Tag: Ethereum

Singapore – Banking giant DBS has announced its foray into cryptocurrency, offering over-the-counter cryptocurrency options trading and structured notes for eligible institutional investors and accredited wealth clients.

This makes the Singapore-based bank the first Asian-headquartered bank to offer financial products whose value is linked to the price of Bitcoin and Ethereum – the two largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalisation.

From Q4 2024 onwards, eligible clients seeking to build exposure to the asset class may do so through options trading and structured notes. Depending on the product’s structure and cryptocurrency price movements, clients may earn yield on fiat or take delivery of the underlying cryptocurrency.

Moreover, eligible clients custodising Bitcoin and Ethereum with DBS may also hedge their positions against market volatility and potentially earn yield through various options structures. 

For instance, a client seeking to manage the inherent volatility of Bitcoin may buy a put option, which gives the client the right to sell Bitcoin at a fixed price at a future date, even if Bitcoin prices fall below the fixed price by that future date.

Jacky Tai, group head of trading and structuring of global financial markets at DBS, said, “Professional investors are increasingly allocating to digital assets in their portfolios. Underpinned by DBS’ strong credit ratings and longstanding expertise in structuring solutions, these financial products are an expansion of the bank’s value proposition to provide clients trusted institutional-grade access to the digital asset ecosystem. 

She added, “Now, our clients have an alternative channel to build exposure to the asset class and incorporate advanced investment strategies to better manage their digital asset portfolios.”

Currently, clients build their digital asset portfolios with DBS by trading cryptocurrencies and security tokens via DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx). Said digital exchange recently reported that the value of digital assets traded on the exchange nearly tripled in Singapore dollar terms as compared to the same time in 2023. 

Hong Kong — Hong Kong has been at the forefront of uncertain sovereign issues, and like countries under such a critical situation, some of its citizens have resorted to investing into alternative assets as a hedge against inflation or subsiding of centralized finance. According to a key finding from a report entitled ‘The Future of Financial Services Report 2022’ by YouGov, most citizens are aware of the existence of cryptocurrency, or 3 out of 5 Hongkongers, but only 20% actually own cryptocurrency.

On the other hand, other key findings from the report reveal that the underlying reason for owning cryptocurrency is most likely as a form of investment. Additionally, Bitcoin, the undisputed forerunner of cryptocurrency, is the most widely owned asset. It is most most popular with Gen X at 71% ownership. Additionally, those ages 55 years old and above are less than likely to be aware of cryptocurrency, with half of them stating they’ve never heard of it.

The report notes that citizens ages 35-44 in Hong Kong are most likely to own cryptocurrency, at 32%, followed by ages 18-34 at ownership rate of 28%. Those in ages 45-54 years old say only 20% of them own crypto, while only 6% of citizens ages 55 years old and above own the asset.

For the top three benefits of cryptocurrency, 70% said it is for investment; 27% reported as convenient way to transfer money; and 20% claimed they used it as a cash to purchase products.

Finally, the top three cryptocurrencies owned by Hongkongers are Bitcoin at 59%, Ethereum at 39%, and Dogecoin at 22%. Hongkongers aged 45-54 are more likely to own Bitcoin, while those aged 35-44 are more likely to own Ethereum. Surprisingly, Hongkongers aged 35-44 are more likely to own the popular meme coin, Dogecoin. 

Hong Kong – Star Atlas, a next-gen metaverse with triple-a game design and Unreal Engine 5 graphics built on the Solana blockchain, and The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming metaverse and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, today announced a partnership that aims to revolutionize gaming interoperability between the Ethereum and Solana blockchains. The relationship between the two metaverse environments launches with the Star Atlas VoxEdit contest which opens for submissions from 2 May until 15 May. 

The Star Atlas VoxEdit Contest gives players the opportunity to act as an envoy from The Sandbox with the task of visiting one of the three main galactic factions in the Star Atlas metaverse – the ONI, Ustur, and MUD. Envoys are then tasked with creating a report on what they find by designing a portrait of one of the faction’s inhabitants using The Sandbox’s free VoxEdit software. 

Winners will be voted on by the teams of both The Sandbox and Star Atlas with the results being announced on June 11. The top four winners will split 50,000 in SAND, The Sandbox’s in-game currency, and a fleet of coveted Star Atlas spaceship NFTs. 

The VoxEdit Contest is also joined by BLOND:ISH, the renowned producer, DJ, and sustainability activist, who has an existing presence in both metaverse ecosystems. Envoys exploring the Star Atlas metaverse are invited to get inspired by the cosmic sounds and create a headpiece for an intergalactic Star Atlas faction member by designing it with VoxEdit. The entry that can best immerse and entertain a space traveller will be selected by BLOND:ISH and receive lustrous Star Atlas spaceships when the Contest concludes on June 11. 

“We’re excited to announce the first of many cross-platform integrations, connecting the ecosystems of Star Atlas and The Sandbox,” said Michael Wagner, co-founder and CEO of ATMTA, Inc., the principal development studio of Star Atlas. 

“We share ambitious goals with respect to our developments within the broader metaverse, and we see this relationship as a pivotal moment to demonstrate the potential of interoperability of both game environments and blockchain protocols. The bridges we build today will serve as infrastructure of the future in seamless exploration of the infinite experiences digital world builders will create in the years to follow,” added Wagner. 

Star Atlas is a next-gen metaverse that looks to take the best of blockchain technology and real-time graphics technology to build an innovative gaming experience. Since last year, the company has brought many unique NFT products to market, including playable spaceships, that have allowed Star Atlas to generate nearly $200 million in revenue to date. 

As the metaverse’s leading decentralized gaming virtual world, The Sandbox fully embraces the idea of the metaverse as a continuous shared digital space where worlds and brands collide to make magic and create real utility and economies. StarAtlas joins over 200 existing partnerships including Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Gucci, Warner Music Group, Ledger, HSBC, and Ubisoft, among others. 

“We are proud to be partnering with Star Atlas and are excited to develop new projects with the franchise,” said Sebastien Borget, COO of The Sandbox. 

“This contest is the beginning of a new bridge linking metaverses to each other, with the goal to bring more content and cross-platform integration to both of our audiences. We can’t wait to see the amazing assets that our communities will create!” added Borget. 

Meanwhile, BLOND:ISH commented, “The coming together of metaverse ecosystems opens up a new world of possibilities for artistic expression. This innovative and collaborative Star Atlas and The Sandbox partnership is exactly what web3 is about and has the potential to create fully sustainable NFT future experiences while rallying the worldwide community around a message of creativity, curiosity and boldness to dream of what we might become. I am thrilled to activate my entire community and see what fantastic creations this contest will bring. LFG!” 

BLOND:ISH is a Canadian producer, and DJ solo act, and has collaborated with Star Atlas on augmented reality NFT experiences as well as with The Sandbox on bringing her brand to the metaverse. Her music collaboration acts include Depeche Mode, Pete Tong, and playing at festivals such as Coachella, Burning Man, and Ultra Music Festival.

Star Atlas shared that for 2022, it will be launching several major feature releases including a web-based mini-game and a full production release known as the Volant Studio Showroom, which will present cinematic quality video game visuals using Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite technology. 

Singapore – With cryptocurrencies being well-known across mainstream sectors and industries, many organizations and brands across the world are slowly favoring these virtual currencies as part of the new economy. 

This is evident with the latest endeavor from SG-based cryptocurrency platform Coinhako as it made its first ever cryptocurrency sponsorship to esports team ALMGHTY using Ethereum, one of the well-known cryptocurrencies globally.

Ethereum is the world’s second largest cryptocurrency by means of market capitalization, following Bitcoin. Said sponsorship, which is also the first-ever cryptocurrency-funded esports sponsorship in Singapore, will run from July 2021 until the next esports cycle in July 2022.

The sponsorship will see ALMGHTY leverage the large regional fanbases of their players on social media to drive Coinhako’s presence throughout Southeast Asia. This will cover Twitch streams, Facebook and Instagram content by the ALMGHTY team and players. The official FY 21/22 ALMGHTY jersey for the players will also sport the Coinhako logo.

ALMGHTY, an esports team primarily playing Mobile Legends, is managed by global digital talent and marketing group Gushcloud International and its gaming talent management unit, Nixgen Entertainment.

The team is composed of 17-year old Gerrard Ng Zheng Wei(Nexqt); 18-year old Javier Tan (Sky); 19-year old Chai Mun Jun (Jun); 22-year old Foo Jieyu (Risen); and 17-year old Randall Tay Guan Pin (Bush). They enjoy a dedicated regional social media and live streaming following as a group, with more than 11 million fans in Southeast Asia alone.

For Yusho Liu, co-founder and CEO at Coinhako, the sponsorship will provide a boost in reaching a younger, mobile-first generation, and raising awareness through talented players in Singapore’s gaming industry. He added that this is part of the platform’s focus to move forward in making cryptocurrencies accessible throughout Asia.

“The decision to embark on the first cryptocurrency funded sponsorship in esports, and the first by a crypto firm in Singapore, wasn’t a difficult one to make as it merges two of the hottest topics of 2021, i.e. cryptocurrencies and e-sports. Furthermore, as a homegrown company, we believe in supporting local talents which make Singapore proud on the regional stage. The multi-talented ALMGHTY squad certainly embodies these elements and Coinhako is excited to embark on this sponsorship with ALMGHTY,” Liu stated.

Joanne Liew, chief studios and entertainment officer at Gushcloud, also commented, “ALMGHTY is proud to welcome Coinhako onboard as our first cryptocurrency sponsor in Singapore. Gaming and cryptocurrency share a lot of similarities, with a heavily tech-driven user base. In line with Coinhako’s position as the Lion City’s leading crypto trading platform, the ALMGHTY team is equally driven to emerge as winners, together reaching a younger audience base.” 

Collaborations between cryptocurrency giants and the sports industry have risen in popularity over the past few months, including Coinbase and first-player shooter (FPS) game CS:GO, mixed martial arts (MMA) company UFC and Crypto.com, to name a few.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Vidy, a video ad network, is launching its new cryptocurrency asset called VidyCoin in its own blockchain-powered decentralized network – a move to prevent ad fraud among ad publishers.

VidyCoin is used to reward consumers when they play a video ad supported by Vidy, and can be used to buy goods in the Vidy network. Ad publishers can also earn VidyCoins and can be used in running ads, or getting access to publishers’ premium features.

“At Vidy, we put the power of your data and earning potential back on your hand. So, users can earn money while watching video and surfing the web, right at home,” said Patrick Colangelo, Vidy founder, and CEO.

Furthermore, Vidy also utilizes VIDYX, a token ecosystem in the platform. VIDY is now used as a platform token based on the cryptocurrency Ethereum, a staking mechanism for VIDYX withdrawals, bonuses, and campaign priority access. Meanwhile, VIDYX is a utility token, acting as attention-powered rewards that drive tradable data contracts on the platform blockchain.

“VIDYX is really a fuel of power of Vidy’s engine, bringing good values by allowing users to earn money from our platform. This gives you the right to earn extra income, directly powered by real users and the attention online. By doing so, we are bringing the mechanism and more value to the ecosystem,” Patrick added.

Vidy has worked with regional media companies and publishing groups such as Vogue Singapore, CNN Indonesia, CNBC Indonesia Kompas Gramedia, and Esquire.