The Hong Kong-based blockchain company Diginex became the first cryptocurrency-exchange operator to have its shares listed on Nasdaq. Trading of shares under the ticker “EQOS” began on Thursday, 1 October, according to the company’s заявлении.
Diginex completed the reverse takeover of 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp, whose shares had already been listed on Nasdaq. The deal was first announced in July last year, with completion planned by March, but it was postponed indefinitely.
In late July, Diginex and 8i returned to this idea, setting the deal’s closing for the end of September. On September 15, following an extraordinary meeting, shareholders одобрили the deal.
On September 8, the company raised $20 million via convertible notes. Together with $30 million on the balance sheet of 8i Enterprises Acquisition Corp, Diginex had $50 million at its disposal. These funds will form the basis for building an ecosystem of digital assets that meets regulatory requirements.
Richard Byworth, Diginex’s chief, described the Nasdaq listing as a landmark event for the entire industry.
“Previously, ways to gain direct access to cryptocurrency assets were limited to ETF-like structures,” said Byworth, referring to Grayscale’s investment trusts.
Diginex will offer segregation of duties, portfolio margining, and cross-collateralization — all built on an infrastructure oriented toward institutional investors. EQUOS includes a regulated asset manager, cold and hybrid custody solutions, capital-markets advisory and securitization services, as well as a trading platform.
Earlier on Nasdaq, shares of two Chinese mining-equipment manufacturers began trading. Canaan Creative conducted an IPO on the exchange in November 2019, and Ebang International Holdings followed in June 2020.
Subscribe to ForkLog’s YouTube channel!