#HC: Arik

[twisted-tales-told]

ok I'm sorry you shared that post about sirius&regulus and azula&zuko parallels and I'm losing my mind about it and so I'm telling you I hope that's okay,,

but just imagine a world where sirius and reg are like homeschooled rather than sent to hogwarts so they don't meet james and remus etc and their dynamic turns into azula and zuko style where sirius is ruthless and perfect and reg never quite learned to bury his heart the same and then it becomes reg who runs away when he turns 16 and it's bc sirius took the mark and reg has been hearing about a resistance to vodemort so he tries to find them and sirius's first mission as a servant to voldemort is to hunt him down and kill him but reg finds remus or Peter or James or someone first and that's how the first war goes, with sirius trying to kill reg and reg escaping with knowledge that could kill voldemort (perhaps horcruxes??)

i have no idea if that was coherent, i hope you're doing good!! sorry for the rambles

I am very good

The leafs just won the first round of playoffs in 19 years

I am delirious.

First of all, u should write it!! That would be so cool!! I see Sirius’ character very differently but this is an amazing concept!

Oh god my guy this is breaking my heart. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to see Sirius without his heart, but I can totally see the parallels between Zuko and Regulus.

I do think Sirius has a lot of capability to inflict pain on others (they both do) and because Sirius burns so brightly he really did need those outside influences to help shape him into the person he is today. I do think he would be prone to becoming cold and cruel like Azula without that.

The only thing about Azula that I cannot see within Sirius is that desire to serve. He was not born with that quality and he would refuse to build it.

Regulus being a Zuko variant means a lot to me because he ultimately has to out grow that desire. Azula never does, that’s part of the problem.

So while Regulus is definitely a Zuko varient, Sirius is something different to Azula because that one quality changes everything about how he would act in that situation (at least to me).

It would be more likely he strikes out on his own. He would never submit to someone’s beliefs simply because they’re right.

I think he would still leave his family and not join Voldemort, but I do think without the influence of James, Remus, etc. it would be more because he will not stand to be controlled rather than because he’s doing what’s right.

And that makes him dangerous in his own way.

[jam3sp0ttery]

@arik-readsbooks ARIK I SAW UR TIKTOK WHAT A FUCKING MASTERPIECE i love all the hcs i am absolutely Devouring them you’re so cute :(((

[mothmans-kingdom]

new tav back story hc just dropped

as the title states backstory hcs for my tav, enjoy

cw; cult shit, suicidal themes

-his name is Virgil

-and hes a Tiefling whos missing his sight in one eye due to an...accident

-he's in a pact with a deity called Arik or "the eternal one"

-when he was a teenager he made a deal with Arik i which he pledged his eternal servitude in return for the power to keep himself safe, having been in a not so great situation at the time.

-what he didn't know was when Arik said eternal they meant it.

-virgil now has a sort of branding tied to his soul, forever binding him to Arik along with a physical branding on his neck (one that was forced upon him to remind him of what he agreed to)

-virgil is one of four main pillars in Ariks cult

-each of the four pillars get reincarnated upon their death with no memories of their previous life each of their right hands at the given time coming to reclaim them to eventually be able to take their place in the cult again no matter the cost

-virgil after years of being trapped within the confines of Ariks cult day in and day out was going to attempt to run away and attempt to find a way out of his deal now craving the peace that comes with sleeping for eternity after deccaded of being revived agein and agein to go back to the same nastalgic feeling as before but never being able to quite connect the dots

-until his abduction that is

[solarsleepless]

Oooh so I was thinking about things that are pretty normal now, with modern technology and such, and like, even now twins frequently have complications and are oftentimes born early and/or small.

So,

Kit and Arik small early babies?

read a fic where it was mentioned that kit was born Way weaker and wasn't expected to survive the night so thats my hc :)

[nerd-at-sea5]

willow hc's bc fuck it

jade- they/she, genderqueer demiromantic lesbian

kit- they/them non-binary asexual lesbian

elora- she/it/they trans biromantic asexual demigirl

graydon- xe/he transmasc bisexual

arik- she/he bigender pansexual

boorman- he/she/they genderfluid queer

[commanderbuffy]

I swear I'm not psychoanalyzing you... but I noticed some other commonalities through the Kris-Tanthamore universe that I felt the need to share ;)

Arik and Jade stay in touch when Jade/Kit don't have contact- Armourium, HC;

Jade and Kit make out (or do more) in a bathroom stall and someone shuts down emotionally during or soon after- 650, TTA, HC

Kit's attempt to prove herself to Jade gets rejected- 650, TTA, HC

Elora knows more about Kit's current life than Jade- Armourium, TTA (loosely), HC;

Jade gets hungover- 650, TTA, HC (and according to spoilers on here HC Kit as well)

HAHAHA see psycho-analyzing would be investigating why these are themes in CBU

[lcgacyofages]

sergio, atena + arik for the crush talk :O

Atena, it depends on the gender of the person. If they're more masculine aligned, she gets really...stupid. Like....Not bottle blond stupid, but...A bit obliviously stupid and shiny eyed around them. If it's a more feminine aligned person, she's a lot bolder and confident in her attitude with flirtatious lines.

Arik is not shy, he's very forward with his interests. He doesn't do secret crushes and he will definitely tell someone straight off if he's interested. He tends to spend more time around the person and pays attention to what they like/what they need, though, and tries to get that stuff for them.

Sergio's a little tougher to figure out, because he tries to be closed off and distant. I don't see him being open or forward about it, but giving the person little attentions here and there, remembering something they like and going out of his way to get it for them. Knowing if something annoys them and making sure they're not near it, or something along those lines. Just super small things that would make someone go "does he...? doesn't he...?"

[pale-plasma]

For the character ask game: Marik Ishtar (all of him. Both sides) pwease?

Hell yeah! (empahsis on the 'hell') let's go! Sexuality HC: Pansexual and uses He/They. Has a preference for masculine people though. Yami Marik just straight FUCKS. Pronouns for Yami Marik? Doesn't matter, yours are now past tense though.

Favourite Ships: Can I ship Marik with therapy? That boy needs a qualified professional to help him. Yami Marik X Bakura is fantastic in a horror of our love way. I do like the idea of Marik having a small, flirtatious crush on Joey post-battle city.

BroTP: Marik and Joey. It's precious during millenium world. This boy straight up brainwashes Joey for a whole season but Joey is just like 'We are SO COOL now". Atem and Marik is also very sweet. Yami Marik is an angry ghost/Zorc demon, his only friend is murder.

NoTP: Marik and Yugi is a no-go for me. It could be that I think they're technically cousins (I think??) but also I just don't think they vibe in a friendship sense. Also Yami Marik and Mai isn't for me, it's fun I guess as a horror movie horny thing but...nah, not for me.

Random HC: Marik get's sns nails done once a month. he also get's his eyebrows threaded. He gives me Lady Gaga fame monster energy.

General Opinion: A great villain, I really love his arc and I think he's a very VERY fun antagonist.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Do u have anymore HCs/info about the Fawleys? I always enjoy reading them 😊

Thank you! That means so much to me! 

At this point, I do have other ideas I’ve been thinking about, but a lot of them might depend on how the story of HPHM turns out. Example: Suppose that the Rotfang Theory - the idea that R is the ministry conspiracy mentioned in passing by Luna in HBP - turns out to be true. If that’s the case, my head-canon that the Fawleys have been involved with R for several years, doesn’t really gel with the idea that they’re usually Healers. The Ministry and St. Mungos are two different places. It could still work though. But there’s no guarantee that R is Rotfang. It could be something else. I’m just generally hesitant to further the lore of the Fawleys too much until we know how the story is going to play out.

That being said... 

I’ve been developing the character of Arik Fawley. (Sometimes spelled Eric.) Father to Jacob, Gail, and Luca. 

He’s a man who likes singing, as well as baking. 

His favorite subject was History of Magic, he actually got along very well with Binns. He also joined the Charms club. 

He was in Ravenclaw, and he attended one Slug Club meeting before deciding that he loathed the atmosphere.

Arik had a brief stint of teaching at Hogwarts following his graduation, teaching History of Magic for a year to give Binns a vacation. However, he never planned to stay long term.

His younger brother Ramon committed suicide with no children. (An unfortunately common fate among this family.) and his younger sister Alice? She married Frank Longbottom, and the rest is history. 

Arik, like his parents before him, and many other generations, sought to reject his “duty” to the Cabal. But they have a way of persuading people. 

Like the majority of the Fawleys, he was born with the Mark of Despair on his hand. 

In his adulthood, he experienced a mental breakdown following Ramon’s death. He attempted to rid himself of the Fawley curse by cutting off his own hand. The Mark of Despair simply reappeared on his remaining hand. 

He died of a fever when Jacob was at school, that was seemingly brought on by Dragon Pox. Which the whole family contracted after Jacob came home sick for the summer holiday. Jacob always blamed himself. 

Then there’s Nina Fawley, the mother. As she’s based on a canon character referenced in the game, expect more spoilers below. 

Nina was born into a Pureblood line, though I have yet to decide which one. Currently on the fence between the Greengrass, MacMillan, and Burke families. 

She had several siblings who were very high strung and required a lot of attention. Nina was recruited to be a third parent and there was never enough love left for her. It would not be inaccurate to say that she resented this.  

Unlike Arik, she truly wished to join the Slug Club, but her sister spread horrible rumors about her and made it impossible for her to function in the environment. 

Nina was in Ravenclaw as well, two years above Arik. She was very, very good at answering the Knocker’s riddles, and became known for this. Arik had a crush on her well before they even met. 

Speaking of, they met after Hogwarts. The moment she was seventeen, Nina turned her back on her family without an ounce of regret. She made her way up through the ranks to become a Healer at St. Mungos, like her old classmate. 

While tending to her patients, Nina treated a woman who was old, in constant pain, and frankly not long for this world. The woman begged Nina to help speed her death, as an act of mercy. Nina did so, and this event changed her life. She had always been taught, as anyone, that killing is evil. But she had just done so...for good. It shook her entire understanding of the world. 

Now in a new environment and able to start over, Arik and Nina took to each other quickly and started dating. It wasn’t long before Arik told Nina the truth about his family - about their curse, and their connection to the Cabal. Nina had no objections to this organization - she wanted to join too. It was perfect for them, and with no barriers left, they had no reason not to marry. Their children followed soon after.

Nina found acceptance among the ranks of R, that she had never found before in her life. She liked it. Ironically, she lived for the days she would spend in the Cabal, and despite having promised herself years agi she would never favor any one of her children over the other...the truth is, she kept that promise...but only because she neglected all of them equally. 

Arik...did not die of a fever. It was poison that killed him, only meant to resemble something innocuous. It was not the first time Nina had taken life, and she was a Healer. She knew how to induce a fever. She loved him, she truly did, or so she believed. But he was in her way. In the way of the R. 

Jacob was the first Fawley in decades, perhaps centuries, who did not submit. He fought R with everything he had, and though Nina delayed this confrontation for as long as she could, and tried to find alternatives to make him behave, it was useless. And the conflict eventually put mother against son. Here, I’ll say no more. For Jacob’s fate in-game is still, in my opinion, uncertain...

Final, random note. Nina absolutely knows Rakepick, and mentored her. When this happened in the timeline isn’t altogether clear to me, but I know it happened.

[twisted-tales-told]

20 and 23 pls :)

Purest ship:

Pandalily and Jegulily.

Listen I know the controversy around Jegulily, I know that it can be portrayed in a very problematic light and that is not what I'm talking about here.

The thing is, it's usually really fucking wholesome when it is written. It doesn't usually have much smut and as an ace person I really appreciate that some days.

It's usually really light, fluffy oneshots that don't include the war. Sometimes I just need Regulus braiding Lily's hair while James is drinking a hot chocolate and gazing at them fondly.

Pandalily is Pandalily. It's the dark acedamia & cottage core girlfriends and there should be a show like heartstopper about them.

Unpopular character I love: *keep in mind I Genuinely have such a poor grasp on what's "popular" vs what I like. Popularity is a social construct and therefore I don't recognize it when I see it.

@thebattlehamster converted me. I love Peter. I love Peter so much. He's amazing and y'all are reading the wrong fics if you think otherwise. I have so much planned for Peter. So much.

I love Evan Rosier. And he's not unpopular, but your Evan Rosier is not MY Evan Rosier and I don't know how to explain that. I've only seen Evan done the way I see him in one fic, and I also strongly dislike that fic because it has straight Regulus. Those two things shouldn't coexist but they do and I don't like it either.

You're getting an unpopular headcanon along with this because I want to scream it from the rooftops. You got a hint of it in My Jamie and I can't stop thinking about it.

Frank and Mary were best friends.

He feels responsible for everyone all the time, but he doesn't really have to worry about that with Mary, and can just be in the moment with her. He isn't playing a "role" if that makes sense.

And Mary is unhinged but in a chaotic neutral way. Like she wants to go rollerskating in the hallways at one am, she wants to watch pureblood men freak out over muggle tech. Mary MacDonald wants a friend who is put together, won't take shit too far, but is till willing to do unhinged things with her. And Frank Longbottom is that person.

This Ask Game! 

[un-enfant-immature]

Rapyd, which offers fintech-as-a-service via a single API, adds $20M more to its coffers at a $1.2B valuation

One of the biggest trends in the world of financial technology has been an ongoing push towards consolidation, where larger fish are snapping up smaller fish (including a proliferation of interesting startups) to get improved economies of scale in a business model where every transaction brings incremental returns. But today, a startup that has built the concept of consolidation into its basic DNA has raised another round of funding to continue doubling down on its business.

Rapyd — a London-based startup that has built an API that lets customers tap into a range of financial services spanning payments, checkout, funds collection, fund disbursements, compliance as a service, foreign exchange, card issuing and soon logistics across a wide range of geographies — has picked up an additional $20 million. Rapyd’s valuation with the funding is now at $1.2 billion (up from just under $1 billion in October).

The $20 million comes from new investment firm Durable Capital Partners.

Notably, it was only in October that Rapyd announced a $100 million raise. CEO and co-founder and Arik Shtilman said that Rapyd has now raised $180 million in total, with previous investors in the startup including Oak HC/FT Tiger Global, Coatue, General Catalyst, Target Global, Stripe and Entrée Capital. (Stripe, itself a fast-growing fintech upstart, remains only a financial investor in the company, Shtilman confirmed.)

Durable is the firm founded by Henry Ellenbogen, formerly a star investor at T. Rowe Price, in what Rapyd said was the firm’s first investment. (Note: Durable was also announced earlier as an investor in Convoy’s $400 million round, some clear signs that it’s open for business now.)

With Rapyd only recently raising a round, Shtilman said that the reason for the — err — rapid follow up was because the company is gearing up to make some acquisitions, as it too moves in on the consolidation trend by adding in more tools into its “Swiss Army Knife” of services.

“We’ve started to look at two acquisitions that were bigger than what we originally planned, with prices more in the range of $100 million,” he said. Up to now, Rapyd has largely built its technology from the ground up, but this will be about “getting at new business very quickly,” he added. Both deals are in progress now and are likely to close in February / March. One is of a card issuing platform (a la Marqeta), and the other is of a company based in Asia Pacific that is a significant player in payments in the region. 

The focus on Asia Pacific both for testing out new services and acquisitions is in part because this, along with Latin America, have shaped up to be important geographies for the company. In the last three months, Rapyd has signed on 20 additional large-scale companies, Shtilman said, with several of them based out of, or serving, customers out of the two regions.

In fact, Rapyd doesn’t talk much about actual customers, but they include e-commerce merchants, gig-economy platforms — including Uber — financial institutions, and technology providers. The basic pitch is that financial services are complex, and providing one like payments often means having to offer others. Building these from scratch if this is not your core competency can be time-consuming and costly, and so that is where a company like Rapyd steps in with its API.

This is what attracted its newest investor, too. “Durable Capital Partners LP has a vision to identify and invest in promising early stage growth companies and invest in teams that have bold ideas but can also execute at a world-class level and build much larger companies,” said Ellenbogen in a statement. “I believe the Fintech-as-a-Service category has tremendous potential as companies seek to embed financial services as an integral part of the next generation technology stack. I believe Rapyd is very well positioned to drive this trend and I believe Arik’s track record in scaling cloud-based businesses will deliver success in this sector.”

When we last talked with Rapyd in October, we asked Shtilman about whether the company would ever move into logistics as part of its range of tools. After all, when you think about the complexities of procuring, storing and moving goods, it’s clear that logistics is one of the cornerstones you need to get right in an online business.

He said that this was on the company’s roadmap, and now Rapyd is in a pilot in Indonesia — an interesting test bed, considering that the country’s is spread across thousands of islands — where it has integrated a logistics service and given access to a single merchant as stage one of its closed beta. It’s also in discussions with other companies about how it can incorporate their services into the Rapyd platform to provide further “logistics as a service” to customers. He also confirmed the Durable has been a help here, by making an introduction to Convoy as part of that wider strategy.

[magzoso-tech]

New Post has been published on https://magzoso.com/tech/rapyd-which-offers-fintech-as-a-service-via-a-single-api-adds-20m-more-to-its-coffers-at-a-1-2b-valuation/

Rapyd, which offers fintech-as-a-service via a single API, adds $20M more to its coffers at a $1.2B valuation

One of the biggest trends in the world of financial technology has been an ongoing push towards consolidation, where larger fish are snapping up smaller fish (including a proliferation of interesting startups) to get improved economies of scale in a business model where every transaction brings incremental returns. But today, a startup that has built the concept of consolidation into its basic DNA has raised another round of funding to continue doubling down on its business.

Rapyd — a London-based startup that has built an API that lets customers tap into a range of financial services spanning payments, checkout, funds collection, fund disbursements, compliance as a service, foreign exchange, card issuing and soon logistics across a wide range of geographies — has picked up an additional $20 million. Rapyd’s valuation with the funding is now at $1.2 billion (up from just under $1 billion in October).

The $20 million comes from new investment firm Durable Capital Partners.

Notably, it was only in October that Rapyd announced a $100 million raise. CEO and co-founder and Arik Shtilman said that Rapyd has now raised $180 million in total, with previous investors in the startup including Oak HC/FT Tiger Global, Coatue, General Catalyst, Target Global, Stripe and Entrée Capital. (Stripe, itself a fast-growing fintech upstart, remains only a financial investor in the company, Shtilman confirmed.)

Durable is the firm founded by Henry Ellenbogen, formerly a star investor at T. Rowe Price, in what Rapyd said was the firm’s first investment. (Note: Durable was also announced earlier as an investor in Convoy’s $400 million round, some clear signs that it’s open for business now.)

With Rapyd only recently raising a round, Shtilman said that the reason for the — err — rapid follow up was because the company is gearing up to make some acquisitions, as it too moves in on the consolidation trend by adding in more tools into its “Swiss Army Knife” of services.

“We’ve started to look at two acquisitions that were bigger than what we originally planned, with prices more in the range of $100 million,” he said. Up to now, Rapyd has largely built its technology from the ground up, but this will be about “getting at new business very quickly,” he added. Both deals are in progress now and are likely to close in February / March. One is of a card issuing platform (a la Marqeta), and the other is of a company based in Asia Pacific that is a significant player in payments in the region. 

The focus on Asia Pacific both for testing out new services and acquisitions is in part because this, along with Latin America, have shaped up to be important geographies for the company. In the last three months, Rapyd has signed on 20 additional large-scale companies, Shtilman said, with several of them based out of, or serving, customers out of the two regions.

In fact, Rapyd doesn’t talk much about actual customers, but they include e-commerce merchants, gig-economy platforms — including Uber — financial institutions, and technology providers. The basic pitch is that financial services are complex, and providing one like payments often means having to offer others. Building these from scratch if this is not your core competency can be time-consuming and costly, and so that is where a company like Rapyd steps in with its API.

This is what attracted its newest investor, too. “Durable Capital Partners LP has a vision to identify and invest in promising early stage growth companies and invest in teams that have bold ideas but can also execute at a world-class level and build much larger companies,” said Ellenbogen in a statement. “I believe the Fintech-as-a-Service category has tremendous potential as companies seek to embed financial services as an integral part of the next generation technology stack. I believe Rapyd is very well positioned to drive this trend and I believe Arik’s track record in scaling cloud-based businesses will deliver success in this sector.”

When we last talked with Rapyd in October, we asked Shtilman about whether the company would ever move into logistics as part of its range of tools. After all, when you think about the complexities of procuring, storing and moving goods, it’s clear that logistics is one of the cornerstones you need to get right in an online business.

He said that this was on the company’s roadmap, and now Rapyd is in a pilot in Indonesia — an interesting test bed, considering that the country’s is spread across thousands of islands — where it has integrated a logistics service and given access to a single merchant as stage one of its closed beta. It’s also in discussions with other companies about how it can incorporate their services into the Rapyd platform to provide further “logistics as a service” to customers. He also confirmed the Durable has been a help here, by making an introduction to Convoy as part of that wider strategy.

[endenogatai]

Rapyd, which offers fintech-as-a-service via a single API, adds $20M more to its coffers at a $1.2B valuation

One of the biggest trends in the world of financial technology has been an ongoing push towards consolidation, where larger fish are snapping up smaller fish (including a proliferation of interesting startups) to get improved economies of scale in a business model where every transaction brings incremental returns. But today, a startup that has built the concept of consolidation into its basic DNA has raised another round of funding to continue doubling down on its business.

Rapyd — a London-based startup that has built an API that lets customers tap into a range of financial services spanning payments, checkout, funds collection, fund disbursements, compliance as a service, foreign exchange, card issuing and soon logistics across a wide range of geographies — has picked up an additional $20 million. Rapyd’s valuation with the funding is now at $1.2 billion (up from just under $1 billion in October).

The $20 million comes from new investment firm Durable Capital Partners.

Notably, it was only in October that Rapyd announced a $100 million raise. CEO and co-founder and Arik Shtilman said that Rapyd has now raised $180 million in total, with previous investors in the startup including Oak HC/FT Tiger Global, Coatue, General Catalyst, Target Global, Stripe and Entrée Capital. (Stripe, itself a fast-growing fintech upstart, remains only a financial investor in the company, Shtilman confirmed.)

Durable is the firm founded by Henry Ellenbogen, formerly a star investor at T. Rowe Price, in what Rapyd said was the firm’s first investment. (Note: Durable was also announced earlier as an investor in Convoy’s $400 million round, some clear signs that it’s open for business now.)

With Rapyd only recently raising a round, Shtilman said that the reason for the — err — rapid follow up was because the company is gearing up to make some acquisitions, as it too moves in on the consolidation trend by adding in more tools into its “Swiss Army Knife” of services.

“We’ve started to look at two acquisitions that were bigger than what we originally planned, with prices more in the range of $100 million,” he said. Up to now, Rapyd has largely built its technology from the ground up, but this will be about “getting at new business very quickly,” he added. Both deals are in progress now and are likely to close in February / March. One is of a card issuing platform (a la Marqeta), and the other is of a company based in Asia Pacific that is a significant player in payments in the region. 

The focus on Asia Pacific both for testing out new services and acquisitions is in part because this, along with Latin America, have shaped up to be important geographies for the company. In the last three months, Rapyd has signed on 20 additional large-scale companies, Shtilman said, with several of them based out of, or serving, customers out of the two regions.

In fact, Rapyd doesn’t talk much about actual customers, but they include e-commerce merchants, gig-economy platforms — including Uber — financial institutions, and technology providers. The basic pitch is that financial services are complex, and providing one like payments often means having to offer others. Building these from scratch if this is not your core competency can be time-consuming and costly, and so that is where a company like Rapyd steps in with its API.

This is what attracted its newest investor, too. “Durable Capital Partners LP has a vision to identify and invest in promising early stage growth companies and invest in teams that have bold ideas but can also execute at a world-class level and build much larger companies,” said Ellenbogen in a statement. “I believe the Fintech-as-a-Service category has tremendous potential as companies seek to embed financial services as an integral part of the next generation technology stack. I believe Rapyd is very well positioned to drive this trend and I believe Arik’s track record in scaling cloud-based businesses will deliver success in this sector.”

When we last talked with Rapyd in October, we asked Shtilman about whether the company would ever move into logistics as part of its range of tools. After all, when you think about the complexities of procuring, storing and moving goods, it’s clear that logistics is one of the cornerstones you need to get right in an online business.

He said that this was on the company’s roadmap, and now Rapyd is in a pilot in Indonesia — an interesting test bed, considering that the country’s is spread across thousands of islands — where it has integrated a logistics service and given access to a single merchant as stage one of its closed beta. It’s also in discussions with other companies about how it can incorporate their services into the Rapyd platform to provide further “logistics as a service” to customers. He also confirmed the Durable has been a help here, by making an introduction to Convoy as part of that wider strategy.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8204425 https://ift.tt/33NBqY2 via IFTTT

[cryptonewstrending]

$100 Million Raised By Stripe-Backed Rapyd For Its ‘Fintech as a Service’ API

Coinspeaker $100 Million Raised By Stripe-Backed Rapyd For Its ‘Fintech as a Service’ API Rapyd, Stripe-backed digital payments company based in London, raised $100 million in funding at a valuation nearing $1 billion, bringing the company’s total capital gain to over $150 million. This successful raise was led by Oak HC/FT and it comes just a few months after a series B 40 million raise and saw contribution from Entrée Capital, Target Global, Stripe, General Catalyst, Coatue, and Tiger Global. Arik Shtilman, Rapyd CEO and co-founder said the financial infusion…

The post $100 Million Raised By Stripe-Backed Rapyd For Its ‘Fintech as a Service’ API appeared first on CryptoNewsTrending.

source https://cryptonewstrending.com/100-million-raised-by-stripe-backed-rapyd-for-its-fintech-as-a-service-api/

[mitchintille]

2019 mock draft special

After spending countless years fully invested into the draft, I’ve decided it’s time to create my own mock ahead of tonight’s highly anticipated draft.

These picks are entirely based on what I predict will happen tonight, not what I would do. My personal grades, team needs, and team’s tendencies have all been put into consideration with this mock.

Mainly why I'm posting is because the draft is always a fun time of the year, and while I know this draft might go about 7/32, maybe we can laugh about it tomorrow.

Hope you guys enjoy!

1: Arizona Cardinals - Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma

While there has been smoke here about the possibility of the Cards taking Quinnen Williams, I think first year head coach Kliff Kingsbury's prior connection to Kyler is simply too irresistable for them to pass up. Kingsbury nabs his franchise QB before coaching his first game, and Josh Rosen gets shipped off to LA before the pick is announced.

2: San Francisco 49ers: Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State

A defensive line featuring DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas, and Arik Amrstead with an opportunity to add the best pass rusher in this class with newly acquired Dee Ford? Yep, that'll fix your defense. Dream sceanrio for GM John Lynch, as the no.1 player on their board falls right into their lap.

3: New York Jets: Quinnen Williams, iDL, Alabama

The best player in the draft is simply too much for GM Mike Maccagnon to resist. While I considered a trade down here with Cinncinatti, I opted to keep NY in this spot because of the Jets' trajectory. After signing Le'Veon Bell to pair with year 2 QB Sam Darnold, I can't envision the Jets having any feature picks this high in the coming years, and the opportunity to acquire a rare talent such as Williams is one they have to make.

4: Oakland Raiders: Ed Oliver, iDL, Houston

Whew, what a pre draft process this guy has had. From being in consideration for the first pick, to being considered a late first rounder due to "character concerns", Oliver has come full circle back to where he belongs, in the top 5. His combination of burst, versatility, and pure athleticism is too much to overlook for a team who desperately needs a pass rush. First yeay GM Mike Mayock has played this pick close to the chest, and while I genuinely feel as though Kyler Murray would be the pick if he was available, Oliver is the no brainer here.

5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devin White, LB, LSU

The Bucs LB core as it stands today is Jack Cichy, Riley Bullough, Lavonte David, Kevin Minter. I just threw up typing that. This pick has long felt like the worst kept secret in the draft, and while I am not the biggest fan of White's game, it's not every draft you get the chance to plug in a 240 pound linebacker that runs a 4.4 speed and already knows the entire defense before stepping foot into the building. This pick is as much culture based as it is talent, and with the impending departure of Gerald McCoy, the Bucs can look to White to lead the new regime.

6: New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State

I'm just simply not convinced that they pass on him. Eli's game has plummeted over the years, and Kyle Lauletta isn't the long term answer. Haskins offers a wide range of skills and fresh life to a team that desperately needs it. Haskins can sit for a season and learn under the tutelage of Pat Shurmur before replacing Eli in 2020. The Giants can't afford to pass on a top QB two years in a row, and while I am not the biggest an of Haskins' game, he makes the most sense here.

7: Washington Redskins (Trade via JAX): Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

Alas, a trade! The Redskins roster is in win now mode, and with the loss of Alex Smith, the Redskins simply cannot rely on Case Keenum or Colt McCoy to get the job done. The Skins nab their future franchise QB by trading up 8 spots to land him. A high price to pay for a prospect whom most consider to be "boom or bust", but in today's era of the NFL quarterbacks are regarded higher than ever.

8: Detroit Lions: Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky

Dream scenario here for Matt Patricia as the highly versatile Allen falls right into their lap. Allen is the perfect fit for this defense and if I fully expect him to be the pick if he's available.

9: Buffalo Bills: TJ Hockenson, TE, Iowa

The Bills tight end room is.....not good to say the least. When you get an opportunity to draft the cleanest TE prospect in a decade to fix a deflated TE room, you run to the podium. The Bills nab my #4 overal player and add an NFL ready weapon to Josh Allen's arsenal.

10: Denver Broncos: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan

You want to talk ugly personnel groups? Take a look at the Broncos middle linebackers. New coach Vic Fangio is a defensive minded guy who has coached guys such as Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis, and budding star Roquan Smith. Fangio lands his future leader and my top LB in the class, as it feels like this pick has been a long time coming since the combine ended.

11: Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State

This pick is completely foggy to me. With all the top QB options off the board and being unable to find a successful trade partner, the Bengals opt for the best pass blocking tackle in the draft.

12: Green Bay Packers: Rashan Gary, EDGE, Michigan

Packers added pass rushers Zadarius and Preston Smith this offseason to help bolster their pass rush but I'm not convinced they're done adding to that unit. Packers nab the highly athletic and versatile Gary to add to new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's arsenal. Pettine is known for his multi look defense, one that allows Gary to fully embrace his versatility whether it be on the edge or the interior.

13: Miami Dolphins: Christian Wilkins, iDL, Clemson

This pick makes too much sense. New HC Brian Flores has openly discussed the new high character culture he's trying to instill, and Wilkins embodies that to a tee. New defensive line coach Marion Hobby was also Clemson's co-dc from 2011-2016. All signs lead me to believe this is the pick.

14: Atlanta Falcons: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State

The best pure edge rusher in the class falls to a team whose best pass rusher is Vic Beasley. Burns is a plug and play guy from day 1 who would be my bet to lead that team in sacks as a rookie.

15: Jacksonville Jaguars (Trade via Wash): Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama

The Jags find themselves in a dream scenario here as they take the guy they wanted at 7. Williams is the best OL in the class and while this may not be the sexiest pick, the Jags found themsevles having to settle for Ereck Flowers at one point last season. To me, this is as easy of a pick as it gets this draft.

16: Carolina Panthers: Cody Ford, OT, Oklahoma

A chance to add the best run blocking OL in the draft to a run first team with an abysmal line? Yup, that'll work.

17: New York Giants: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

The Giants add an anchor to the offensive line to help bolster the run game and protect Eli/Haskins' blindside. Taylor is a pro ready mauler in the run game who showed plus flashes of pass pro all season. His development year by year at Florida was notably impressive, and I expect him to step right in and have no problems.

18: Minnesota Vikings: Garrett Bradbury, iOL, Nc State

It's no secret the Vikings need help on the interior, and they land a versatile interior lineman with experience at all 3 positions. Bradbury excelled in a zone blocking scheme at Nc State and should transition fluidly to Minnesota. Vikings can plug Bradbury into the center spot and kick Pat Elflein back to his natural postion at guard.

19: Tennessee Titans: Chris Lindstrom, iOL, Boston College

With Brian Burns off the board and uncertainty surrounding Montez Sweat, the Titans opt for Lindstrom, an experienced starter whose versatility should allow him to start day 1 over Kevin Pamphile.

20: Pittsburgh Steelers: Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple

It has come to my attention that Ya-Sin has gradually been trending upwards this whole process, and rumors have it that the Steelers have pegged him as their #1 CB. With them being in the market for a CB, I'm buying into the rumors. Ya-Sin isn't very high on my board, but schematically it makes sense and given that the Steelers reached on a secondary player last season to fit their scheme, it wouldn't shock me to see history repeat itself.

21: New England Patriots (Trade with Sea): Noah Fant, TE, Iowa

The Pats have 12 draft picks this year. Knowing the histoy of their front office, a trade up here wouldn't shock me one bit. Going from Gronk to Fant is about as smooth of a transition as Favre to Rodgers. The evil empire makes a power move and adds an elite talent and the #9 player on my board.

22: Baltimore Ravens: D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss

FINALLY! The first receiver is off the board as Ozzie Newsome can't overlook the talented Metcalf. The 6'4 freak blew up the combine with an historic workout, and his on field skillset smoothly correlates with the Ravens offensive identity. Lamar gets his big man WR and some much needed help.

23: Houston Texans: Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State

Best available offensive lineman. That's it.

24: Oakland Raiders: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

Everything about this pick is perfect. Raiders need help on the outside and Greedy's height and swagger perfectly matches what Gruden is building his defense towards.

25: Philadelphia Eagles: Marquise Brown, WR, Oklahoma

This has long felt like this the direction the Eagles are heading towards. Brown has world class speed and is one of the better vertical threats in the draft. Perosnally, I feel this is a huge reach for Philly but this seems to be the expectation tonight. Side note: there is no precedent for a player of Brown's size going RD1. It could happen, but it never has before. Something interesting to watch for tonight.

26: Indianapolis Colts: Jeffery Simmons, iDL, Mississippi State

The Colts fill a monster need and add my #3 overall player in the process. Simmons is coming off a torn ACL he suffered a few days before the combine, and there is a chance he does not see the field his entire rookie season. However, GM Chris Ballard had proven to be a believer in a process over immediate results. Simmons' talent is too glaring and while he won't make the immediate impact they'd hoped for, his ceiling is worth the wait.

27: Oakland Raiders: Joshua Jacobs, RB, Alabama

Did the Raiders really just take a RB who never eclipsed 1k yards in a season? Of course they did. Jacobs saw his star rise quickly last Fall with a breakout season for the Crimson Tide. His bruising running style and receiving abilities are ideal for what Gruden wants in his offense, and coming from an offense where he wasn't the feature back means less miles on his legs. With the recent retirement of Marshawn Lynch, all arrows point to this being the pick.

28: Los Angeles Chargers: Jerry Tillery, iDL, Notre Dame

The Chargers stay hot with their recent run of first round picks and snag another gem in Jerry Tillery. Tillery was borderline unblokckable up until his shoulder injury that clearly affected his play. After successful offseason surgery, the Chargers benefit yet again from other team's incompetence and land another premier player at a position of need cough cough Derwin James

29: Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy, CB, Washington

Seahawks score a ball hawking corner that fits their scheme. Montez Sweat is in consideration but the Seahawks ulitmately opt for the hometown playmaker that fills a big position of need.

30: Green Bay Packers: N'Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State

After solidfying the defensive line, the Packers look to add some extra support for Aaron Rodgers. Packers prefered Noah Fant, but with the Pats trading up they will settle for a YAC machine and physical receiver in Harry. He is the perfect complement to Da'vante Adams, and a neccessary choice to help shore up that unit.

31: New York Jets (Trade with LAR): Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State

The slide finally comes to a halt for the talented edge rusher. The Jets make a ballsy move and trade back into the first to solidy what would be an elite unit. Gregg Williams' new 4-3 scheme calls for a hand in the dirt pass rusher of Sweat's caliber, and the only way to land him is by being aggressive. Statement pick her for Maccagnon

32: Houston Texas (Trade with Sea): Erik McCoy, iOL, Texas A&M

More. Offensive. Line. Notice a trend? Texans need offensive line help in the worst way possible and have the picks to make this move up. They snag a very underrated interior lineman to pair with their newly acquired franchise tackle.

Well guys, that was fun. If you are a draft fan I highly recommend giving this a whirl sometime. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

[lcgacyofages-a]

low rank warden at the end of HLTA: We have no one left of significant rank! Arik, appearing in the courtyard covered in blood with his sword resting on his shoulder and a death gleam in his eye: The Orlesians don’t, anyway.