/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS./

TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2024 /CNW/ – Blockchain Venture Capital Inc. (the “Company” or “BVCI”) announces that Richard Zhou has resigned as President, Chief Executive Officer, and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), effective November 25, 2024, and the Board has accepted his resignation. The Company thanks Mr. Zhou for his valuable contributions as founder of the Company.

The Company has appointed Thomas Griffin as President and Chief Executive Officer and to the Board. In the last 35 years, Mr. Griffin has been a global entrepreneur with proven success, a seasoned executive, advisor and investor; a well-respected finance, strategy and business development executive. He places emphasis on profitability and growth which his partners and stakeholders trustfully embrace.

With a unique set of skills focusing on growth-stage and turn-around businesses across various industries, Mr. Griffin provides structure and strategy by leveraging his cross-cultural communication skills with his experiences in both the East and the West. Mr. Griffin has had success working with medium-sized, state-owned and multi-national organizations both public and private in various capacities.

The Board has also appointed Marc Kealey to serve as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Kealey was appointed as a Director of the Board in 2023.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements.

About the Company

BVCI is an Ontario incorporated company and is registered as a money service business with the Financial Transaction and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). It is a provider of an innovative technology infrastructure to participants in the emerging blockchain and distributed ledger technology industry. Instrumental to BVCI’s business and growth strategy is BVC Chain, a proprietary blockchain platform and distributed ledger technology, which can operate as a centralized or decentralized ledger. BVC Chain was designed to be a turnkey solution, which can be customized and implemented by organizations wishing to deploy blockchain platform based solutions, products or services. BVC Chain will also serve as the platform and infrastructure for BvcPay and CADT. BvcPay is a cloud based mobile application that is intended to have the capability to function as a Digital Currency wallet and which can facilitate point of sale and online transactions using Bitcoin, Ethereum and CADT. CADT is the native Digital Currency of the BVC Chain, and it is intended to be a stablecoin. BVCI’s CADT business division is expected to issue CADT, a cryptographic stablecoin supported on a 1:1 basis with an equivalent amount of Canadian dollar held in a custodial account. CADT is expected to support real time pricing, payment, settlement, digital asset issuance and ledger capabilities.

Unless and until BVCI obtains the necessary regulatory approvals or unless it can rely on an exemption from the prospectus and registration requirements in furtherance of the issuance and trading of CADT, there is no assurance BVCI will be able to pursue its proposed CADT business or any related BvcPay business that relies on CADT.

Although the term “stablecoin” is commonly used, there is no guarantee that the asset will maintain a stable value in relation to the value of the reference asset if and when traded on secondary markets or that the reserve of assets will be adequate to satisfy all redemptions.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain statements in this news release may constitute “forward-looking” statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or the industry in which it operates to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words “estimate”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, “pursue”, “proposed”, “plan”, “may”, “would”, “should”, “will”, the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to statements related to: the Company’s business plans and strategies; and Mr. Griffin’s contributions to the Company. Such statements reflect the current expectations of the management of the Company with respect to future events based on currently available information and are based on certain assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including assumptions and risks related to receipt of regulatory approvals and to carry on its proposed CADT business or any related BvcPay businesses. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time, including, without limitation, under the heading “Risk Factors”, in the Company’s listing statement, which is available on www.sedarplus.com., and in other continuous disclosure documents that are filed by the Company from time to time and which are available at www.sedarplus.com and to which readers of this news release are referred for additional information concerning the Company, its prospects and the risks and uncertainties relating to the Company and its prospects. New risk factors may arise from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all of those risk factors or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results, performance and achievements of the Company to be materially different from those contained in forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent and investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is current only as of the date hereof. The Company does not undertake or assume any obligation, except as required by law, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

No securities commission or regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release nor have they approved or disapproved of the content hereof.

SOURCE Blockchain Venture Capital Inc.

GATINEAU, QC, Nov. 28, 2024 /CNW/ – The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising technology services in Canada. Following a thorough investigation, the Bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal that seeks to remedy the conduct for the benefit of Canadians.

This case is about online web advertising, which consists of ads shown to users when they visit websites. Many publishers count on digital ad revenue to support their activities and reach. Digital ad inventory is often purchased and sold through automated auctions using sophisticated platforms. These individual platforms are known as ad tech tools while the entire suite of tools used throughout the buy and sell process are collectively known as the ad tech stack.

The Bureau’s investigation found that, in Canada, Google is the largest provider across the ad tech stack for web advertising and has abused its dominant position through conduct intended to ensure that it would maintain and entrench its market power. Google’s conduct locks market participants into using its own ad tech tools, prevents rivals from being able to compete on the merits of their offering, and otherwise distorts the competitive process.

In particular, the Bureau found that Google has:

unlawfully tied its various ad tech tools together to maintain its market dominance; andleveraged its position across these ad tech tools to distort auction dynamics by:giving its own tools preferential access to ad inventory,taking negative margins in certain circumstances to disadvantage rivals, anddictating the terms on which its own publisher customers could transact with rival ad tech tools.

The Bureau’s position is that by implementing this anticompetitive conduct, Google has been able to entrench its dominance, prevent rivals from competing, inhibit innovation, inflate advertising costs and reduce publishers’ revenues.

The Bureau’s application with the Competition Tribunal seeks an order that, among other things:

requires Google to sell two of its ad tech tools;directs Google to pay a penalty to promote compliance with the Competition Act; andprohibits Google from continuing to engage in anticompetitive practices.

The final decision in this matter rests with the Competition Tribunal.

A backgrounder with more information on the Bureau’s investigation and next steps is available on our website. The application to the Competition Tribunal will be available on the Tribunal’s website shortly.

Quotes

“The Competition Bureau conducted an extensive investigation that found that Google has abused its dominant position in online advertising in Canada by engaging in conduct that locks market participants into using its own ad tech tools, excluding competitors, and distorting the competitive process. Google’s conduct has prevented rivals from being able to compete on the merits of what they have to offer, to the detriment of Canadian advertisers, publishers and consumers. We are taking our case to the Tribunal to stop this conduct and its harmful effects in Canada.”

Matthew Boswell
Commissioner of Competition

Quick facts

A recent Bureau study showed that a decline in competition deprives both businesses and consumers of the benefits of a competitive economy, including lower prices, greater choice, and more innovation.Online web advertising consists of ads shown to users when they visit websites.Advertisers and publishers use advertising technology services to support the selling and buying of online web ads. Google is unquestionably the largest provider of ad tech tools across the supply chain.In 2021, the Bureau obtained its first court order related to this investigation into Google’s online advertising business.Earlier this year, the Bureau obtained another court order and expanded its investigation. The Bureau also investigated Google in 2016 for alleged anti-competitive conduct relating to online search, search advertising and display advertising. At that time, the Bureau committed to closely follow developments with respect to Google’s conduct.

Related products

Backgrounder: Competition Bureau sues Google for anti-competitive conduct in online advertising

Associated links

Competition Bureau expands its investigation into Google’s advertising practicesCompetition Bureau obtains court order to advance an investigation of GoogleCompetition Bureau completes extensive investigation of GoogleRestrictive trade practicesWhy competition matters

General information:

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The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.

SOURCE Competition Bureau

TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2024 /CNW/ – WildBrain Ltd. (“WildBrain” or the “Company”) (TSX: WILD), a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, today announced that, due to the ongoing Canada Post labour dispute, delivery of the notice of meeting, information circular, and proxy form (the “Meeting Materials”) for the Company’s upcoming Annual and General Meeting (the “Meeting”), to be held on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, will be significantly delayed until the Canada Post labour dispute is resolved, and shareholders may not receive physical copies of the Meeting Materials in advance of the Meeting.

Copies of the Meeting Materials including the form of proxy have been filed and are available on the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

If you are a registered shareholder, please call the Company’s Transfer Agent, Computershare on (800) 564-6253 to request a control number to cast your vote for the upcoming Meeting.

If you hold shares through an intermediary such as a brokerage firm, please contact your intermediary directly for a copy of the proxy form.

The voting deadline for the Company’s upcoming Meeting is 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on December 17, 2024.

WildBrain has elected to hold the Meeting as a virtual event, which will be conducted via live video webcast, at https://meetnow.global/MNUKWUJ.

For more information, please contact:

Investors: Kathleen Persaud – VP Investor Relations, WildBrain
kathleen.persaud@wildbrain.com
+1 212-405-6089

Media: Shaun Smith – Sr. Director, Global Communications & Public Relations, WildBrain
shaun.smith@wildbrain.com
+1 416-977-7230

About WildBrain

At WildBrain we inspire imaginations through the wonder of storytelling. As a leader in 360° franchise management, we are experts in content creation, audience engagement and global licensing, cultivating and growing love for our own and partner brands around the world. With approximately 14,000 half-hours of kids’ and family content in our library—one of the world’s most extensive—we are home to such treasured franchises as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Inspector Gadget and Degrassi. WildBrain’s mission is to create exceptional entertainment experiences that captivate and delight fans both young and young at heart.

Our studios produce such award-winning series as The Snoopy Show; Snoopy in Space; Camp Snoopy; Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City; Sonic Prime; Chip and Potato; Teletubbies Let’s Go! and many more. Enjoyed in more than 150 countries on over 500 platforms, our content is everywhere kids and families view entertainment, including YouTube, where our network has garnered approximately 1.5 trillion minutes of watch time. Our television group owns and operates some of Canada’s most loved family entertainment channels. WildBrain CPLG, our leading consumer-products and location-based entertainment agency, represents our owned and partner properties in every major territory worldwide. 

WildBrain is headquartered in Canada with offices worldwide and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: WILD). Visit us at wildbrain.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” under applicable securities laws with respect to the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on information currently available to the Company. Actual results or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, among other things, include the availability of and cost of financing, general economic and market conditions and the impact of such conditions on the industries in which WildBrain operates, competition and the potential impact of industry mergers and acquisitions, market factors, WildBrain’s ability to identify and execute anticipated production, distribution, licensing and other contracts, contractual counterparty risk, the ability of WildBrain to realize the expected value of its assets, supply chain and other related disruptions, and risk factors discussed in materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time including matters discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s most recent Annual Information Form and annual Management Discussion and Analysis. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

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SOURCE WildBrain Ltd.