Author: Chain Wire

Dubai, UAE, August 13th, 2026, FinanceWire

Available from August 13, 2026, the launch covers seven distinct market themes with no trading-hour restrictions.

STARTRADER today announced the launch of 45 new 24/7 Stock and ETF CFDs, available from Monday through Sunday, 00:00–24:00 (GMT+3 platform time).

Where previous 24/7 expansions were anchored around specific themes, this one is defined by its breadth. From quantum computing and Chinese large language models to global index ETFs and digital asset infrastructure, the 45 instruments reflect the full diversity of where market attention sits today.

Two names mark new additions to the platform. ZHIPU and MINIMAX are Hong Kong-listed Chinese AI companies that debuted on HKEX in January 2026. ZHIPU develops large language models for enterprise and developer markets. MiniMax is an AI company focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI), with investors including Alibaba, Tencent, and Hillhouse Capital, and has attracted sustained market attention since its listing.

STARTRADER builds its product offering around where eligible clients are directing their attention. When significant market narratives emerge in new geographies, ensuring access to them is a core part of that responsibility.

“This launch reflects a deliberate choice to keep pace with how global market interest actually moves, across regions, sectors, and timeframes simultaneously. For eligible clients, the launch provides access to a broader range of instruments across regions, sectors, and market themes.” Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer, STARTRADER

As STARTRADER’s 24/7 product range continues to grow, the focus remains consistent: building access that reflects the global market as it is today.

Out-of-hours trading may involve wider spreads, reduced liquidity and price gaps, particularly when underlying markets are closed.

Risk Warning: Trading CFDs involves a significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks before trading.

About STARTRADER

STARTRADER is a global multi-asset broker empowering retail and institutional partners to access global markets through a range of platforms, including MetaTrader, STARTRADER APP, and STAR Copy. STARTRADER operates through entities licensed and regulated by authorities including CMA, ASIC, FSCA, FSA and FSC, combining strong governance with a client-first approach, serving both retail clients and partners with a commitment to transparency, reliability, and long-term growth.

Contact

Janna.magabilen
Janna.magabilen@startrader.com

New York City, NY, USA, August 12th, 2026, FinanceWire

Knot, the leading merchant connectivity platform, today announced they are partnering with Venmo to make it easy for millions of users to set Venmo as their saved payment method wherever they shop. Knot lets Venmo users make Venmo the way they pay at some of their favorite merchants, directly from the Venmo app and without manually entering their details.

Putting Venmo Balances to Work

From the Venmo app, users add Venmo as their saved payment method at the places they already shop in just a few taps, with no need to update payment information site by site. Depending on the merchant, users can either link their Venmo account to Pay with Venmo at checkout or save their Venmo Debit Card,¹ enabling a fast and easy way to spend with Venmo, all powered by Knot.

For Venmo, getting placed as the default payment method at high-frequency merchants keeps it top of wallet and helps drive everyday spend. It is one of the most direct ways to move Venmo from an occasional choice to a user’s go-to way to pay, deepening engagement across the Venmo ecosystem.     

A First for Knot

The collaboration marks the first time Knot has provisioned a proprietary checkout solution as the default payment option. With Pay with Venmo, Knot extends the card-on-file capability behind CardSwitcher to a native wallet, letting users set Venmo itself as the saved way to pay, not only the card tied to it. It is a meaningful expansion of what merchant connectivity can enable and a template for bringing other proprietary payment methods to the merchants where people shop.     

Value Across the Payments Ecosystem

The relationship reflects how Knot creates value on all three sides of a transaction. Users get a simpler, more connected way to pay. Collaborators like Venmo drive adoption of their payment methods and capture more of their users’ everyday spend. And merchants benefit from having a payment method on file, which means fewer failed payments and less involuntary churn.

Knot works with financial institutions and fintechs of every size, from large banks and credit unions to fast-growing fintechs, on card switching. The Venmo collaboration extends that footprint to one of the most widely used consumer payment brands in the country.

*The Venmo Mastercard is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Card may be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. The Bancorp Bank, N.A. is issuer of the Card only and not responsible for the associated accounts or other products, services, or offers from Venmo.

About Knot

Knot is the leading merchant connectivity platform, simplifying how consumers, merchants, and financial institutions interact. CardSwitcher is the foundation of Knot’s product suite, letting users update and manage card-on-file payments across hundreds of merchants. Building on the same connectivity infrastructure, TransactionLink delivers SKU-level transaction data, and SubManager gives users a single place to view and manage their subscriptions. By removing friction at every step, Knot helps financial institutions grow engagement, loyalty, and spend.

Users can learn more at KnotAPI.com and connect with Knot on X (@KnotAPIs) and LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com/company/KnotAPI).

Contact

GTM Lead
Jose Del Real
Knot
press@knotapi.com

Dallas, TX, USA, August 12th, 2026, FinanceWire

WallStreetPR, a financial news and publishing company, today released a report examining China’s central bank gold purchases and the accompanying expansion of Chinese mining capital into Africa’s gold sector. Read the full report at WallStreetPR

Report Highlights

According to the report:

• The People’s Bank of China added roughly 15 tonnes of gold in June, its largest monthly purchase in nearly three years and its 20th consecutive month of buying — the longest streak since the bank began publishing regular reserve data in 2015.
• The purchase came as spot gold fell more than 11% in June, posting its worst month since the 2008 financial crisis and briefly dropping below $4,000 an ounce for the first time since November, pressured by a stronger dollar and a more hawkish Federal Reserve.
• Western institutional investors pulled back even as China accelerated its buying every month this spring. The report states that analysts link the divergence to a broader push by sovereign buyers to diversify reserves away from the U.S. dollar, though no official policy tying the purchases to a gold-backed currency has been announced.
• Chinese mining companies have moved into African gold production over the past year. Zijin Mining agreed in January to acquire Toronto-listed Allied Gold in a deal worth roughly $4 billion, targeting producing mines in Mali and Côte d’Ivoire along with a development project in Ethiopia. The companies mutually terminated the acquisition agreement on July 29, 2026, after failing to secure Chinese regulatory approval in time; Zijin instead took a 9.2% stake in Allied Gold for roughly $295 million through a private placement.
• A subsidiary of Chinese defense contractor Norinco separately raised its stake in a gold project in Sudan.
• Global exploration spending on discoveries has fallen to its lowest level on record, while spending near existing mines has climbed, according to data cited in the report. Africa was one of the few regions where exploration budgets grew last year.
• The report profiles companies operating in Tanzania’s Geita gold belt, where Chinese capital and Western mining activity increasingly overlap. Barrick Mining (NYSE: B) and AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU) both operate major mines in the region. TRX Gold (NYSE: TRX) reported record quarterly production and a 59% margin in its most recent results. Lake Victoria Gold (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) has moved personnel and contractors onto its Imwelo project ahead of a targeted construction start this quarter, backed in part by a gold-denominated loan facility.
• Goldman Sachs has trimmed its 2026 gold price forecast but remains above current spot levels, the report noted, citing analysts who described their outlook as structurally constructive despite near-term caution.

About the Report

The full report details the financing, production data and analyst commentary behind the shift, along with a broader look at the companies positioned across Africa’s gold belt as Chinese demand continues.

Read the full report at WallStreetPR

About WallStreetPR

WallStreetPR is a financial news and publishing company that maximizes investor awareness for public and private businesses. Its core mission is to empower individuals by creating a highly connected, well-informed investor community. For more information, please visit wallstreetpr.com.

Full terms of use and disclaimers applicable to all WallStreetPR content, wherever published or re-published, are available at: wallstreetpr.com/disclaimer

Read the complete analysis at WallStreetPR.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: WallStreetPR is a financial news and publishing company that maximizes investor awareness for public and private businesses. Its core mission is to empower individuals by creating a highly connected, well-informed investor community. For more information, please visit https://wallstreetpr.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the WallstreetPR website applicable to all content provided by WallstreetPR, wherever published or re-published: https://wallstreetpr.com/disclaimer/

Contact

CEO
Stephen Sandifer
WallStreetPR
editor@wallstreetpr.com

Milton, Georgia, August 11th, 2026, Chainwire

Businesses are increasingly looking for ways to offer more payment options without adding operational complexity. ForumPay, a crypto payment infrastructure company, enables merchants to accept crypto payments across online, in-store, and in-app channels, with instant conversion and next-day settlement.

ForumPay has recently announced a new payment flow that it says could meaningfully alter how payments are processed. Customers can now initiate purchases using any Visa or Mastercard and bank transfers in selected markets, with funds routed automatically through ForumPay’s infrastructure. Merchants can now offer card and bank payments without registering as a card acceptance businesses, sidestepping chargeback liability and PCI-DSS compliance costs while still receiving precisely the amount invoiced. 

This latest ForumPay release represents one of the more ambitious developments yet to bridge the gap between traditional payment rails and crypto infrastructure. 

Built for Modern Payment Acceptance

Businesses increasingly want to offer customers greater flexibility at checkout, but additional payment methods tend to bring additional operational and cost burdens. Card acceptance, in particular, can introduce chargeback exposure, compliance requirements, fraud management responsibilities, and more complex settlement processes, challenges that only grow more acute for organizations operating across multiple markets.

ForumPay’s innovative new payment flow is designed to solve these issues. Customers can initiate payments using any Visa, Mastercard, or bank transfer in selected markets, with those funds automatically used to purchase crypto and processed through ForumPay’s existing crypto payment infrastructure, with all of the inherent features and benefits, and converted and settled as per the preferences a merchant has already established on their account. Merchants will receive exactly the amount invoiced. For example, if a customer is billed $100, then $100 is what arrives in the merchant’s preferred bank account.

Critically, ForumPay will pass the additional card and bank transfer costs directly to the payer, meaning merchants pay only their usual crypto acceptance fees that would apply to any transaction processed through the platform. The approach allows businesses to expand the choice of available payment methods at checkout without taking on the compliance architecture, risks and costs that card acceptance would ordinarily require.

More Payment Options, the Same Operational Footprint 

Businesses increasingly want to offer customers greater flexibility at checkout, but incorporating additional payment methods tend to bring with it additional operational burdens. Card acceptance, in particular, can introduce chargeback exposure, compliance requirements, fraud management responsibilities, and more complex settlement processes, challenges that only grow more acute for organizations operating across multiple markets. 

ForumPay’s new payment flow is being designed to address this friction. Customers will be able to initiate payments using any Visa, Mastercard, or bank transfer in selected markets. Those funds are then automatically used to purchase digital assets and processed through ForumPay’s existing infrastructure, allowing merchants to continue receiving funds according to their established settlement preferences without having to overhaul their operations to accommodate the new options in the process. The approach, ForumPay says, allows businesses to expand what they can offer at checkout without taking on the compliance architecture that card acceptance would ordinarily require.

About ForumPay

ForumPay is a complete cryptocurrency-to-fiat payment technology firm; its core processing technology helps businesses attract new customers, optimize customers’ ability to spend, and increase revenue. ForumPay’s wallet-agnostic solution enables crypto consumers to spend their preferred cryptocurrency, from any wallet for everyday goods and services to luxury goods, automobiles, real estate, and private jets. ForumPay eliminates merchant exposure or risk by processing transactions with instant crypto-to-cash conversion. ForumPay merchants receive payments in the currency of their choice directly into their bank account. The transactional experience is similar to accepting other popular payment methods, including cash, credit cards, and bank transfers, but simpler, faster, and more secure.

Contact

Director Global Account Management
Paul Wordsworth
ForumPay
paul@forumpay.com

Naples, FL, USA, August 11th, 2026, FinanceWire

Drones have become a growing security problem, and the market to stop them is expanding just as quickly. MarketsandMarkets estimates the global counter-unmanned aircraft systems market will grow from $6.64 billion in 2025 to $20.31 billion by 2030, representing a 25.1 percent compound annual growth rate. Within that forecast, AI-powered counter-UAS is the fastest-growing technology layer, projected to expand from $0.9 billion in 2025 to $6.2 billion by 2030. As governments and critical infrastructure operators look for ways to detect, track, and defeat increasingly sophisticated drone threats, defense companies are racing to build the next generation of counter-UAS technology. Several public companies are already staking positions in counter-UAS, approaching the opportunity from different angles.

Change Agents Corp. (Nasdaq: CHGA) has joined the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement, or IDGA, and will take part in the organization’s Counter UAS Summit. Now in its eighth year, the summit runs August 25 to 26 at the MGM National Harbor in Maryland under the chairmanship of retired General Glen VanHerck, former commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command. IDGA expects more than 500 senior decision-makers, acquisition leaders, and program managers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Customs and Border Protection, and law enforcement, placing Change Agents in direct contact with the buyers and technology developers shaping counter-drone procurement.

The summit role builds on the company’s August 4 launch of Autonomous Air Defense LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary formed to identify, evaluate, acquire, and develop autonomous air defense and counter-UAS technologies. That announcement also brought retired Major General Malcolm Frost onto the advisory boards of both Change Agents and the new subsidiary. Frost served 31 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a two-star general after commanding the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division and serving as Deputy Commanding General of the 82nd Airborne Division. He is a West Point and Army War College graduate who deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and he advises public and private companies across the defense and technology sectors.

Change Agents built its business in agentic AI software, pairing an AI search optimization platform called Beacon with an autonomous content creation platform called Catch-Up, both sold on a subscription model. Management frames the counter-drone move as an outgrowth of that work rather than a break from it. Director Michael Mathews called the formation of Autonomous Air Defense LLC “a natural extension of the company’s broader artificial intelligence strategy” and tied the IDGA engagement to positioning the company to “capitalize on the significant long-term opportunities within the global counter-UAS market. ” Frost, in joining, pointed to the convergence of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and next-generation counter-drone technology as one of the most important developments in modern defense.

That convergence is the opening Change Agents intends to pursue, and the sequence so far has been deliberate. In roughly a week the company has stood up a dedicated subsidiary, added a decorated defense advisor, and secured a place at the sector’s principal U.S. gathering. The company has said Autonomous Air Defense is evaluating multiple acquisition and partnership opportunities involving AI-enabled counter-drone technologies serving defense, homeland security, and critical infrastructure customers, and that it expects to provide further updates as developments occur. 

Change Agents is entering a field already populated by well-funded public companies attacking the drone problem from different angles.

Ondas Inc. (Nasdaq: ONDS) is the closest analog to what Change Agents describes. Its Iron Drone Raider is an autonomous net-based interceptor built to neutralize hostile drones without jamming, paired with its Sentrycs platform for cyber and radio-frequency detection and identification, together mirroring the detect, identify, track, and intercept sequence Change Agents has said it wants to reach. Ondas posted first-quarter 2026 revenue of $50.1 million against a pro forma backlog of $457 million and in July raised its full-year 2026 revenue target to at least $525 million. In February its Airobotics subsidiary secured a multi-million-dollar order from a European customer in a NATO country following an Iron Drone Raider deployment at a major international airport, one of the few operational uses of an interceptor drone in a live civil-aviation setting.

AeroVironment (Nasdaq: AVAV) approaches the market as an established contractor. Its acquisition of BlueHalo, valued at roughly $4.1 billion and completed in May 2025, added directed energy, electronic warfare, and counter-UAS capabilities to a portfolio already known for the Switchblade family of loitering munitions. BlueHalo had delivered its 1,000th Titan radio-frequency counter-UAS system before the deal closed and was the first to operationally field a laser weapon system with LOCUST. The combination turned a former drone specialist into a diversified defense technology platform spanning radio-frequency, directed energy, and kinetic defeat, and it marks the scaled version of the category Change Agents is entering.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (Nasdaq: KTOS) anchors the autonomous systems end of the field. Best known for the jet-powered XQ-58A Valkyrie, Kratos reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $458.8 million, up 30.5 percent year over year and 19.1 percent organically, and raised full-year 2026 guidance to a range of $1.75 billion to $1.81 billion. Total backlog stood at $2.084 billion against a bid pipeline of $15.0 billion, a measure of how much defense money is now moving through unmanned and autonomous programs, and of the budgets, Change Agents is positioning to reach.

Ondas, AeroVironment, and Kratos map the opportunity from interceptor specialist to diversified prime, and they mark out the market Change Agents Corp. (Nasdaq: CHGA) has chosen to enter. What CHGA has established is a subsidiary, an advisor with two-star command experience, and access to the procurement community setting counter-drone requirements. What remains prospective is the technology itself, and the company has said it expects to report further developments as it works through the acquisition and partnership opportunities in front of it.

Disclaimers: RazorPitch Inc. “RazorPitch” is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment adviser. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investment advice. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, goals, assumptions, or future events or performances are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward-looking statements in this action may be identified through the use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements indicating certain actions & quote; may, could, or might occur. Understand there is no guarantee past performance will be indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap and growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investor’s investment may be lost or impaired due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. RazorPitch has been retained and compensated by Change Agents Corp to assist in the production and distribution of content related to CHGA. RazorPitch is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. This content is for informational purposes only; you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained in this article constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by RazorPitch or any third-party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments. All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in this article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the article constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. RazorPitch is not a fiduciary by virtue of any persons use of or access to this content.

Contact

Mark McKelvie
RazorPitch
mark@razorpitch.com
585-301-7700

San Francisco, California, USA, August 11th, 2026, FinanceWire

The ranking validates HoneyBook’s growing reputation as an innovator accelerating the digital transformation of independent businesses globally 

HoneyBook, the leading AI-native client relationship platform for small business owners, has been recognized as one of the world’s most significant financial technology firms in CNBC’s 2026 list of the World’s Top Fintech Companies. Its inclusion in the prestigious global list within the Enterprise Fintech category underscores the impact that HoneyBook’s software has had in helping individual business owners to cultivate strong customer relationships.  

Produced in partnership with Statista, CNBC’s list is a recognized annual ranking that serves to highlight the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking financial software firms. As part of its assessment process, CNBC evaluates thousands of eligible firms, ranging from startups to established enterprises, based on key performance indicators such as revenue and user growth, transaction volume, business impact and technological innovation. HoneyBook’s debut on this year’s list reflects growing recognition of its platform.

HoneyBook is noted for accelerating automation in the customer relationship management software niche, helping business and freelancers to better manage their day-to-day dealings with clients. Its platform frees users from spending hours on critical business tasks such as capturing and verifying inquiries, drafting proposals, obtaining signatures on contracts, sharing files with customers and processing transactions. With HoneyBook, business owners can manage their administrative and financial operations in a unified platform, making use of autonomous AI agents to perform work they once spent hours on. By linking client communications with financial operations, HoneyBook helps business professionals to work more efficiently and get paid promptly. 

CNBC’s recognition of HoneyBook follows the rapid expansion of its client relationship platform into new verticals. Last month, HoneyBook launched a dedicated version of its CRM platform for professional photographers, featuring specialized tools for client bookings, creating schedules, managing their galleries and collaborating with clients on projects. With HoneyBook, photographers get more time to focus on their clients and their work instead of worrying about the administrative side of their business. 

“I’m extremely proud that our endeavors to enhance and simplify client relationships have led to HoneyBook being recognized by CNBC as one of the world’s best fintech companies,” said Oz Alon, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of HoneyBook. “By enabling business owners to nurture relationships with clients in the same place as they manage their finances, HoneyBook significantly reduces the complexity they face when using multiple fragmented tools. CNBC’s recognition validates our ability to empower independent entrepreneurs with innovative tools that streamline the day-to-day aspects of business management.” 

About HoneyBook

HoneyBook is the leading AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) platform for independent business owners, making it easy to sell and deliver their services online. Offering powerful tools for communication, contracts, invoicing, payments and more, the platform puts independent professionals in control of their process and client experience. HoneyBook is trusted by over 100,000 service-based businesses in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom that have booked more than $10 billion in business on the platform. The company has offices in San Francisco and Tel Aviv, with remote staff worldwide. Learn more at HoneyBook.com.

Contact

Dan Edelstein
InboundJunction
pr@inboundjunction.com