Hardaway to join other athletes and public figures in generating income from digital collectible, fan-engagement NFTs on Upstream.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2022 / Upstream, the revolutionary trading app for digital securities and NFTs powered by Horizon Fintex (Horizon) and MERJ Exchange Limited (MERJ) has announced that Penny Hardaway, four-time NBA All-Star and Memphis Tigers coach, has joined as a strategic brand ambassador brought in by John Askew. Hardaway, like many forward-thinking athletes, college teams, and brands, has begun generating new revenue stream opportunities by integrating digital collectibles and redeemable experiences into current and future projects.

As a strategic brand ambassador, Hardaway will help drive Upstream's groundbreaking trading app and sports initiative which provides professional and college athletes a streamlined entry point into Web3 community building and brand longevity. As a former NBA player and current college basketball coach, Hardaway provides a 360-degree view into how Upstream's technology supports athletes' needs from the beginning of their careers. Hardaway will also introduce his own line of NFTs on Upstream in the near future.

Unlike other NFT platforms out there, Upstream is a regulated marketplace equipped to protect brands and their fans while enabling everyday fans to participate without any blockchain knowledge needed. The carbon-neutral platform simplifies the user journey with in-app wallet creation, no gas fees charged to users, and familiar account funding methods including PayPal, debit, and credit, along with USDC stablecoin. As a cash market, Upstream clients are able to withdraw NFT proceeds and royalties without worrying about converting crypto into US dollars.

'As a former professional athlete and current coach, I understand how important it is to foster a community,' says Hardaway. 'Upstream's platform enables athletes to memorialize and monetize key moments in their careers while giving fans the opportunity to engage with their favorite stars and build meaningful digital collections.'

'Web3 is a powerful tool for brands looking to make their mark in the next wave of fan engagement,' says Upstream Co-Founder Mark Elenowitz. 'NFTs represent provable digital ownership and incorporating this concept into tickets, digital merchandise redeemable for physical merchandise, timestamped experiences like meet and greets or video game sessions, authenticating memorabilia, and other unique integrations work to appeal to a wider digital-first audience.'

Penny Hardaway joins Upstream's growing community of sports, music, and entertainment heavyweights including NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, NFL Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, Antrel Rolle, Beatclub/Timbaland, BRON Studios, Ruffnation Entertainment, and more. Upstream's growing sports and entertainment initiative is led by John Askew, COO and part owner of Primetime Basketball League, and Liquid Royalty Co-Founders Quenton Brown and Jawed Halepota. Parties interested in integrating digital collectibles (NFTs) into their brands can learn more at https://upstream.exchange/ or reach the team at hello@upstream.exchange.

About Upstream:
Upstream, a MERJ Exchange Market (merj.exchange), is a fully regulated global stock exchange for digital securities and NFTs. Powered by Horizon's Ethereum-L2 matching engine technology, the platform enables users to trade NFTs, and invest in securities for IPOs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. & international equities, and celebrity ventures using the Upstream app. For more information, please visit https://upstream.exchange. Upstream is currently accepting applications to dual list at https://upstream.exchange/GetListed.

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. Visit https://merj.exchange/ to learn more.

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. Our 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/.

Press Contacts:
Vanessa Malone
Vanessa@horizonfintex.com

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.

*NFTs received have no economic value, royalties, equity ownership, or dividends. NFTs are for utility, collection, and display only.

*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 been 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 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.

SOURCE: Horizon Fintex