We’re excited to launch the :DCODE network - a collaborative, executive leadership society powered by Binance & BANKERX. Binance now have over 300 million users globally — the perfect partners to spearhead this project with us. The world of blockchain, fintech, AI & crypto is evolving at such a rapid pace. It’s so tough to keep up! We created this society to organize cool meetups, exchange disruptive ideas & hook you up with fintech intelligence. If you’re already part of the BANKERX Wealth Club, you’re receiving this mail since we felt you belong in this leadership community.

Speaking of cool collabs, we’re seeing so much institutional adoption & real world use cases of in crypto & blockchain. Here’s our top 5 latest groundbreaking partnerships worth checking out:

1. Binance Pay x Zapper: I used this integration this AM to pay for coffee (it works great!). Basically you can use crypto to pay for anything at 31,000 merchants in South Africa using Zapper QR codes. Binance Pay has processed over 300 million transactions to date & is used by 45 million users globally. Crypto = real money. More here: Binance Pay

2. Absa x Ripple: Absa is teaming up with Ripple to offer up institutional grade custody services to its clients in South Africa. It’s an excellent example of the sharp convergence we’re seeing across TradFi & DeFi merging into one powerful ecosystem. More here: Absa x Ripple

3. Discovery Bank x Luno: Discovery Bank’s one million clients can now access 50+digital assets via Luno through a mobile banking integration. Crypto assets being available via banking apps is another strong, positive sign reaffirming adoption. More here: Discovery Bank x Luno 

4. BlackRock x BTC ETFs: BlackRock just announced their highest revenue ETF is their Biticoin ETF. Incredible considering BlackRock has 1,400+ ETFs & over $10 trillion in assets under management. The IBIT ETF itself has nearly $100bn in assets. Definitely one to watch. More here: BlackRock BTC

5. Tether x Gold: Tether is now the largest buyer of gold in the world. Tether is the company behind the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT & more recently… the world’s largest private holder of gold. The reserves backing tether tokens include US treasure bills, precious metals & Bitcoin. Looks like we’re in the era of owning both digital gold & actual gold! More here: Tether x Gold

The Chain Report 🔒

We’re teaming up with Blockchain Bureau to bring you deep intelligence & industry insights. The team monitors 3.5 billion wallets & has a ton of cool stuff analytics to share.

This edition, we’re looking at chain crimes. The largest categories (by far) remain phishing, known bad actors & hacks. If you see a sneaky link (not that one), don’t click it! Exchanges (like Binance) will never call you up & ask you for personal info…. ever.

Scary stat - roughly 5,600 deployers are behind 400,000+ attacks. It’s a tiny handful of criminals responsible for the overwhelming number of chain crimes. You can check out Blockchain Bureau’s AML database here: Blockchainbureau.com/providence

This team is building seriously impressive stuff, reach out to Monique to find out more. [email protected]

If you’re working on any cool projects in DeFi, blockchain or Web3 - we want to hear from you. If you’re in TradFi or a bank exploring crypto integrations — shoot us a note. Accelerating adoption is up to us collectively.

That wraps our :DCODE report! Here’s to a safe, refreshing festive season! 🎉🎉