Seoul, South Korea – K-pop startup Modhaus has announced US$8m in funding for the development of its blockchain model Cosmo, dedicated to empower fan engagement through digital token purchases.

With said funding, Modhaus’ total fundraising adds up to US$12m. Investors include Sfermoin, alongside SM Culture Partners, Laguna Investment, Globalbrain (KDDI), and Foresight Ventures.

The new funding will aid in Modhaus’ vision of expanding Cosmo into “the K-pop equivalent of LinkedIn or Kickstarter.”

For the startup, Modhaus enables fans to directly elevate and influence artists, as opposed to producing content strictly for consumption. Its Cosmo platform uses blockchain technology to allow fans to purchase digital photocards that double as voting tokens. 

With this system, Cosmo empowers fans to actively participate in significant idol group-related decisions.

Jaden Jung, CEO and co-founder of Modhaus, said, “K-pop fans possess keen insights. With their sharp eyes for talent and trendspotting, we aim to enhance artist value through amplified fan involvement.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Baek, EVP and co-founder of Modhaus, commented, “Superfans are emerging as pivotal players in the music sphere. Strengthening the direct connection between fans and artists not only elevates the fan experience but also introduces a new level of engagement.”

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Global digital agency DEPT has launched its 300-person team WEB3/DEPT to support the fastest-growing segment of its business.

The team will be helping the agency’s clients experiment with blockchain technology, build immersive experiences in the metaverse, and deliver multi-layer strategies for launching NFTs.

The team will also introduce a new Web3 Labs platform to help both clients and employees better understand web3 fundamentals, including the difference between crypto coins and crypto tech, why decentralised tech is here to stay, and primers on wallets, NFTs, DAOs, marketplaces, and stablecoins, amongst others.

According to Isabel Perry, vice president at WEB3/DEPT, the launch will redefine how companies interact with their customers through Web3 and the metaverse. 

“But it’s hard for CMOs and CIOs to figure out where to start. Over the last two years, we’ve helped so many brands to redefine the way they interact with their customers that we feel it’s time to combine all this expertise and knowledge under the WEB3/DEPT banner,” she added.

Dimi Albers, CEO at DEPT, also said, “We want to lead the charge and help our clients navigate these transformational technologies for the next decade.”

He also said that what sets the team apart from others is the combination of its strong intellectual property, track record of delivering more than 60 web3 projects, R&D plans across EMEA, the US and Asia Pacific, and its diverse mix of engineers, creatives and strategies who get the web3 vision. 

The new team follows the launch of DEPT’s ‘Creative Automation Practice’, which was targeted at helping brands supercharge their creative output through technology.

Singapore – Public blockchain platform Solana has announced the official launch of SolSwipe, their first-ever debit card, on a global scale. Solana also holds its native currency of the same name, and is one of the well-known cryptocurrencies, aside Bitcoin and Ethereum.

The debit card launch is in line with SolSwipe’s roadmap of providing a unique service for Solana holders to transact in a seamless and convenient fashion through popular cryptocurrencies. 

In addition, it allows Web3 reloading with Phantom, a Solana-based wallet built for Defi and NFTs. The debit card is created for accessibility and supports Solana (SOL) and USD Coin (USDC) as well as other major chains, such as Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain.

They can be used globally for digital purchases, point of sale (POS) and on any Visa-compatible ATMs. 

Aside from the debit card launch, SolSwipe also debuted its NFT collection on September 12. The SolSwipe NFTs are available for mint at 1.25 Sol with a low supply of 6666 NFTs. Holders will enjoy reduced loading fees and are eligible for exclusive rewards shared from a portion of the royalties and loading fees incurred.

Manila, Philippines – Local actress and host Yassi Pressman has recently launched a local play-to-earn (P2E) platform called ‘Players Elite Guild’ (PEG), allowing Filipinos to earn from the current Web3 economy.

The new P2E platform is developed by blockchain architect Liezl Pecson, and is secured via the BLOX, a decentralised blockchain that will help process and validate transactions via smart contracts executed via their own token.

According to Pressman, her new venture will help all types of gamers have the greatest experience possible.

“For example, the platform’s features will help professionalise and stabilise the income of full-time players, while reducing the learning curve – and friction – of casual players who wish to dabble in different games,” she explained.

PEG invites its community members into an inclusive business culture that promotes self-improvement and unity, while focusing on sharing the educational tools that target the individual opportunities that exist for community members to use Web3.0 to develop financial freedom for themselves and their families.

Pressman added, “Our platform will cater to gamers from all backgrounds. We want to show that P2E – like e-commerce – can be for every Filipino forward-thinking enough to give the space a try.”

She also explained that they also want to build winning relationships with game developers, game operators, and other industry stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Pecson commented, “Our development is guided entirely by the needs of our users – in this case, both gamers and game developers. For game developers, we’re enabling them to incorporate P2E models right into their ecosystem with a full suite of tools. For gamers, we’re enabling them to do what they do best: have fun while earning.”

Pressman also appreciated that BLOX, like PEG, is inherently democratic. Filipinos can participate in the success of BLOX by mining BLX, its native token, on their Mac or PC. Doing so rewards miners with BLX, which will be publicly listed in August on Coexstar, which is licensed by both the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

“It’s rare for Filipinos to get the opportunity to participate in the broader success of an ecosystem. That’s why I would encourage them to mine BLX from their desktop. By mining, they gain a foothold in the future of BLX, PEG, and indeed the very foundation of Web3.0 in the Philippines,” she concluded.

Vietnam – Ancient8, a blockchain gaming guild in Vietnam, has closed a US$6m private round of financing led by Makers Fund and C² Ventures, with participation from existing and new investors Pantera Capital, 6th Man Ventures, and IOSG Ventures, amongst others. This round of financing brings Ancient8’s total capital raised to US$10m.

Ancient8 helps GameFi studios reach passionate gamers and run web3-native targeted advertising through its GameFi Identity product and launchpads. Gamers and crypto communities will soon be able to create GameFi identity profiles to track and showcase their achievements in Web3, discover high-quality blockchain games, and access guild scholarships and blockchain education more effectively.

With this round of financing, Ancient8 will be accelerating the development of the infrastructure for GameFi and the Metaverse by building its next-generation software products, community, and guild. It is also developing a number of software products designed to underpin the future of blockchain-based game development. 

In the coming months, Ancient8 will be launching its GameFi Identity product and a pair of GameFi Token and NFT Launchpads designed to enhance the go-to-market strategy of Web3 games. These products will help the platform connect top blockchain games with its deeply engaged global community of GameFi enthusiasts and enable users to enjoy the most intuitive experience possible in the world of Web3.

Howard Xu, Ancient8’s co-founder, noted that they will continue to expand their product offerings, partner with more innovative projects and games, and grow their influence and reach with a large global community.

“As cultivators of the first native generation of Metaverse citizens, we are excited to be building the foundational infrastructure that will drive mainstream GameFi adoption,” said Xu.

Hanoi, Vietnam – Vietnam’s technology solutions and digital entertainment content provider Appota Group has closed a financing round led by Mirae Asset Venture Investment, with participation from other strategic partners. The investment is earmarked for developing the company’s blockchain ecosystem based on its 10-year gaming publishing business.

Anthony Tran, Appota’s group co-founder and COO, commented, “We are excited to have Mirae Venture on this journey. As an Appota investor since 2017, Mirae’s guidance has been crucial to our focus on continuous innovation. This initiative will make blockchain technology more accessible to gamers, developers, and community members.”

One project, ChainVerse, aims to serve hundreds of local independent game studios by removing the steep learning curve and letting developers focus on building great games. Tuan Nguyen, ChainVerse’s CEO, said: “We provide developers with powerful, effective, and affordable tools for integrating blockchain digital assets and reaching 50 million mobile users in Appota’s ecosystem.”

Meanwhile, another project initiative, AceStarter, is a next-generation launchpad that curates and launches world-class blockchain projects globally. The platform is a bridge that connects communities and investors with high-potential, early-stage offerings.

Tran shared, “With ChainVerse and AceStarter, we are well poised to capitalise on opportunities, not unlike the early Internet revolution. Appota will debut products relating to game guilds management platform and web3 game streaming platform by the end of this year.”

Hanoi, Vietnam — The Vietnam Blockchain Association held its inaugural ceremony on May 17th, 2021, becoming the first organization with a legal entity that will represent blockchain researchers, business owners and consultants in the whole country.

The inauguration marked the official start of the association and the principles and the directions for future activities. The event’s focus was on the series of Action Programs that promote blockchain technology’s application in a digital economy and leverage Vietnam’s position on the global technology map. The programs aim to bolster the research and application of blockchain technology solutions to every economic aspect

The association’s missions are; to establish and develop a sustainable relationship with global Blockchain organizations and community; to share insights and resources for in-depth research, experiment, and application of Blockchain, to develop products and services and conducting business in compliance with Vietnamese law, and to attract investment to blockchain industry activities, and develop high – quality human resource in digital technology.

Vietnam has witnessed the rapid introduction and development of Blockchain technology. As the number of enterprises, researchers, and engineers pursuing the technology increases, the need for collaboration, sharing, and support with the government agencies also needs to be increased. Therefore, an official organisation with a complete legal entity to adapt to the Vietnamese Blockchain community’s expansion speed and strong development goals is vital.

At the ceremony, Tran Van Tung, deputy minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said, “Hopefully the Association will utilize its resources for technology and science projects in blockchain so Vietnam can create outstanding products, become an active player in the global blockchain market, and nurture the industry talents for the future.”

Meanwhile, Hoang Van Huay, chairman of the Vietnam Blockchain Association, shared their vision, commenting, “Vietnam Blockchain Association is committed to raising the community awareness and providing consultation on building legal framework, regulations, and standards in developing services and products on Blockchain. We hope to see many enterprises and individuals joining us to grow the Association into a strong organization to accelerate the growth of blockchain technology in Vietnam.”

Sydney Australia – Block Earner, a blockchain-powered fintech company, is moving blockchain and decentralised finance out of tech savvy circles by embracing standard advertising codes with its first-ever OOH campaign in Sydney. The campaign is designed to increase awareness and brand recognition in an increasingly competitive space, and deliver the next generation of financial products to Australians. 

With a minimalist design, the ad simply invites on-the-move people to search for Block Earner online, where a multi-channel digital marketing campaign has been designed to boost awareness, engagement and conversion. Search results also provide curious consumers with a flurry of established and trusted sources that detail the Block Earner story, but also invite them to learn what decentralised finance has in store for them. 

About the choice of an outdoor campaign, Colin Williamson, head of digital and growth at Block Earner, said they want to be in the mainstream consciousness.

“Decentralised finance has many benefits for consumers, but it’s a new space, and we need to help grow the general awareness of it, overcome scepticism and build trust with the people, and give them the tools to grasp the concept, Williamson said.

“This outdoor campaign acts as a portal to a discovery journey inviting visitors to reflect on a new financial way forward, with three layers of narrative around overcoming rising inflation, moving on from legacy financial services that do not benefit them, and unlocking the future of finance,” Williamson added.

The campaign sees a full tram, 50 buses, a double decker, 500 seats, 10 billboards and 82 urban lights wearing the Aussie fintech’s colours for three months. Block Earner worked with Adholics for the campaign planning, Torch Media, Move Media and JCDecaux for outdoor assets and placements, and Studio 3am for the creative and design. 

The digital campaign includes social media amplification, programmatic advertising, and in-game advertising in online and Web3 video games, as well as different landing pages on Block Earner’s website that will be served to visitors based on where they are on their journey through the marketing funnel.

Williamson continued, “Coupling outdoor and digital advertising, with a high-level and simple messaging, Block Earner is aiming to stimulate the curiosity of Australians who understand alternative savings options exist but feel unsure of where to start, and commonly associate decentralised finance with volatility, scams and risk. Instead, we want them to see a wide scope of possibilities, without hurdles, risk or complexity, just better yields for the people to go through these tough times.”

Singapore Play to earn board game Monopolon announces strategic partnership with IKONIC, an NFT marketplace for Esports. Monopolon and IKONIC will strive to work together to create a better web 3 world and maximise blockchain technology. 

IKONIC is a dedicated marketplace for Esports. Its aim is to bring forth a revolution for gamers. It is a full-service NFT marketplace where the pro-players, gamers, and teams can create digital items on their own. Players can create their unique NFTs easily here. Thus, they will be listed and ready to trade on IKONIC’S marketplace. IKONIC has its own unique $IKONIC token, which is the key to unlocking rewards for players. Users can get a discount and some special bonuses while using this token.

Monopolon is the virtual manifestation of our childhood board game Monopoly. It combines PVP (Player Vs Player) and PVE (Player vs Environment) game mode. It is a pentagon-shaped battlefield where the players would roll dice and move their characters. There are many ways to earn from the game. Besides, a lot of excitement is waiting for you in every sphere of the game.

The CEO of Monopolon, Manfred NG, said, “It is an honour to be partnering with IKONIC. We are very happy to have them on board. Basically, we can promote our Monopolon’s gaming moments on their website.” 

IKONIC aims to maximise blockchain technology and to increase the financial freedom of gamers by increasing their numbers and making a profit from their gameplay. Monopolon, on the other hand, is futuristic in the gamefi project. Players could create their metaverse with virtual buildings and land. It is a DeFi board game built on the BSC blockchain. Monopolon needs its own NFT to play the game.

The partnership of Monopolon and IKONIC is a cross-pollination of each other’s communities. IKONIC is already partnered with 30 NFT and gamefi projects which makes Monopolon trusted by many other communities and projects. Thus, Monopolon is set to receive more exposure in which investors could be interested in.

Hong Kong – Integrated blockchain gaming and entertainment company Catheon Gaming has appointed a roster of board of advisors, composed of industry-leading veterans who collectively bring over a century of experience from some well-known gaming and entertainment enterprises globally, including Activision Blizzard, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Viacom, and King Digital.

The new board of advisor members are namely Philip Earl, Nainan Shah, Marcus Jacobs, Alex Xu, Daniel Yang, and Jason Hung.

With 14 years of global gaming and over 30 years of extensive corporate management experience, Earl was formerly the executive vice president at Activision Blizzard for over a decade and held roles including global leadership of the Call of Duty, Destiny and Skylanders franchises in Santa Monica, head of APAC in Shanghai and Sydney, as well as head of the international division in London, and chairman of the European Video Games Industry Association.

Meanwhile, Shah is a senior industry executive and advisor with over 25 years of experience in the video game industry. He was formerly the senior vice president for corporate strategy and development at Sony Interactive Entertainment, where he was responsible for merger and acquisitions, strategy, and the securing of new content for the platform. 

In addition, Jacobs brings with him over 20 years of experience across the gaming and online casino industries, half of which were spent at an executive level. He was a standing member of the executive management team at King Digital from 2012 to 2019.

Xu is the current CEO at top Chinese animation group and Aotu World IP-owner MultiMetaverse Inc. Having previously held the position of CEO at Leyou Technologies up until its US$1.5n acquisition by Tencent, and formerly served as chief business officer at Perfect World.

Hung has more than 20 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur in mobile technology and blockchain. He has advised more than 50 blockchain companies including Catheon Gaming, Evveland Metaverse, SoundofThings, Debond Protocol, and over 30 ICOs.

Lastly, Yang joins the advisory board with over 20 years of experience in driving growth and as a deal maker across blue chip gaming and media enterprises. He is currently the chief strategy officer at Aristocrat, a global gaming content and technology provider, where he leads their group strategy, long range planning, and corporate development efforts.

William Wu, chief executive officer at Catheon Gaming, commented, “We are pleased to welcome Philip, Nainan, Jason, Daniel, Marcus, and Alex to Catheon Gaming’s Advisory Board. Their expertise and proven track records in driving value creation across businesses will be critical in helping Catheon solidify its position as the leading blockchain gaming and entertainment company, and further accelerate the tremendous growth that Catheon has already seen to date.”