NEW YORK and LAS VEGAS, Oct. 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced the initial roster of private company clients for Nasdaq Linq, its blockchain-enabled platform. The first participants will include: Chain.com, ChangeTip, PeerNova, Synack, Tango and Vera. Nasdaq will unveil a first-ever demonstration of its blockchain technology at the Money20/20 event today in Las Vegas.
The first platform of its kind, Nasdaq Linq is a digital ledger technology that leverages a blockchain to facilitate the issuance, cataloging and recording of transfers of shares of privately-held companies on The NASDAQ Private Market. It will complement ExactEquity, NASDAQ Private Market’s cloud-based capitalization table management and stock plan administration solution. Nasdaq Linq clients will be provided with a comprehensive, historical record of issuance and transfer of their securities, offering increased auditability, issuance governance and transfer of ownership capabilities.
“We are extremely encouraged by the initial demand for Nasdaq Linq from these innovative, first-mover companies, and the validation it represents of our application of blockchain technology,” said Bob Greifeld, CEO, Nasdaq. “Blockchain applied to the private market is innovation built on top of innovation, and carries with it the opportunity to forever alter the future of financial services infrastructure.”
Announced in May as the debut platform in Nasdaq’s enterprise-wide blockchain technology initiative, Nasdaq Linq was developed by the company’s in-house technologists in collaboration with blockchain technology provider Chain.com and human-centric, user experience contributions from award winning global design and innovation firm IDEO.
“Chain is thrilled to be powering Nasdaq Linq and to be an inaugural client of this innovative new platform,” said Adam Ludwin, CEO of Chain.com. “We are excited to leverage Nasdaq Linq to issue and manage our company’s securities in a more efficient and transparent way.”
Nasdaq recently announced it will undertake an effort to manage proxy voting via blockchain technology in Estonia, as its next proof-of-concept for the company’s blockchain initiative.
About Nasdaq
Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services across six continents. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today’s global capital markets. As the creator of the world’s first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 70 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world’s securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to more than 3,600 listed companies with a market value of approximately $8.8 trillion and more than 10,000 corporate clients. To learn more, visit: nasdaq.com/ambition or business.nasdaq.com.
About NASDAQ Private Market
The NASDAQ Private Market, LLC is the premier equity services provider to private companies. Our end-to-end solution enables private companies to digitize, integrate and control all of their equity-related functions, including cap table management, shareholder liquidity, investor relations and capital raising. Whether a company seeks to optimize an eventual IPO or remain private permanently, NASDAQ Private Market provides comprehensive capital market support to meet its needs. For certain eligible investors and shareholders, NASDAQ Private Market is a place to discover and engage with some of the most exciting private companies. The NASDAQ Private Market, LLC is not: (a) a registered exchange under the securities exchange act of 1934; (b) a registered investment adviser under the investment advisers act of 1940; or (c) a financial or tax planner, and does not offer legal advice to any user of the NASDAQ Private Market website. Securities-related services are offered through NPM Securities, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and alternative trading system, which is a member FINRA/SIPC and a wholly-owned subsidiary of The NASDAQ Private Market, LLC. Securities offered through NPM Securities, LLC are not listed or traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, nor are the securities subject to the same listing or qualification standards applicable to securities listed or traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. To learn more, visit www.npm.com.
About Chain
Chain.com is the leading blockchain infrastructure provider to financial institutions and enterprises. Chain’s platform enables the secure issuance and management of digital assets on a blockchain network. Chain’s customers span the payments, banking, capital markets, telecom and energy markets. Chain is based in San Francisco, CA and is funded by leading venture firms Khosla Ventures, RRE Ventures and Thrive Capital as well as strategic investors Visa, Citi, Nasdaq, Capital One, Fiserv and Orange.
About ChangeTip
ChangeTip is owned by San Francisco-based ChangeCoin Inc., a Delaware corporation. ChangeTip allows people to express appreciation or pay other individuals or organizations via monetary “tips.” Tips are sent natively within the chosen social media platform and allow users to transact seamlessly in the normal course of their Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, and other social media interactions. In this way, ChangeTip represents not only the next level of financial payment infrastructure, but also the next iteration of the Internet of Value.
Utilizing Bitcoin blockchain technology, the company’s platform allows instant transactions between two parties. The company’s product suite includes the Tip.Me widget, which allows any content producer (artist, writer, musician, publication, etc.) to accept tips via the ChangeTip platform.
About PeerNova
PeerNova is the thought leader in enterprise-class cryptographic ledgers and data solutions. Inspired by blockchain, the technology behind cryptocurrencies, our patent-pending technology enables the use of immutable ledgers and databases in real-time at large scale, supporting tens of thousands of transactions per second. PeerNova has developed the first immutable ledger with the built-in audit, control, scale, and authenticated masking capabilities necessary to help the world’s most trusted organizations store, secure, validate, and distribute their data. With PeerNova, businesses can trust and verify whatever they need to maintain the highest levels of confidence at the speed their business demands. PeerNova is based in Silicon Valley and was founded by veteran entrepreneurs with deep expertise in distributed systems, networking solutions, compiler technology, and financial services.
About Synack
Based in Redwood City, California, Synack is a cyber security company that has built a unique Crowd Security Intelligence™ model that delivers secure, continuous, and scalable security assessments to the enterprise. The Synack solution leverages the best combination of humans and technology to create an offensive security-as-a-service offering that delivers an adversarial approach to exploitation intelligence. Synack’s founders, former National Security Agency analysts, Jay Kaplan, CEO, and Dr. Mark Kuhr, CTO, launched the company in May 2013 to apply their security expertise to the commercial sector. For more information, visit www.synack.com.
About TangoMe, Inc.
Founded in 2009, TangoMe Inc. is the developer of Tango, a free mobile messaging app with more than 300 million registered members who enjoy free video and voice calls, texting, social discovery, browsing and sharing content with one another. As a Top 100 free app on Android and iTunes, Tango continues to grow rapidly, with over hundreds of thousands of people joining every day. The company works with third-party game developers, brands, content publishers, and advertisers to provide distribution, integration opportunities, and advertising. Tango is cross-platform, operating over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi, and is available in 15 languages in 224 countries. TangoMe Inc. is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company has raised $367 million in venture capital financing to date and also has offices in Austin, Texas; St. Petersburg, Russia; and Beijing, China. Visit www.tango.me for more information.
About Vera
Vera delivers a first-of-its-kind solution that enables businesses of all types to easily secure and track any digital information across all platforms and devices. Vera enables comprehensive data security and real-time control with a seamless, uninterrupted user experience, empowering people to use any platform and device they want while ensuring the highest levels of security, visibility and control. For more information, visit www.vera.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The matters described herein contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Nasdaq, The NASDAQ Private Market and their products and offerings. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond Nasdaq’s control. These factors include, but are not limited to factors detailed in Nasdaq’s annual report on Form 10-K, and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements.
NDAQG
CONTACT: Nasdaq Media Contacts:
Linda Recupero
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Will Briganti
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