The fastest-growing digital dollar-backed stablecoin has been supercharged with seamless, cross-chain mobility between Ethereum, BNB Chain, and other blockchain networks via Chainlink CCIP

TORONTO, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — World Liberty Financial, the DeFi protocol and governance platform inspired by President Donald J. Trump, and Chainlink, the standard for onchain finance, announced a landmark collaboration to accelerate the adoption of the world’s fastest-growing stablecoin, USD1. As part of this collaboration, World Liberty Financial has integrated Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) to expand access to the institutional-grade stablecoin by enabling secure transfers of USD1 across leading blockchain networks that would otherwise act as silos of value.

Backed by short-term U.S. government treasuries, U.S. dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents, the USD1 stablecoin has skyrocketed in record time to eclipse $2 billion in market capitalization. Chainlink supercharges USD1 with the ability to move seamlessly between Ethereum and BNB Chain networks, with an ambitious roadmap for additional blockchain integrations down the road.

“From the largest enterprises to consumer applications, we have seen extraordinary, worldwide demand for a trustworthy and purely digital US dollar stablecoin. USD1 is setting records because it was designed expressly for this purpose,” said Zach Witkoff, co-founder of World Liberty Financial. “Chainlink’s battle-tested infrastructure delivers the institutional-grade security and extensive reach needed to deliver USD1 into the hands of millions across a growing number of active, onchain ecosystems. WLFI’s partnership with Chainlink will accelerate and improve USD1’s utility for cross-border payments and will result in truly useful applications across DeFi and traditional finance. We’re creating a comprehensive platform for a dramatically improved financial future by building atop a rock-solid foundation.”

The WLFI/Chainlink integration for USD1 tackles critical security challenges that have plagued cross-chain solutions in years past, with approximately $2.8 billion lost in previous exploits at the intersections between blockchains. Having successfully safeguarded $75 billion in DeFi total value locked at its peak and having powered $20 trillion in transaction value, Chainlink’s solution meets the rigorous security requirements for an institutional-grade stablecoin like USD1.

“I’m very excited about the great work that WLFI has done on USD1, and we are thrilled about them selecting Chainlink CCIP as their chosen cross-chain solution for USD1,” said Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink. “World Liberty Financial is doing important work to bring DeFi to both everyday users and major institutions. We’ve worked with WLFI from the very beginning, and it’s exciting to see that collaboration now live, bringing real utility to users around the world. The Chainlink standard — trusted by leading banks, governments, and financial market infrastructures — is a foundational part of this shift towards Web3, powering a more open, secure, and interconnected global economy.”

The integration of Chainlink CCIP to enable cross-chain transfers of USD1 builds upon a previous collaboration, where Chainlink’s Data Feeds were utilized in World Liberty Financial’s Aave v3 instance.

Starting today, DeFi users can begin transferring USD1 cross-chain through simple web interfaces such as https://transporter.io and with any bridge integrated with Chainlink CCIP.

About Chainlink
Chainlink is the standard for onchain finance, verifiable data, and cross-chain interoperability. Chainlink is unifying liquidity across global markets and has enabled over $20 trillion in transaction value across the blockchain economy. Major financial market infrastructures and institutions, such as Swift, Fidelity International, and ANZ Bank, as well as top DeFi protocols including Aave, GMX, and Lido, use Chainlink to power next-generation applications for banking, asset management, and other major sectors. Learn more by visiting chain.link.

About World Liberty Financial
World Liberty Financial (WLFI) is a pioneering decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol and governance platform inspired by the vision of President Donald J. Trump. WLFI develops transparent, secure, and accessible financial tools, including institutional-grade products designed to broaden participation in decentralized finance.

USD1 is a stablecoin redeemable on a 1:1 basis for the U.S. Dollar (USD). USD1 is 100% backed by a reserve containing short‑term U.S. government treasuries, U.S. dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents, and all such reserve assets are held or maintained by BitGo Trust Company, Inc., a South Dakota-chartered trust company (“BitGo Trust”, and together with its affiliates “BitGo”). BitGo issues USD1, and World Liberty Financial, Inc. and affiliated entities own the World Liberty Financial USD1 brand and provides certain services. BitGo processes all initial purchases and redemptions of USD1 and provides related technical infrastructure and services.

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SOURCE Chainlink; World Liberty Financial

Veros Credit has appointed Ravi Gandhi as Chief Strategy Officer, effective May 1, 2025. With over two decades of leadership experience in auto finance and capital markets, Gandhi will spearhead strategic initiatives to drive growth, profitability, and innovation.

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Veros Credit, a leading provider of auto financing solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ravi Gandhi as Chief Strategy Officer, effective May 1, 2025.

In this pivotal executive role, Mr. Gandhi will lead enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and work closely with the executive leadership team to enhance profitability, optimize the company’s capital structure, and improve operational efficiency.

Mr. Gandhi brings over 20 years of executive experience in auto finance, strategy, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and risk-based pricing. He most recently served as Co-President and Chief Financial Officer at United Auto Credit, where he played a key role in driving growth and strategic transformation. Prior to that, he led the core Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) business at Financial Security Assurance (FSA) for 12 years, specializing in consumer finance and new product development.

“We are excited to welcome Ravi to Veros Credit Leadership Team,” said Cyrus Bozorgi, CEO of Veros Credit. “His depth of industry knowledge, proven leadership, and forward-looking strategic approach will be instrumental as we continue to scale our business and drive innovation. Ravi’s appointment reflects our continued investment in building a best-in-class leadership team for the future.”

About Veros Credit

Veros Credit is a nationwide, technology-driven automotive finance company specializing in the acquisition and servicing of non-prime and sub-prime motor vehicle retail installment contracts and direct vehicle lending. Through a vast network of franchise and independent automobile dealers, Veros Credit provides tailored financing solutions to help more customers achieve their vehicle ownership goals.

Media Contact

Matthew Bilbault, Veros Credit, 1 888-891-8807, mbilbault@veroscredit.com, www.veroscredit.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/veros-credit-appoints-ravi-gandhi-as-chief-strategy-officer-302456178.html

SOURCE Veros Credit

MONTRÉAL, May 16, 2025 /CNW/ – Six exceptional research platforms located in Montreal have been awarded funding through Brain Canada’s Platform Support Grants program. With this support, these platforms will foster partnerships across research disciplines and power solutions for people living with brain conditions. From biobanks to databases and standardized protocols, these unique platforms highlight the significant role infrastructure plays in Canada’s research ecosystem.

The Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform
Dr. Alan Evans, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill UniversityThe Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank: Supporting human brain research in Canada and beyond
Dr. Gustavo Turecki and Dr. Naguib Mechawar, Douglas Institute, McGill UniversityAdvancing Brain Research Through Spatial Histology
Dr. Marie-Christine Guiot, Goodman Cancer Institute and The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill UniversityThe SLEEP HUB: An open science ecosystem for transforming sleep research
Dr. Nadia Gosselin, CIUSSS du Nord de l’Île-de-Montréal and Université de MontréalEthoLab: A platform for neurophysiological studies of natural behavior
Dr. Paul Cisek, Centre for Biomedical Innovation, Université de MontréalThe NECTAr platform: A pan-Canadian platform dedicated to Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy — For patient Care optimization, Training, and education
Dr. Pia Wintermark, The Montreal Children’s Hospital and The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (Child Health and Human Development Program)   

Brain Canada’s flagship Platform Support Grants (PSG) program aims to support interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance Canada’s technical and research capabilities through shared tools and databases, to transform research into real world impact.

“Unlocking the brain’s complexities depends on reliable infrastructure and open access to scientific tools,” said Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada. “This investment will strengthen a culture of Open Science so that specialized knowledge can benefit everyone.”

Brain Canada is contributing over $18 million in this year’s PSG program through the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), funded by Health Canada, as well as matching donations from sponsors for a total investment of $36.8 million.

By enabling access to cutting-edge tools and specialized skills beyond the reach of individual researchers, the PSG program plays a vital role in strengthening the research landscape. These Montreal based platforms serve as hubs for researchers to work together towards the common mission of advancing our understanding of neuroscience and mental health.

Over the coming weeks, Brain Canada will unveil the full list of 14 research platforms selected to receive PSG funding. The total investment of $36.8 million represents a major step forward in Canada’s ability to support cutting-edge brain research and improve outcomes for people living with brain-disorders.

Brain Canada is proud to highlight these six platforms that are driving progress not only in Montreal but across Canada, and around the world.

ABOUT THE PROJECTS

The Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform (CONP)

Dr. Alan Evans, The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill University

Total grant amount: $2,850,000.00

Many of the challenges faced by both basic and clinical neuroscientists can be tackled with open science approaches. To achieve these goals, Dr. Evans and his team have built the Canadian Open Neuroscience Platform (CONP), which aims to make neuroscience research, data, and tools accessible to everyone, with the ultimate objective of accelerating scientific discovery and its eventual translation to disease treatments. Through CONP’s online portal that provides open access to datasets and analysis tools, its “Evidence” open publication platform, and its development of data governance frameworks and toolkits to facilitate open data sharing, the platform takes a truly multifaceted approach to enabling Open Science practices in the field of neuroscience.

The Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank: Supporting human brain research in Canada and beyond

Dr. Gustavo Turecki and Dr. Naguib Mechawar, Douglas Institute, McGill University

Total grant amount: $2,850,000.00

The Douglas-Bell Canada Brain Bank (DBCBB; douglasbrainbank.ca), one of the most important brain banks in the world, currently houses and manages over 3,600 brains, as well as a large relational database containing demographic, clinical and developmental histories from brain donors with different neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease) and mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia and substance use disorders). Through international recognition, the DBCBB receives tissue requests from a large number of neuroscientists from Canada and abroad. These continued efforts ensure that the platform will keep fuelling ground-breaking neuroscience research that will have immense potential for impact in the future, including identifying, screening and treatment for brain disorders.

Advancing Brain Research Through Spatial Histology

Dr. Marie-Christine Guiot, Goodman Cancer Institute and The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital), McGill University

Total grant amount: $570,000.00

The Histology Innovation Platform is a specialized facility that helps scientists study the brain at a cellular level to better understand neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, brain cancer, and epilepsy. Through offering services such as tissue preparation, staining, and advanced imaging, as well as supporting research using technologies that map gene and protein activity within intact tissues, the platform acts as a key resource for projects that aim to find new treatments, diagnostic tools, and ways to improve patient outcomes by exploring how different brain cells interact and change in disease. By supporting this platform, Brain Canada is helping to advance research that could lead to better treatments for neurological diseases, ultimately improving the health and well-being of Canadians.

The SLEEP HUB: An open science ecosystem for transforming sleep research

Dr. Nadia Gosselin, CIUSSS du Nord de l’Île-de-Montréal and Université de Montréal

Total grant amount: $2,137,500.00

The SLEEP HUB is an innovative platform aimed at advancing sleep research and fostering collaborations at the local, national, and international level. Integrating three key resources, the Nights Bank, the Canadian Sleep Research Biobank, and the Snooz Toolbox, SLEEP HUB provides a vast collection of samples and data, including over 50,000 biological samples and sleep recordings from 15,000 participants. With the aim of developing a more integrated platform that will facilitate access to biological samples, sleep recordings and sleep analysis tools, SLEEP HUB will facilitate analyses on large samples and rare sleep disorders by providing researchers with access to polysomnographic recordings and biological samples. This robust platform infrastructure will transform our understanding and treatment of sleep disorders, which will benefit cognitive, physical and mental health.

EthoLab: A platform for neurophysiological studies of natural behavior

Dr. Paul Cisek, Centre for Biomedical Innovation, Université de Montréal

Total grant amount: $855,000.00

Technological advances such as wireless recording and AI-based automated quantification of behavior allow neuroscience to address the complexity of real behavior under naturalistic conditions. This allows scientists to better understand how different systems (e.g., perceptual, motor, cognitive, emotional, etc.) are seamlessly integrated during real-time interactions with the environment. The EthoLab will make use of these advances to establish a cutting-edge, shared experimental platform that will enable a wide range of neurophysiological experiments with freely moving animals. This platform will make it possible to study situations that capture the complexity of natural behavior and yield insights into the human brain that will translate to clinical applications with impacts in the real-world.

The NECTAr platform: A pan-Canadian platform dedicated to Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy — For patient Care optimization, Training, and educAtion

Dr. Pia Wintermark, The Montreal Children’s Hospital and The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (Child Health and Human Development Program)   

Total grant amount: $1,710,000.00

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) can be caused at birth when babies do not receive enough oxygen to their brain and organs. While this life-threatening condition is responsible for 23% of babies’ deaths worldwide and often results in difficulties with learning and everyday functioning, there is currently no treatment to repair brain damage caused by HIE. The NECTAr platform will address this gap by creating a national, collaborative, and multidisciplinary platform focused on improving the care and long-term outcomes of babies with HIE. More specifically, the platform’s priorities include improving early treatments by collecting extensive data and comparing practices across hospitals, developing and testing new therapies to repair brain damage, empowering parents through their journey, and training the next generation of doctors and scientists to care for these vulnerable babies.

SOURCE Brain Canada