Tag: Africa

  • Bitget Fan Club Sets a New Standard for Community in Crypto

    Bitget Fan Club Sets a New Standard for Community in Crypto

    Bitget Fan Club Sets a New Standard for Community in Crypto

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), today announced the launch of the Bitget Fan Club, a new community initiative designed to bring users closer into the platform’s growth journey through structured participation, product collaboration, and content-driven engagement.

    The Bitget Fan Club invites users from around the world to become officially recognized contributors to the Bitget ecosystem. Members, who will be known as Bitget Fans, will play an active role in shaping product experiences, sharing feedback, amplifying community initiatives, and supporting ecosystem development across markets.

    Unlike traditional loyalty or referral programs, the Bitget Fan Club is built around a tiered participation model that rewards meaningful contributions over time. Members progress through levels by engaging with Bitget’s products, contributing ideas and content, participating in community discussions, and supporting broader ecosystem initiatives. As members advance, they unlock increased recognition, exclusive access, and opportunities to collaborate more closely with Bitget teams.

    “The Bitget Fan Club reflects how we value community. Not as passive users, but as co-builders in our UEX vision,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “As our platform expands across assets and regions, it’s important that we create pathways for our most engaged users to contribute, be recognized, and grow alongside us.”

    Members of the Bitget Fan Club gain access to a range of evolving benefits, including official identity badges, token airdrops, product feedback channels, content and community support, early access opportunities, and invitations to online and offline Bitget events. Higher-tier members may also participate in community decision-making initiatives, product direction discussions, and official content collaborations.

    The initiative is designed around transparency and fairness, with clearly defined progression criteria and regular reviews to ensure active participation and accountability. Full details on membership tiers, progression paths, and perks are available on the official Bitget Fan Club page.

    By launching the Bitget Fan Club, Bitget continues to strengthen its community-first approach, building an ecosystem where users are empowered to influence products, culture, and the long-term evolution of the platform.

    To find out more and apply to join the Bitget Fan Club, visit here. Users can also join the Telegram group here.

    About Bitget

    Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

    For more information, visit: Website | TwitterTelegramLinkedInDiscord

    For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7bbcbd40-2a8c-42cb-90bc-072e93ed1e4d

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001163375

  • Movement’s M1 Hackathon Reveals 100% AI Adoption Among Blockchain Developers

    Winners built tools that make Move development easier, delivering polished front-ends and deep protocol-level innovations in just four weeks

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Move Industries, the core contributor of the Movement Network, today announced winners of its M1 Hackathon, the first major hackathon on Movement’s newly launched Layer 1 blockchain. Participants built DeFi applications, games, consumer products, and developer tools that make it easier for builders to build on the Move programming language, with winning submissions demonstrating production-ready quality that would typically require months of specialized development.

    Check out Movement M1 Hackathon Winners!
    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

    The four-week hackathon attracted 100+ teams building across multiple categories. What distinguished these winners was not just what they built, but how: every participant used AI coding assistants to accelerate development.

    “We actively encouraged developers to build infrastructure tools that benefit the entire ecosystem. In fact, the dev tooling submissions were so strong we added a second winner,” said Rahat Chowdhury, Head of Developer Relations at Move Industries. “Trace and Movehat bring about the Hardhat and Tenderly-level developer experience that developers have been asking for in the Move Ecosystem. AI tools enabled teams to deliver polished front-ends while going deep on protocol-level work. Teams like Trace were able to go much deeper into Protocol level work and deliver developer tooling that can 10x the developer experience. I’ve been using these tools myself for work immediately after I finished judging.”

    Movement’s partnership with Replit provided developers with one-month access to cloud-based development environments, removing hardware barriers. Multiple winners leveraged Replit to build out polished front-ends while focusing their expertise on core technical challenges.

    The hackathon awarded $30,000 across six categories, with winners selected based on utility, technical execution, and potential impact on the Move ecosystem:

    M1 Hackathon Winners:

    • Best Gaming App: The Fallen Court – Narrative ASCII dungeon crawler with blockchain-integrated choices and on-chain permadeath
    • Best New Devex Tool: Trace – Developer tool suite featuring VirtualNet for safely testing transactions on virtual network forks
    • Best New Devex Tool: Movehat – Complete development toolkit bringing Hardhat-level workflow maturity to Movement
    • Best Consumer App: SportsMove – Decentralized sports betting platform abstracting blockchain complexity for mainstream users
    • Best x402 App: AlgoArena – Competitive auto-battler where AI trading agents battle on live crypto price feeds
    • Best DeFi App: Predictly – Social-first prediction market platform for small, trusted communities

    Five teams will also continue to a separate People’s Choice competition later this month, where the Movement community will vote for their favorite application for additional prizes.

    Winners receive ongoing support from Movement’s developer relations team and ecosystem partners to ship to mainnet. A Twitter livestream will be held February 9, 2025, featuring demos and technical discussions with the Hackathon teams.

    For more information about Movement’s M1 Mainnet, visit MovementNetwork.xyz and follow @Movement_xyz on Twitter.

    ABOUT MOVE INDUSTRIES
    Move Industries is building a community-first Move-based blockchain ecosystem. Led by a team of industry veterans, Move Industries maintains a dual focus on technology and community. The organization intends to return to crypto’s radical roots: giving financial power and opportunity back to the people.

    Media Contact: [email protected]

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9649453

  • Bitget Posts 45.5% Growth Rate Among Top Crypto Exchanges in 2025

    Bitget Posts 45.5% Growth Rate Among Top Crypto Exchanges in 2025

    Bitget Posts 45.5% Growth Rate Among Top Crypto Exchanges in 2025

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange recorded a 45.5% year-over-year increase in trading volume growth and secured the #6 spot in global market share among centralized crypto exchanges at the close of 2025, according to the latest Market Share of Centralized Crypto Exchanges by Trading Volume report by CoinGecko.

    The CoinGecko report, a widely referenced industry benchmark, ranks exchanges based on annual trading volume and share relative to the global centralized exchange landscape. Bitget’s 6.4% market share at the end of 2025 reflects significant momentum, driven by its innovative product suite. Bitget’s strong showing in this independent research highlights the exchange’s expanding footprint and competitive differentiation in the digital asset trading landscape.

    “We’re proud to see Bitget’s continued growth reflected in CoinGecko’s report,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “The trust community has placed in us is attributed to the security we’ve built over the years, holding one of the largest market shares in crypto means we build to scale and with UEX we see this come into real life.”

    Over the past year, Bitget accelerated its transition toward a Universal Exchange model, expanding beyond crypto-native markets into multi-asset trading. This included the beta rollout of Bitget TradFi, enabling users to trade commodities, indices, FX, and metals such as gold alongside crypto derivatives, as well as the expansion of tokenized stock futures, which saw strong uptake during global earnings cycles. These additions complemented Bitget’s core strengths in spot and derivatives liquidity, allowing traders to respond to macro events without leaving a crypto-native environment.

    CoinGecko’s report positions Bitget’s performance within a broader trend of users gravitating toward platforms that combine depth, flexibility and resilience. As trading activity increasingly spans crypto, macro assets, and on-chain products, exchanges capable of supporting this convergence are capturing a growing share of market attention. As Bitget enters 2026, the company continues to build on its growth trajectory with an expanded product suite, enhanced trading infrastructure, and ongoing investments in community trust and platform reliability.

    About Bitget

    Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 100+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships with LALIGA and MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

    For more information, visit: WebsiteTwitter | TelegramLinkedIn | Discord

    For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91c7d1fe-3346-4ac0-81b0-e04542972dee

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001163193

  • The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 with DaVinci Gourmet: the global coffee ranking will be unveiled in Madrid

    The list will be announced on February 16 during CoffeeFest Madrid, after evaluating more than 15,000 coffee shops from around the world

    A key benchmark for the global coffee community: over 800 industry experts and 350,000 public votes shaped the final ranking

    The list reflects the rise of quality coffee in countries such as the United States, Australia, Colombia, Peru, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, Korea, UAE, Chile and Spain

    MADRID, Feb. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The new edition of The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops with Davinci Gourmet will be officially announced on February 16 at 1:00 PM during CoffeeFest Madrid, the international event that brings together the best of the coffee world.

    After evaluating more than 15,000 coffee shops worldwide and combining the insights of over 800 expert judges with 350,000 public votes, this ranking has become a global guide for specialty coffee and high-quality coffee experiences.

    The list highlights both emerging and consolidated coffee scenes in countries such as the United States, Australia, Colombia, Peru, The Philippines and Spain, showcasing the strength of a global movement that continues to grow across regions.

    “This ranking is more than just a list of exceptional coffee shops; it’s a snapshot of the cultural, creative, and professional moment coffee is experiencing around the world,” says César Ramírez, CEO of The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops with DaVinci Gourmet.

    “Our partnership with The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and passion in the coffee world. As a global beverage solutions brand that champions the café culture and coffee community, we at DaVinci Gourmet are proud to support an initiative that recognises the most inspiring coffee shops on the planet — evaluated by experts, voted by coffee lovers,” says Eloise Dubuisson, General Manager, Foodservice Brands, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

    A global evaluation process

    To ensure a fair, rigorous, and representative process, the ranking relies on an international jury made up of more than 800 professionals from the coffee and gastronomy sectors, who lead the evaluation in different regions around the world.

    The selection process combines expert criteria (70%) and public voting (30%), ensuring a comprehensive, diverse, and representative perspective of the sector.

    The evaluation criteria, applied uniformly around the world, are:

    Coffee quality: The flavour profile, aroma, consistency, and use of high-quality beans are assessed.

    Barista expertise: The skill and knowledge of baristas are key. Their ability to craft exceptional beverages, understand coffee origins, and master various preparation techniques is valued.

    Sustainability practices: Commitment to ethically sourced beans, environmentally friendly practices, and local community engagement is considered.

    Customer service: Exceptional service translates into a memorable experience. Staff attentiveness, friendliness, and knowledge are evaluated.

    Ambience and atmosphere: The setting is crucial to the overall experience. Décor, seating layout, lighting, music, and the overall vibe of the place are all analysed.

    Food and pastry quality: While coffee is the main focus, the quality and variety of accompanying food and pastries are also important.

    Innovation: Coffee shops that stand out for their creativity, innovative brewing techniques, and unique offerings are recognised.

    Consistency: Maintaining high standards of quality and service, regardless of the time or occasion, is essential.

    The selected coffee shops stand out not only for their coffee offering, but also for their ability to deliver an integral, distinctive, and consistent experience over time.

    The international jury is made up of leading figures from the coffee, gastronomy, and hospitality industries. Among the professionals leading the regional evaluations are Kat Melheim and Pack Katisomsakul (North America), Michalis Dimitrakopoulos and Dara Santana (Europe), Darveris Rivas (South America), Tanty HartonoSunghee Tark, and Mariam Erin (Asia and the Middle East), Jack Simpson (Oceania), and Jolie Marlene (Africa). This global committee ensures an inclusive and expert-driven perspective, capable of reflecting the richness, evolution, and diversity of the coffee ecosystem on a global scale.

    A global stage: CoffeeFest Madrid

    The award ceremony will take place during CoffeeFest Madrid 2026, Europe’s leading festival for quality coffee and trendsetting hospitality, which will be held from February 14 to 16 at IFEMA Madrid. Organised by Neodrinks, CoffeeFest is an international gathering for brands, roasters, professionals, and coffee lovers who want to stay at the forefront of global coffee culture.

    About Neodrinks
    Neodrinks is a platform focused on activating trends in hospitality, food & beverage, and commerce. It is behind leading industry initiatives such as The Drinks ShowMadrid Cocktail WeekTop Cocktail Bars, and CoffeeFest, and it organises the official championships of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in Spain.

    About DaVinci Gourmet

    DaVinci Gourmet is a global beverage brand that emphasizes innovation and sustainability while offering beverage solutions for the Foodservice channels. At DaVinci Gourmet, our passion for coffee is at the heart of everything we do. We provide a vibrant palette of authentic flavors crafted from the highest quality ingredients, empowering drink artists to create their next masterpieces. ​

    Sponsors

    The 2026 edition of The World’s 100 Best with DaVinci Gourmet Coffee Shops is supported by DaVinci Gourmet as Global and Title Sponsor; SlayerMarkibarCropster, and CoffeeFest Madrid as Main Sponsors; and Fidatec and the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (Craft Specialty Coffees) as Sponsors. Their commitment strengthens the international reach of this initiative and reinforces coffee’s value as a cultural and gastronomic force.

    Media inquiries or interviews:
    Be Cooltural
    [email protected]

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001162859

  • Where business travelers are really going in 2026, according to Holafly

    Top business hubs 2026 by Holafly

    Top business hubs 2026 by Holafly

    DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After the sharp rebound of 2025, companies are moving into a more deliberate phase of mobility. At this point, everybody knows that travel is no longer about clocking miles or filling calendars; it’s about being in the right place, at the right time, for the right reason, so deals close naturally.

    Holafly’s latest global insights revealed a couple of months ago that eight in ten professionals expect to travel internationally in 2026, while only a small minority plan to stay fully domestic. The implication is hard to ignore: business has no barriers anymore.

    But in 2026, corporate mobility is gravitating toward a familiar yet powerful set of cities; places where deals are signed, partnerships are formed and decisions move faster simply because the ecosystem is already there. Holafly asked more than 10,000 respondents in its Global eSIM & Travel Report 2025–2026, and the business hubs for 2026 appeared clearly.

    Top hubs for European: Top hubs for North American: Top hubs for South American: Top hubs for Asians: Top hubs for Africans: Top hubs for Oceania:
    1 US Canada US US UAB US
    2 UK UK Spain Japan France Singapore
    3 France Germany Argentina Singapore US UK

    Business travelers aren’t chasing novelty, instead, they’re reinforcing the routes that already work and the hubs that historically have worked for them, where trust is established, infrastructure is mature and time spent on the ground delivers measurable outcomes.

    “At the end of the day, all the signals point in the same direction,” says Alex Bryszkowski, VP of Holafly for Business. “In 2026, business travel isn’t about how often teams fly, but about what happens when they land. The strongest hubs are the ones that allow people to focus on building relationships, moving projects forward and making decisions that actually matter, and where staying connected, secure and at ease is never a concern.”

    As business travel becomes more intentional, being able to rely on the same digital tools wherever work takes teams is no longer optional. For global companies, solutions like Holafly for Business play a key role in ensuring professionals arrive ready to work from day one, with the peace of mind required to focus on what really matters.

    About Holafly
    Holafly is the global leader in eSIMs for travelers, offering coverage in over 200 destinations. With an outstanding 4.6/5 rating on Trustpilot and more than 15 million satisfied users, it has become the preferred eSIM choice for international travelers. Its unlimited data offering ensures peace of mind anywhere in the world.

    Contact: [email protected]

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/edc4f38c-0fd8-40ec-9def-49e24f5871a9

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001161705

  • CGTN: More than a journey: How Spring Festival travel rush reflects a changing China

    The 2026 Spring Festival travel rush begins on February 2 and will run for 40 days, ending on March 13. Ahead of this annual migration, CGTN published a feature article exploring how the event has transcended its role as a transport phenomenon, becoming a unique lens through which to view China’s social transformation.

    BEIJING, Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Under the glow of floodlights at a maintenance base in Nanchang, east China’s Jiangxi Province, rows of silver bullet trains stand in perfect formation. From above, the assembly resembles a fleet of land-based aircraft carriers ready for service.

    This is one of the launchpads across China for the world’s largest human migration: chunyun. The 40-day annual Spring Festival travel rush officially begins at the stroke of midnight on February 2, ahead of the country’s most important holiday.

    This year, chunyun is set to shatter all previous records. Official estimates predict a staggering 9.5 billion inter-regional passenger trips over the 40-day period, which runs through March 13.

    Driven by a nine-day holiday, the longest in recent memory, the 2026 rush is more than a logistical feat; it is a vivid window into China’s social transformation.

    Resilience of Chinese logistics
    As with every year, the 2026 chunyun stands as a spectacle of logistics. Officials project that self-driving will remain the dominant mode of transport, accounting for roughly 80 percent of all trips. Meanwhile, rail and civil aviation are expected to reach historic peaks, with passenger volumes hitting 540 million and 95 million, respectively.

    Behind these numbers lies a sophisticated, multi-tiered infrastructure. To support the surge in electric vehicles, the Ministry of Transport has expanded the highway charging network to 71,500 charging points. Travelers can use a special mini-program to monitor real-time charger availability, while mobile emergency charging units have been deployed during peak hours.

    Complementing the highways, China’s railway system – now bolstered by a high-speed network exceeding 50,000 kilometers – utilizes advanced ticketing and extensive infrastructure to ensure a seamless, high-capacity journey.

    Safety remains the ultimate priority. As cold fronts threaten northern and central regions with snow and ice, the China Meteorological Administration and emergency departments have pre-positioned de-icing equipment and specialized rescue teams. High-tech tools, including drones and helicopters, stand ready for rapid response. Officials say chunyun coordination is a massive operation involving more than 20 government departments.

    Heartwarming service
    In a deeper commitment to passenger comfort, this year’s travel rush features more “heartwarming services” catering to the diverse needs of millions, transforming a massive migration into a personalized experience.

    A key highlight is the expansion of “quiet carriages.” Now available on over 8,000 high-speed trains, these carriages offer a haven for passengers seeking a peaceful journey. Broadcast volumes are capped at 40 percent, and crew members provide “silent” service, replacing loud announcements with gentle assistance. Staff also offer free disposable earplugs and fun packs, including picture books, to keep young children entertained and calm.

    At major airports and rail stations, efforts are underway to close the digital divide. Central to this are “Silver Hair” services, allowing seniors to travel with dignity and ease. At Shijiazhuang Airport in north China, for instance, travelers aged 80 and above enjoy priority check-in and boarding.

    Travel is also becoming more inclusive for families, including their four-legged members. In central China’s Henan Province, “Pet Rail” services have expanded from one station to four, allowing travelers to book specialized transport crates via the 12306 app.

    The Chinese New Year
    The vast movement of people during chunyun is a collective journey home, culminating in the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17 this year. Rooted in Chinese culture with celebrations of various forms, the festival marks the first day of the lunar calendar and symbolizes renewal and family unity. It carries a universal resonance of hope and aspirations for a better life.

    Core customs – family reunions, red decorations symbolizing prosperity, wishes for good fortune, festive family feasts, and creating traditional crafts such as lanterns – captivate cultural enthusiasts worldwide with their unique approach to welcoming the new year.

    Each year, the “Spring Festival Gala,” an annual TV program broadcast live by China Media Group and watched by billions worldwide, epitomizes China’s cultural appeal. With three rehearsals completed, the 2026 gala will continue to take shape in a festive and uplifting atmosphere, vividly reflecting China’s dynamism in a new era.

    On Chinese New Year’s Eve, CGTN also presented its flagship live special, “Super Night.” The program offered companion-style commentary on the CMG Spring Festival Gala in five languages – English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian – alongside a range of original features. These segments vividly showcased aspects of Chinese culture that captivate overseas audiences, including Spring Festival customs, intangible cultural heritage and traditional opera, helping global viewers better grasp the essence of Chinese culture and connect with it emotionally.

    For more information, please click here:
    https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-01/More-than-a-journey-How-chunyun-travel-rush-reflects-a-changing-China-1KptvLAeFPi/p.html

    Contact: [email protected]

    GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9647583