtes EBITDA abzüglich Capex von mehr als 500 Millionen US-Dollar erwartet. Dies unterstreicht die hohe Profitabilität und Skalierung der Plattform bereits vor der Realisierung von Synergien.
  • Bullish erwartet für den Zeitraum von 2027E bis 2029 ein jährliches Umsatzwachstum von 6 bis 8 Prozent sowie ein jährliches Wachstum des EBITDA abzüglich Capex von mehr als 100 Millionen US-Dollar.
    • Die Zielmarge für das EBITDA abzüglich Capex im Jahr 2029 liegt bei rund 50 Prozent oder darüber.

Webcast

Bullish veranstaltet heute, am 5. Mai, um 8:30 Uhr ET eine Telefonkonferenz und einen Webcast, um die Transaktion zu erörtern. Der Live-Webcast und die dazugehörigen Präsentationsunterlagen sind im Bereich „Investor Relations“ auf der Website von Bullish unter investors.bullish.com abrufbar.

Berater

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC fungierte als exklusiver Finanzberater von Bullish. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP war als Rechtsberater tätig. Alvarez & Marsal beriet Bullish ebenfalls.

Evercore und FT Partners fungierten als führende Finanzberater von Siris, ebenso wie Wells Fargo und LionTree Advisors. Sidley Austin LLP war als Rechtsberater von Siris tätig.

Medienkontakte

Bullish: [email protected]

Equiniti: [email protected]

Über Bullish:
Bullish (NYSE: BLSH) ist eine globale, auf institutionelle Anleger ausgerichtete Plattform für digitale Vermögenswerte, die regulierte Marktinfrastruktur und Informationsdienste bereitstellt. Dazu gehört Bullish Exchange – eine auf institutionelle Anleger ausgerichtete Spot- und Derivatebörse für digitale Vermögenswerte, die eine leistungsstarke zentrale Limit-Order-Book-Matching-Engine mit automatisiertem Market Making verbindet, um hohe und verlässliche Liquidität bereitzustellen. Bullish Europe ist gemäß MiCAR als Krypto-Asset-Dienstleister reguliert und bietet Spot-Handels- und Verwahrungsdienstleistungen für digitale Vermögenswerte an.

Bullish ist die Muttergesellschaft von CoinDesk, einem führenden Anbieter von Medien- und Informationsdiensten für digitale Vermögenswerte. Das Angebot von CoinDesk umfasst drei Bereiche: CoinDesk Indices – eine Reihe handelbarer proprietärer Benchmarks, Single-Asset-Benchmarks und Indizes, die die Wertentwicklung digitaler Vermögenswerte für globale Institutionen in der Digital-Asset-Branche und im traditionellen Finanzsektor abbilden; CoinDesk Data – eine umfassende Suite von Marktdaten und Analysen zu digitalen Vermögenswerten, die Echtzeit-Einblicke in Preise, Trends und Marktdynamiken bietet; sowie CoinDesk Insights – ein Anbieter von Medien- und Veranstaltungsangeboten im Bereich digitale Vermögenswerte und Betreiber von coindesk.com, einer digitalen Medienplattform mit Nachrichten und Einblicken zu digitalen Vermögenswerten, den zugrunde liegenden Märkten, Regulierung und Blockchain-Technologie. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter bullish.com sowie auf LinkedIn und X.

Über Equiniti:
Equiniti bietet zuverlässige Daten, fundierte Einblicke und eine nahtlose Verwaltung über den gesamten Lebenszyklus von Aktienbeteiligungen hinweg. Wir unterstützen Emittenten, Investoren und Mitarbeitende dabei, komplexe Situationen zu bewältigen, das Marktengagement zu stärken und durch technologiegestützte Lösungen, ergänzt durch kompetenten Service, bessere Ergebnisse zu erzielen. Unsere mehr als 5.000 Mitarbeitenden weltweit betreuen über 12.000 Unternehmen und mehr als 20 Millionen Aktionäre.

Nutzung von Websites zur Verbreitung wesentlicher Unternehmensinformationen
Wir nutzen die Bullish Website für Investor Relations (investors.bullish.com) sowie unseren X-Account (x.com/bullish), um investorenrelevante Informationen zu veröffentlichen, einschließlich solcher Informationen, die als wesentlich angesehen werden können – zusätzlich zu unseren Einreichungen bei der US-Börsenaufsichtsbehörde SEC und unseren Pressemitteilungen. Wir empfehlen Anlegern, neben unseren SEC-Einreichungen und Pressemitteilungen regelmäßig auch die auf unserer Website und unserem X-Account veröffentlichten Informationen zu prüfen, um über die neuesten Entwicklungen informiert zu bleiben.

‍Zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen
Diese Pressemitteilung enthält „zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen“ im Sinne des US-amerikanischen Private Securities Litigation Reform Act von 1995. Sätze, die Wörter wie „glauben“, „beabsichtigen“, „planen“, „könnte“, „wird“, „erwarten“, „sollte“, „voraussehen“, „schätzen“, „vorhersagen“, „prognostizieren“ oder deren Verneinungen sowie andere ähnliche, zukunftsbezogene Ausdrücke enthalten, sind im Allgemeinen als zukunftsgerichtete Aussagen zu betrachten. Dazu zählen unter anderem Aussagen und Informationen zur Übernahme von Equiniti, zur künftigen finanziellen oder operativen Leistung, zur Geschäftsstrategie und zu potenziellen Marktchancen von Bullish, Equiniti oder den zusammengeführten Unternehmen sowie Erwartungen hinsichtlich des Wachstums und der Einführung tokenisierter Wertpapiere und Blockchain-Technologie. Solche zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen beruhen auf Schätzungen und Annahmen, die Bullish zwar als angemessen erachtet, die jedoch naturgemäß unsicher sind und Risiken, Ungewissheiten sowie anderen Faktoren unterliegen. Diese können dazu führen, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse wesentlich von den in diesen zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen ausdrücklich oder stillschweigend enthaltenen Ergebnissen abweichen. Zu den Faktoren, die dazu führen können, dass die tatsächlichen Ergebnisse von den in unseren zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen zum Ausdruck gebrachten Ergebnissen abweichen, zählen unter anderem die Erfüllung der Bedingungen für den Abschluss der Übernahme und des Zusammenschlusses innerhalb des vorgesehenen Zeitrahmens oder überhaupt, das Ausbleiben erforderlicher behördlicher Genehmigungen, die Fähigkeit, die erwarteten Vorteile des Zusammenschlusses zu realisieren und das Geschäft erfolgreich zu integrieren, Rechtsstreitigkeiten oder behördliche Maßnahmen im Zusammenhang mit der Übernahme und dem Zusammenschluss, Störungen infolge der Übernahme und des Zusammenschlusses sowie deren Auswirkungen auf unsere Fähigkeit, unser Geschäft und unseren Betrieb auszubauen, einschließlich an neuen geografischen Standorten, damit verbundene Kosten oder Aufwendungen, der Wettbewerb in unserer Branche sowie die sich weiterentwickelnden Regeln und Vorschriften für digitale Vermögenswerte, Tokenisierung und unsere Branche insgesamt. Sie sollten sich nicht übermäßig auf solche zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen verlassen, die nur zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Veröffentlichung gelten. Bullish übernimmt keine Verpflichtung, diese zukunftsgerichteten Aussagen zu aktualisieren.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714594)

Bullish adquire Equiniti da Siris em transação de US$ 4,2 bilhões, criando agente de transferência global para títulos tokenizados

  • A Bullish (NYSE: BLSH) fechou um contrato definitivo de aquisição da Equiniti, uma agente de transferência líder global que atende quase 3.000 clientes emissores, 15.000 clientes corporativos e 20 milhões de acionistas, processando US$ 500 bilhões em pagamentos anuais.
  • Essa união cria o primeiro provedor de serviços de emissor blue-chip totalmente integrado e habilitado para blockchain — unificando um agente de transferência regulamentado com total infraestrutura de tokenização.
  • A transação de US$ 4,2 bilhões abrange US$ 1,85 bilhão de dívida assumida da Equiniti e aproximadamente US$ 2,35 bilhões em contraprestação de ações da Bullish, sujeito aos ajustes habituais do preço de compra.
  • A nova empresa pro forma deve gerar aproximadamente US$ 1,3 bilhão em receita total ajustada e aproximadamente mais de US$ 500 milhões em EBITDA ajustado menos Capex para 2026E e, posteriormente, atingir 6-8% de crescimento combinado da receita 2027E-2029E, incluindo 20% de aumento da receita de tokenização e serviços blockchain.
  • O encerramento da transação está previsto para 29 de junho de 2021, mediante a satisfação das condições habituais de fechamento.

GEORGE TOWN, Ilhas Cayman, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bullish (NYSE: BLSH), a plataforma de ativos digitais de nível institucional, anunciou hoje que fechou um acordo definitivo de aquisição da Equiniti, uma importante agente de transferência global e fornecedora de serviços de missão crítica para acionistas, em uma transação avaliada em US$ 4,2 bilhões. Essa união cria um agente de transferência global para títulos tokenizados e visa posicionar a Bullish para liderar a mudança em direção à infraestrutura dos mercados de capital nativos da blockchain.

A aquisição reúne a oferta nativa de blockchain da Bullish: design, emissão, operação e conformidade de tokens; distribuição em mercados globais regulamentados; provisionamento de liquidez; e visibilidade através da mídia, dados e pesquisa da CoinDesk. A Equiniti oferece o que todas as empresas listadas na maioria dos principais mercados precisam ter: um agente de transferência regulamentado. Como o sistema de registro de quase 3.000 empresas de capital aberto, a Equiniti processa aproximadamente US$ 500 bilhões em pagamentos anuais e suporte a mais de 20 milhões de acionistas verificados. A nova plataforma, desenvolvida para funcionar em conjunto com a infraestrutura de mercado existente, dá suporte ao ciclo de vida completo dos ativos tokenizados.

Uma Mudança Geracional nos Mercados de Capital

Com a entrada dos mercados de capital em uma era de blockchain com títulos tokenizados, essa união irá atender uma necessidade fundamental na infraestrutura de mercado: a ausência de um agente de transferência desenvolvido para blockchain. A mudança em andamento é profunda: as stablecoins (o dólar americano tokenizado) cresceram para mais de US$ 300 bilhões em capitalização de mercado relatada e um volume estimado de US$ 10 trilhões em pagamentos anuais em apenas uma década. Esta é uma das transformações estruturais mais significativas dos mercados de capital desde o início do trading eletrônico, e a nova entidade estará bem posicionada para ser o sistema operacional que a alimenta.

“A tokenização é uma mudança única em como os mercados de capital operam, a tendência de infraestrutura definidora dos próximos 25 anos”, disse Tom Farley, CEO da Bullish. “A ampla adoção institucional em escala requer três coisas: serviço total de tokenização, um livro-razão único e unificado e uma ampla base de relacionamentos com emissores de primeira linha, em escala. Essa união oferece tudo isso e acredito que nos posiciona para liderar a transição para títulos tokenizados.”

Benefícios em Todo o Ecossistema

Essa união deve oferecer benefícios concretos para todo o ecossistema. Com a tecnologia blockchain e os ativos tokenizados do mundo real tendo uma adoção mais ampla, essa união irá permitir que os emissores ganhem visibilidade da tabela de limites em tempo real — uma atualização significativa em relação aos dias ou semanas de atraso dos registros tradicionais — ações corporativas automatizadas, acesso mais amplo dos investidores e custos mais baixos. Os investidores terão a capacidade de fazer transações 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, liquidação instantânea e movimentação de ativos sem atrito. A Bullish irá fornecer infraestrutura de negociação secundária para ações tokenizadas elegíveis fora dos EUA, para atender investidores não americanos que buscam liquidez em ações tokenizadas e conectar mercados certificados e tokenizados.

“A Equiniti está no centro dos mercados de capital globais, apoiando clientes que dependem de uma infraestrutura resiliente e confiável. Quando eu entrei, a missão era clara: apoiar nossos clientes diante da modernização, com a união responsável da profunda experiência operacional com a tecnologia moderna”, disse Dan Kramer, CEO da Equiniti. “Esta transação reflete essa intenção. Ela aumenta a nossa capacidade de apoio aos clientes diante da evolução dos mercados, manutenção da estabilidade, do serviço e da confiança depositada na Equiniti. Ao trabalhar em estreita colaboração com Tom nos últimos meses, ficou claro que compartilhamos uma visão comum: a infraestrutura de mercado deve se modernizar de forma cuidadosa, segura e com os clientes liderando o caminho.”

A plataforma conjunta será projetada para interoperar com a infraestrutura de mercado de capital existente — incluindo CSDs como DTCC, Euroclear e Clearstream, custodiantes e corretores — complementando livros e registros existentes. Ela irá operar em conformidade com as estruturas regulatórias estabelecidas, com base no status de agente de transferência registrado na SEC da Equiniti e nas operações do Reino Unido regulamentadas pela FCA, juntamente com a infraestrutura de ativos digitais licenciada da Bullish. Ela foi desenvolvida para se alinhar com regimes emergentes, como o EU DLT Pilot — dando aos emissores e investidores institucionais a clareza regulatória necessária para adoção em escala.

Sobre a Transação

A Siris adquiriu a Equiniti em 2021 e tem tido um papel central no desenvolvimento estratégico da empresa.

“Quando a Siris investiu na Equiniti, identificamos uma plataforma de infraestrutura de escala e alta qualidade com profundo relacionamento com os clientes e fizemos uma parceria com Dan e sua equipe para fortalecer a empresa e prepará-la para sua próxima fase de crescimento. Esse resultado reflete a nossa estratégia de apoiar as empresas de serviços habilitados para tecnologia no centro da transformação do mercado, e estamos confiantes de que a Bullish está excepcionalmente bem posicionada para aproveitar a força da Equiniti em um ecossistema de mercados de capital em evolução”, disse Frank Baker, Cofundador e Sócio-Gerente da Siris.

A Equiniti irá operar sob o guarda-chuva Bullish, juntamente com a Bullish Exchange e a CoinDesk. O CEO Dan Kramer e a equipe de liderança da Equiniti continuarão sendo responsáveis pelas operações diárias, obrigações regulatórias e relacionamento com os clientes. A Bullish irá fornecer infraestrutura estratégica e suporte para acelerar o roteiro de tokenização compartilhada das empresas. A Siris terá dois assentos no conselho como parte da transação. O fechamento da transação está previsto para janeiro de 2027, sujeito às condições habituais de fechamento e às aprovações regulatórias necessárias.

Principais Métricas Financeiras

  • A transação de US$ 4,2 bilhões abrange US$ 1,85 bilhão de dívida assumida da Equiniti e aproximadamente US$ 2,35 bilhões em contraprestação de ações da Bullish, sujeito aos ajustes habituais do preço de compra.
    • A contraprestação de ações de alta está avaliada em US$ 38,48 por ação, com base no VWAP de 30 dias da Bullish no fechamento em 4 de maio de 2026.
  • A transação inclui uma opção de compra para a Siris adquirir linhas de negócios não essenciais da Equiniti, cujas finanças foram excluídas de todas as divulgações da transação.
  • Em uma base combinada pro forma, as empresas devem gerar aproximadamente US$ 1,3 bilhão com uma receita total ajustada e aproximadamente mais de US$ 500 milhões em EBITDA ajustado menos Capex para 2026E, refletindo uma plataforma altamente lucrativa e dimensionada antes da realização das sinergias.
  • A Bullish espera alcançar um crescimento da receita anual de 6-8% de 2027E a 2029E e mais de US$ 100 milhões em EBITDA anual menos crescimento de Capex.
    • Meta de margem de EBITDA run-rate na saída (2029E), deduzido o Capex, de aproximadamente mais de 50%

Webcast

A Bullish fará uma teleconferência e um webcast para discutir esta transação às 8h30 ET de hoje, 5 de maio. O webcast ao vivo e os materiais da apresentação que o acompanham estarão acessíveis na seção de Relações com Investidores do site da Bullish em investors.bullish.com

Consultores

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC atuou como consultor financeiro exclusivo da Bullish. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP atuou como consultor jurídico. Alvarez & Marsal também proporcionou consultoria para a Bullish.

Evercore e FT Partners atuaram como principais consultores financeiros da Siris, além do Wells Fargo e da LionTree Advisors. Sidley Austin LLP atuou como consultor jurídico da Siris.

Contato com a Mídia

Bullish: [email protected]

Equiniti: [email protected]

Sobre a Bullish:
Bullish (NYSE: BLSH) é uma plataforma global de ativos digitais com foco institucional que fornece serviços de infraestrutura de mercado regulamentado e de informação. Inclui a Bullish Exchange – uma Exchange de ativos digitais, tanto de spot quanto de derivativos, com foco institucional, que integra um mecanismo central de ordens de livro de limites de alto desempenho com formador de mercado automatizado, para oferecer liquidez profunda e previsível. A Bullish Europe é regulamentada pelo MiCAR como provedor de serviços de criptoativos, oferecendo serviços de negociação spot e custódia de ativos digitais.

A Bullish é a empresa controladora da CoinDesk, provedora líder de mídia de ativos digitais e serviços de informação. A CoinDesk oferece: CoinDesk Indices – uma coleção de benchmarks e índices proprietários e de ativos exclusivos, negociáveis, que acompanham o desempenho dos ativos digitais para instituições globais dos setores de ativos digitais e finanças tradicionais; CoinDesk Data – um amplo conjunto de dados e análises de mercado de ativos digitais, que fornece insights em tempo real sobre preços, tendências e dinâmicas de mercado; e CoinDesk Insights – provedor de mídia e eventos de ativos digitais e operador da coindesk.com, plataforma de mídia digital que cobre notícias e insights de ativos digitais, mercados subjacentes, políticas e tecnologia blockchain. Para mais informações, visite bullish.com siga-nos no LinkedIn e X.

Sobre a Equiniti:
A Equiniti fornece dados confiáveis, insights inteligentes e administração contínua em todo o ciclo de vida das participações acionárias. Ajudamos emissores, investidores e funcionários a lidar com a complexidade, fortalecer o envolvimento no mercado e alcançar melhores resultados, por meio de soluções baseadas em tecnologia e apoiadas por serviços especializados. Nossos mais de 5.000 associados globais apoiam mais de 12.000 organizações e mais de 20 milhões de acionistas em todo o mundo.

Uso de Sites para Distribuição de Informações Relevantes da Empresa
Usamos o site Bullish Investor Relations (investors.bullish.com) e nossa conta X (x.com/bullish) para divulgar informações relevantes para os investidores, incluindo informações que possam ser consideradas relevantes, além dos registros que fazemos na Comissão de Valores Mobiliários dos EUA (SEC) e comunicados de imprensa. Incentivamos os investidores a analisar regularmente as informações publicadas no nosso site e na conta X, além dos nossos registros na SEC e comunicados de imprensa para obter informações sobre os últimos acontecimentos.‍

‍Declarações de Previsão
Este comunicado para a imprensa contém declarações consideradas declarações de previsão de acordo com o Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. As frases que contenham palavras como “acreditar”, “pretender”, “planejar”, “poder”, “querer”, “esperar”, “dever”, “poder”, “antecipar”, “estimar”, “predizer”, “projetar” ou suas formas negativas, ou outras expressões semelhantes de natureza futura ou de previsão, geralmente devem ser consideradas declarações de previsão e incluir, sem limitação, declarações e informações relacionadas à aquisição da Equiniti, ao desempenho financeiro ou operacional futuro, à estratégia de negócios e à potencial oportunidade de mercado da Bullish, da Equiniti ou das empresas conjuntas, e às expectativas relacionadas ao crescimento e à adoção de valores mobiliários tokenizados e da tecnologia blockchain. As declarações de previsão têm por base uma série estimativas e suposições que, embora consideradas razoáveis pela Bullish, são inerentemente sujeitas a riscos, incertezas e outros fatores que podem fazer com que os resultados reais sejam substancialmente diferentes dos resultados expressos ou implícitos em tais declarações de previsão. Os fatores que podem fazer com que os resultados sejam diferentes dos expressos nas nossas declarações de previsão incluem, mas não estão limitados, à satisfação das condições para o fechamento da aquisição e união no prazo previsto ou de qualquer outra forma, a falha em obter as aprovações regulatórias necessárias, a capacidade de realizar os benefícios esperados da união, a capacidade de integrar com sucesso os negócios, litígios ou ações regulatórias relacionadas à aquisição e união, interrupção da aquisição e união, e seu impacto na nossa capacidade de expandir nossos negócios e operações, incluindo em novas localizações geográficas, os custos ou despesas associados a eles, concorrência do nosso setor, e as regras e regulamentos em evolução aplicáveis aos ativos digitais, à tokenização e ao nosso setor. Não se deve depositar confiança indevida em tais declarações de previsão, que são válidas somente até a data em que são feitas, e a Bullish não assume nenhuma obrigação de atualizar essas declarações de previsão.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714594)

iQor Qares Raises More Than $380,000 at 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iQor Qares, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of iQor, today announced today that its 9th Annual “Swing for a Cause” Charity Golf Tournament raised a record-setting $380,000+ to support employees and their families facing financial hardship worldwide.

Held at the world-renowned Valspar Championship Copperhead Golf Course at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida, the event brought together sponsors, partners, and members of the iQor community under iQor’s culture of care to help those when they need it most.

“Every dollar raised represents meaningful support for someone in our iQor community,” said Richard Eychner, Chief Culture Officer at iQor and Chair of iQor Qares. “This event demonstrates the collective commitment of our sponsors, partners, and employees to helping one another in times of need.”

This year’s tournament received support from platinum-level sponsors Exato and Cisco with Verinext, gold-level sponsors Capital One Auto Finance, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Joy Systems, NiCE and LiveVox, Sanas, and Sudolabs, as well as additional sponsors, donors, and participants.

One hundred percent of net proceeds from the tournament fund employee grants, providing financial assistance for medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other life-altering events.

“At a time when I felt vulnerable and unsure of how to move forward, iQor Qares allowed me to focus on healing instead of worrying about how I would get through each month,” said iQor Qares recipient Neliza Fernandez, who received support after a stroke required an extended leave from work.

In 2025, iQor Qares:

  • Granted $299,788 to employees in need
  • Supported 1,051 employees and their families
  • Received contributions from more than 8,600 employees
  • Delivered aid across 28 sites in India, Trinidad & Tobago, the Philippines, and the United States
  • Provided 60 natural disaster grants

“The place where our house once stood was nothing but mud, scattered debris, and silence. iQor Qares stepped in and gave us relief during our hardest moments and helped us find the strength to rebuild,” said iQor Qares recipient Rhoda Daria, who received assistance following a natural disaster.

Funds raised from the 2026 tournament will expand iQor Qares’ ability to provide assistance to employees globally. For more information or to donate, visit iQorQares.com.

About iQor
iQor is a trusted partner in customer experience solutions for global brands and a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital. With 45,000 employees across 11 countries, iQor combines three decades of expertise with AI-driven innovation to optimize performance across the entire customer lifecycle. Through its three delivery pillars — Grow, CXBPO, and infinityAiQ — iQor delivers scalable solutions that drive acquisition, engagement, and retention. Powered by advanced analytics and a people-first culture, iQor transforms customer interactions into measurable growth. Recognized as a Great Place to Work® and a leader in CX excellence, iQor empowers brands to grow smarter. Learn more at iQor.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714422)

Shell Foundation, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, and Amazon Saheli collaborate to empower women micro-entrepreneurs in India

Bengaluru, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shell Foundation, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), and Amazon Saheli today announced a new program to empower low-income, home-based women entrepreneurs across India. The initiative aims to help women-led small businesses that are part of GAME's network increase their income and build more sustainable enterprises.

Women entrepreneurs in India often struggle with limited market access and outdated production methods. This collaboration addresses these challenges by connecting women-led businesses to new customers through Amazon's Saheli program, which offers lower selling fees and specialized support, including account management and training. The program will focus on key sectors including handicrafts, textiles, and agriculture.

As part of this initiative, Shell Foundation will provide energy-efficient technologies that can improve productivity in rural households and small-scale manufacturing operations. Amazon Saheli will identify sellers that are part of the program who can benefit from these innovations, while GAME will support the implementation of these tools within the women's businesses.

“Partnering with established business leaders such as Amazon Saheli and GAME is a critical element in Shell Foundation’s vision of scaling clean solutions to reach millions of customers in Emerging Economies. Increasing incomes and opportunities for women entrepreneurs, while lowering emissions, is a pathway to resilient growth” said Jonathan Berman, CEO of the Shell Foundation.

Speaking on the initiative, Ketul Acharya, President, GAME, said, “Low-income, home-based, or unregistered Women Micro-Entrepreneurs (W-MEs) in India face ongoing barriers to growing their income. A major challenge is their limited access to mainstream markets. By addressing both market access and energy needs, this initiative will create a lasting positive impact on their economic well-being and contribute to a more resilient future.”

Talking about the collaboration, Gaurav Bhatnagar, Director Sales Amazon India said, “Through our programmes, we have been working to empower women entrepreneurs by giving them the tools, training, and visibility to succeed in e-commerce. This collaboration with Shell Foundation allows us to extend this support further and connect women-led businesses with opportunities to adopt sustainable practices as they grow, while accessing customers across India.”


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714345)

Keep Inputs Moving to Keep Food Affordable

nitrogen fertilizer costs

Food prices in 2027 are being influenced by choices made this spring, on farms and in capitals. Credit: Shutterstock

By Maurizio Martina
ROME, May 6 2026 – Across Europe, winter wheat is already in the ground. What farmers apply in the coming weeks will determine the size of this year’s harvest. Those decisions are now being made under a sudden surge in costs that did not exist when seeds went in.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February disrupted energy and input markets that European agriculture cannot avoid. Within days, tanker traffic fell by 90 to 95 percent. European natural gas prices rose by 70 to 75 percent in the first week, with prices approaching double pre-conflict levels by mid-March.

Meanwhile Brent crude began the year at $61 per barrel and finished Q1 at $118, the largest quarterly price increase on an inflation-adjusted basis in data going back to 1988.

Farmers need immediate, targeted support to sustain the use of fertilizers and other key inputs during this narrow window, and governments should act to keep trade in agricultural inputs open while mobilizing rapid financing for countries under pressure

These shifts shape the cost of energy that underpins farming, from machinery and irrigation to the production of nitrogen fertilizers. At the same time, disruptions to Gulf fertilizer exports—representing roughly 20 to 30 percent of globally traded supply—pushed prices higher across all markets.

Europe, though not directly dependent on Gulf producers, buys into this global price system while also facing higher domestic production costs linked to gas. The result is a sustained increase in input costs at the precise moment farmers decide how much nitrogen to apply, decisions that will shape yields at harvest and are already beginning to set the direction of food prices into 2027.

Two priorities now shape the outcome. Farmers need immediate, targeted support to sustain the use of fertilizers and other key inputs during this narrow window, and governments should act to keep trade in agricultural inputs open while mobilizing rapid financing for countries under pressure.

These measures can still stabilize planting decisions and protect yields. Without them, higher input costs will translate directly into reduced application, lower production, and tighter food supply later in the year.

Rising fertilizer costs are already forcing farmers to adjust input use, with direct consequences for yields and food supply later in the year.

When fertilizer prices rise and liquidity tightens, farmers apply less nitrogen. Lower input use reduces yields. The impact does not appear immediately. It becomes visible at harvest, when production falls below potential, and later in markets, when supply tightens and prices rise. By then, the decisions that shaped the outcome cannot be reversed.

European agriculture enters this crisis with already thin margins and limited capacity to absorb further cost increases. Farmers have faced prolonged financial pressure since the 2022 input cost surge, with rising costs only partially offset by prices.

Climate variability and regulatory pressures add further uncertainty. The current surge compounds these conditions and risks eroding confidence at a critical moment. The resilience of European agriculture depends on whether farmers can absorb shocks of this scale without reducing investment or output.

A further pressure sits at the intersection of energy and food markets. Rising oil prices increase the attractiveness of biofuels, drawing crops such as maize and vegetable oils toward fuel production. This tightens food supply and raises prices further. Europe is deeply integrated into this system. Energy volatility feeds directly into agricultural markets, linking geopolitical risk to food prices and inflation.

The window for action remains open, but it is narrowing. Nitrogen has not yet been fully applied. Spring planting across parts of Europe is still underway. Acting now can limit the damage. Waiting until harvest will not.

The immediate priority is to sustain production. Farmers require timely and proportionate support to maintain input use, particularly fertilizers, during this critical phase.

Current policy responses have focused largely on fuel through tax cuts, price caps and targeted subsidies, while support for fertilizers and broader agrifood inputs remains limited. Existing instruments provide a foundation, but the scale and speed of the shock call for greater flexibility. Clear signals of support, combined with measures to ease liquidity constraints, can influence decisions now and reduce the risk of a contraction in output.

Europe’s response must also extend beyond its borders. As a central actor in global agricultural markets, it has both an interest and a responsibility to support stability. Maintaining open trade in agricultural inputs is essential. Export restrictions imposed by several countries risk shifting the burden onto more vulnerable economies. Europe should lead in opposing such measures.

Access to financing remains critical. Instruments such as the International Monetary Fund’s Food Shock Window can provide rapid support to countries facing acute pressure. Complementary approaches, including the Financing for Shock-Driven Food Crisis Facility facilities developed within the Food and Agriculture Organization, enable earlier and more proactive responses before shocks deepen and spread.

Over the medium term, countries should diversify fertilizer supply sources and strengthen regional coordination. Over the longer term, resilience will depend on more efficient input use, investment in alternative production methods such as green ammonia, and reduced dependence on volatile energy markets. Food production should be treated as a strategic asset, alongside energy and infrastructure.

The decisions taken now will shape outcomes far beyond Europe. Food prices in 2027 are being influenced by choices made this spring, on farms and in capitals. Farmers are adjusting under pressure. The question is whether the response they receive matches the urgency of the moment.

Excerpt:

Maurizio Martina is Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

Workvivo Launches Seer to Advance People Intelligence and Close the Employee Listening Gap

CORK, Ireland, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Workvivo by Zoom today announced Seer by Workvivo, a new standalone platform built on its market-leading Employee Insights capabilities, marking the evolution of its offerings from traditional employee listening into people intelligence. Designed to help organizations turn employee feedback into visible outcomes and real change, Seer reflects a growing need to close the execution gap between insight and action.

Already in use by many Workvivo customers as part of the platform’s Employee Insights capabilities, Seer has delivered meaningful impact for organizations working to turn feedback into action. Based on that success, it is now being introduced as a standalone product, reflecting the growing need to bring this capability to a broader set of organizations. At its core is an approach to people intelligence that connects data on how employees work, feel, communicate, and perform, giving leaders a more complete view of their workforce and enabling more coordinated, effective decisions. To lead this next phase, Workvivo has appointed industry veteran Justin Black, former head of Glint at Microsoft and LinkedIn, and founder of Glint’s People Science team.

As part of its continued investment in people intelligence, Workvivo has also expanded its team with key hires including Phil Murphy, formerly of Qualtrics, as Head of Growth, and Jaime Gonzales, who brings experience from Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Glint, as Principle People Scientist. These additions reflect Workvivo’s continued investment in advancing the people intelligence category.

Organizations are collecting more feedback than ever, yet employees are not seeing meaningful change as a result. In a new Workvivo-commissioned survey (The Listening Gap*), of 4,736 frontline and desk workers globally, 62% of employees say they are comfortable giving feedback, yet only 49% see meaningful change, and just 42% believe leaders are held accountable for acting on it. The issue is not a lack of data, but a lack of accountability and follow-through. Workvivo is taking direct aim at this gap with Seer.

“The industry doesn’t have a listening problem, it has an execution problem,” said Justin Black, Head of Seer by Workvivo. “There are powerful tools to measure employee experience, but measurement alone does not create progress. When feedback does not lead to visible outcomes, it breaks trust. The next phase of this category is about impact and accountability, not just insight. That is exactly what we are building with Seer.”

The execution gap is even more pronounced for frontline workers. According to The Listening Gap report by Workvivo, just 54% of desk-based workers say they see meaningful change from feedback, and that number drops to 39% among frontline workers, highlighting a structural gap in how organizations listen and respond. Seer helps address this by allowing companies to meet employees where they are through a mobile-first experience that aims to connect feedback to visible results and support listening that is inclusive, continuous, and actionable across the entire workforce.

Seer is designed to close the gap between what employees say and what organizations do by making it easier for leaders to translate insight into action that moves the needle on business performance. It introduces a more continuous and contextual approach to understanding the employee experience, combining feedback with real-time signals from communication, collaboration, and engagement to create a more complete view of how people experience work. Through AI-powered, personalized manager dashboards, leaders can understand not just what is happening, but which actions could help drive better outcomes.

“People intelligence is the next evolution of this category, and we’re making a clear investment in leading it,” said John Goulding, Co-Founder and CEO of Workvivo. “With Seer, we’re focused on helping leaders turn insight into impact at scale. Justin’s experience building and shaping this space, combined with his ability to translate complex data into meaningful outcomes, strengthens our ability to deliver on that vision.”

Workvivo’s move into people intelligence is grounded in its position at the center of the employee experience. As an AI-native platform that unifies communication, engagement, and knowledge, Workvivo brings a level of context that standalone survey tools cannot. This enables Seer to connect insights to the broader employee experience, helping organizations turn feedback into meaningful, visible outcomes.

To learn more about Seer by Workvivo, visit workvivo.com/seer/.

*In 2026, Workvivo commissioned an independent research firm, TrendCandy, to survey 4,736 frontline and desk employees across multiple industries and countries. Respondents were vetted and sourced using selected B2B sample panels across the globe, employing quality checks like double vetting, double-blind recruiting, engagement quality checks, randomization and other methodology best practices.

About Workvivo by Zoom
Workvivo by Zoom is the market leading, AI-native employee experience platform for modern enterprises which now includes Seer by Workvivo, the people intelligence platform. Together, they help HR leaders strengthen culture, increase engagement, and drive measurable impact at scale.

As AI reshapes how work gets done, Workvivo brings listening and action together in one place, enabling HR teams to understand sentiment, keep employees aligned through change, and respond in ways people can see. With Seer, both as a standalone or built into the Workvivo platform employees use every day, organizations can capture feedback where work happens and turn it into visible follow-through. AI-powered analysis delivers instant, credible insights, while managers receive clear guidance on where to focus. Integrated communication tools make it easy to act immediately through updates, journeys, and spaces without switching systems, creating a culture where employees see their feedback drive real change. Founded in Cork, Ireland in 2017 and acquired by Zoom in 2023, Workvivo continues to redefine how organizations connect, align, and activate their workforce, driving measurable improvements in culture, engagement, and performance. For more information, visit www.workvivo.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714244)

Kraken Robotics Signs Memorandum of Understanding with SEFINE SISAM

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kraken Robotics Inc. (“Kraken” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: PNG, OTCQB: KRKNF) announces it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SEFINE SISAM (Strategic Unmanned Systems Research Center) during the SAHA exposition in Türkiye.

As part of the agreement, Kraken will work with SISAM to integrate KATFISH into its mission planning software and develop automatic target recognition (ATR) capabilities for Kraken Synthetic Aperture Sonar.

“We’re pleased to continue our work with SEFINE following a successful at-sea demonstration earlier this year,” said Bernard Mills, Executive Vice President of Defence at Kraken Robotics. “This partnership poises us to rapidly develop and deliver relevant capability in a region that combines industrial excellence and operational need. Together, we are advancing fully integrated, autonomous solutions for seabed warfare and mine countermeasures—enhancing the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of maritime security operations.”

Kraken and SEFINE recently demonstrated Kraken’s KATFISH and unmanned surface vessel (USV) launch and recovery system from SEFINE’s RD-22 USV off the coast of İstanbul, Türkiye, validating rapid, high-resolution detection and classification of mine-like objects and critical underwater infrastructure in an operational environment.

Figure 1: Kraken Robotics has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
SEFINE SISAM during the SAHA exposition in Türkiye.

ABOUT KRAKEN ROBOTICS INC.
Kraken Robotics Inc. is transforming subsea intelligence through 3D imaging sensors, power solutions, and robotic systems. Our products and services enable clients to overcome the challenges in our oceans – safely, efficiently, and sustainably.

Kraken’s synthetic aperture sonar, sub-bottom imaging, and LiDAR systems offer best-in-class resolution, providing critical insights into ocean safety, infrastructure, and geology. Our revolutionary pressure tolerant batteries deliver high energy density power for UUVs and subsea energy storage.

Kraken Robotics is headquartered in Canada with offices in North America, South America, and Europe, supporting clients in more than 30 countries worldwide.

On March 3, 2026, Kraken announced the acquisition of Covelya Group Limited (the “Acquisition”), a leading international provider of mission-critical underwater technology solutions operating through its subsidiary companies: Sonardyne International Ltd., EIVA A/S, Forcys Ltd., Wavefront Systems Ltd., Voyis Imaging Inc., and Chelsea Technologies Ltd. The Acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

LINKS:
www.krakenrobotics.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/krakenrobotics
Twitter www.twitter.com/krakenrobotics
Facebook www.facebook.com/krakenroboticsinc
YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UCEMyaMQnneTeIr71HYgrT2A
Instagram www.instagram.com/krakenrobotics

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “may”, “would”, “could”, “will”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “seek”, “propose”, “estimate”, “expect”, and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in the Company's public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provide (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release, and the OTCQB has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
For further information:

Erica Hasenfus, Director of Global Marketing
[email protected]

Shant Madian, Director of Capital Markets
[email protected]

Kraken Robotics Inc.
+1 709-757-5757
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0ad15080-6657-4bdb-8a2d-140663c179a2


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9714221)

VENEZUELA: ‘The Credit Goes to Detainees’ Families, Human Rights Organisations and the International Community’

By CIVICUS
May 6 2026 –  
CIVICUS discusses the status of political prisoners in Venezuela with Manuel Virgüez, director of Movimiento Vinotinto, a Venezuelan human rights organisation that works for citizen empowerment, democracy and justice.

Manuel Virgüez

On 3 January, US special forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took him to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. Instead of supporting the opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, rightful winner of the 2024 presidential election, the Trump administration backed Maduro’s vice-president Delcy Rodríguez as interim president. Rodríguez signed an amnesty law in February, but hundreds of political prisoners remain in detention.

What’s the status of political prisoners?

Following the 2024 presidential election, the state detained around 2,000 people as part of what it called Operation Tun Tun. In early 2026, around 1,000 remained in detention, although various organisations put the total at between 950 and 1,200, depending on the classification criteria they use. Since 8 January, when Jorge Rodríguez, President of the National Assembly, announced imminent releases, and following the approval of an amnesty law, that number has fallen to around 450.

Among those released were human rights defender Rocío San Miguel, activist Javier Tarazona and journalist Eduardo Torres. The vast majority of those released were members of civil society or political activists. On 16 April, it was unofficially reported that around 50 former employees of Petróleos de Venezuela, detained in 2025, had been released. If this is confirmed, the current number of political prisoners remaining would be around 380.

The group that remains in detention consists mainly of dissident military personnel and former public officials. The authorities are reluctant to release them because they pose a direct threat to the regime’s stability. They are the ones who have suffered the worst treatment: various organisations, including Movimiento Vinotinto, have documented enforced disappearances, inhuman treatment, torture and persecution of family members. In some cases, people remained missing for weeks or months, with no knowledge of their whereabouts or whether they were still alive. These are some of the most serious violations recorded in recent decades in Venezuela.

How did these arrests differ from previous ones?

Two things distinguished them from previous waves of repression. The first was the abusive use of the concept of ‘eradication’, provided for in the Organic Code of Criminal Procedure, to transfer all cases to courts in Caracas. People detained in states such as Bolívar, hundreds of kilometres from the capital, were required to appear there. This was an unprecedented violation of the procedural principles of Venezuelan law. Not even in the 1960s, in the face of guerrilla movements, was there such a concentration of cases in a single court.

The second thing was the criminalisation of everyday acts. The state used anonymous reports via mobile apps to identify and arrest people, and a simple WhatsApp status update could be treated as an act of terrorism. The presumption of innocence ceased to exist in practice and the burden of proof was reversed: it was the detainee who had to prove they were not guilty.

What does the amnesty law entail and what does it exclude?

The law provides for the closure of cases linked to political events from different periods in Venezuelan history. This is no minor matter. After years of mass detentions and restrictions on freedom, the state implicitly acknowledges that those people should not have been imprisoned. The credit goes, above all, to the detainees’ families, human rights organisations and the international community.

But the law falls short. It does not provide for any mechanism of redress for those who were unjustly detained. Nor does it provide for the restitution of property. Many political prisoners had their businesses, homes and vehicles confiscated and won’t recover them on release. The law also offers no clear guarantees for those in exile. On 16 April, former legislator Alexis Paparone returned to Venezuela and was detained for several hours before being brought before a court, demonstrating that returning remains risky.

The law effectively excludes dissident military personnel and makes no provision for the thousands of politically motivated dismissals that have taken place, in violation of International Labour Organization Convention 111, nor for political disqualifications. As long as leaders such as María Corina Machado are unable to exercise their political rights, there can be no talk of a genuine transition.

What conditions are required for a genuine democratic transition?

There can be no reconciliation without justice. What Venezuela has experienced is one of the darkest periods in South America’s recent history. Bringing victims and perpetrators together without a prior process of accountability is not reconciliation; it is impunity. Where there’s no justice, there’s vengeance, and that generates endless cycles of violence. Societies that have not dealt with their crimes have carried that wound for generations.

For there to be justice, profound institutional reform is needed: in the armed forces, the electoral system, the judiciary and the public prosecutor’s office. Cosmetic changes are not enough. It will be a long-term process, but the first steps must be taken to call general elections and move towards real economic recovery.

What’s possible, and necessary, is a pact of coexistence: an agreement to respect the constitution and live without mutual persecution. But such a pact requires the Chavista regime to acknowledge its mistakes and its crimes. Without that, any transition will remain incomplete.

Even so, I am optimistic. Venezuelan civil society, despite all it has lost, remains standing. There are signs that something is changing, and we must seize this opportunity. I’m confident that we will be able to lay the foundations for a democracy that says ‘never again’ to authoritarianism.

CIVICUS interviews a wide range of civil society activists, experts and leaders to gather diverse perspectives on civil society action and current issues for publication on its CIVICUS Lens platform. The views expressed in interviews are the interviewees’ and do not necessarily reflect those of CIVICUS. Publication does not imply endorsement of interviewees or the organisations they represent.

GET IN TOUCH
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
YouTube

SEE ALSO
Venezuela: ‘People once again believe they can influence what happens in their country’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Pedro González Caro 29.Mar.2026
Venezuela: democracy no closer CIVICUS Lens 29.Jan.2026
Venezuela: ‘We are seeing an economic transition, but no democratic transition’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Guillermo Miguelena 29.Jan.2026

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

  

 

Strengthening Financial Integrity: Why It Matters and What Needs to Change

By Toril-Iren Pedersen and Michael Jarvis
WASHINGTON DC / OSLO, May 6 2026 – A conversation with Toril-Iren Pedersen, Director of the UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance, and Michael Jarvis, Executive Director of the Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion (TAI) Collaborative

Q1: What is financial integrity and why is it important right now? Why is it relevant to TAI’s members?

Toril-Iren Pedersen

Toril-Iren Pedersen: Financial integrity is about ensuring that the financial system operates transparently and accountably, and that economic and financial activity follows both the letter and spirit of legitimate rules and standards. It also means ensuring that those systems contribute to sustainable development.

For us, the issue is not limited to one category of wrongdoing. It is about the connection between different parts of economic value, from public revenues to criminal flows, and the loopholes that exist within the regular financial system. Financial integrity cannot be considered in isolation. Weaknesses across tax, corruption, anti-money laundering and the broader global financial architecture all have to be understood together.

Michael Jarvis: At TAI, we see financial integrity as the need for systems to operate transparently, accountably and ethically. That is how people ideally manage their personal finances, and how we hope corporations run their businesses. But we are especially focused on governments and countries: how they strengthen the integrity of their financial systems, minimize corruption, encourage fairness and better steward public resources.

There is a clear development case for why this matters. TAI’s members are primarily U.S.-based philanthropies working internationally, and our work is organized around three priorities: strengthening healthy democracies, advancing climate accountability and improving fiscal accountability through fair and effective financial governance. Financial integrity underpins all three. Without it, progress in each area is weakened.

Michael Jarvis

There is also real urgency. Economic crime is increasingly transnational and has expanded rapidly, in part because of new technologies. A recent NASDAQ Verafin report estimated global financial crime at $4.4 trillion. UN research has found that illicit financial flows cost Africa at least $50 billion a year. These are resources that countries should be able to use for development priorities such as education, health systems and environmental protection.

When financial systems lack integrity, the damage is broad. It undermines trust in government, contributes to democratic disillusionment and weakens citizens’ confidence that public resources are being used fairly. It can also slow the energy transition, as we have seen with concerns around carbon markets. And it directly affects the ability of governments to raise and spend revenue effectively.

Toril-Iren Pedersen: I would add that declining trust in governments and in the multilateral system is higher than we have seen in a very long time. Lack of financial integrity contributes directly to that distrust.

Visible wealth inequality is one challenge, but so is the perception of invisible wealth being accumulated through the global financial architecture. When people sense that wealth is moving in the shadows, outside transparency and democratic control, it creates legitimate grounds for distrust. That is why lack of financial integrity must be understood as a systems failure that requires a systems approach.

Michael Jarvis: That is also the focus of the new paper from your team, the UNDP Global Policy Centre for Governance, which TAI supported. It emphasizes why progress requires action on multiple fronts and why no single actor or institution can solve this alone. Financial integrity is a collective action challenge.

Q2: How has UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance worked on financial integrity over the past few years? What were your most important results and insights?

Toril-Iren Pedersen: The Centre’s work has taken place across several streams, but the most important contribution has been analyzing the system and the relationships among different actors. When we look at corruption and illicit financial flows, we have to ask who enables those flows within countries and across borders. Understanding those relationships is central to financial integrity.

The Centre has also convened actors within the UN and among practitioners, including country representatives involved in the Financing for Development negotiations in Sevilla last summer. That process helped produce stronger commitments to curb illicit financial flows and introduced more substantive language on financial integrity and corruption than we had seen in earlier iterations of the Financing for Development agenda.

The analytical work on the financial integrity ecosystem and the systems approach has also been developed in collaboration with several TAI members, including the MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation. Their support has been important both substantively and financially.

Q3: How will the Centre work on financial integrity going forward, under your leadership?

Toril-Iren Pedersen: The Centre has worked on a range of governance frontier issues. Going forward, we will focus on two areas: financial integrity, and data systems and data availability at the country level. The data agenda connects directly to financial integrity, but it also has broader relevance.

On financial integrity, we see a need to problem-solve the systemic challenges that are preventing progress at both the country and global levels. We will continue analyzing what is stopping countries from making substantive progress and what kinds of solutions and policy alternatives can be made available to them.

Some of these solutions already exist, but they are not always accessible. As a UNDP Policy Centre, our role is to make research, policy options and insights into systemic challenges available to UNDP country offices so they can be integrated into country-level programming. We also hope this work will help countries engage more effectively in global processes.

There is currently a disconnect. The Financial Action Task Force, the OECD tax framework and anti-corruption frameworks all rely on data from countries, but they do not always help solve what is fundamentally a systems challenge. We will continue engaging in those processes while breaking the work into more manageable areas where countries can take action nationally, regionally and globally.

Q4: What is the role of philanthropy in strengthening financial integrity against the backdrop of a fast-evolving global development landscape? What collaboration opportunities do you see between philanthropies, multilateral organizations and other stakeholders?

Michael Jarvis: Philanthropy’s role is a nimble one. The volume of finance philanthropy brings is not the same as government donors or what countries can mobilize themselves. The question is how philanthropy can prompt the right conversations and support work that moves the agenda more effectively.

Traditionally, philanthropy has supported civil society groups, independent media and think tanks at the global and national levels. Those actors investigate financial integrity issues, build evidence, raise public awareness and develop policy recommendations for governments and multilateral forums.

Philanthropy also has limits. Individual donors, including TAI members, often focus on a relatively small number of priority countries. They are not operating at a scale that covers all countries affected by these issues. That is where the UN system and international financial institutions can play a different role, because they work with nearly every country and have government relationships built into their mandates.

There are important complementarities. The MacArthur Foundation, for example, has made a major investment in Nigeria around financial integrity and anti-corruption, working with government agencies while also supporting civil society and media. More broadly, different actors bring different relationships, mandates and capacities.

The Financing for Development process in Sevilla is a good example. The outcome was stronger because many players were involved, from civil society groups working in-country to global and regional convenings that reinforced the message. Those efforts helped shape the negotiations and elevate financial integrity on the agenda.

An important opportunity is the Illicit Finance Summit, being hosted by the UK Government in June. It can bring together governments committed to addressing financial integrity challenges and create space for civil society, academia, philanthropy and others to develop practical solutions. Philanthropy should be part of that conversation and think about where its support can amplify or pilot ideas that emerge.

Visibility also matters because it helps attract resources. Funding for financial integrity work remains very limited. In a 2023 analysis, TAI estimated that about $150 million had been directed to illicit financial flows work since 2020, including efforts to address tax avoidance.

That averages roughly $30 million a year across different groups, countries and sectors. Compared with the scale of the problem, and compared with funding for fields such as climate or AI, that is extremely small.

The upcoming summit could serve as a call to action for philanthropy and other funders to invest more. The rise in fraud enabled by crypto and other technologies affects people directly and is creating grassroots demand for action. Partnership will be essential, including with UNDP, the World Bank, national governments, civil society and research networks.

Toril-Iren Pedersen: I agree. We need to mobilize more resources, but it is also important to recognize what has already been achieved with limited funding. Much of the momentum for change over the past 10 to 15 years has come from civil society organizations, journalist networks and collaborative investigations around leaks. Those efforts helped put issues such as tax fairness, transparency and beneficial ownership on national and global agendas.

This field has shown that limited resources can have an outsized effect when actors from different parts of the ecosystem work together. Anti-corruption, tax fairness and anti-money laundering were once treated as separate silos. Bringing those communities together around shared solutions is a cost-effective way of working.

Going forward, we also need to connect financial integrity to other development priorities, including climate finance and health financing. Each sector has its own financial integrity challenges. With the current development financing crunch, we cannot afford to leave money on the table, and we cannot afford to let resources disappear when policy action could prevent it.

Q5: Is there a case for involving the business community? What would the message be?

Toril-Iren Pedersen: Yes. Governance investments are one area we will be looking at closely. There is enormous pressure to mobilize funding from private actors and the private sector. Much of the focus has been on ensuring that specific investments comply with human rights and development standards. That remains important.

But financial integrity is also about longer-term systems de-risking. Investments in anti-corruption mechanisms, laws that reduce corruption risk and dispute-resolution frameworks can make markets more attractive for private investment. The goal is to build systems where private actors face lower real or perceived risk and can operate without relying as heavily on facilitated investment support.

In that sense, we need to distinguish between short-term and long-term de-risking, and between project-level and systems-level de-risking.

Michael Jarvis: There is a strong private sector incentive to support financial integrity, especially for companies operating across borders. But there is also a quid pro quo: corporate actors need to uphold their own standards of financial integrity. That includes thinking responsibly about the taxes they pay in different jurisdictions and avoiding excessive profit shifting.

The private sector benefits from stronger financial integrity systems, but it also has responsibilities within them. Beneficial ownership transparency is one example where progress has helped make it easier to identify who is behind corporate structures. These structures are still misused, but many legitimate private sector actors increasingly recognize that transparency can help distinguish them from bad actors and reduce reputational risk.

All of us have a role in the system. The challenge now is to make a clear case for why financial integrity deserves continued investment, government attention and policy bandwidth, especially at a time of aid cuts, foreign assistance pressures and tight country budgets. That is a collective challenge, and one we need to keep elevating.

IPS UN Bureau

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);