Argo Blockchain Becomes First Climate Positive Cryptocurrency Mining Company and Releases Climate Strategy

Argo Blockchain Becomes First Climate Positive Cryptocurrency Mining Company and Releases Climate Strategy

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aug 17, 2021–

Argo Blockchain plc (LSE:ARB; OTCQX:ARBKF), (“Argo” or the “Company”), a global leader in sustainable blockchain infrastructure and cryptocurrency mining, today announced it has become the first publicly traded cryptocurrency mining company to report it has become Climate Positive for Scope 1, 2, and 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with all of its respective crypto-related operations. Climate Positive means that the company is addressing its own GHG emissions to become carbon neutral, and going even further by mitigating emissions through support of projects outside of Argo. The announcement marks a key milestone in the Company’s Climate Strategy, which includes its ongoing and future initiatives in energy efficiency, reducing e-waste, use of waste heat in partnership with local municipalities, carbon capture, and supporting the industry with sustainability standards.

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“We are proud to be the first publicly traded cryptocurrency mining company to reach the Climate Positive milestone and remain laser-focused on encouraging other companies to join us – both inside and outside of the industry. Furthermore, we wanted to publicly issue our Climate Strategy in hopes of encouraging collaboration, input and dialogue among all companies on ways to create climate-positive environments,” said Peter Wall, Chief Executive of Argo Blockchain.

Since inception, Argo has been committed to sustainability and believes that cryptocurrency mining can spur renewable power innovation and pave the way to reducing GHG emissions. Over the past year, the Company has built out its Climate Positive Strategy, achieving the below milestones, among many others:

Signed UNFCCC Climate Neutral Now Pledge

Signed Crypto Climate Accord

Purchased Hydro and Wind Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to address 2020 and projected 2021 scope 2 emissions (electricity use)

Prioritized direct renewable power purchases on-site or from a local grid

Purchased Verified Emissions Reductions (VERs) for 2020 and projected 2021 scope 3 emissions from the company supply chain (VERs are certified by the American Carbon Registry and Gold Standard)

Purchased additional VERs in excess of 2020 and projected 2021 scope 3 emissions to demonstrate commitment to climate action and have a ‘climate positive’ overall impact (VERs are certified by Gold Standard)

Further, Argo is pleased to announce that it is now a participant of the UNFCCC’s Climate Neutral Now Initiative. As a participant, Argo undertakes to measure, reduce, contribute, and report emissions on a yearly basis in order to achieve a Climate Neutral world by 2050.

“Guidehouse celebrates this important milestone with Argo as they work to tackle one of their industry’s most critical sustainability issues—Greenhouse Gas emissions in cryptocurrency mining,” says Britt Harter, sustainability lead at Guidehouse, a consultancy and solutions provider that serves as Argo’s climate strategy advisor. “Argo’s efforts are a prime example of how other technology firms can reduce their climate impact to build a sustainable and environmentally secure planet for generations to come.”

Miguel Naranjo, Programme Officer at the UNFCCC secretariat, said: “We are pleased to welcome Argo Blockchain as the first cryptocurrency miner to join Climate Neutral Now, and welcome their support, with other participants, in achieving a Climate Neutral world by 2050.”

The Company is also building the community and partnering and collaborating with competitors, consultants, and councils – including REBA, the Crypto Climate Accord and many others – to ensure the industry can derive solutions faster and more efficiently to create a more sustainable mining industry for the long haul.

Peter Wall added, “Argo believes in preserving our planet – not only because it makes business sense, but because it just makes sense to protect it. We understand the only way to create a sustainable infrastructure and mining operation is to be best-in-class long-term and look forward to continuing to lead the charge and push industry-wide sustainability practices for years to come.”

Argo will continue innovating and prioritizing sustainability on its path to being a climate action leader in the crypto and bitcoin mining world. Moving forward Argo will release an annual Climate Report to overview company developments as well as industry wide changes.

About Argo

Argo Blockchain plc is a global leader in cryptocurrency mining with one of the largest and most efficient operations powered by clean energy. The Company is headquartered in London, UK and its shares are listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker: ARB and on the OTCQX Best Market in the United States under the ticker: ARBKF.

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(212) 257-4170

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SOURCE: Argo Blockchain plc

Copyright Business Wire 2021.

PUB: 08/17/2021 09:00 AM/DISC: 08/17/2021 09:02 AM

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Blondie Announces New NFT To Celebrate Andy Warhol’s 93rd Birthday

Blondie Announces New NFT To Celebrate Andy Warhol’s 93rd Birthday

Blondie have announced a new NFT collaboration with Hackatao to celebrate the 93rd birthday of Andy Warhol.

The crypto art series, dubbed “Hack The Borders,” will be be released through digital art online auction platform Nifty Gateway next month. The artwork is based upon Warhol’s first ever digital portrait of Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, shot in 1985.

The one-of-a-kind artwork, which Blondie have called “a present day manifestation of the punk rock movement,” will land on August 6 via Nifty Gateway, to celebrate what would’ve been Warhol’s 93rd birthday.

“I heard of Hackatao early on when the NFT phenomena went mainstream,” Blondie’s Chris Stein said in a statement. “Andy, who embraced modern technology, would certainly have been minting Warhol NFT’s. I am attracted to the lack of gatekeeping that thus far is a significant factor in all this.

Debbie Harry added: “Techno expansion and discovery has always fascinated me as did Andy. I love the idea of honoring his memory on his birthday this year with our collaboration with Hackatao.”

Explaining the idea behind the project, Hackatao said: “We like to think of our art as something timeless and universal, much like Blondie’s music and iconic legacy. Doing a project with Blondie is not just a collaboration with a band, it is a collaboration with the history of music and art.

“Andy Warhol has similarly been an artistic inspiration to us for his use of colors and trademark way of making art accessible for everyone. For Hack the Borders, we chose to release the project on August 6, which is not only the birthday of Andy, but also of S. of Hackatao. We felt it was a perfect way to pay homage to his genius, and connect us further to the project.”

Back in June, it was announced that Blondie would be headlining the Cruel World Festival in 2022. The single-day fest will also feature Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, Echo & the Bunnymen, English Beat, Public Image Ltd., Berlin, Missing Persons, Christian Death, the Damned, the Church, and more. Tickets for the May 14 event are in sale now.

Listen to the best of Blondie on Apple Music and Spotify.

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uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.

AlphaPoint Adds Capital Markets Veterans to Board of Directors and Staff

NEW YORK, July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – AlphaPoint, a global provider of white label software for launching and operating crypto and digital asset exchanges, announced the expansion of their Board of Directors with the addition of Eric Noll, a securities industry veteran and former Nasdaq VP, Convergex CEO and currently Context Capital Partners CEO, along with Jonathan Kol, a seasoned crypto VC and Galaxy Digital Director.

Additionally, AlphaPoint has hired Reba Beeson as their new General Counsel. Reba has extensive experience as an attorney and capital markets banker, having most recently served as Deputy General Counsel – US for World Gold Council and its US affiliated sponsors of the largest global gold-backed ETF product suite.

To support client’s rapid growth on a 24/7 basis, AlphaPoint recently added 12 new FTEs across technology and operations, including resources in the US, Canada, India and Thailand, with open requests for a dozen more positions.

“AlphaPoint and our customers have had explosive growth over the last 6 months and we are excited about the energy and experience that Eric, Jon and Reba bring to our board and executive management team,” said AlphaPoint CEO Igor Telyatnikov. “We are thrilled by the pace this industry has grown and look forward to the next chapter of global adoption and use of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.”

In his current role with Context, Eric Noll drives capital introduction, investor relations, and fundraising for hedge funds, institutional investors, venture capital, entrepreneurs and asset management firms. Formerly, Eric was the President and CEO of Convergex, an agency-focused global brokerage and trading firm – one of the three largest in the word, and prior to that he served as Executive VP, Transaction Services for NASDAQ, tasked with overseeing all of NASDAQ’s global exchange businesses.

“AlphaPoint represents the true cutting edge of the application of technology to the fastest growing asset classes in the world,” said Noll, “I am proud and honored to be part of their journey and to bring my capital markets infrastructure experience to the table.”

Reba Beeson brings a veteran perspective to legal matters, serving as lead counsel for UBS’s Alternative Investment Group, SVP/Head of Complex Financing for BNP/Paribas, and SVP/Director of Structured Products for Pitney Bowes Credit, along with her most recent position with the US for World Gold Council. Her capital markets experience has encompassed structuring and transacting in alternative investments, ETFs, structured finance, project finance, derivatives, corporate venturing transactions, private debt and equity placements, IPOs and M&A.

“I have devoted my career to helping complex financial institutions build legal frameworks to enhance market infrastructure and facilitate innovative product launches for the investment community,” said Reba Beeson, “I look forward to meaningfully contributing to AlphaPoint as we deploy our proven best-in-class technology to help institutions transform the market for digital assets and meet their growing customer demand for increased access, transparency and trust.”

Jonathan Kol is a Director for Galaxy Digital’s Principal Investment group, where he and his partner oversee the firm’s investments. Jon has been a Venture Capital investor in the Crypto space for a number of years and has backed companies and networks including; Terra, Solana, Radicle, 1inch, FalconX and others. Prior to joining Galaxy, Jon had been a Venture investor for John Burbank’s Passport Capital.

AlphaPoint has expanded leadership and accelerated staff hiring in an effort to build on a record setting year-to-date performance for clients, with AlphaPoint powered exchanges posting record volume and net positive inflows, cumulatively logging nearly $10B in trading volume from almost 1.4M end-user accounts total.