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Anndy Lian Interviews Pavel Matveev, CEO of Wirex: “Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation.”

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The payment tech industry is growing and one of the main player in my opinion is Wirex. My name is Jenny Zheng, Cofounder of Blockcast.cc. We are based in Singapore and have presence in South Korea, China and the USA. This afternoon, I have the chance to speak to the man himself, CEO of Wirex, Pavel Matveev. We have brought Anndy Lian into the house as well for this interview. He is an inter-governmental blockchain advisor, book author for “Blockchain Revolution 2030”, investor and recently took on the role as Asia CEO of DECENT Group, previously he founded the world first blockchain supply chain solutions for fast consumer goods. He will be the one posting the questions to Pavel and facilitate this discussion.

Jenny: Dear Pavel, good to meet you. Can you give an introduction of yourself?

Pavel: Hi Jenny, thank you for the interview. Hi Anndy, thanks for being here as well despite your busy schedule.

My name is Pavel Matveev. I am the co-founder and CEO of Wirex. As well as ensuring that the company is constantly pushing the boundaries of payment tech, I believe that my role includes facilitating and evangelising the mainstream adoption of distributed ledger technology across a number of industries.

Jenny: Our readers would like to know more about you, your past and current experiences or even your hobbies too. Can you share that as well?

Pavel: Sure. Before Wirex, I helped top-tier investment banks like Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse build trading platforms and algo-trading strategies. During this time, I recognised that the cost and inconvenience of off-boarding digital currencies was an impediment to their use by both consumers and businesses, despite the latent potential in a tokenised economy. Dmitry Lazarichev and I founded Wirex to solve some of these problems and allow people to use their cryptocurrencies in everyday situations.

In my free time, I like to swim, ski and play video games. Not all at the same time!

Anndy: Impressive background. Tell us more about Wirex. We would like to know more on the progress and the future roadmap. For your information, Blockcast.cc did the PR work for OKEX during your IEO stages for the South Korea market. I was in South Korea during that period of time and we know so much about your company. How was the last 12 months for WireX?

Pavel: It’s an exciting time at Wirex and we’ve recently hit some major milestones. Over the last 12 months, we have partnered with Stellar — preparing 26 fiat-backed stable coins to revolutionise international remittance.

The Wirex Token (WXT) — our own native utility token, built on the Stellar network was also released. We then launched our next-gen, multi-currency Wirex Visa travel card in APAC.

We went on with our development work and have completely overhauled and re-designed the Wirex platform and card in early 2019, including the introduction of interbank and OTC rates for fiat and crypto exchanges respectively.

Lastly, we have received JVCEA Type II membership in Japan.

Anndy: You must have great plans ahead after obtaining the Type II membership, maybe Type I? What geographical expansion plans do you have right now?

Pavel: In terms of geographical expansion, we will begin operating in Japan, Canada and the U.S this year. We’re currently working towards acquiring our Type I Licence from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) — this will establish the platform as a legal Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider (only 19 companies have achieved this to date) and allow us to offer our full range of services to Japanese customers.

We’re also continuing to develop our business product, including merchant offers that will allow companies to circumvent traditional payment channels run by Visa or Mastercard and Stablecoin-powered remittance.

Anndy: One reason why I stepped up to be part of a government advisor for blockchain is that I do see that there are a lot of scams in the market and it is not getting any better, depending on how you see it. Of course in my line of work, I do see many companies trying their best to navigate this unregulated space to get the best-commercialised value for their business. How do you see the blockchain and cryptocurrency market in general?

Pavel: Blockchains first use was for the movement of money, e.g. — cryptocurrency or digital currencies. I believe digital currencies are the biggest thing to happen to the financial sector since the Bretton Woods agreement. Not only do they allow for a system of money that sits outside the authority and oversight of central banks and governments but they also enable businesses and consumers to circumvent conventional financial infrastructure.

Legacy banking rails are slow and expensive; cryptocurrencies allow for near-instant transactions at a fraction of the cost, with none of the fees associated with Mastercard and Visa payment infrastructures. Even cryptos market volatility can be mitigated through the use of asset-pegged stable coins such as Dai.

I certainly wouldn’t agree that it is ‘not getting any better.’ The introduction of the 5th Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) means measures are being taken to prevent digital assets being utilised for ransomware purpose. Generally, procedures in line with the regulatory requirements of the traditional financial service sector are being implemented across the industry — an important step in a previously unregulated space.

Anndy: How do you see the term decentralisation in the blockchain space? Do you think it is feasible? Or is there a need to “re-decentralise” it, giving a new meaning.

Pavel: It is feasible. In 2019, we’ve seen a lot of existing and new DeFi (decentralised finance) projects get traction and create real value for real users. Notable examples include MakerDAO launching its multi-collateral DAI upgrade. We expect this trend to continue and are keen on supporting and cooperating with the best projects in the space.

Anndy: What is the future of blockchain? How do you visualise it? Where are the breakthroughs?

Pavel: The future of blockchain is bright, as highlighted above. I believe it has positively changed the world and there are more industries it will have an impact on.

Whether blockchain will become mainstream is a question of when, not if. Cryptocurrencies and stable coins are already revolutionising payments, lending and other areas of finance. Blockchain overall holds huge potential in other areas, too — decentralised data storage, smart contracts and so on.

The overall quality of projects in the space is consistently improving. Real-life use cases beyond investment and trading are increasing and creating real value — this trend will continue.

Jenny: We have reached the end of the interview Pavel. Can you share an inspiring quote for our readers?

Pavel: A quote I admire from another giant in the tech space is:

“Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation.”

– Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

Jenny: Yes innovation is the key to the technology industry. Thank for your time Pavel and thanks Anndy for being here with us today.

For more information about Wirex, please go to www.wirexapp.com. You will discover a new way to pay, giving you total control of your crypto and traditional currency, wherever you are in the world.

Original Source: https://blockcast.cc/interviews/blockcast-cc-exclusive-interview-with-pavel-matveev-ceo-of-wirex-our-industry-does-not-respect-tradition-it-only-respects-innovation/

Hannah Barwell is the most renowned for his short stories. She writes stories as well as news related to the technology. She wrote number of books in her five years career. And out of those books she sold around 25 books. She has more experience in online marketing and news writing. Recently she is onboard with Apsters Media as a freelance writer.

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Alex Matos has been acquired by Chelsea from Norwich City.

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Equipped for playing in midfield and assault, Matos highlighted for Norwich’s Under-18s and Under-21s last season. For the latter, he scored three goals in the Premier League 2.

Matos, who played for England as a schoolboy, moved to Norwich from Luton Town in 2016. Shortly after turning 16, he scored in his first appearance for the Canaries’ youth team against Arsenal.

The 18-year-old found the middle value of an objective contribution for each game – five objectives, six helps – in his initial 11 appearances at that level and turned into an ordinary for Norwich’s Under-18s during the 2022/23 mission, in which he was likewise given his presentation for the Under-21s.

Welcome to Chelsea, Alex!

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In Washington, hydrogen-powered aviation and sustainable fuel startups announce plans for expansion.

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This week, the Paris Air Show began with announcements from two sustainable aviation ventures expanding their efforts in Washington state.

The hydrogen-powered aviation startup ZeroAvia has announced that it will expand its R&D capabilities at its Paine Field facility in Everett. ZeroAvia will receive a $350,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce to support the project, doubling the state’s previous investment. Last month, the organization praised an organization with Gold country Carriers to retrofit a resigned plane with its drive framework.

Twelve, a company developing sustainable aviation fuel, announced that it is constructing a commercial-scale production facility in Moses Lake, Eastern Washington. Twelve uses carbon dioxide and water to make a synthetic jet fuel, drawing comparisons to photosynthesis. When compared to conventional fossil fuels, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and powers its process with renewable energy.

The air show in Le Bourget, France, lasts for a whole week, and a Washington delegation of nearly two dozen businesses and organizations is there to talk about the state’s role in sustainable aviation and get new businesses interested in flying into the Pacific Northwest.

Technology is in high demand everywhere. A global coalition of commercial airlines made a pledge two years ago to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Shipping companies and other businesses also want to cut emissions.

Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, addressed a Boeing-led conference near Seattle this spring and stated, “We recognize that this is going to be extremely challenging, but it is achievable and we are absolutely determined to do everything we can to achieve that goal.” The conference was held near Seattle.

The petroleum fuels that power the majority of airplanes make it impossible to go green in aviation because there are no alternatives that come close to matching their affordability, availability, weight, or sheer amount of energy. Strategies for reducing carbon include:

Fuel for sustainable aviation (SAF): Feedstock materials include crops, sewage and dairy waste, waste vegetable oils, and agricultural and forestry debris.
Hydrogen: This fuel can be made from water and methane, among other things, and burnt directly or in fuel cells.
Batteries: Due to the batteries’ “energy density,” or weight in relation to the power generated, this option is currently restricted to smaller aircraft flying shorter distances.
Operations and materials modifications: NASA awarded Boeing a $425 million, seven-year grant to develop and test ultra-thin-winged fuel-efficient aircraft. Flight plans are being modified to reduce fuel consumption by airlines, cargo companies, and others.
Contrail studies: The ice cloud clouds produced by engine exhaust are unpredictable contrails. The Contrail Impact Task Force was established last year to investigate contrail impacts and opportunities for reduction.
It’s a lot to think about. The Cascade Climate Impact Model, a free tool released by Boeing last month, is intended to assist businesses in evaluating the cost-benefit trade-offs of various approaches to lowering carbon emissions, possibly with the intention of including Boeing aircraft in the solutions.

SAF is being favored by many established aerospace interests, particularly in the near future. It is possible to use the fuel in aircraft that already exist by mixing it with jet fuel. Boeing authorities refer to SAF as “the greatest switch” for cutting aeronautics carbon. However, the fuel is in short supply, accounting for well less than 1% of the total jet fuel that is currently available.

Senior emerging technology analyst Jonathan Geurkink of PitchBook seems to agree that SAF is the best option, at least for the time being. Today, “it’s a plug-and-play kind of solution for a lot of different reasons,” Guerkink stated. We don’t want to dump all of these planes at once.

Twelve signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft and Alaska Air last year to support the startup’s technology development in addition to the announced expansion in Moses Lake. Microsoft hopes to use Twelve’s fuel to offset employee travel costs, while Alaska intends to test it in one of its aircraft.

Locally, the sector is receiving additional support. In the spring of this year, lawmakers in Washington approved a bill that created a tax incentive for locally produced SAF and approved funding for a sustainable aviation fuel R&D center at Paine Field. In May, the Dutch company SkyNRG said it would build a biogas plant in Washington to make environmentally friendly aviation fuel.

“Assuming that motivating forces are adjusted suitably, there is feedstock, there’s innovation — everything that are set up to create practical flying fuel,” said John Dees, a senior decarbonization researcher with Carbon Direct. ” It concerns costs. It continues to cost more.

Numerous businesses are looking into alternative fuel options, despite the fact that SAF has an advantage in cleaner aviation. This includes: in the Pacific Northwest:

ZeroAvia, with offices in California and the UK and research and development facilities in Everett.
In order to develop its aircraft, Universal Hydrogen, a California company, collaborates with AeroTEC, based in Seattle, and MagniX, based in Everett. Universal Hydrogen tested its hydrogen-powered electric propulsion system on a plane called Lightning McClean in March at Moses Lake.
Eviation, a company with headquarters in Arlington, Wash., completed a successful test flight of its all-electric Alice aircraft in Moses Lake in September 2022.
Personal aviation startup Zeva Aero is based in Tacoma, Wash., and its planned products include battery-powered aircraft.
However, clean hydrogen fuel is also in short supply, just like SAF. Additionally, because hydrogen is expensive and difficult to transport, some people consider producing it close to where it is used. In order for battery-powered flight to succeed, weight reduction efforts must continue.

There are a lot of good reasons to believe that hydrogen and batteries won’t be really viable for a while. Dees stated, “It’s not just a question of whether it works in the plane; the airports would need to adopt a lot of infrastructure.”

However, despite the obstacles, hydrogen and batteries are “where things will go,” he added.

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When the new Adipurush poster featuring Prabhas and Kriti Sanon was unveiled on Ram Navami, the internet commented, “It doesn’t look promising”

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Following the film’s team’s release of the new Adipurush poster on Ram Navami, Instagram users commented that it “doesn’t look promising.”

On Thursday, a brand-new poster for Adipurush, the masterpiece of filmmaker Om Raut, was revealed. Prabhas posted the poster on Instagram, portraying Ram, Sita, and Laxman alongside Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh. Hanuman was depicted in the poster bowing in front of the trio as they were posed together.

Kriti stated in a recent interview with news outlet PTI about Adipurush, “It is a movie of which the complete team is incredibly proud. I sincerely expect and pray that others will share my pride in it. To all of us, it is something very essential. Simply put, it is much more than a movie to us. I hope it gets its due. I have a feeling it will. It is important to make these stories. It is educational for kids. I feel if I had not seen it then, today’s children would also have not seen it.”

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