Upstream enables traditional equities to be bought using USDC stablecoin for the first time through dual listings

Horizon-powered exchange offers global liquidity potential for NASDAQ, OTC Market & International Issuers

By Vanessa Malone

We are thrilled to announce that Upstream, the digital stock exchange and trading app powered by Horizon Fintex and MERJ Exchange Limited, will offer dual listing capability to U.S. NASDAQ and over the counter (OTC) market issuers and international stock exchanges including EURONEXT, TSX, and CSE.

The dual listing grants issuers access to a global digital first investor-base which can now trade U.S. and international equities using USDC digital currency, credit card, debit card, PayPal, or USD.

The offering aims to unlock liquidity and enhance price discovery for issuers while giving global investors the opportunity to access and invest in U.S., Canadian, and European companies.

“Upstream has created the ability for digital currency to be used to buy U.S. and International equities, representing the first time that traditional equities can be bought using USDC stablecoin,” says Upstream President Mark Elenowitz. “We believe Upstream supports the future of global trading that forward-thinking issuers are after, bringing them into the digital age with a real-time trading app that harnesses the efficiency of crypto markets.”

Ups­tream is now accepting applications to dual list: https://upstream.exchange/GetListed.

The future of global trading is here for OTC issuers on Upstream

There are more than 10,000 stocks¹ that trade OTC. Many of these issuers continue to face challenges surrounding liquidity, deposits, and trading. These include…

1. Limited investor pool with global secondary market participants facing hurdles opening accounts to trade OTC securities.
2. Illiquid holdings due to the inability to deposit OTC securities which prevents shareholders from profiting off their investments.
3. Difficulties raising capital due to blue sky laws, secondary trading, and other deposit issues.

Upstream’s team of Wall Street pioneers and proven software engineers have worked to address the common roadblocks OTC issuers face. Developed in consultation with a team of Wall Street pioneers and proven software engineers, the platform offers in-app onboarding and compliance integrations to give international investors frictionless access to popular U.S. equities.

1. Enhanced price discovery. Through dual listing, Upstream aims to increase liquidity potential by connecting issuers to a wider potential investor pool, including the growing crypto community, who may now trade traditional equities using USDC stablecoin for the first time on a userfriendly trading app.
2. Advanced technology integrations. Upstream features high-tech, high-touch onboarding and compliance integrations, userfriendly trading tools, and transparency enforced by blockchain technology to give international investors frictionless access to popular U.S. equities. Upstream maintains certain insurances and bankruptcy protections for cash and securities held by Upstream Members. Details here. Crypto traders will enjoy a streamlined crypto off-ramp back to popular cryptocurrency exchange platforms. USD traders will enjoy a US dollar fiat off-ramp back to a US bank when they sell their shares.
3. Perks of overseas digital stock exchange. Upstream is a MERJ Exchange Market. MERJ is an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges. As a fully regulated overseas stock exchange, we are a peer to the OTC markets (i.e. not an ATS or MTF). As part of a regulated overseas national securities exchange, qualified issuers may fast-track listing on Upstream.
4. Streamlined reporting for additional dual-listing benefits. Issuers may be able to utilize SEC, OTCQX, Euronext or SEDAR filings to satisfy Upstream’s listing and reporting requirements.

“Upstream features all the perks of an overseas national securities exchange, but with competitive listing fees and next generation trading features making it both convenient and efficient for international traders to trade securities,” said MERJ CEO Ed Tuohy.

Get started today at https://upstream.exchange/GetListed or contact Upstream at hello@upstream.exchange with any questions. We are thrilled to offer NASDAQ, OTC market and international issuers an opportunity to be part of the next generation exchange and trading app for digital securities and offer shares to a whole new set of fans, investors, and traders.

Read full press release on Yahoo Finance.

Sources:

1 Schwab

About Upstream:

Upstream, a MERJ Exchange Market, is a fully regulated global stock exchange for digital securities. Powered by Horizon’s proprietary matching engine technology, the exchange will enable investors to trade shares in IPOs, SPACs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. & Int’l. equities, and celebrity ventures directly from the app: https://upstream.exchange. Interested issuers can reach the team at hello@upstream.exchange.

About MERJ:

MERJ Exchange (MERJ) operates Upstream as a fully regulated and licensed integrated securities exchange, clearing system and depository for digital and non-digital securities. MERJ is an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), recognized by HM Revenue and Customs UK, a full member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) and a Qualifying Foreign Exchange for OTC Markets in the US. MERJ is also a member of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.

About Horizon:

Horizon is a fintech company that builds and powers global securities exchanges with an integrated suite of software for compliant issuance, management, and secondary trading of securities. Our in-house solutions combine Wall Street and Silicon Valley to power the next generation of securities offerings and trading in the U.S. and globally. Learn more at https://www.horizonfintex.com/.

Disclaimers:

+ USDC funds are custodied pursuant to the Liechtenstein Law on “Tokens and Trusted Technology Service Providers” as passed in Blockchain Act on October 3, 2019 and/or MERJ Depository and Registry Limited: Licensed securities facility (License No. SF001).

This blog shall not constitute an offer to sell securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation is not permitted. U.S. investors are not permitted to trade in upstream listed securities. U.S. and Canadian citizens will only be able to trade in a security they currently own that has listed on upstream for liquidation only.

Upstream is a MERJ Exchange market. MERJ Exchange is a licensed Securities Exchange, an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges and full member of ANNA. MERJ supports global issuers of traditional and digital securities through the entire asset life cycle from issuance to trading, clearing, settlement and registry. It operates a fair and transparent marketplace in line with international best practice and principles of operations of financial markets. Upstream does not endorse or recommend any public or private securities bought or sold on its app. Upstream does not offer investment advice or recommendations of any kind. All services offered by Upstream are intended for self-directed clients who make their own investment decisions without aid or assistance from Upstream. All customers are subject to the rules and regulations of their jurisdiction. By accessing the site or app, you agreed to be bound by its terms of use and privacy policy. Company and security listings on Upstream are only suitable for investors who are familiar with and willing to accept the high risk associated with speculative investments, often in early and development stage companies. There can be no assurance the valuation of any particular company’s securities is accurate or in agreement with the market or industry comparative valuations. Investors must be able to afford market volatility and afford the loss of their investment. Companies listed on Upstream are subject to significant ongoing corporate obligations including, but not limited to disclosure, filings and notification requirements, as well compliance with applicable quantitative and qualitative listing standards.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This blog may include ‘’forward-looking statements.’’ To the extent that the information presented in this blog discusses financial projections, information, or expectations about our business plans, results of operations, products or markets, or otherwise makes statements about future events, such statements are forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as ‘’should,’’ ‘’may,’’ ‘’intends,’’ ‘’anticipates,’’ ‘’believes,’’ ‘’estimates,’’ ‘’projects,’’ ‘’forecasts,’’ ‘’expects,’’ ‘’plans,’’ and ‘’proposes.’’ Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained, and Horizon Fintex does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law.