Tag: Web3

‘Singapore – Pan-regional streaming platform Viu has announced a collaboration with Azuki, a Web3-powered anime company focused on anime-driven decentralised IP and fan engagement, in order to expand the platform’s Web3-focused initiatives.

The initiative kicks off this April with Viu streaming Enter the Garden on its platform. Created by Azuki in collaboration with renowned creative producer Goro Taniguchi, who worked on anime titles such as Code Geass and One Piece Film: Red. Said anthology from Azuki showcases powerful storytelling and stunning visuals for Web3 and anime fans. 

Moreover, as part of its broader content strategy to embrace innovative storytelling and engage new audiences, Viu will feature three of Azuki’s community NFTs in a spin-off digital comic. It will soon be available on TN7, a new content universe anchored by Viu’s first digital comic series where fans can contribute their own creations, fostering new forms of viewer participation. 

To celebrate the collaboration, Viu is hosting a giveaway. Fans can simply follow Azuki, Viu Singapore and TN7 on their X accounts, retweet the giveaway post and tag friends in the retweet for a chance to win highly sought-after Azuki merchandise, including a Twin Tigers Jacket, and a unique TN7 Digital Pack. 

Lofai Lo, COO at Viu, said, “We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Azuki, whose strong digital presence opens doors for Viu to interact with a new generation of highly participatory viewers. By connecting our entertainment services with the dynamic Web3 ecosystem, we are catering to the evolving preference of today’s audiences.” 

Meanwhile, Alex “Zagabond” Xu, CEO, Azuki, commented, “Collaborating with Viu amplifies Azuki’s presence, introducing Enter the Garden to Viu’s vast global audience across 16 markets.” 

Tokyo, Japan – Hakuhodo KEY3, the web3 business production venture under Hakuhodo Inc., has announced its partnership with PONT Inc., SmartMedia Technologies (SMT), and other global web3 technology companies to form the new loyalty program ‘Loyalty X’. 

Loyalty X’s establishment is rooted in the problem that only a few companies have managed to create programs that genuinely drive true engagement with their customers. Current loyalty programs face several challenges, such as providing only generic experiences, lacking unique value, offering primarily monetary value, and operating within the closed ecosystems of a single company.

This new corporate alliance between Hakuhodo KEY3 and other global web3 tech companies is set to provide revolutionary loyalty programs utilising web3 technology across the Asia region. It aims to address the challenges faced by loyalty programs, harnessing Web3 technology and its features, such as individual ownership of value, enhanced interoperability, and innovative customer experiences.

The web3 companies joining the alliance with Hakuhodo KEY3 are Crossmint, Privy, IYK, CheckIn Caster, beyondClub, SmartMedia Technologies, Cookie3, and Reclaim Protocol. 

By bringing together companies with exceptional and diverse technical expertise, the alliance seeks to deliver loyalty programs that truly engage customers while meeting business needs. Each member company offers specialised solutions tailored to different industries, addressing specific challenges and enriching loyalty program content. Through this collaborative effort, Loyalty X aims to forge deeper, more meaningful, and more effective connections with customers.

Hakuhodo KEY3 will also assume the role of project manager within the alliance, identifying corporate challenges, selecting appropriate solutions, and overseeing the design and progression of projects. Additionally, it will lead creative development initiatives, including customer experience planning and UX/UI design and development, as needed.

Matt Hunt, COO for APAC at SMT, shared, “The Loyalty X Alliance signifies a shift in the approach brands are taking to connect with their customers. It’s about establishing a continuous, immersive experience that goes beyond fleeting promotions. This always-on engagement strategy not only amplifies the potential for brands but also cultivates deeper customer loyalty while providing invaluable insights—in short, a new, more robust CRM channel.”

Singapore – Starbucks has announced that it will close ‘Starbucks Odyssey’, its NFT loyalty programme, by March 31 this year. According to its FAQ page, Starbucks is giving its users until March 25 to complete its ‘journeys’, referring to playing interactive games or taking on fun challenges, within the platform.

“While the Starbucks Odyssey Beta program is ending, we are excited for you to see what comes next and are grateful for your consistent engagement and feedback. We are thankful to have had this opportunity to test into these different ways of driving community and loyalty at Starbucks and we look forward to bringing these learnings to a broader audience,” Starbucks said in an online statement.

The marketplace for the programme’s NFT selection will officially move to Nifty, another NFT marketplace. Moreover, its official Discord server was closed on March 19.

Starbucks Odyssey was launched in beta back in September 2022, and was launched in line with the global coffee chain’s desire back in May of same year to venture into NFTs as a way to venture into the Web3 space.

Mumbai, India – Web3 technology company OKX has launched its newest cricket-themed  ‘Be a Crypto Player’ ad campaign in India to encourage people to explore the Web3 community.

The campaign features a digital film revolving around the character of Ajay, who is watching the international cricket championship final. Ajay then hears the voice of OKX, which encourages him to become a crypto player and join a community of millions in a new economic system powered by Web3.

OKX’s campaign aims to inspire a wider audience to try and embrace the world of Web3 with the OKX all-in-one Web3 wallet as their choice. It showcases the benefits one can get if they choose OKX’s wallet, including access to 200,000 tokens via its DEX aggregator as well as thousands of NFTs and DApps across nearly 80 blockchains.

Taking it a step further, the ad is also available in Hindi in addition to English, marking OKX’s recent addition of Hindi support to its Web3 wallet to cater to a more diverse audience.

The company is pushing efforts for its expansion in India. With this campaign, OKX aims to position itself as a key Web3 player in India with its comprehensive suite of Web3 products.

The campaign was originally launched on X (formerly known as Twitter) across the Indian market, in time for the 2023 international cricket championship final between India and Australia.

Haider Rafique, chief marketing officer at OKX, said, “India’s growing enthusiasm for crypto and its position as a significant market for Web3 users have made us prioritise the country in our expansion efforts. The campaign aims to introduce the Indian market to the world of Web3, encouraging users to explore the countless possibilities offered by blockchain technology. It also reflects our commitment to driving the widespread adoption of this revolutionary technology in the country, while encouraging people to learn about Web3 and its applications in a responsible way.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Malaysia’s national agency tasked with leading the country’s digitization, has announced their partnership with Web3 startup Acyxn to spearhead the growth and widespread adoption of creative technologies in Malaysia.

Through this collaboration, Acxyn will be introducing monetization and investment solutions for IPs’ visibility and value, helping MDEC position Malaysia as a gaming hub that attracts international game studios and investors.

Furthemore, Acxyn will also be lending its expertise to MDEC’s metaverse initiative, as well as facilitating the infusion of foreign intellectual properties and foreign investments into Malaysia.

To mark the start of their partnership, Acxyn had been awarded a grant of RM750,000 from MDEC, making the company one of the only Web3 startups accepted into the MDEC program.

Speaking on the partnership, John Schneider, CEO of Acxyn, said, “We’re excited that MDEC shares our vision for a future in which game intellectual properties (IPs) can fully realise their economic potential and establish Malaysia as a hub for innovation and excellence in the game industry.”

Meanwhile, Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC, mentioned, “This collaboration serves as a testament to MDEC’s commitment in driving digital transformation and fostering a thriving creative ecosystem.”

“Through the Malaysia Digital (MD) national strategic initiative and PEMANGKIN programmes, we look forward to continuing to support Acxyn’s growth, driving the adoption of creative technologies and propelling Malaysia to the forefront of the Web3 revolution,” he added. 

Singapore – Mobile technology company Grab has partnered with payments technology company Circle Internet Financial (Circle) to bring the first-ever Web3 customer experience in the country via the launch of ‘Grab Web3 Wallet’ in the Grab app. 

Through this partnership, Circle’s new Web3 Services platform is integrated into Grab’s mobile app. With this, Singapore-based users can now set up a blockchain-enabled wallet, earn rewards and collectibles, and use non-fungible token (NFT) vouchers.

Circle Web3 Services aim to help both existing Web 2.0 internet companies and new pure-play Web3 start-ups safely and easily bring the power of stablecoins, digital assets, and smart contracts to consumer and enterprise applications.

Launched as a pilot for the SG Pitstop Pack, the ‘Grab Web3 Wallet’ supports the use of these NFT vouchers at popular stores and adventures in Singapore during the F1 Singapore Grand Prix. Furthermore, the collaboration between Circle and Grab supports the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Project Orchid initiative as a real-world demonstration of purpose-bound money.

Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO at Circle, said, “Circle is focused on partnering with global-scale consumer internet brands to bring everyday utility to users. Piloting our technology with Grab’s customers brings us closer to realising the full potential of responsible digital asset innovation.” 

Meanwhile, Dante Disparte, chief strategy officer and head of global policy at Circle, shared, “Circle is thrilled to partner with Grab to accelerate adoption of blockchain-powered innovation and support Singapore’s forward-thinking vision as a leading global hub for responsible digital asset innovation.”

Hong Kong – Game software and venture capital company Animoca Brands Corporation Limited, a company advancing digital property rights for gaming and the open metaverse, has announced that it has received binding commitments for a funding round totaling US$20m to accelerate its ‘Mocaverse’ project. 

Mocaverse is one of the company’s marquee projects that is building on Web3-native tooling to empower products in the gaming, culture, and entertainment verticals. 

With Mocaverse, users will be allowed to create their own digital identity, accrue reputation, earn and spend loyalty points, and use their digital identity to access the Mocaverse ecosystem, seeded by Animoca Brands’ 450+ portfolio companies and partner network with over 700 million addressable users. 

The new capital secured by Animoca Brands will be used to advance the Mocaverse project, including product development, facilitating Web3 adoption, and securing partnerships to expand the gaming, culture, and entertainment ecosystems of the company’s expanded portfolio of investments in Web3 companies and projects.

Among the plans for Mocaverse is the soon-to-launch Moca ID, a non-transferrable NFT collection designed to enable users to craft their on-chain identities and participate in the Mocaverse ecosystem. 

Moca ID holders will gain exclusive access to Mocaverse ecosystem experiences and will have the unique opportunity to earn loyalty points through active engagement. These loyalty points will power a permissionless and interoperable loyalty system that will be progressively decentralised to enable third-party adoption and integration of Moca ID, with the aim of advancing the accessibility and growth of Web3.

Animoca Brands was able to raise US$20m or approximately A$31.3m  via the issue of new ordinary shares at a price per share of A$4.50. As part of the raise, the company has also granted the investors in the round a free-attaching utility token warrant on a 1:1 dollar basis.

The funding round was led by CMCC Global, with other investors including Kingsway Capital, Liberty City Ventures, GameFi Ventures, Aleksander Larsen (founder of Sky Mavis), Gabby Dizon (founder of Yield Guild Games), institutional investors at Koda Capital, and others. Yat Siu, the executive chairman and co-founder of Animoca Brands, also participated in the round.

CMCC Global is one of Asia’s first venture capital companies focused solely on blockchain and Web3 investments. As a pioneer investor in the space, CMCC Global has an enviable record of investing early in leading projects such as Ethereum (ETH) at US$7, Solana (SOL) at US$0.20 and Cosmos (ATOM) at US$0.10.

Speaking on the funding raise, Yat Siu commented, “We are deeply honoured by investors’ support for Animoca Brands and its vision of decentralisation. The ongoing evolution of the Internet involves a shift from hierarchical power structures to autonomous ones, and the DAO-based approach of Mocaverse ensures that its community will be focused on driving innovation and collaboration across the broader Animoca Brands ecosystem.”

He added, “In addition to empowering users to participate in a vibrant community that generates new economic opportunities, Mocaverse will also serve as the digital identity, reputation, and loyalty system for other decentralised organisations.”

Meanwhile, Martin Baumann, co-founder of CMCC Global, said, “Having built a long-term relationship with Animoca Brands, we are thrilled to be leading this first round of funding into Mocaverse. The project will unify the unique portfolio of companies within the Animoca Brands umbrella and will become a portal for hundreds of millions of new users to access Web3 and metaverse ecosystems. At CMCC Global, we look to support innovative founders that are pushing the boundaries of our industry. Yat Siu has proved time and again his ability to lead Web3 in creative new directions, and we are excited to be supporting him and the Animoca Brands team once again as they venture into the Mocaverse.”

Tokyo, Japan – Japan’s leading telecommunications firm KDDI, in partnership with marketing communications agency Geometry Ogilvy Japan, creates a virtually produced film to showcase aU (Alpha–U), its new web3 metaverse platform brand.

In partnership with its parent company WPP, the agency crafts a 30-second clip which showcases four artistic illustrations made by GenZ artist Mayu Yukishita which were used as building blocks connected using AI midjourney and stable diffusion to generate interpolated animation of the platform brand.

The clip was also associated with visual effects to assemble the scenes, mixed with music and narration using japanese language.

Yasushi Arikawa, executive creative director of Geometry Ogilvy Japan, said that this AI-generated creative expression was inevitable for KDDI’s new brand αU that offers services that focus on Web3 and the metaverse.

“This film, in which AI and a virtual singer tell a story about the concept of “Already, one world” that blends the real and virtual worlds, takes us beyond the “uncanny valley” to an emotionally charged story,” Arikawa added.

Geometry Ogilvy supports all the creative direction for the new Alpha U collaboration, including all branding, communication design, events, and press conferences.

The launching was also done in partnership with Sydney-based production house Alt.vfx, and their subsidiary global creative studio T&DA, along with design agency New Holland Creative and THINKR.

Singapore – Tencent’s cloud business Tencent Cloud has announced its commitment to support the development of the Web3 ecosystem, which aims to significantly contribute to the evolving growth of the global Web3 community.

They also unveiled the development roadmap of a full suite of blockchain API services and its brand new Tencent Cloud Metaverse-in-a-Box offerings, providing a strong technological foundation for Web3 builders while reinforcing its commitment to be the digital enabler for the Web3 industry. 

Tencent Cloud will also offer the Web3 builders cloud solution credits, marketing workshops, and publicity opportunities leveraging Tencent and Tencent Cloud’s ecosystem and resources through the Tencent Cloud Web3 Ecosystem Alliance. Selected Web3 builders will also be given priority on product integration and co-creation with Tencent and its partners. 

Poshu Yeung, senior vice president at Tencent Cloud International, said, “At Tencent Cloud, we see a future with Web3, a new iteration of the internet that ushers in the concept of ‘Immersive Convergence’ where the physical and digital economies meet and integrate.” 

He added, “With more businesses now keen to explore and adapt to an efficient, transparent digital future, we are ready to leverage our many years of technical experience in the fields of games, audio, and video to provide strong technical support for Web3, and work with industry partners to create a more immersive experience and nurture a better Web3 ecosystem.” 

Tencent Cloud also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ankr, a Web3 infrastructure provider to jointly develop a full suite of blockchain API services which provides a high-performing globally distributed and decentralised network of Remote Procedure Call (RPC) nodes, enabling builders to power their Web3 projects.

Meanwhile, Tommy Li, vice president at Tencent Cloud, shared, “Built on our leading technologies and enormous industry experience, we are proud to introduce Metaverse-in-a-Box with the goal to accelerate public sectors and enterprise clients’ journey to the metaverse.”

Singapore – Candee, the parent group of storyteller platform Viddsee, announced the launch of its entertainment ecosystem Candee Labs, which aims to empower the creator and fan community via innovation, experiences, and data insights to develop next-gen stories. 

Candee Labs will enable creators and fans to monetise through ownership while fostering community building and loyalty. Moreover, brands and businesses can leverage its expertise to unlock maximum storytelling potential across different ecosystems. 

The new project also seeks to support content creation across Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, push the boundaries of traditional storytelling, and solidify the group’s position as the region’s creator ecosystem.

According to Candee, this likewise allows the group to support the creator economy by allowing for more raw talents and potential to be discovered to support the future growth of storytelling.

“We’ve witnessed how Viddsee became the platform for creators to showcase their storytelling skills, distribute content and gain audiences from unique stories. We want to continue developing content through creative and innovative ways that will evolve the future of storytelling,” said Ho Jia Jian, CEO of Candee.

He also added that Web3’s open web allows more equitability for creators and fans to collaborate, share experiences and develop next-gen stories, which in turn challenges how stories are told and remembered.

The group is also working alongside prominent Web3 projects such as BBRC x IVY Boys, to bring next-gen stories to their communities.

“We’re excited to work with Candee Labs, with their track record of Viddsee and its relationship with creators, to bring the BBRC x Ivy Boys IP to reality. The goal in this collaboration is for it to be developed into an entertainment IP and create an amazing show out of it,” said Nelson Yap, co-founder of BBRC.

Last September, Viddsee also expanded its IP incubator Viddsee Labs in Asia-Pacific.