Horizon and MERJ Launch ‘Upstream’ Securities Exchange and Trading App for Novel Digital Assets, Securities and NFTs

MERJ Exchange Limited and Horizon Fintex ("Horizon"), a blockchain technology company that builds and operates securities exchanges, have announced the launch of Upstream, a global marketplace for digital assets, securities, and NFTs to trade on the Ethereum blockchain. Upstream is available for download on iOS and Android.

Upstream launches with investment and formal partnerships from high-profile artists and entertainers including Armando Christian Pérez “Pitbull,” whose involvement brings opportunities for fans to own a stake in artists’ music royalties; Timbaland’s marketplace ‘Beatclub’ which includes artists like Justin Timberlake, J. Cole; and Sports & Media Entertainment 360, each bringing a wide-ranging network of potential fan-driven IPOs and NFT opportunities across music, entertainment, and sports, with exclusive NFT drops expected in the months ahead. Horizon is also backed with investment from Wall Street service providers including law firms, PR Firms, IR Firms, Edgarization and compliance firms.

"Beatclub is thrilled to be partnering with Upstream to offer fans the ability to purchase and trade music shares, NFTs and other digital experiences," said Beatclub co-founder Timbaland. "Allowing fans to buy shares in their favorite songs while benefiting from music royalties, tours and other ventures gives musicians and songwriters a powerful new tool for self-funding while heightening fan engagement. We're excited to be part of this new renaissance for music and to expand opportunities for our Beatclub creatives through this partnership."

Fan-driven IPOs sourced from strategic partnerships will be available on Upstream for the global community to own an equity stake in their favorite artists’ success and then trade with other fans, something that has never been done before on a national securities exchange. The first fan-driven IPO available on Upstream is for Jennifer Esposito’s FRESH KILLS, the first feature film financed and traded on a global stock exchange.

First securities exchange built on the Ethereum blockchain

Upstream is the world’s first digital asset securities market built on the Ethereum blockchain and operated under a fully-fledged securities exchange license and regulations. The app-based marketplace facilitates real-time trading and instant settlement of unique asset classes - such as tokenized IPOs, music royalty rights, feature films, celebrity ventures, SPACs, crowdfunded companies, equities, and compliant security tokens. Tokenized securities listed on Upstream are based on the ERC-20 standard and qualified issuers can dual-quote on many global markets in the U.S. and globally.

On the buy-side, users can purchase and trade securities on the platform using USDC stablecoin, PayPal, credit and debit cards, and U.S. dollars in FDIC-insured cash accounts. Investors have direct access to the exchange and transparent orderbooks through the Upstream app - preventing distortionary pricing caused by market makers and order flow. Tokenized shares sold on Upstream are tradable immediately following an offering, so traders avoid lock-up periods.

“Upstream represents what we believe to be a powerful next step forward in trading digital securities,” said Horizon CEO Brian Collins. “The platform was built to provide users with utmost flexibility and ease of use while also abiding by regulations and next level investor protections that are necessary for markets to function fairly. Upstream aims to connect traditional and decentralized finance by combining the best of both worlds.”

As a MERJ Exchange Limited (“MERJ”) market, Upstream benefits from MERJ being 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), a Qualifying Foreign Exchange for OTC Markets in the U.S. and is licensed in the Republic of Seychelles. Upstream has also adopted the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) standards to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, offering both regulatory compliance and security to investors and issuers alike.

NFT Minting on a Safe and Regulated Marketplace

Upstream also provides this rapidly growing marketplace with a secure one-stop-shop in which to create and sell NFTs. Any Upstream user can mint NFTs on the platform and place it up for auction in less than 30 seconds. Because Upstream onboarding includes identity verification, anti-money laundering (AML) and copyright protection, buyers and sellers are safeguarded from bad actors. Upstream charges only a 2% sales fee and $1 NFT creation fee, constituting some of the lowest fees in the NFT space. Notably, as a layer-2 Ethereum rollup, there are no gas fees. Investors purchasing NFTs have the opportunity to support, fund and engage with their favorite brands, celebrities.

“The explosion of the market surrounding NFTs and digital objects - which now totals more than $2.5 billion - necessitates a safe, regulatory-compliant environment for innovators in this space to flourish,” said Horizon President Mark Elenowitz. “By minting NFTs on Upstream, digital creators have access to a one-stop shop where they can not only reach a wide audience, but also be assured that KYC and AML guidelines are stringently enforced.”

Upstream is live and actively accepting new issuers and traders to join the revolutionary new marketplace. Interested issuers can apply at https://upstream.exchange/GetListed or contact Upstream at [email protected]. Investors can begin browsing and participating in opportunities today by downloading the Upstream app on Upstream on iOS and Android. New Offerings will be coming on a regular basis that include music royalties, NFTs and IPOs. Learn more at https://upstream.exchange/.

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 enables investors to trade shares in IPOs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. and international dual listed equities, SPACs and celebrity ventures directly from the app https://upstream.exchange. Interested issuers can reach the team at [email protected].

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. More information can be found at https://merj.exchange/.

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. Their 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/.

About Beatclub

Beatclub is the world’s premier global marketplace that connects the creative community with record labels, music publishers, gaming companies, TV and Film companies and independent artists. Beatclub is the brainchild of GRAMMY Award Winning super producer Timbaland and his longtime business partner Gary Marella. Beatclub allows creators to keep 100% of their master and publishing rights, 100% of their revenue, and gives them the ability to customize their licenses, allowing the creator to set their own terms and fees. Currently in Beta, Beatclub will be available in early 2022.

Disclaimers

This press release 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 brokerage 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.

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