Press Release
FIDE Announces Finalists for the 2024 World Corporate Chess Championship
–News Direct–
FIDE, the Fdration Internationale des checs (International Chess Federation), has announced the finalists in the 2024 FIDE World Corporate Chess Championship, presented by Freedom Holding Corp. As part of FIDE's centenary celebrations, this landmark event will bring together the biggest and brightest names in chess and business from June 14 to 17 at the historic Cunard Building in the heart of New Yorks financial district. The championship includes eight finalists, whose strategic thinking and prowess earned them a trip to New York and seats at the chess board, as well as four wild card teams to turn up the challenge. Blending the intellectual rigor of chess with the strategic acumen of the business world, these teams will compete for international recognition and the glory of being titled the World Corporate Chess Champion.
The 12 finalists competing in New York are:
Nanjing Spark Chess Technology Co., Ltd. (China)
ChessMood Inc. (USA)
LLC LC GRECO (Ukraine)
UBS Group AG (Switzerland)
Chessify (USA)
Tengizchevroil (Kazakhstan)
Deutsche Bank (USA)
SIG (USA)
Wild card teams:
Freedom Holding Corp. (Kazakhstan)
Google (USA)
Goldman Sachs (USA)
BlackRock (USA)
"This championship is a unique combination of chess and business a new concept which we are looking to develop further" said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. "Hosting this event in a global financial hub like New York underscores the importance of chess in advancing strategic thinking and decision-making within the corporate sector, and we want to enhance that link. We are thrilled to bring together top corporate minds worldwide and open new pathways for chess in the U.S. and globally."
The 2024 World Corporate Chess Championship, presented by Freedom Holding Corp. marks a significant milestone, integrating chess into the corporate sphere for the first time. This event highlights the parallels between the chessboard and the boardroom, celebrating the strategic thinking that drives success in both arenas.
The finals will take place in New York Citys Cunard Building, an opulent, historic example of New York City architecture reflecting the spirit of global maritime trade, located just a short walk from Wall Street. We are delighted to host the inaugural event in New York City, a melting pot of diversity and an incubator of opportunity, commented Timur Turlov, Freedom Holding Corp. Chief Executive Officer. We have seen global citizens come together in peace and engagement over the board, and it is that spirit of fellowship and understanding amongst diverse peoples of the world that we would like the Freedom Holding Corp. name to be synonymous with this. It is an honour for us to be presenting sponsors.
Attendees will not only witness a showdown for the championship title but also have the opportunity to engage in a full weekend of thoughtful and enriching activities, such as an insightful conversation with one of the worlds strongest Grandmasters, Hikaru Nakamura, a chance to meet International Master, Levy Rozman, and an exclusive behind the scenes tour of a stock exchange. Additionally, the weekend event offers participants daily opportunities to share a drink and network with business professionals and chess enthusiasts from across the globe.
Event Highlights
The finals are the culmination of two online qualifying stages with entrants from around the world. The competition will feature group stage matches and intense playoff rounds, ending in the crowning of the World Corporate Chess Champion.
The teams will be split into two groups, each comprising four knockout qualifiers and two invited wild-card teams. The competition will unfold in two stages: a 10-round group stage, played over two days, June 15 and 16, followed by the semi-finals with the top two teams from each group facing off, and the finals, both held on June 17.
For information about tickets please visit: www.freedomcapmkts.com/chess
Regulations and Participation
Each team of four, plus one reserve player, may have one player with a FIDE rating exceeding 2400, and no less than three players must be employees of the company represented. This ensures a balance of professional and amateur players, making the competition both challenging and inclusive.
The finals will be played at a time limit of 10 minutes plus 5 second increments per move starting from move one.
Global Corporate Representation
The diversity of the participating teams, representing various industries (financial, tech, energy, investment) and regions (Europe, America, Asia), showcases the global appeal and inclusivity of the World Corporate Chess Championship. This event celebrates chess and aims to enhance international corporate communication and strategic collaboration.
The 2024 World Corporate Chess Championship, presented by Freedom Holding Corp. is more than a competition; it's a celebration of strategic excellence and a testament to the enduring connection between chess and business.
For more information on the championship, including official regulations, live updates, and results, please visit https://worldcorporate.fide.com/.
About Freedom Holding Corp.
Freedom Holding Corp., a Nevada corporation, is a diversified financial services holding company conducting retail securities brokerage, securities trading, investment research, investment counseling, investment banking and underwriting services, mortgages, insurance, and commercial banking as well as several ancillary businesses which complement its core financial services businesses, all through its subsidiaries, operating under the name Freedom24 in Europe and Central Asia, and Freedom Capital Markets in the United States. Through its subsidiaries, Freedom Holding Corp. employs more than 6,000 people and is a professional participant in the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange, the Astana International Exchange, the Republican Stock Exchange of Tashkent, the Uzbek Republican Currency Exchange, and is a member of the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
Freedom Holding Corp. is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and has operations and subsidiaries in 19 countries, including Kazakhstan, the United States, Cyprus, Poland, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, among others.
Freedom Holding Corp.'s common shares are registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and are traded under the symbol FRHC on the Nasdaq Capital Market, operated by Nasdaq, Inc.
To learn more about Freedom Holding Corp., visit www.freedomholdingcorp.com.
About FIDE
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999.
FIDE currently has its headquarters in Lausanne, but it was initially founded in 1924 in Paris under the motto Gens una Sumus (Latin for We are one Family). It was one of the very first International Sports Federations, alongside the governing bodies of the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming, and Auto Racing. It is now one of the largest, encompassing 201 countries as affiliate members, in the form of National Chess Federations. Chess is nowadays a truly global sport, with dozens of millions of players in all the continents, and more than 60 million games on average played every day.
Source: Freedom Holding Corp.
Contact Details
Freedom US Markets
Al Palombo (US), Global Communications Chief
+1 646-970-3419
Company Website
https://www.freedomholdingcorp.com
View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/fide-announces-finalists-for-the-2024-world-corporate-chess-championship-484420767
Freedom US Markets
COMTEX_453336525/2655/2024-06-04T09:34:07
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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Trust Signal Expands to MENA to Strengthen Enterprise and Startup Communications
Dubai, UAE, February 19th, 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, The MENA region today represents one of the world’s most digitally dynamic regions. Several GCC markets report smartphone penetration rates above 90%, while governments are deploying multi-billion-dollar investments to accelerate national digital transformation programs, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which prioritizes a diversified, technology-enabled economy, and the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy, aimed at increasing the digital economy’s contribution to GDP. (Source)

As fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and super apps scale at record speed, communication has become a mission-critical infrastructure. Customer acquisition, authentication, payments, notifications, and support now rely on real-time, compliant, and highly secure messaging ecosystems. At the same time, regulatory frameworks across the region are tightening, and customer expectations around data privacy, responsiveness, and personalization are rising.
Enterprises are therefore rethinking communication not as a channel, but as a strategic growth lever.
Against this backdrop, TrustSignal has announced its expansion into the MENA region. The move reflects a growing demand for resilient, secure, and regulation-ready communication infrastructure that can support both high-growth startups and large enterprises operating across multiple jurisdictions.
With its AI-powered CPaaS ecosystem, TrustSignal aims to enable businesses to manage omnichannel communication with greater reliability, scalability, and compliance. Designed to address the region’s evolving regulatory landscape and diverse consumer behaviors, the platform brings together automation, delivery optimization, and enterprise-grade security to power meaningful customer engagement at scale.
In a region where digital trust directly influences brand growth, communication infrastructure is no longer optional; it is foundational. TrustSignal’s MENA expansion signals a deeper commitment to supporting businesses as they navigate this next phase of digital maturity.
Why MENA, Why Now
The Communication Platform as a Service market in the Middle East and Africa is projected to reach approximately US$10.1 billion by 2030 (Source). This trajectory signals more than sector expansion. It reflects a structural redesign of how enterprises approach customer engagement.
The growth is demand-led.
Across MENA, this momentum is reinforced by API first cloud adoption, mobile commerce growth, heightened security requirements, and cross-border digital expansion.
Channel dynamics are shifting in parallel. A2P SMS remains central for authentication and alerts, while WhatsApp Business APIs and conversational messaging are accelerating across retail and financial services. Enterprises are moving from broadcast notifications to interactive, two-way journeys, with voice APIs gaining ground in security and service coordination.
Communication is not only increasing in volume, but advancing in complexity.
What This Means for Businesses in MENA
The acceleration of CPaaS adoption in MENA marks a structural shift in how enterprises design customer engagement. As messaging evolves from one-way notifications to real-time interactive journeys, communication now sits at the core of revenue flow, fraud prevention, customer trust, and compliance.
Enterprises are navigating rising authentication volumes, expanding conversational traffic, cross-border delivery complexity, and tighter regulatory expectations, demanding infrastructure that is intelligent, resilient, and measurable.
TrustSignal’s expansion aligns with this inflection point, enabling businesses to move beyond scale toward real-time optimization, lower latency, stronger verification stability, and more reliable customer journeys. In a market where a delayed OTP can disrupt transactions and erode trust, communication performance directly shapes business performance.
MENA’s next phase of digital growth will be defined not by message volume, but by delivery intelligence.
Reframing Communication as a Performance Engine
TrustSignal approaches the regional opportunity with a clear thesis: communication infrastructure must evolve from a cost center to a measurable growth engine.
Its AI-enabled CPaaS platform is anchored on three structural capabilities.
- Intelligent Routing and Optimization
Adaptive algorithms analyze delivery behavior in real time, dynamically selecting optimal routes to improve authentication reliability and reduce latency during demand spikes. - Performance Visibility and Analytics
Granular reporting frameworks provide enterprises with actionable insights into delivery outcomes, engagement metrics, and channel efficiency, enabling continuous refinement of communication workflows. - Security and Compliance Architecture
Embedded encryption layers and compliance-aligned frameworks are designed to support evolving regulatory standards across MENA jurisdictions.
Rather than positioning itself as a transactional messaging vendor, TrustSignal operates as an infrastructure partner focused on engineering predictability, resilience, and measurable impact into enterprise communication systems.
A Forward Looking Vision
As MENA’s digital economy matures, the defining differentiator will be operational precision.
TrustSignal’s regional roadmap centers on advancing AI-driven communication intelligence, deepening vertical integrations across fintech, retail, healthcare, and mobility, strengthening predictive performance modeling to anticipate demand surges, and expanding localized enterprise advisory capabilities.
The long term objective is to help enterprises transition from reactive messaging systems to predictive communication ecosystems where infrastructure continuously adapts to optimize engagement, security, and efficiency.
Against this backdrop, the Middle East and North Africa represent a strategic growth frontier for the company. Articulating this vision, Mr Imran Shaikh, Founder and CEO of TrustSignal, stated:
“MENA stands among the world’s most dynamic digital markets. Our expansion underscores a long term commitment to equipping enterprises with a compliant, scalable communication infrastructure that advances regional digital ambitions.”
TrustSignal’s expansion reflects alignment with that future, one where communication is architected for resilience, transparency, and measurable business impact.
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
AI Meets Arabic Literature: Qirtas App Unveils Scalable Publishing Infrastructure at Web Summit Qatar 2026
Doha, Qatar, 19th February 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Qirtas App, a dual-interface digital platform headquartered in Istanbul and Malmo, announced its mission to bridge the global gap in Arabic literature accessibility following its successful showcase in the Alpha Startup category at Web Summit Qatar. By integrating cutting-edge AI production tools with a seamless streaming interface, Qirtas is providing the technical infrastructure needed to digitize the fragmented $4 billion Arab publishing market.

Despite a global population of 430 million Arabic speakers, the publishing industry has long been hampered by prohibitive shipping costs, high piracy rates, and a lack of digital infrastructure. Qirtas App addresses these systemic barriers through a twofold solution: a freemium streaming platform for readers and a sophisticated digital management backend for publishers.
Empowering Publishers through the “AI Production Suite”
Qirtas is not merely a distributor; it is a catalyst for digital transformation. For traditional publishers, the platform offers a dedicated portal to convert physical catalogs into secure, monetizable digital assets.
AI-Automated Production: The platform utilizes proprietary AI to automatically generate high-quality audiobooks and smart summaries, drastically reducing the time and cost barriers that previously prevented publishers from entering the digital space.
Institutional Security: With advanced Digital Rights Management (DRM) and real-time reader analytics, publishers maintain full control over their intellectual property while gaining unprecedented insights into global consumption patterns.
The Future of the Arab Reading Experience
For the global Arab diaspora, Qirtas offers a comprehensive streaming library featuring Qirtas AI, an interactive reading assistant that provides instant translation, text-to-speech narration, and social integration.
“The Arab publishing world is rich in content but starved of modern distribution,” said Tamer Odeh, CEO of Qirtas App. “With Qirtas, we are removing the friction. We aren’t just giving readers an app; we are giving publishers the tools to survive and thrive in a digital-first economy.”
Alaa Barghouth, COO of Qirtas App, added: “Our participation in Web Summit Qatar has confirmed the massive appetite for this technology. We have already secured commitments from major publishing houses ready to onboard their catalogs. We are now focused on scaling our infrastructure to meet this demand.”
Market Opportunity & Investment
The digital publishing segment in the MENA region is currently valued at $400 million and is experiencing rapid year-over-year growth. Having validated its model with early industry commitments, Qirtas App is currently open for pre-seed investment to accelerate its market launch and expand its AI-driven production capabilities.
For more information or to inquire about partnership opportunities, visit qirtasapp.com.
About Qirtas App
Qirtas is a Swedish-Turkish “Deep-Tech” publishing platform dedicated to revitalizing Arabic literature. By combining AI-powered content production with a global streaming model, Qirtas connects 430 million Arabic speakers with the books they love, while providing publishers with the tools to digitize and protect their heritage.
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
BTCD Foundation Launches Layer 1 Blockchain Infrastructure and Opens Public Testnet

The BTCD Foundation has announced the upcoming deployment of its proprietary Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure. This development marks the introduction of a new technical framework designed to support decentralized applications and secure digital transactions. The Foundation has confirmed that the Public Testnet is scheduled to open for user participation on February 15, 2026.
Technical Architecture and Infrastructure
The BTCD platform is engineered as an independent Layer 1 blockchain, distinct from token-based projects that rely on existing third-party networks. The core infrastructure utilizes a hybrid consensus mechanism combining Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) and Proof of Stake (PoS) protocols.
This architectural design is intended to address common scalability challenges in blockchain technology. The technical specifications indicate a capacity for high-volume throughput, with initial testing targeting transaction speeds of over 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) while maintaining sub-second finality. The system is built to operate autonomously, providing a decentralized foundation for developers and users.

Testnet Deployment and Minting Mechanism
Beginning February 15, 2026, the BTCD Foundation will initiate the Public Testnet phase. This phase allows users to interact with the network’s minting protocol to test system stability and performance.
The minting process follows a programmed algorithmic schedule designed to test the network’s long-term sustainability over a projected 25-year timeline. The protocol includes technical halving events scheduled every 2.5 years to regulate the issuance rate of digital assets on the network.
Transition to Mainnet
The Testnet phase is a precursor to the official Mainnet launch, which is currently scheduled for May 15, 2026. The Foundation has outlined a technical migration plan wherein digital assets minted during the Testnet phase will be recognized on the Mainnet system upon its activation.
Ecosystem Development Roadmap
Following the Mainnet launch, the BTCD Foundation plans to deploy a suite of decentralized applications (dApps) integrated directly into the Layer 1 core. The technical roadmap outlines the phased release of nine specific utilities, including:
- Nexora: A decentralized communication protocol.
- Guardian DEX: A decentralized exchange interface.
-
WealthBook: A social networking platform integrated with blockchain identity verification.
Future updates scheduled for later in 2026 involve the integration of automated trading algorithms and asset management utilities.
About BTCD Foundation
The BTCD Foundation is a technology organization focused on the development of Layer 1 blockchain solutions. It aims to build a scalable, secure, and decentralized infrastructure to support the next generation of digital applications.
Testnet Access: http://btcd.foundation
Community Hub: https://t.me/btcdfoundation1
Media Contact
Organization: BTCD FOUNDATION
Contact Person: Mr. Alex – CEO
Website: https://btcd.foundation
Email: Send Email
Country:Panama
Release id:41440
The post BTCD Foundation Launches Layer 1 Blockchain Infrastructure and Opens Public Testnet appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section
About Author
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
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