WhiteBIT, a global crypto exchange serving 10 million users, launches support for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, giving customers a faster and more efficient way to move Bitcoin across deposits, top-ups, withdrawals, send-and-receive flows, and QR payments. The launch is powered by Voltage, a Bitcoin and Lightning infrastructure provider that helps businesses bring reliable Lightning payments and liquidity operations to production.
The Lightning integration delivers on a simple goal: Making Bitcoin feel instant and practical inside the WhiteBIT experience. For users who still associate Bitcoin with slow settlement or high-friction transfers, Lightning makes Bitcoin easier to use for everyday movement of funds, exchange top-ups, trader transfers between platforms, and cross-border payment use cases.
WhiteBIT now supports Lightning across user-facing and infrastructure-level flows, including Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals, fast account top-ups, QR payment experiences, and send-and-receive functionality. Together, these features empower customers to move value more quickly while giving WhiteBIT another payment rail inside a broader ecosystem that already supports trading, stablecoin access, earning-oriented products, and card-based spending.
For customers in regions where traditional payment rails can be expensive, slow, or limited, Lightning offers another path for smaller transactions and cross-border money movement. The launch supports a faster Bitcoin rail for remittances, exchange funding, merchant-style QR payments, and interoperability with Lightning-enabled wallets and applications.
“WhiteBIT’s mission is to make blockchain technology accessible and widely adopted by delivering practical, user-friendly solutions for digital assets” said Volodymyr Nosov, Founder and CEO of WhiteBIT and President of W Group, which WhiteBIT is a part of. “Adding Lightning support brings us closer to this goal as we are making Bitcoin faster and more useful for customers who want to top up accounts, send and receive funds, and use Bitcoin across more real-world flows.”
“Lightning becomes powerful when it disappears into a customer experience people already trust. WhiteBIT is bringing that experience to millions of users, and Voltage is proud to support the infrastructure, liquidity, and operational reliability needed to make Bitcoin faster and more practical at scale.” said Graham Krizek, CEO and Founder of Voltage.
Voltage’s infrastructure helps businesses launch and operate Lightning payments without having to manage the full complexity of liquidity, channels, routing, and payment reliability on their own. By partnering with Voltage, WhiteBIT can focus on the customer experience and product rollout while using a dedicated Lightning infrastructure partner for production-grade operations.
WhiteBIT users can now choose Lightning as a faster way to move Bitcoin into, or out of their WhiteBIT account. The result is a more practical Bitcoin experience for customers who want speed, lower-friction transfers, and another way to use Bitcoin across the WhiteBIT ecosystem.
Lightning is available on WhiteBIT, supporting Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals: whitebit.com
About WhiteBIT
WhiteBIT is a leading global crypto exchange by user traffic, offering over 1,020 trading pairs, 360+ assets, and supporting 8 fiat currencies. With a strong focus on regulatory compliance, WhiteBIT serves 10 million users across six continents and more than 150 countries. Founded in 2018, the platform is a part of W Group which has more than 40 million customers globally. WhiteBIT collaborates with Visa, FACEIT, FC Barcelona, Juventus FC, and the Ukrainian national football team. The company is dedicated to driving the widespread adoption of blockchain technology worldwide.
About Voltage
Voltage provides Bitcoin and Lightning infrastructure for businesses that need reliable payments, deposits, withdrawals, liquidity, and node operations without building the backend from scratch. Voltage helps platforms bring Lightning into production with managed infrastructure, liquidity operations, and support for scalable Bitcoin payment experiences.
Hollywood, Florida, October 8th, 2026, FinanceWire
Interim CFO appointment connects financial integration and reporting readiness with the company’s expanded marketing platform.
ONAR Holding Corporation (OTCID: ONAR) is entering a new phase in its expansion strategy, combining its largest acquisition with financing and a senior finance appointment focused on Nasdaq listing preparation. The company’s September 29 and September 30 announcements established the funding framework and completed the Advertise
Purple transaction. Its October 6 announcement adds leadership to support financial integration and reporting at the enlarged business.
Experienced Financial Leadership for the Next Phase
ONAR appointed Kelly Anderson as interim chief financial officer, effective October 1. Her mandate includes financial integration of Advertise Purple, public-company reporting and preparation for a potential Nasdaq listing.
According to ONAR, Anderson brings more than 25 years of senior finance experience and has overseen more than 400 acquisitions. Her background includes CFO roles at T3 Motion and Mavenlink, and service as chief accounting officer at Fisker Automotive.
A certified public accountant and founder of CXO Executive Solutions, Anderson previously chaired ONAR’s Audit Committee. She stepped down from the board and committee with the executive appointment. Director Howard D. Palefsky assumes the Audit Committee chair, while Vice President of Finance James Keck continues leading daily financial operations, planning and acquisition finance.
A Larger Operating Base
ONAR completed its Advertise Purple acquisition on September 30. The acquired affiliate marketing business generated approximately $17.1 million in net revenue, $4.4 million in net income and $6.6 million in adjusted EBITDA during fiscal 2025, according to the announcement. Combined fiscal 2025 pro forma revenue was approximately $23.5 million, roughly seven times ONAR’s standalone revenue for that period.
Advertise Purple manages affiliate programs for more than 400 active brands, with no single client representing more than approximately 5% of revenue. CEO Jonathan Moisan and Chief Growth Officer Rowland Hazard remain in leadership positions. That continuity gives ONAR an established management team responsible for the client relationships and operating processes of the acquired business.
The Technology Behind the Acquisition
The acquisition also brings Bloom, Advertise Purple’s proprietary analytics and workflow platform, into ONAR Labs alongside predictive customer intelligence platform Retina AI and sales attribution platform Cortex. Bloom contains more than 111 million performance records and supports affiliate partner selection, commission optimization and program management. It serves both clients and the agency’s internal operations.
The strategic opportunity is to connect campaign activity, customer intelligence and sales measurement more closely. In practical terms, better information could help an agency choose partners, evaluate campaigns and allocate client spending. Whether those capabilities improve retention, productivity or profitability will depend on implementation and measurable results.
How the Purchase Is Structured
ONAR’s September 30 filing describes $12.825 million in cash consideration, subject to adjustments, a $7 million seller note and up to $8 million in performance-based cash earnouts. Previously paid deposits of $1.25 million count toward the cash consideration. The seller note bears 8% annual interest and matures after three years. Earnouts depend on specified gross profit thresholds across three annual measurement periods ending in September 2029.
This structure separates the initial cash payment from obligations extending beyond closing. The earnout connects part of the purchase price to future operating performance, while the seller note creates an ongoing financing obligation. Assessing the acquisition therefore requires attention to cash generation and debt service as well as revenue growth.
Financing Supports the Expansion Plan
On September 29, ONAR announced the initial closing of an up to $15 million financing with institutional investors. The securities are structured to convert into preferred equity upon completion of a Nasdaq listing at a fixed price based on a $25 million pre-money valuation. The company described an implied post-money valuation of approximately $40 million upon full funding and conversion.
A separate senior secured facility of up to $5 million brings potential new financing capacity to $20 million and uses the same valuation basis for preferred-equity conversion. Holders of approximately $6.5 million in existing notes exchanged those obligations into the new financing, retiring the exchanged notes and associated warrants. ONAR said proceeds were intended for acquisition cash consideration and working capital. Financing capacity, initial closing and full funding are distinct; the announcements should not be read as confirmation that every available dollar has been received.
The Next Milestones for Investors
The sequence shifts the focus toward execution: integrating the acquired business, completing financial reporting and advancing listing readiness. Investors can assess progress through consolidated revenue, operating cash flow, client retention, integration costs and financing obligations. Historical profitability at Advertise Purple does not automatically establish profitability for the combined company.
A Nasdaq listing remains a goal rather than an approved or completed event. Advertise Purple’s historical financial information is unaudited; adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure; and pro forma revenue is preliminary, illustrative and not guidance. ONAR’s disclosures identify increased indebtedness, working capital constraints, integration risks and substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Subsequent reporting will help establish how the larger operating platform performs under ONAR’s ownership.
About ONAR Holding Corporation
ONAR (OTCID: ONAR), pronounced “honor,” is an AI-powered marketing platform. ONAR acquires specialist marketing agencies serving middle-market and growth-stage brands across performance marketing, creative, and commerce, and operates them as one company on shared proprietary technology designed to automate up to 70% of manual agency work. Its technology division, ONAR Labs, develops and houses the Company’s proprietary technology, including ONAR AI, a marketing intelligence platform deployed across the Company’s agencies to improve productivity; Retina AI, a predictive customer intelligence platform; and Cortex, an offline and online sales attribution platform. ONAR continues to expand the platform through disciplined acquisitions, including JUICE, Scale Partner, and Advertise Purple. Learn more at www.onar.com.
Contact
President Craig Fischer Valuecorp cf@valuecorptrading.com
WhiteBIT, a global crypto exchange serving 10 million users, launches support for the Bitcoin Lightning Network, giving customers a faster and more efficient way to move Bitcoin across deposits, top-ups, withdrawals, send-and-receive flows, and QR payments. The launch is powered by Voltage, a Bitcoin and Lightning infrastructure provider that helps businesses bring reliable Lightning payments and liquidity operations to production.
The Lightning integration delivers on a simple goal: Making Bitcoin feel instant and practical inside the WhiteBIT experience. For users who still associate Bitcoin with slow settlement or high-friction transfers, Lightning makes Bitcoin easier to use for everyday movement of funds, exchange top-ups, trader transfers between platforms, and cross-border payment use cases.
WhiteBIT now supports Lightning across user-facing and infrastructure-level flows, including Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals, fast account top-ups, QR payment experiences, and send-and-receive functionality. Together, these features empower customers to move value more quickly while giving WhiteBIT another payment rail inside a broader ecosystem that already supports trading, stablecoin access, earning-oriented products, and card-based spending.
For customers in regions where traditional payment rails can be expensive, slow, or limited, Lightning offers another path for smaller transactions and cross-border money movement. The launch supports a faster Bitcoin rail for remittances, exchange funding, merchant-style QR payments, and interoperability with Lightning-enabled wallets and applications.
“WhiteBIT’s mission is to make blockchain technology accessible and widely adopted by delivering practical, user-friendly solutions for digital assets” said Volodymyr Nosov, Founder and CEO of WhiteBIT and President of W Group, which WhiteBIT is a part of. “Adding Lightning support brings us closer to this goal as we are making Bitcoin faster and more useful for customers who want to top up accounts, send and receive funds, and use Bitcoin across more real-world flows.”
“Lightning becomes powerful when it disappears into a customer experience people already trust. WhiteBIT is bringing that experience to millions of users, and Voltage is proud to support the infrastructure, liquidity, and operational reliability needed to make Bitcoin faster and more practical at scale.” said Graham Krizek, CEO and Founder of Voltage.
Voltage’s infrastructure helps businesses launch and operate Lightning payments without having to manage the full complexity of liquidity, channels, routing, and payment reliability on their own. By partnering with Voltage, WhiteBIT can focus on the customer experience and product rollout while using a dedicated Lightning infrastructure partner for production-grade operations.
WhiteBIT users can now choose Lightning as a faster way to move Bitcoin into, or out of their WhiteBIT account. The result is a more practical Bitcoin experience for customers who want speed, lower-friction transfers, and another way to use Bitcoin across the WhiteBIT ecosystem.
Lightning is available on WhiteBIT, supporting Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals: whitebit.com
About WhiteBIT
WhiteBIT is a leading global crypto exchange by user traffic, offering over 1,020 trading pairs, 360+ assets, and supporting 8 fiat currencies. With a strong focus on regulatory compliance, WhiteBIT serves 10 million users across six continents and more than 150 countries. Founded in 2018, the platform is a part of W Group which has more than 40 million customers globally. WhiteBIT collaborates with Visa, FACEIT, FC Barcelona, Juventus FC, and the Ukrainian national football team. The company is dedicated to driving the widespread adoption of blockchain technology worldwide.
About Voltage
Voltage provides Bitcoin and Lightning infrastructure for businesses that need reliable payments, deposits, withdrawals, liquidity, and node operations without building the backend from scratch. Voltage helps platforms bring Lightning into production with managed infrastructure, liquidity operations, and support for scalable Bitcoin payment experiences.
Hollywood, Florida, October 8th, 2026, FinanceWire
Interim CFO appointment connects financial integration and reporting readiness with the company’s expanded marketing platform.
ONAR Holding Corporation (OTCID: ONAR) is entering a new phase in its expansion strategy, combining its largest acquisition with financing and a senior finance appointment focused on Nasdaq listing preparation. The company’s September 29 and September 30 announcements established the funding framework and completed the Advertise
Purple transaction. Its October 6 announcement adds leadership to support financial integration and reporting at the enlarged business.
Experienced Financial Leadership for the Next Phase
ONAR appointed Kelly Anderson as interim chief financial officer, effective October 1. Her mandate includes financial integration of Advertise Purple, public-company reporting and preparation for a potential Nasdaq listing.
According to ONAR, Anderson brings more than 25 years of senior finance experience and has overseen more than 400 acquisitions. Her background includes CFO roles at T3 Motion and Mavenlink, and service as chief accounting officer at Fisker Automotive.
A certified public accountant and founder of CXO Executive Solutions, Anderson previously chaired ONAR’s Audit Committee. She stepped down from the board and committee with the executive appointment. Director Howard D. Palefsky assumes the Audit Committee chair, while Vice President of Finance James Keck continues leading daily financial operations, planning and acquisition finance.
A Larger Operating Base
ONAR completed its Advertise Purple acquisition on September 30. The acquired affiliate marketing business generated approximately $17.1 million in net revenue, $4.4 million in net income and $6.6 million in adjusted EBITDA during fiscal 2025, according to the announcement. Combined fiscal 2025 pro forma revenue was approximately $23.5 million, roughly seven times ONAR’s standalone revenue for that period.
Advertise Purple manages affiliate programs for more than 400 active brands, with no single client representing more than approximately 5% of revenue. CEO Jonathan Moisan and Chief Growth Officer Rowland Hazard remain in leadership positions. That continuity gives ONAR an established management team responsible for the client relationships and operating processes of the acquired business.
The Technology Behind the Acquisition
The acquisition also brings Bloom, Advertise Purple’s proprietary analytics and workflow platform, into ONAR Labs alongside predictive customer intelligence platform Retina AI and sales attribution platform Cortex. Bloom contains more than 111 million performance records and supports affiliate partner selection, commission optimization and program management. It serves both clients and the agency’s internal operations.
The strategic opportunity is to connect campaign activity, customer intelligence and sales measurement more closely. In practical terms, better information could help an agency choose partners, evaluate campaigns and allocate client spending. Whether those capabilities improve retention, productivity or profitability will depend on implementation and measurable results.
How the Purchase Is Structured
ONAR’s September 30 filing describes $12.825 million in cash consideration, subject to adjustments, a $7 million seller note and up to $8 million in performance-based cash earnouts. Previously paid deposits of $1.25 million count toward the cash consideration. The seller note bears 8% annual interest and matures after three years. Earnouts depend on specified gross profit thresholds across three annual measurement periods ending in September 2029.
This structure separates the initial cash payment from obligations extending beyond closing. The earnout connects part of the purchase price to future operating performance, while the seller note creates an ongoing financing obligation. Assessing the acquisition therefore requires attention to cash generation and debt service as well as revenue growth.
Financing Supports the Expansion Plan
On September 29, ONAR announced the initial closing of an up to $15 million financing with institutional investors. The securities are structured to convert into preferred equity upon completion of a Nasdaq listing at a fixed price based on a $25 million pre-money valuation. The company described an implied post-money valuation of approximately $40 million upon full funding and conversion.
A separate senior secured facility of up to $5 million brings potential new financing capacity to $20 million and uses the same valuation basis for preferred-equity conversion. Holders of approximately $6.5 million in existing notes exchanged those obligations into the new financing, retiring the exchanged notes and associated warrants. ONAR said proceeds were intended for acquisition cash consideration and working capital. Financing capacity, initial closing and full funding are distinct; the announcements should not be read as confirmation that every available dollar has been received.
The Next Milestones for Investors
The sequence shifts the focus toward execution: integrating the acquired business, completing financial reporting and advancing listing readiness. Investors can assess progress through consolidated revenue, operating cash flow, client retention, integration costs and financing obligations. Historical profitability at Advertise Purple does not automatically establish profitability for the combined company.
A Nasdaq listing remains a goal rather than an approved or completed event. Advertise Purple’s historical financial information is unaudited; adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure; and pro forma revenue is preliminary, illustrative and not guidance. ONAR’s disclosures identify increased indebtedness, working capital constraints, integration risks and substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Subsequent reporting will help establish how the larger operating platform performs under ONAR’s ownership.
About ONAR Holding Corporation
ONAR (OTCID: ONAR), pronounced “honor,” is an AI-powered marketing platform. ONAR acquires specialist marketing agencies serving middle-market and growth-stage brands across performance marketing, creative, and commerce, and operates them as one company on shared proprietary technology designed to automate up to 70% of manual agency work. Its technology division, ONAR Labs, develops and houses the Company’s proprietary technology, including ONAR AI, a marketing intelligence platform deployed across the Company’s agencies to improve productivity; Retina AI, a predictive customer intelligence platform; and Cortex, an offline and online sales attribution platform. ONAR continues to expand the platform through disciplined acquisitions, including JUICE, Scale Partner, and Advertise Purple. Learn more at www.onar.com.
Contact
President Craig Fischer Valuecorp cf@valuecorptrading.com
Saparo AI shopping agent compares every layer of checkout savings in one view, and shoppers approve the final payment.
United States, 8th Oct 2026, Grand Newswire – SAN FRANCISCO, October 7, 2026 — Saparo is an AI shopping agent that compares coupons, cashback, card rewards, and gift card savings before checkout, then shows a line-by-line savings stack the shopper reviews and approves. Built for everyday online shoppers, it is available on the web, with an optional Chrome browser extension, and is currently in Beta.
Shopping online has grown harder to price. The same product can cost different amounts at different retailers, promo codes expire or quietly stop working, cashback and card rewards are hard to compare, and discounted gift cards are easy to overlook.
Comparing the whole purchase route, not one layer
Many coupon extensions and cashback portals check a single layer of savings. Saparo compares retailer price, shipping, tax, promo codes, cashback, card rewards, and gift cards in one view and shows the math behind each line.
Its checkout savings are measured against the all-in price, including shipping and tax, rather than a discount label. Saparo also tests promo codes and filters out those that are expired or don’t apply.
The agent prepares; the shopper approves
Shoppers paste a product link, share a cart, or describe what they want in a sentence, and the agent prepares a checkout plan. It pauses at CAPTCHAs, passwords, and payment.
The shopper completes payment on the merchant’s own checkout page; Saparo does not submit payment on the shopper’s behalf. Saparo requests information only when a task needs it, and shoppers can delete their task history and preferences.
“Online checkout has quietly turned into a stack of hidden variables — coupons, cashback, card rewards, gift cards, shipping, and tax. We built Saparo so shoppers can see that math in one place before they pay,” said svin , Founder, Saparo.
Saparo is currently in Beta. New accounts start with 300 credits, after which shoppers can claim 60 Daily Beta Credits each day.
About Saparo
Saparo is an AI shopping agent that helps online shoppers compare coupons, cashback, card rewards, gift card discounts, shipping, and tax before checkout. Shoppers paste a product link, share a cart, or describe what they want to buy, and Saparo prepares a line-by-line savings stack and a recommended checkout route. The final payment always stays with the shopper. Saparo is currently in Beta. Learn more at https://saparo.ai/ .
The expanded solution links market intelligence, sourcing, execution, service and compliance across the component lifecycle
WIN SOURCE, a global independent electronic component distributor and supply chain solution provider, has upgraded its NEXUS solution to support global electronic component buyers and manufacturing customers. The update brings digital procurement tools and sourcing services into a framework spanning routine supply, shortages, lifecycle planning, alternative components, quality verification and fulfillment.
NEXUS is organized around five core capabilities: INSIGHT for market intelligence; SMARTBUY for strategic procurement and BOM planning; FLOWSYNC for order and logistics coordination; FLEXCARE for service across changing sourcing needs; and TRUSTLINK for product verification and compliance support. Together, they connect sourcing decisions with procurement execution and follow-up service.
WIN SOURCE provides access to more than 1.5 million electronic components from over 3,000 manufacturers, supporting sourcing requirements across industrial, automotive, medical, aerospace and other electronics applications.
The NEXUS update brings together WIN SOURCE’s physical sourcing infrastructure and digital procurement capabilities. The company’s service portfolio includes WinLink Solution Hub for BOM analysis and component sourcing, WinConnect API Solution for system integration, laboratory-based component verification and global inventory fulfillment.
“The expansion of our NEXUS framework and digital sourcing tools reflects our commitment to addressing structural vulnerabilities in the electronic component supply chain,” said Robert Williams, Senior Technical Program Manager at Win Source. “As component lifecycles shorten and global sourcing complexities increase, our goal is to provide engineering and procurement teams with transparent, traceable, and data-backed distribution services that reduce lead times and safeguard production lines.”
Five Capabilities Across the Supply Cycle
INSIGHT supports review of supply, demand, pricing and availability information. SMARTBUY helps customers assess BOMs, source standard and constrained parts, consider alternatives and plan for component lifecycle changes. FLOWSYNC coordinates inventory allocation, orders and shipments across locations. FLEXCARE covers urgent requests, technical coordination and ongoing customer support. TRUSTLINK brings supplier qualification, component checks and documentation into the procurement process.
The scope is intended to serve both day-to-day purchasing and more complex needs, including shortages, date-code requirements and end-of-life (EOL) components. Customers can draw on WIN SOURCE’s network and inventory resources for integrated circuits, discrete semiconductors, sensors, connectors and other electronic components.
Digital BOM Management and Procurement Enablement
The upgraded solution brings together WinLink BOM and WinConnect API capabilities to support digital procurement workflows.
WinLink BOM enables customers to upload BOM information for component review, including part-number analysis, lifecycle assessment, availability checks and alternative component sourcing. WinConnect API supports the exchange of inventory, pricing and specification data with customer systems, helping procurement teams integrate electronic component sourcing into existing digital workflows.
WIN SOURCE also provides access to ECAD model resources to support engineers during component selection and hardware development.
Multi-Stage Quality Verification and Laboratory Testing
Quality verification is another component of WIN SOURCE’s sourcing workflow. Before shipment, components can undergo document and provenance checks, visual inspection and additional testing based on customer requirements.
Available verification capabilities include inspection under up to 200x magnification, X-ray inspection, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and electrical performance testing. Additional laboratory services may be applied according to component type, customer requirements and order conditions.
These processes are designed to help identify potentially counterfeit, altered or non-conforming components and provide additional quality assurance support before shipment.
Quality Management and Compliance Support
WIN SOURCE can apply document and provenance checks, visual inspection and laboratory testing according to component type, order conditions and customer requirements. Available methods include magnified inspection, X-ray inspection, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis and electrical testing. These processes are designed to help identify potentially counterfeit, altered or non-conforming components and provide additional quality assurance support before shipment.
The company also uses warehouse and service operations to coordinate inventory, cross-border orders and shipment planning. It states that eligible in-stock orders can ship within 24 hours, subject to order and warehouse conditions. WIN SOURCE cites management-system and handling certifications including AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ANSI/ESD S20.20; the relevant scope depends on the standard and service involved.
Industry Outlook
Research and Markets projects the global electronic component distribution market to reach USD 328.71 billion by 2032, compared with USD 199.39 billion in 2025. The report identifies continued changes in global electronics demand, supply-chain complexity and digitalization as factors shaping the distribution market.
For manufacturers, component lifecycle management, sourcing visibility and inventory planning remain important considerations as electronics production becomes increasingly distributed across regions and supply networks.
WIN SOURCE’s NEXUS update reflects the company’s focus on combining physical inventory and sourcing capabilities with digital procurement tools for global electronic component buyers and manufacturing customers.
About WIN SOURCE
Founded in 1999, WIN SOURCE is a global independent electronic component distributor and supply chain solution provider serving global electronic component buyers and manufacturing customers.
The company provides access to more than 1.5 million electronic components from over 3,000 manufacturers and operates owned warehouses in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Its services include obsolete and end-of-life component sourcing, BOM management, alternative sourcing, quality verification, excess inventory management and digital procurement through WinLink and WinConnect.
Volunteers from different religious and cultural communities removed 50 kilograms of waste near Padua’s railway station, continuing a series of joint initiatives promoting environmental responsibility and community cooperation.
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 8th Oct 2026 — Scientology Volunteer Ministers joined members of Padua’s Muslim, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities on Sunday, 4 October, for a neighbourhood cleanup in Borgomagno, near the city’s railway station. The volunteers collected approximately 50 kilograms of discarded materials from an area affected by recurring illegal waste disposal, combining practical environmental action with cooperation across different religious and cultural backgrounds.
The initiative took place around the railway overpass, an area used by residents and people travelling through the neighbourhood. Volunteers removed discarded glass, plastic packaging, damaged household materials, clothing and other accumulated waste, helping restore the condition of a public space regularly affected by littering.
The activity brought together Scientology Volunteer Ministers from Padua and volunteers associated with the city’s Muslim, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities. The participants worked towards a shared objective: improving the surroundings for everyone who lives in or passes through the area.
The cleanup also attracted the attention of residents and passers-by, some of whom expressed their appreciation to the volunteers during the morning. Beyond collecting waste, the participants sought to draw attention to the importance of looking after shared urban spaces and the contribution that individual residents and community organisations can make to their neighbourhoods.
A Continuing Partnership Across Communities
The Borgomagno initiative forms part of a broader pattern of joint environmental activities in Padua, where Scientology Volunteer Ministers have been working alongside volunteers from Muslim and South Asian communities.
On 13 September, 18 volunteers participated in a cleanup around Via Rubaltelli and Via Jacopo D’Avanzo, collecting more than 50 kilograms of abandoned waste near a frequently used shopping and pedestrian area.
A further initiative took place on 20 September in the Stanga neighbourhood, where Scientology volunteers and members of local Muslim and Bangladeshi communities worked along Via Venezia and surrounding streets, including Via Pietro Donà, Via della Croce Rossa and Via Gauslino Transalgardo.
The October activity also marked a return to Borgomagno, where a similar collaborative cleanup had taken place on 31 May. That earlier operation, likewise involving Scientology Volunteer Ministers and members of the local Muslim community, removed approximately 50 kilograms of discarded materials from the vicinity of the railway overpass.
Taken together, these activities demonstrate a continuing relationship between volunteers who may come from different religious traditions and cultural backgrounds but share an interest in their city’s public spaces.
They also illustrate how community cooperation can develop through relatively straightforward activities. Rather than requiring agreement on religious or philosophical questions, the participants identify a common local concern and work together to address it.
Environmental Responsibility and Everyday Coexistence
Padua, a university city in Italy’s Veneto region, has a long history of cultural exchange and a population encompassing people from different nationalities, religions and traditions.
As in other European cities, public spaces provide opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to interact. Their maintenance is also an everyday concern, particularly in areas affected by persistent littering or illegal dumping.
Local cleanup initiatives offer one way for community organisations and residents to participate directly in improving these shared surroundings. By working alongside one another, volunteers can also establish relationships that extend beyond the immediate activity.
In Padua, the participation of Scientology volunteers together with Muslim, Bangladeshi and Pakistani community members gives this practical work an additional dimension. Their collaboration demonstrates that religious and cultural differences need not prevent individuals from accepting common responsibilities towards the wider community.
The successive cleanups also highlight the value of sustained civic participation. Recurring waste disposal requires continuing attention, and locally organised activities can contribute both to the physical condition of public spaces and to public awareness of the issue.
Scientology Volunteer Ministers and Community Service
The activities are connected to the international Scientology Volunteer Ministers programme, established by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard in the mid-1970s and supported by the Church of Scientology as a religious social service.
The programme was developed around the principle that individuals can take practical steps to help others and improve conditions in their communities. Its activities range from assistance following natural disasters and emergencies to educational programmes, community support and neighbourhood initiatives.
Volunteer Ministers operate under the motto “Something Can Be Done About It“, reflecting the programme’s emphasis on personal initiative and practical help. The programme also provides training resources for people who wish to assist others, irrespective of their religious background.
In Italy, Scientology volunteers have participated in environmental activities, educational initiatives, drug-prevention campaigns and other forms of community service. The Padua collaborations demonstrate how this approach can be developed with people and organisations outside the Church itself.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, OSCE, Council of Europe and United Nations, linked the Padua activities to broader European principles of coexistence and civic responsibility:
“Europe’s diversity is one of its greatest social realities, and its strength depends on how people live and work together despite their differences. In Padua, Scientology volunteers and their Muslim neighbours, alongside people from Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, are demonstrating something important: respect for different beliefs becomes especially meaningful when it is accompanied by cooperation. Protecting our shared environment, respecting one another’s dignity and taking responsibility for the places where we live are all expressions of the same commitment to a society in which everyone belongs.”
The cooperation observed in Padua reflects a wider European understanding of civic participation, in which religious organisations, cultural associations and individual citizens contribute to community life while retaining their respective identities.
Religious freedom and non-discrimination are fundamental principles of Europe’s human-rights framework. Practical initiatives involving participants from different faiths and communities offer opportunities to give these principles an everyday expression through shared responsibilities and mutual respect.
For the volunteers in Borgomagno, those principles took a practical form: working together to remove accumulated waste from a public area and improve conditions for the people who use it.
The October cleanup therefore represents both a local environmental contribution and another example of cooperation between different communities in Padua, where shared civic objectives continue to provide common ground for voluntary action.
About the Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present throughout the European continent. According to its European Office, Scientology maintains more than 140 churches, missions and affiliated groups across at least 27 European countries, alongside community initiatives focusing on education, drug prevention, human rights and neighbourhood improvement, inspired by the work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Within Europe’s diverse national legal frameworks, recognition of Scientology as a bona fide religion and, in applicable jurisdictions, as a charitable religious organisation has developed through administrative and judicial decisions. The Church continues to support programmes aimed at education, prevention, volunteer service and community betterment.
Media Contact
Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
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Three-tier program — SME, Certified and Enterprise — gives partners direct access to Wonder’s merchant base, a free Partner Directory listing, and the upcoming Wonder Marketplace
Hong Kong S.A.R., 8th Oct 2026 – Wonder, the Hong Kong-licensed fintech platform used by more than 30,000 businesses, today announced the launch of the Wonder Partner Ecosystem, a partnership program for agencies, SaaS providers, content creators, and businesses.
The program offers three ways to partner with Wonder:
Grow together — partners gain access to Wonder’s merchant network.
Get discovered — a free listing in the curated Wonder Partner Directory puts partners in front of merchants looking for their solutions.
Sell on the Wonder Marketplace (coming soon) — partners can list products or services on the Wonder platform.
Three tracks, one ecosystem
The Partner Ecosystem offers three tiers:
Wonder SME Partner — for individuals, freelancers, influencers, bloggers, and local businesses such as agencies, consultation firms, etc. Partners join the ecosystem with full support from day one and earn rewards for helping the merchant community.
Wonder Certified Partner — for growing brands in fintech, logistics, and adjacent fields. Certified partners receive direct access to Wonder’s merchant base and a potential place on the upcoming Wonder Marketplace.
Wonder Enterprise Partner — for established organisations seeking a deeper strategic collaboration, including bespoke co-marketing, product integration, or distribution arrangements co-created with the Wonder team.
Apply in minutes
Applicants complete a 3-step form. The Wonder Partnership Team reviews applications within 3–5 business days.
Wonder is a leading commercial payment and fintech platform in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific, dedicated to enabling businesses across various industries to effortlessly send and receive payments 24/7.
As Hong Kong’s first fully digitized omnichannel payment platform, Wonder allows merchants to complete digital KYC registration, open accounts, receive payments, make digital payments, and manage transactions in minutes, all integrated within a single platform. Key products include Wonder App, Wonder Terminal, Wonder Dashboard, Wonder Card, and Wonder Taxi.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Wonder completed a US$6 million Series A funding round successfully led by HKT / PCCW in 2021, and the venture debt financing with HSBC Innovation Banking. Wonder has business development centers in key markets such as Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Shenzhen, and Changsha.
United States, 8th Oct 2026, – By Olivia Grant, Hospitality Marketing Consultant | Last updated: October 2026
About the author: Olivia Grant is an independent hospitality marketing consultant who works with boutique hotels, resorts and travel brands on PR, content and digital campaigns.
Hotels sell an experience that guests can’t try before they buy. That makes trust and visibility more important in hospitality than in almost any other industry. Travellers read reviews, look for coverage in travel media, and search the hotel’s name before booking.
Press releases, used well, feed all three. In my work with hotels and resorts, a well-timed announcement has often done more for brand awareness than weeks of paid social posts. Used badly, it disappears without a trace. Here’s what separates the two.
What hotels should actually announce
Not every update deserves a press release. The announcements that consistently earn coverage in hospitality are:
Openings and reopenings: a new property, a renovated wing, a reopened restaurant
New experiences: a spa concept, a chef partnership, a seasonal package or a signature event
Awards and recognition: industry awards, sustainability certifications, notable rankings
Partnerships: collaborations with airlines, travel programmes, designers or local brands
Milestones: anniversaries, record occupancy seasons, community or sustainability initiatives
A new menu item or a minor website update is better suited to social media.
Lesson 1: Sell the experience, not the facility
The weakest hotel releases read like a brochure: room counts, square metres and amenity lists. Travel journalists and readers respond to what a guest will feel and do.
Compare these two openings:
“The resort features 120 rooms, two restaurants and an outdoor pool.”
“Guests at the resort can now start the day with a sunrise kayak tour and end it with a five-course tasting menu built around the morning’s local catch.”
The second gives a journalist a story and gives a reader a reason to book.
Lesson 2: Target travel and lifestyle media specifically
General business news sites rarely help a hotel fill rooms. The audiences that matter are travel publications, lifestyle magazines, regional news in key source markets, and trade outlets read by travel agents and tour operators.
When choosing a distribution service, ask directly: which travel and lifestyle outlets are in your network, and in which countries? A resort in the Maldives targeting European guests needs placements that Europeans actually read.
Lesson 3: Plan around the booking calendar
Travellers book months in advance. A release about a summer package sent in June arrives too late. With the hotels I work with, I plan announcements around these windows:
Summer offers: announce in late winter to early spring
Festive and New Year packages: announce in early autumn
Openings: announce three to six months before the opening date, then again at launch
Events and festivals: announce at least eight weeks ahead
Lesson 4: Use strong visuals
Hospitality is a visual business. Every release should include high-quality, properly licensed images: the property, the rooms, the food, and people enjoying the experience. Journalists often choose which story to cover based on whether usable images are available.
Lesson 5: Keep messaging consistent across properties
Hotel groups with multiple properties often send releases that read as if different companies wrote them. A simple style guide, covering tone, how the brand is named and a standard boilerplate, keeps every announcement recognisably part of the same brand.
For a closer look at how premium hospitality brands approach this, Naluda Magazine explores how strategic PR helps luxury hotels and resorts stand out, including targeting high-end travellers, consistent messaging and global media exposure.
Measuring whether it worked
Hotels have an advantage over many industries: the results are measurable. After each release, I track:
Metric
What it shows
Placements on travel and lifestyle sites
Whether the right media picked it up
Branded search volume
Whether more people looked up the hotel
Referral traffic to the booking page
Whether readers moved toward booking
Direct booking enquiries
Whether coverage turned into revenue
Journalist or influencer requests
Whether media wants to visit or feature the property
Tagging links in the release with tracking parameters makes it much easier to connect coverage to actual bookings.
Common mistakes hotels make
Announcing too often with too little news
Writing in brochure language full of “luxurious” and “world-class”
Sending releases without images or with low-resolution photos
Ignoring source markets and distributing only locally
Never reusing coverage on the website, booking pages or social channels
Final thoughts
For hotels and resorts, a press release is more than an announcement. It’s a way to put the guest experience in front of travellers and the media who influence them. Focus on genuine news, write about the experience rather than the facility, time releases around booking behaviour, and target travel media in the markets you want to reach. For more context on how leading hospitality brands use strategic press release distribution, the Naluda Magazine analysis is worth a read.
United States, 8th Oct 2026, – By Tin, Founder of growths | Last updated: October 2026
About the author: Tin leads Growths, a digital marketing agency in USA, that plans SEO, PR and content campaigns for businesses in USA, Europe and the Middle East. His team has distributed press releases through both free submission sites and paid newswire services for clients of all sizes.
“Can’t we just use the free sites?”
It’s the first question almost every startup client asks me, and it’s a fair one. Free press release sites exist, they publish your announcement, and they cost nothing. So why would anyone pay?
After running campaigns through both free and paid channels, my answer is: free distribution has a real place, but it solves a different problem from paid distribution. Knowing which problem you have saves both money and disappointment.
What free press release sites actually give you
Free platforms let you register, submit a release and have it published on their own site, usually within a day or two. Some allow a link in the body or contact section, and many are indexed by search engines.
In practice, here’s what we typically see from a free submission:
The release appears on the platform’s own website
It may show up in search results for your exact brand name
Occasionally it gets picked up by a small aggregator
Very rarely does it reach a journalist or a mainstream news site
That’s not nothing. For a very early-stage business with no online presence, having something indexed under your brand name is useful. But it’s not media coverage.
What paid distribution adds
Paid services push your release beyond their own platform: onto partner news websites, into journalist databases, through news feeds and, at higher tiers, into recognised media outlets. The good ones also provide a report with live links showing exactly where the release appeared.
The real differences I’ve seen are:
Reach: placements on dozens or hundreds of external sites rather than one
Credibility: coverage on recognisable news portals you can show to customers and investors
Editorial review: someone checks your release before it goes live
Reporting: documented proof of results for you or your client
Regional targeting: the ability to focus on a specific country or market
When free distribution is enough
From experience, free sites make sense when:
You’re a new business and simply want your announcement indexed under your brand
The news is minor, such as a small update, a local event or a new hire
You’re testing your headline and messaging before a bigger campaign
The budget is genuinely zero and something is better than nothing
When you should pay
Paid distribution is worth it when:
The news is significant: a launch, funding, expansion, partnership or award
You need visible proof of coverage for investors, partners or sales pages
You’re targeting a specific region and need placements there
You’re an agency and must deliver a professional report to a client
Your reputation depends on appearing on credible sites rather than low-quality directories
A comparison from our campaigns
Factor
Free sites
Paid services
Where it appears
Mostly the platform itself
Multiple external news sites
Journalist reach
Very limited
Varies by provider and tier
Reporting
Rarely provided
Usually a detailed link report
Editorial check
Minimal or none
Often included
Best for
Minor news, testing, zero budget
Major announcements, client work, credibility
How to evaluate a site, free or paid
Whether a platform costs nothing or several hundred dollars, I run the same checks:
Look at recent releases on the site. If it’s full of spam, gambling or low-quality content, your brand doesn’t belong next to it.
Check whether it’s indexed. Search for a recent release title in Google. If it doesn’t appear, neither will yours.
Read the terms on links. Some free sites allow live links, some nofollow them, some remove them entirely.
Ask for a sample report from paid providers, with live URLs rather than logos.
Confirm regional relevance. A strong network in the US may do little for a brand selling in the Gulf.
If you want a ready-made shortlist to start from, Crispme’s guide to 20 free and paid press release distribution sites splits the options into both categories, with notes on features and pricing for each. It’s a practical way to compare before testing a few yourself.
A word on SEO expectations
Many people use press releases mainly for links. That’s a mistake. Google treats links in press releases differently from editorial links, and mass-submitting the same release to dozens of free sites won’t improve rankings. It can even create a low-quality link footprint.
The real SEO value of a release is indirect: branded search visibility, referral traffic, and the chance that a journalist or blogger writes original coverage that links to you naturally.
My practical approach
For most small-business clients, we use a mixed strategy:
Use free sites for minor updates and to keep the brand active online.
Save paid distribution for two to four genuinely significant announcements a year.
Write every release to journalist standards, regardless of where it’s published.
Repurpose all coverage on the company’s website, LinkedIn and sales materials.
Final thoughts
Free and paid press release distribution aren’t competitors. They’re tools for different jobs. Free sites are fine for small news and basic visibility. Paid services earn their cost when the announcement matters and credibility is on the line. Start by reviewing a balanced list of free and paid press release distribution sites, check each one against your goals, and spend money only where it will actually move the needle.
