PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KuCoin today announced the return of PROOF, its flagship trading competition series, with Go The Distance, a cycling-inspired campaign that brings KuCoin’s partnership with Global Brand Ambassador Tadej Pogačar to its global user community. Running from September 25 to November 15, 2026, the campaign combines spot, futures and VIP activities, individual and team competitions, and exclusive cycling prizes, with over 800,000 USDT in rewards available to eligible users.

Go The Distance draws inspiration from the discipline, resilience and sustained commitment behind Pogačar’s achievements, most recently demonstrated by his fifth Tour de France title. These values also shaped the recent Pogi Challenge, where professional riders, families and cycling enthusiasts came together while supporting community initiatives. The campaign carries this spirit into the KuCoin community, translating the mindset behind elite cycling—endurance, teamwork and the determination to keep moving forward—into a shared experience for users.

Featured prizes include a custom-branded KuCoin bicycle, 5 UAE Team Emirates – XRG jerseys signed by Pogačar, 5 Pogi Team 2026 jerseys, and exclusive KuCoin × Tadej Pogačar merchandise. These prizes bring the cycling theme to life, offering participants a tangible connection to Pogačar and the sport.

The campaign features a series of activities:

• Spot trading activities: Eligible trades earn prize-draw entries for merchandise, USDT rewards and trading fee vouchers.
• Futures lucky draw: Starting October 8, qualifying trades and campaign tasks earn participants draw tickets.
• Individual futures competition: From October 12 to 30, eligible participants compete for rewards and Futures Points based on trading volume.
• Team futures competition: Teams compete from October 12 to 30, with rankings based on team P&L and participation subject to qualification requirements.
• VIP trading competition: VIP trading competition from October 26 to November 15.

This edition of PROOF gives the KuCoin community new ways to engage with the partnership through individual challenges, team competition and cycling-themed rewards. Building on a relationship rooted in long-term commitment, Go The Distance connects the values behind Pogačar’s achievements with an experience users can share.

Visit KuCoin PROOF: Go The Distance for registration and the full campaign schedule.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO 22301:2019 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

Disclaimer

The information is for corporate PR purposes only and does not constitute endorsement or investment advice.

A Gene Solutions study published in American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG) Global Reports finds cell-free DNA fragmentomic patterns associated with spontaneous preterm birth, pointing to a potential path toward earlier pregnancy-risk assessment.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gene Solutions, a global biotechnology company providing precision cell-free DNA solutions through multi-omics and artificial intelligence to improve pregnancy care, cancer detection and precision medicine, today announced the publication of a study showing the potential to assess the risk of spontaneous preterm birth from cell-free DNA fragmentomic signals already present in routine first-trimester non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) data.

Published in AJOG Global Reports, the study, “First-Trimester Non-Invasive Prediction of Preterm Birth Using Cell-Free DNA Fragmentomics,” examined whether sequencing data already generated for NIPT could also provide an earlier molecular indication of spontaneous preterm-birth risk.

Over the past decade, NIPT has become a widely used first-trimester screening option that is both safe and highly accurate. By analyzing cell-free DNA circulating in maternal blood–predominantly maternal cfDNA, with a minor fetal-derived fraction – NIPT has transformed prenatal care by enabling screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and selected genetic disorders.

Since launching triSure in 2018, Gene Solutions has expanded its prenatal portfolio from chromosomal screening to include maternal carrier screening in 2022, followed by selected dominant single-gene disorders and microdeletions in 2023. Now supporting millions of pregnancies, triSure is the NIPT platform from which Gene Solutions is investigating a new frontier: whether the same cell-free DNA data can also reveal signals associated with pregnancy complications.

The discovery was enabled by DNAsphere.AI, Gene Solutions’ proprietary precision data and AI platform, which integrates large-scale, well-annotated datasets with multi-omic analysis and machine learning to uncover clinically meaningful cell-free DNA signals across multiple precision-health applications.

The study analyzed fragmentomics, including the length, positioning and molecular ends of cfDNA fragments, for biological patterns associated with spontaneous preterm birth.

“NIPT demonstrated that a maternal blood sample can provide meaningful genetic information about a pregnancy. Our research asks the next question: What additional insights can the same cell-free DNA data provide?” said Dr. Cuong Nguyen, Principal Investigator at Gene Solutions. “By combining routine NIPT data with the multi-omic and machine learning capabilities of DNAsphere.AI, we can investigate biological signals that extend beyond what DNA encodes and explore how cell-free DNA fragments are formed.”

AI-driven signals in routine NIPT data

Using machine learning, researchers identified recurring patterns at the ends of cell-free DNA fragments that differed between pregnancies that ended in spontaneous preterm birth and those that reached term. These patterns, known as end motifs, may reflect biological changes during pregnancy.

“Just as the first and last letters of words can reveal recurring linguistic patterns, the molecular ends of cfDNA fragments can reveal patterns in how DNA is released into the bloodstream,” said Dr. Hoa Giang, Co-founder and Chief Data Science Officer at Gene Solutions. “Our machine learning model analyzes these end motifs as a system-level readout of biological processes that may be associated with spontaneous preterm birth.”

In the study’s held-out validation cohort, the end-motif model achieved an AUC of 0.970, with 94% sensitivity at a specificity above 90%. The findings remain preliminary and require confirmation in larger, prospectively enrolled populations. Importantly, the AI analysis used existing first-trimester NIPT data and did not require another blood draw or additional sequencing.

Advancing toward multinational prospective validation

Gene Solutions is advancing prospective research to assess the model’s performance across diverse populations, sequencing settings, and models of prenatal care. The program will evaluate real-world clinical performance, appropriate risk thresholds, integration with established maternal and obstetric risk factors, and how an early signal could support more personalized pregnancy monitoring.

A prospective observational study registered in Vietnam is evaluating cfDNA and clinical information for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, with an estimated enrollment of 1,105 participants.

Additional prospective research collaborations are being established with multiple clinical centers in India to support validation across ethnically and geographically diverse populations.

“Our ambition is not simply adding another score to an NIPT report,” said Dr. Sang Hung Tang, Medical Director at Gene Solutions. “It is to establish whether an earlier molecular warning can help physicians provide more informed surveillance and, ultimately, give more babies the opportunity to be born at a healthier gestational age. That requires strong prospective evidence, responsible clinical implementation, and close collaboration with obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and healthcare systems.”

Building the next generation of pregnancy intelligence

The research demonstrates how the DNAsphere.AI precision data platform can transform large-scale multi-omic and clinical data into new biological insights from cell-free DNA across pregnancy care and precision medicine.

At ISPD 2026, the company also presented emerging research into AI-driven biomarkers for preterm birth and gestational diabetes, describing a potential future in which prenatal testing offers broader insight into genetic conditions and pregnancy health from a single blood draw.

These findings form part of a wider shift in international prenatal cfDNA research. In August 2026, an independent study published in AJOG Global Reports evaluated multimodal first-trimester cfDNA analysis for predicting preterm and term preeclampsia. That same month, a separate study published in Science Translational Medicine analyzed 1,910 first-trimester cfDNA samples and found that fragment-length, end-motif and cell-of-origin signals could help stratify adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with immune-mediated disease. Although these studies examined different complications, populations and analytical approaches, their findings point toward a common scientific direction: cfDNA may provide insight into pregnancy biology beyond fetal chromosomal status.

“We are seeing scientific convergence across independent research groups worldwide,” said Dr. Hoa Giang. “Different teams are finding that cell-free DNA carries biological information beyond chromosomal status. That strengthens the rationale for rigorous prospective validation and for exploring how routine NIPT data could support a broader understanding of pregnancy health.”

Gene Solutions is contributing to this emerging field through its research into spontaneous preterm birth and gestational diabetes mellitus, supported by multinational prospective validation programs. The preterm-birth classifier remains investigational and is not intended to diagnose preterm labor, replace established obstetric assessment or direct treatment without further clinical validation.

About the Preterm Birth Study

The full article, “First-Trimester Non-Invasive Prediction of Preterm Birth Using Cell-Free DNA Fragmentomics,” is available in AJOG Global Reports: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xagr.2026.100692

Read the full Scientific Recap at: https://genesolutions.com/news/gene-solutions-study-in-ajog-global-reports-shows-routine-nipt-data-may-help-predict-first-trimester-preterm-birth-risk

About Gene Solutions

Gene Solutions is a global biotechnology company advancing precision cell-free DNA solutions across cancer detection, precision oncology and pregnancy care. By combining multi-omic science, data intelligence and a scalable technology platform, Gene Solutions brings world-class genomics closer to clinicians and patients, expanding access to clinically meaningful innovation around the world.

For more information, visit www.genesolutions.com.

Media contact:
pr@genesolutions.com

• Whether beneficiaries are ready to manage what they inherit is the biggest concern among those worried their wealth won’t survive, cited by 52%, ahead of market volatility (49%) and family conflict over assets (44%).
• 70% worry their wealth won’t survive the next generation, even as documented plans have doubled since 2025. 
• Nearly three-quarters (74%) of families planning a financial legacy intend to pass on values, knowledge or life lessons alongside financial assets. 
• Asia’s wealthiest families worry less about family conflict and more about investment risk, tax complexity and trust in their advisors.

HONG KONG, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — New research from Sun Life Asia reveals that the biggest threat to preserving wealth across generations may not be market volatility or family conflict, but whether beneficiaries are ready to manage what they inherit. While legacy planning is becoming more common across Asia, only one in five people say they feel fully prepared to pass on their legacy today. 

Sun Life Asia’s latest Passing the Torch: When legacy means more than money report found a significant shift in how people across Asia think about the legacy they want to leave behind. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of people surveyed intend to pass on values, knowledge or life lessons as part of their legacy plan alongside financial assets. At the same time, 70% worry their wealth may not be preserved beyond the next generation and only 20% say they feel fully prepared to pass on their legacy today, reinforcing the growing recognition that a lasting legacy depends not only on what is passed on, but whether future generations are equipped to manage it.

The study also found that legacy planning continues to gain momentum across the region. The proportion of people with a fully documented and communicated legacy plan more than doubled from 10% in 2025 to 22% in 2026, while the proportion with no plan at all fell from 31% to 15%.

David Broom, Chief Client and Distribution Officer at Sun Life Asia, said: “A legacy plan is not complete simply because it’s been written down. It needs to give families a shared understanding of what the wealth is for, what principles should guide its use, and how the next generation can carry that responsibility forward. That is how planning on paper becomes something that can endure in practice.”

Legacy means more than money

For most families, legacy means more than money. Skills and education (33%), family values (32%) and life lessons (31%) rank among the things people most want to leave behind, alongside money and property. Providing opportunity through education carries particular weight, ranking among the region’s top three legacy priorities overall (48%). Even among those planning to leave financial assets, funding education (45%) sits just behind providing financial support to family members during their lifetime (50%) and essential family needs (52%).

What families want their wealth to achieve tells the same story. Six in 10 (61%) want it to create long-term opportunity for the people they love, and 52% want it to cover essentials such as housing and healthcare. The money still matters, but increasingly as a way to pass on security and possibility rather than as the legacy itself.

Planning is developing faster than confidence

Planning is becoming more disciplined, but confidence has not moved with it. The number of people with a fully documented and communicated plan has more than doubled in a year, from 10% in 2025 to 22% in 2026, while the share with no plan at all has fallen from 31% to 15%. Confidence hasn’t moved at the same pace, as only 20% of people feel fully prepared today, almost unchanged from 19% a year ago. Professional advice is closely associated with greater preparedness, with nearly half of those surveyed (46%) having sought professional legacy planning advice, up from 37% in 2025. Among them, 79% feel financially prepared for their legacy, compared with 44% of those who have not sought advice but would like to.

Anxiety is highest among those with the most time to plan. Three-quarters (76%) of Gen Z and Millennials worry their wealth won’t last, against 66% of Gen X and 59% of Baby Boomers. Yet younger people are also the most optimistic about the reach of what they leave, with 65% of Gen Z and 67% of Millennials believing their wealth will have a lasting, multi-generational impact, compared with 51% of Baby Boomers.

Each generation tends to credit the other with better financial literacy. More than half (58%) of Gen X and Baby Boomers think the younger members of their family are more financially literate than they are, while 61% of Gen Z and Millennials say the same of the generation before them.

That mutual regard sits alongside a real worry about readiness. Whether beneficiaries are ready to manage what they inherit is families’ single biggest concern, cited by 52% of those worried their wealth won’t last, ahead of market volatility (49%) and conflict over assets (44%). More than a quarter (27%) name a lack of financial literacy in the next generation as one of the greatest risks to preserving family wealth, and a further 25% worry the next generation will lack the confidence to manage what comes their way. Advisors are increasingly helping families start these conversations. Four in 10 people say communication with the next generation has taken place, at least in part, through a financial advisor, up from 15% in 2025.

David Broom added: “Passing on wealth can be a straightforward decision, but preparing someone to manage it is a much longer process. Families that involve the next generation early can use those conversations to build financial judgment, clarify expectations and reduce uncertainty before responsibility changes hands. A trusted financial advisor can help families navigate those conversations with greater confidence and turn good intentions into a plan that everyone understands.”

For wealthy families, managing complexity matters more than managing conflict

For Asia’s wealthiest families, the picture looks different. Where the general population worries most about family readiness and the risk of conflict over assets, high-net-worth individuals are far less concerned by the prospect of a family falling out. One-fifth (20%) see disputes as a major threat to preserving wealth, compared with 34% across the general population surveyed. Their concerns lie instead with the fundamentals of preserving wealth: making the right investment decisions, managing tax and legal complexity, and having confidence in the institutions that manage it.

Poor investment decisions are seen as a risk by 37% of high-net-worth respondents, compared with 24% of the general population, and 29% point to tax or legal complexity, against 18%. Among those who are worried that their wealth may not be preserved beyond the next generation, 40% cite confidence in the advisors or institutions managing their wealth, versus 25% of the wider group.

More than eight in 10 (83%) of high-net-worth individuals surveyed believe advisors should play a role in legacy planning, and 63% think advisors should take the lead, playing a far more central role compared to the general population. For these families, preserving wealth across generations has become as much a question of governance and trusted counsel as of family harmony.

Sujoy Ghosh, CEO of Sun Life Private Wealth, said: “Preserving wealth for high-net-worth families is not simply about avoiding family conflict. Having confidence in the decisions that shape that wealth, from investments to how it is structured for the next generation, is equally important. That makes trusted advice critical. Families increasingly need advisors who can bring the right expertise together, navigate complexity and help them make sound decisions across borders and generations.”

Across every wealth tier, the research points to the same underlying shift: that families are increasingly considering not just what they will pass down, but whether the next generation is ready to receive it.

The full report is available here.

About this survey

This is Sun Life Asia’s second annual legacy planning survey, following 2025’s Passing the Torch: Building Lasting Legacies in Asia. Fieldwork was conducted in August 2026 across six markets – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam – gathering responses from 3,073 people across wealth levels and generations.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2026, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.70 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

SHANGHAI, Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In the heart of Jing’an District, Alila Shanghai marked its second anniversary with an exclusive event under the theme “Celebrating the world of Alila” uniting the global Alila family for a night of celebration and connection.

This year’s celebration gained deeper significance through the collaboration of all three Alila properties in China: Alila Shanghai, Alila Wuzhen, and Alila Dong’ao Island. The evening featured both a lively cocktail party and an elegant gala dinner, welcoming a curated group of media, VIPs, distinguished guests, owner company representatives, and members of the Hyatt APAC leadership team.

Guests enjoyed a culinary journey co-created by the three Chinese properties alongside guest chefs from Alila Villas Uluwatu, Alila Napa Valley and Alila Jabal Akhdar. Their philosophies, rooted in local ingredients and gastronomic heritage, defined the evening. Bespoke cocktails inspired by the three Chinese properties and a custom cocktail menu by a mixologist from HOPE&SESAME – the No. 1 bar on the 2026 ASIA’s 50 BEST Bars list – completed the gastronomic experience. Storytelling sessions on sustainability further enriched the evening’s narrative. Intangible cultural heritage artist Jiang Honglin’s paper-cut art quietly imbues the night’s finer details with the serene essence of Eastern aesthetics.

The event also featured spectacular live performances: a drone light show and a water-mirror dance, adding layers of visual wonder to the celebration.

“Tonight, Alila Shanghai’s anniversary brings together our global family,” said Mr. Jtawen Yap, Area Director of Greater China & General Manager of Alila Shanghai. “Meaningful beauty lies in simplicity, and the most transformative moments can be the quietest.”

This first-of-its-kind gathering among sister properties marked a defining moment for Alila in China, showcasing the brand’s distinctive approach to luxury hospitality.

About Alila Shanghai

Alila Shanghai is a serene sanctuary in the heart of the city, inspiring genuine self-connection and deep inward exploration while guiding guests to discover the vibrant energy of Shanghai’s culture. The hotel features 186 rooms, including 94 suites, along with signature dining venues such as Weihai 500 Chinese Restaurant, Garden Pavilion Japanese Restaurant, Chayan@ 5TH tea house, and Secret Roof bar overlooking the historic Shikumen architecture of Zhangyuan. Committed to fresh, seasonal, and sustainably sourced local produce, the hotel delivers a diverse and health-conscious culinary experience.