Web3 Latest News 2023/4/3
NFTs
Sotheby’s Sells Rare CryptoPunks NFTs for $13.3M: In March 2023, Sotheby’s auctioned off nine rare CryptoPunks NFTs, which fetched a total of $13.3 million. The sale included some of the rarest and most valuable CryptoPunks, including the famous Zombie and Ape NFTs. The auction was a huge success and highlighted the growing demand for high-quality NFTs.
Visa Buys CryptoPunk NFT for Nearly $150,000: In February 2023, payment giant Visa announced that it had purchased a CryptoPunk NFT for nearly $150,000. The move was seen as a major endorsement of the NFT space by a major corporation, and sparked renewed interest in CryptoPunks specifically.
Digital Art Platform Async Art Raises $7.5M: In January 2023, digital art platform Async Art announced that it had raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round. The platform allows artists to create dynamic, programmable NFTs that can change over time, providing a new level of interactivity and engagement for collectors.
NFT Market OpenSea Raises $100M in Funding: In December 2022, NFT marketplace OpenSea announced that it had raised $100 million in a Series B funding round. The platform has seen explosive growth in recent years, with more and more artists and collectors flocking to the site to buy and sell NFTs.
First-Ever NFT Art Exhibit Opens in New York City: In November 2022, a new art exhibit called “NFT: Beyond the Hype” opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The exhibit featured a range of NFT artworks from a variety of artists, and aimed to showcase the potential of NFTs as a new form of artistic expression.
Metaverse
Decentraland, a popular blockchain-based virtual world, announced the launch of its new marketplace for buying, selling, and trading virtual land and assets. The marketplace, called the Decentraland Exchange, is designed to make it easier for users to monetize their creations and build their virtual businesses. (Source: CoinDesk, March 22, 2023)
Nvidia, a leading manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs), announced its plans to launch a new line of chips specifically designed for powering metaverse applications. The new chips, called Omniverse Chips, are expected to provide more efficient and powerful performance for virtual world environments. (Source: VentureBeat, March 29, 2023)
Roblox, a popular online gaming platform with a strong presence in the metaverse, announced that it has acquired the virtual goods marketplace Fabrik Games. This acquisition is seen as a move by Roblox to expand its offerings beyond gaming and into the broader metaverse space. (Source: TechCrunch, March 24, 2023)
Ubisoft, a leading game publisher and developer, announced the launch of its new metaverse platform, called Ubisoft Connect Worlds. The platform is designed to allow users to create and share their own virtual worlds, and will be integrated with the company's existing game titles. (Source: The Verge, March 28, 2023)
Blockchain
Square Announces Plans to Build a Decentralized Bitcoin Exchange: Square, the financial services company headed by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has announced plans to build a decentralized exchange (DEX) for Bitcoin. The exchange will be built on top of the Bitcoin blockchain and will allow users to trade Bitcoin without relying on a centralized intermediary. The project is still in its early stages, and Square has not yet released any details on when the DEX will launch.
China's Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Trial Sees Over 10 Million Transactions: China's digital yuan, the CBDC being developed by the country's central bank, has reportedly processed over 10 million transactions in its latest trial. The trial was conducted in several cities across China, and involved giving away digital yuan to citizens in the form of "red envelopes" during the Chinese New Year holiday. The trial is seen as a major milestone in the development of the digital yuan, which is expected to become the world's first fully-fledged CBDC.
European Investment Bank Issues €100 Million Bond Using Ethereum: The European Investment Bank (EIB) has issued a €100 million bond using the Ethereum blockchain. The bond was issued in collaboration with banking giants Goldman Sachs, Santander, and Societe Generale. The use of blockchain technology allowed the bond to be issued and settled more efficiently, reducing the need for intermediaries and streamlining the bond issuance process.
NBA Top Shot Becomes Largest NFT Marketplace with Over $1 Billion in Sales: NBA Top Shot, the blockchain-based platform for buying and selling officially licensed NBA collectibles, has become the largest NFT marketplace by sales volume, with over $1 billion in sales to date. The platform uses blockchain technology to ensure the authenticity and scarcity of each collectible, which has driven demand among sports fans and collectors. NBA Top Shot is seen as a major milestone for the mainstream adoption of NFTs and blockchain technology.