An overview of Upstream’s dual listing applicants, NFTs, strategic partnerships, & milestones
by Fernanda De La Torre
From the launch of our first set of NFT campaigns, our influx of dual listing applications, the new features to our trading app, our new online trading platform dApp, and the expansion of our strategic partner ecosystem, Upstream has had a significant year ushering in the future of trading.
As we approach 2023, we want to first look back at our biggest accomplishments from 2022 that led us to this key moment in our company’s growth.
Dual listings on Upstream
Upstream has received an influx of applications to dual list on Upstream in the last few weeks. We are thrilled to announce that both Nutriband and Jupiter Wellness have made their mark as the first two issuers to be approved to list on Upstream. Trading for Nutriband is to commence on Upstream January 5, 2023, and for Jupiter Wellness January 10, 2023.
Issuers are interested in gaining access to a global, digital-first investor base that can trade using USDC digital currency along with credit, debit, PayPal, and USD, unlocking liquidity and enhancing price discovery while globalizing the opportunity to invest in U.S. companies.
Traders on Upstream’s blockchain-powered market will experience real-time trading and settlement, a transparent orderbook, and market fairness enforced by blockchain technology. On listing day, Upstream participants will be eligible to claim a free digital collectible (NFT) memorializing the dual listing on Upstream. Shareholders may also be entitled to participate in future digital promotions which may be redeemed for products, services, or experiences for added value. Here are some of the dual listing announcements we made this year:
Issuers approved to dual list on Upstream
December 13– Jupiter Wellness, Inc., a wellness company focused on hair loss, eczema, burns, and sexual wellness, announced its approval to dual list its shares on Upstream.
December 14– Nutriband Inc., an Irish-founded pharma company, announced its approval to dual list its shares on Upstream.
Issuers in the application process to dual list
October 26– Crown Electrokinetics, a leading smart glass technology company, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
October 31– Quad M Solutions Inc., a staffing company providing modern healthcare solution benefits, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
November 3– SurgePays Inc., the technology and telecommunications company focused on the underbanked and underserved, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
November 7– IQSTEL, a rapidly growing global telecommunications firm, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
November 7– Creatd, Inc., a creator-first company, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
November 18– Global Tech Industries Group, Inc., a Nevada corporation specializing in the pursuit of acquiring new and innovative technologies, announced that it had begun the application process to dual list on Upstream.
Issuers interested in listing on Upstream can apply to get listed at: https://upstream.exchange/GetListed or reach the team at hello@upstream.exchange.
NFT Launches
This year Upstream powered a number of NFT campaigns for brands, artists, and athletes, ushering in the next generation of fan engagement-driven non-securities NFTs. Here are some of the many NFT launches we powered for 2022:
Feb 11– Upstream powered Honey County’s first NFT Airdrop to commemorate the Rams making it to the Super Bowl.
Feb 23– Upstream powered Benzinga’s NFT Airdrop which released 50 free NFTs valued at $2500 which were redeemable for a VIP Pass at the Benzinga Trading Festival.
June 22– NFL Hall of Famer and Upstream brand ambassador, Edgerrin James, launched his first limited edition NFT launch.
July 22– Upstream powered IFBB Pro Cams Physique’s first NFT launch.
August 4– Upstream powered Professional Basketball Player 7 Team Owner, Brandon “Boogie” Hill’s first NFT launch.
August 11– Upstream powered artist, designer & curator, Grafh’s limited edition NFT launch.
August 23– Upstream powered singer, actress, and dancer, Lexstasy’s limited edition NFT launch.
August 24– Upstream powered artist, SCAN’s 3 limited edition NFT launches.
August 25– Upstream powered football player, Chris Rainey’s first NFT Pro Football Player Card NFT launch.
August 25– Upstream powered football player, Artavis Pierce’s first NFT Pro Football Player Card NFT launch.
August 26– Upstream powered Defensive back, Ponce Deleon’s first limited edition NFT launch.
August 26– Upstream powered rap artist, Jefe Finesse first limited edition NFT launch.
October 14– Upstream powered NCAA D1 player, University of Mississippi shooting guard, and aspiring NBA player, Robert Cowherd’s first limited edition NFT launch.
October 28– Upstream powered Ubank’s first NFT airdrop, making history as the first traditional bank to integrate a Web3 community-building strategy.
November 22– Upstream powered singer, Jesta’s exclusive music NFT launch.
December 8– Upstream powered Sun Direct’s Redeemable NFT that will provide holders with a stay in one of their luxury properties in Northern Baja California, Mexico.
December 15– Upstream powered Defensive Lineman and Pro FCF football player, Bryce Morais’s digital trading card NFT launch.
December 23– Upstream powered The Eastside Boyz VIP Ticket NFT with Meet & Greet launch for the Aloha Spirit New Years’ Event.
The Expansion of our Ecosystem
Upstream welcomed many strategic collaborations this year. Here are all the amazing individuals and brands that joined our ecosystem this year:
April 27– Colts Hall of Famer Edgerrin James joined Upstream as a strategic brand ambassador.
May 17– Lizzie Grubman PR & Management joined Upstream’s ecosystem to bring quality, affordable NFTs from fan-favorite stars to the masses.
May 24– NBA Hall of Famer and ATL Hawks VP of Basketball Dominique Wilkins joined Upstream as a strategic brand ambassador.
June 7– NFL Defensive Back Antrel Rolle joined Upstream as an Athlete Brand Ambassador.
June 15– World-renowned Hip-hop music and merchandising company Ruffnation Entertainment joined Upstream to bring blockchain-authenticity and Web 3.0 experiences to the resurging vinyl record community.
June 29– SportVEST joined Upstream to introduce NFTs to SportVEST’s ecosystem of sport legends, leagues, teams, and athletes.
July 27– John Askew, COO and part owner of Primetime Basketball League and Liquid Royalty Co-Founders Quenton Brown and Jawed Halepota joined Upstream’s growing sports and entertainment division.
August 2– Upstream announced its partnership with Digital Trust to expand its NFT Market with cash accounts.
October 4– Four-time NBA All-Star and Memphis Tiger’s coach, Penny Hardaway joined Upstream as a strategic brand ambassador.
November 9– Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin and Director at the Litecoin Foundation, joined Horizon’s Advisory Board to focus on Upstream.
December 9– IBN joined Upstream’s strategic media community to raise visibility for the influx of issuers listing on Upstream’s blockchain-powered market.
December 12– Benzinga joined Upstream’s strategic media community to raise visibility for the influx of issuers listing on Upstream’s blockchain-powered market.
Additional Announcements
This year Upstream had a lot of exciting news to share which included events, new feature announcements, and conferences. Here are some of the highlights:
Feb 22– Upstream hosted the featured panel at Benzinga’s NFT Listmaker’s virtual event.
March 18– Upstream announced our app update that introduced our simplified three step NFT airdrop process.
April 8– Upstream attended the Crypto Polo Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
May 4– Upstream attended Planet MicroCap Showcase in Las Vegas to share how you can dual list on Upstream and attract global investors who can trade traditional equities using digital currency.
May 6– Upstream introduced our NFT Social Mint, a unique share-to-receive NFT experience where fans Tweet about a project and instantly receive a free NFT in their Upstream portfolio as a reward for their promotion.
June 3– Upstream announced its ‘Custodial Accounts,’ enabling children and teens under 18 to safely participate in NFT and IPO offerings on our exchange.
June 23– Upstream hosted the ultimate NBA Draft Watch Party, a private event that brought together Hall of Famers, current and former Pro athletes, musicians, and entertainers.
July 22– Upstream introduced Soulbound NFTs, which are digital collectibles that cannot be transferred or sold to another trader.
July 28– Our Co-Founder Mark Elenowitz spoke at The Global NFT Summit Online 2022.
August 12– Upstream announced the launch of ‘Redeemable NFTs’ as part of its suite of unique NFT integrations that work to usher in the next generation of fan engagement-focused digital collectibles.
September 2– Upstream introduced our advertising service which gives users 100% of the revenue from its privacy-respecting ads.
September 23– Upstream announce the release of our browser client and dApp, which gives traders expanded access to quality NFTs and IPOs right from their browsers.
December 2– Upstream co-founder Mark Elenowitz spoke on Web3, NFTs, and Regulation at The Block Miami hosted by Reactify x BitBasel.
Conclusion
We are very proud of what the Upstream and Horizon team has accomplished in 2022. We have launched multiple NFTs, expanded our ecosystem with great minds in the entertainment industry, introduced new features, and began taking applications for dual listings. We expect to continue to grow in 2023 and bring even more solutions to the web3 space!
Learn more at https://upstream.exchange/ or reach the team at hello@upstream.exchange.
Disclaimers:
This communication 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.
NFTs received have no economic value, royalties, equity ownership, or dividends. NFTs are for utility, collection, and display only.
*U.S. investors are not permitted to purchase Upstream listed securities. U.S. and Canadian citizens will only be able to trade in securities they currently own, that have been listed on Upstream, for liquidation purposes only.
If funding Upstream with an ACH or wire bank payment, users must complete Upstream’s in-app KYC process to get their new, FDIC insured, Upstream U.S. bank account details via email. Users may then initiate a funds-transfer from their bank or financial institution to this new U.S. Dollar bank account. If you haven’t completed KYC yet, or didn’t select ‘Bank’ as the ‘Deposit From’ option when you completed the process initially, then please go through KYC again selecting the ‘Bank’ payment method. Users may complete the simple KYC process by tapping the settings icon and the KYC option inside the Upstream app.
Upstream is a MERJ Exchange market. MERJ Exchange is a licensed Securities Exchange, an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges, and a 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 practices 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 as compliance with applicable quantitative and qualitative listing standards.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements.” Such statements may be preceded by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and cannot be predicted or quantified, and, consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (ii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iii) loss of one or more key executives or brand ambassadors; and (iv) changes in legal or regulatory requirements in the markets in which we operate. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise