KR1, a crypto staking business based on the Isle of Man, is looking to shift its shares away from the smaller Aquis exchange and onto the London Stock Exchange’s main market.
Managing director and co-founder Keld van Schreven said that the company had no choice but to strengthen its management team and engage an auditor in response to the more rigorous conditions on the LSE. He also emphasized that through their endeavors, the company would become the first proper blockchain enterprise listed on the LSE.
Schreven now believes the listing could encourage other blockchain companies to follow suit.
KR1 is now worth over $75 million
KR1, founded in 2014, is one of the earliest blockchain investment vehicles funding early-stage projects such as Ethereum and Polkadot. In recent years, the firm has added over a hundred projects to its portfolio, including decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and NFT marketplaces. KR1 can not only support blockchain networks through locking positions into tokens like Ethereum and Polkadot, but it can also create a steady income flow.
The firm is now valued at approximately £56 million, equivalent to around $75 million. Currently, the company’s shares are listed on the Aquis exchange in London, as well as in Stuttgart, Germany, under the ticker K4H.
The company’s move comes as British regulators are becoming increasingly open to digital finance. The FCA has already approved crypto exchange-traded products for trading on the London Stock Exchange and plans to publish a comprehensive digital asset rulebook by 2026.
Moreover, following their review of the draft stablecoin cap rules, the Bank of England could back down and allow exceptions for businesses holding larger fiat-pegged asset pools. The bank initially proposed limits of about $27,000 for individuals and $13 million for corporations.
Argo Blockchain will delist from the London Stock Exchange
Argo Blockchain plans to delist from the LSE, surrendering control to its key lender, Growler Mining. The decision means the company’s six-year tenure on the LSE is at an end. It will remain listed on Nasdaq, provided it meets conditions such as conducting a reverse stock split by 2026.
A filing under the UK Companies Act indicates that Growler would exchange approximately $7.5 million in secured loan notes for preferred shares and provide new capital to acquire an 87.5% interest in Argo.
Under the same plan, bondholders of Argo’s $40 million in unsecured notes will receive 10% of the recapitalized company, while existing shareholders will retain only 2.5% of the company. The overhaul, known internally as Project Triumph, is a court-approved rescue effort designed to prevent Argo’s collapse and safeguard its U.S. Nasdaq listing.
The diverging course of Argo Blockchain, which plans to delist from the LSE but maintain its listing on Nasdaq, is indicative of the ongoing struggles public crypto companies face.
The Project Triumph restructuring at Argo, which had succumbed to its own expansionist ambitions, highlights a fine line between growth and financial strength that KR1 will need to bear in mind as it prepares for its main market debut.
In 2018, Argo became the first cryptocurrency company to list on the London Stock Exchange, raising approximately $32 million at a valuation of $61 million. KR1 anticipates transferring to the LSE main market within the next quarter. With the company now expanding its offerings more proactively under increased scrutiny, all eyes will be on it to determine whether it can lead the way in a new age of regulated blockchain investment throughout the UK.
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