Web3 projects are the talk of the current digital scene, with thousands of new companies coming to life every day in an attempt to ride out this global wave with their own product releases. Unfortunately, reality has shown most of these offerings do not provide any tangible value to their players or user bases. Instead, they rely on superficial hype of cryptocurrencies, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and related buzzwords, a seemingly unnatural method to pursue user growth. At present, these efforts result in short-term successes and unsustainable growth. To ensure projects are built on foundations that enable long-term value, startups are …

A new protocol has bold ambitions to become the feed of Web3. RSS3 is an open-sourced information syndication protocol — a search engine that delivers an aggregated human-readable feed about every crypto wallet in existence. The project has been built on three core ideologies: Transparency, decentralization and modularity. Founders say they're determined to ensure no single, authoritative figure controls everything — and want to encompass everything going on in this fast-moving space. RSS3 says its product is a convenient way to know everything addresses, with keywords to be added in the near future. Intuitive features allow you to keep track …

Arbitrum is one of Ethereum’s layer-2 scaling solutions designed to improve smart contracts’ efficiency and transaction execution on the network while reducing fees drastically and adding extra privacy features. L2 networks are software that sit on top of the base layer of a blockchain like Bitcoin or Ethereum to boost the platform’s efficiency and offer inexpensive transactions. In recent years, Ethereum’s surge in the development and adoption of Web3, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized applications (DApps) has resulted in the platform’s excessive congestion leading to skyrocketing fees. Different solutions have been explored to resolve Ethereum’s scalability, including layer-1 dedicated upgrades. …

Highly anticipated medieval strategy massively multiplayer online (MMO) game Blocklords is out, unraveling iconic characters, pitched battles and engrossing drama. A genre-defining grand strategy game of MetaKing Studio, Blocklords introduces players to a universe where players' actions have a bearing on their characters, other players and the medieval world around them. A captivating multi-player play-to-earn (P2E) game, Blocklords gives players the freedom to play the way they want. It is a distinct world in which the players drive the story, deciding the destiny of their heroes with their playing skills. Blocklords is not only brimming with fun but also enables …

American music giant Sony Music Entertainment has signaled intentions to utilize non-fungible tokens (NFTs) after filing a trademark application covering music and artists under the Columbia Records logo. According to an Aug. 30 trademark application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) shared by trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis on Sept. 6, the application covers "audio and video recordings featuring live musical performances authenticated by NFTs." #SonyMusic has filed a trademark application for the Columbia Records logo claiming plans to use it for: ▶️ NFT Backed Media ▶️ Music + Podcast Production ▶️ Artist Management + Music distribution services …

Gaming retailer GameStop is partnering with United States crypto exchange FTX US to bring more customers to crypto and work together on online marketing initiatives. In a Sept. 7 statement, the gaming retailer noted that the new partnership will introduce GameStop’s customers into the FTX ecosystem, including its marketplaces for digital assets, while also seeing the retailer become FTX’s “preferred retail partner in the United States.” The partnership will also see certain GameStop retail stores carrying FTX gift cards. As of Aug. 31, there are 2,970 GameStop stores across the United States. In its Q2 earnings call, GameStop CEO Matt …

Blockchain-focused incubator and adviser PANONY has closed a Series A funding round backed by NGC Ventures, one of Asia’s largest crypto investment firms, putting the company on track to expand its portfolio and geographic presence. Although funding terms weren’t disclosed, the Series A gave PANONY a valuation of $100 million, the company reported Monday. The Hong Kong-based PANONY said it would use the funds to expand into other jurisdictions, launch new service offerings and expand its networking capabilities. Founded in 2018 by Alyssa Tsai and Tongtong Bee, PANONY invests in blockchain- and Web3-focused startups and offers ongoing advisory and business …

Decentralized identity protocols Several identity protocols, from crypto startups to big tech solutions, deal with decentralized identification, and each has its specifics and features. Though the decentralized identity technology is fairly new, initiatives and players in the decentralized identity space, software for implementing decentralized identity wallets and supporting services are plentiful. They range from the Hyperledger open-source developing community, through a range of decentralized identity protocols and startups, to some of the biggest names in the industry. Decentralized identity protocols and private identity stores such as uPort or 3Box are called identity hubs. Recently, the Ethereum-based uPort platform split into …

Sovereign identity has been a hot topic in blockchain and cryptocurrency, especially with the rise of the creator economy. Currently, there are two types of digital identities— federated and centralized whereby data is in the control of the service provider. Self-sovereign digital identity is often cited as a human right that can reclaim agency using blockchain technology, but what frameworks exist that aid in governing it? On Aug. 2, NFT Steez, a bi-weekly Twitter Spaces hosted by Alyssa Expósito and Ray Salmond, met Marjorie Hernandez, the co-founder of LUKSO and The Dematerialized to discuss the state of blockchain-based identities and …

Snap Inc's CEO Evan Speigel announced in a note on Friday that the company had made the difficult decision to reduce the size of its workforce by approximately 20%. The note said that this round of layoffs comes after the company experienced slow revenue growth, a slump in stock prices, and a general lag behind its financial targets. Speigel shared: “Our forward-looking revenue visibility remains limited, and our current year-over-year QTD revenue growth of 8% is well below what we were expecting earlier this year.” Snap Inc. will now undertake the task of restructuring in an attempt to ensure the …

South Korea continues its immersion in Web3 and the Metaverse. After investing almost $200 million in the creation of its own metaverse ecosystem and publishing the “Metaverse Ethical Principles,” the country’s government is now preparing a “Metaverse Industry Promotion Law.” As reported by local media on Sep. 1, Heo Eun-ah, a member of the National Assembly with an entrepreneurial past, proposed the enactment of the Metaverse Industry Promotion Act to support the Web3 industry. A number of other National Assembly members supported the Eun-ah proposal. According to the bill, the Metaverse Policy Review Committee, subordinate directly to the Prime Minister, …

The demand for organizations to adopt blockchain technology is growing rapidly. Recent findings from market research and advisory firm Custom Market Insights found that the global blockchain technology market size was valued at $4.8 billion in 2021, yet this amount is expected to reach $69 billion by 2030. While notable, it’s become critical for the industry to enable rigorous research into the development of the blockchain sector. Tim Harrison, vice president of community and ecosystem at Input Output Global (IOG) — the developer arm behind the Cardano blockchain — told Cointelegraph that during the past year, the blockchain ecosystem has …