ChainCatcher news, according to CBC, Dean Skurka, the CEO of Canadian crypto company WonderFi, was kidnapped and released after paying a ransom of $1 million.The incident occurred in downtown Toronto, where Skurka was forcibly taken into a vehicle and held captive, and was released only after the ransom was paid electronically. Skurka stated that he is currently safe and that the funds and data of the company's clients were not affected.The police have launched an investigation but have not disclosed further details. In recent years, executives in the crypto industry have frequently become targets of crime; in July of this year, a Bitcoin holder was kidnapped and subsequently killed, losing three Bitcoins. WonderFi claimed last year to own nearly half of Canada's regulated cryptocurrency exchanges.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Dean Skurka, President and CEO of digital financial services company WonderFi, believes that the interest rate cuts in Canada and the United States, along with the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, will continue to drive Bitcoin prices higher in the next 6-24 months.In an interview with Cointelegraph, Skurka explained that the recent decision by the Bank of Canada to lower interest rates by 50 basis points, along with the Federal Reserve's ongoing rate cut plan starting in September 2024, will encourage retail and institutional investors to enter the market or increase their existing positions.Skurka also emphasized that the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election is a major catalyst for Bitcoin prices, as the cryptocurrency industry believes that a Trump presidency would be beneficial for cryptocurrencies, while a Harris victory could cause a price shock in the short term.

ChainCatcher news, WonderFi's Canadian crypto exchange Bitbuy has acquired the crypto trading platform Bitvo.com and all its customers, adding over 17,000 user accounts, which generated over $235 million in trading volume over the past year.Currently, WonderFi has integrated 5 exchanges out of 11 registered crypto trading platforms in Canada: Bitbuy, Coinberry, Coinsquare, CoinSmart, and Bitvo.

ChainCatcher news, Canadian cryptocurrency exchanges WonderFi (WNDR), Coinsquare, and CoinSmart announced their merger into a single company. The three exchanges collectively have 1.65 million users and hold over $60 billion in assets.It is reported that WNDR's stock price surged after the announcement, currently up 43.75% in early trading, reaching CAD 0.23. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to BNN Bloomberg, Coinsquare and WonderFi are in merger talks. If successful, the new company will have approximately 1.15 million users, becoming the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Canada.BNN Bloomberg states that an announcement may be made in the coming days, but it is uncertain whether the deal will be completed. The specific terms and potential valuation are unclear, but one possibility is that Coinsquare shareholders will hold a majority stake in the combined business. (Source link)