Tag: Web3

Singapore — Web3 community platform Metasky has raised US$1.8m in a pre-seed token sale round led by Sequoia Capital India and Woodstock Fund. Metasky, founded in 2021 by Ankit Arora and Prakhar Sharma, positions itself as a bridge to Web3 and aims to elevate NFTs (non-fungible tokens).

Metasky’s platform aims to convert people from being social media followers into engaged members of a brand’s digital world. The platform’s strategy is to work with influencers, creators, and brands closely to form a Web3 strategy for their followers with the help of its user-friendly tools for buying, storing, and using NFTs.

Metasky is launching a user-friendly Web3 Wallet that democratises access to the decentralised world by making it easy for anybody to buy and securely hold Crypto Assets such as NFTs and crypto tokens. Metasky’s wallet can seamlessly integrate inside an existing website or application, converting an existing app to a Web3 app. These assets can then be used to provide exclusive benefits to token holders. These benefits range from unlockable digital content of popular creators, exclusive chat rooms and live streams, to backstage access into their offline events.

Ankit Arora, co-founder at Metasky, said that Metasky itself is organised as a decentralised community, explaining that it is the most efficient way of aligning a group of people towards a shared goal.

“We want to walk the talk that decentralisation is important, but it is a means to an end. Concepts like NFTs only make sense if they are accompanied by a strong set of utilities, a passionate community, and real governance rights. We are building Web3 tools to serve this purpose,” Arora said.

Meanwhile, Shailesh Lakhani, managing director of Sequoia India, comments on Metasky’s potential, saying, “Ankit and Prakhar are accomplished company builders, and we are excited to work alongside them as they create a holistic platform for NFT communities.”

Metasky recently launched its first community-led project called “Tanukibles” – a play-to-earn game that has started its journey as an NFT collection. Tanukis are animals native to Japan, deeply embedded in Japanese mythology. Anyone can be a part of the production team of Tanukibles by getting one of 9999 limited edition Tanukis. Some Tanukis are rewarded to community participants on merit, others are scheduled to be up for public sale in April.

Sydney, Australia – Global fintech Finder has announced the launch of its cryptocurrency-themed podcast titled ‘Block Climbing’ in a bid to help Australians on their crypto journeys, including demystifying concepts around Web3 and blockchain technology.

The first episode has already been released on 5 March, and focuses on the rise of cryptocurrency amid the Ukrainian crisis, including crypto donation scams and how Russians can bypass financial sanctions through use of cryptocurrency.

According to Finder, the podcast series is a “Crypto Bro”-free zone where beginners, sceptics and everyone in between are welcome to learn, question and have a few laughs along the way.

“From understanding what Web3 actually means to delving into the depths of blockchain true crime, ‘Block Climbing’ is your new go-to source of information on all things crypto and Web3,” the company said in a press statement.

For Tegan Jones, global reviews editor at Finder and co-host of ‘Block Climbing’, the podcast will explore the good, the bad, and the just plain confusing impacts that crypto and Web3 could have on our lives.

“While we’re fascinated by crypto, we know there is a lot of unexplained jargon that can make the space seem intimidating. I think people are tired of being told to just “do their own research” because it can be hard to know where to start so we want ‘Block Climbing’ to be the place to get your questions answered in everyday language,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, Tim Bennett, publisher at Finder and co-host of ‘Block Climbing’, said that this podcast will be a fun and accessible way into crypto and Web3 content.

“There’s no doubt that blockchain is an interesting technology but there are still some questions to be answered about it. We’re excited to build a community where we can have these conversations in an informative and critical way that is super beginner friendly,” Bennett said.

In upcoming episodes the duo will be looking at North Korean crypto hackers, what Web3 actually means, whether crypto can ever be green and the unsolved mystery of Bitcoin’s origin story, as well as hearing from a few expert guests.

Chris Ellis, CEO of Finder Australia, said launching a podcast aimed at demystifying the world of Web3 made perfect sense for Finder.

“We believe that an understanding of these emerging technologies is critical for Australians looking to benefit from new finance spaces like cryptocurrency. Being able to break down complex topics is at the core of what we do at Finder so I’m very proud to be supporting a podcast like ‘Block Climbing’ to make areas like crypto and Web3 more accessible for everyone,” Ellis concluded.

The first episode of ‘Block Climbing’ is available now on all major podcast platforms, with the next episode set to drop on 16 March, as new episodes will be released fortnightly on Wednesdays.

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Global digital agency Dept has launched its ‘Metaverse Practice’, aimed at helping brands redefine the way they interact with consumers.

The new ‘Metaverse Practice’ includes around 100 crypto and blockchain developers, games builders, 3D artists and creators, virtual and augmented reality experts, and software engineers, who have pioneered innovative Web3 and metaverse experiences for clients. 

Dept said that for the past year, it has been at the forefront of Web3 innovation, creating a 3D virtual world called the ‘the Eurovision Village 2021’, which is a virtual experience brought together tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe in a unique experience to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest Rotterdam 2021. It has also teamed up with Journee to launch the Meta Festival, where over 4,000 people visited the Metapolis world to hear talks from digital pioneers. Moreover, Dept has launched an open-source, white-label solution called Algomart, for launching an NFT marketplace, built on top of the Algorand blockchain.

Taking the learnings from these projects, Dept has combined expertise from across its more than 2,500 team to launch its global ‘Metaverse Practice’, which includes expertise in blockchain technology, decentralised applications, AR, immersive experiences, and cryptocurrency and data, as well as a massive creative marketing power.

Max Pinas, Dept’s executive creative director, noted that over the last year they have gained a lot of experience with Web3 technologies to really get under the skin for how they can help their clients develop customer experiences as they have never seen before.

He further shared that brands will now have the opportunity to build fully immersive, 3D worlds from the ground up, and extend the customer experience into a whole new reality. 

“With our dedicated Metaverse Practice, we are able to build the bridge between the CMO and CTO. We see it as a creative opportunity akin to the first-ever websites; we’re at the dawn of a new digital age,” said Pinas. 

Dept is currently working with several global brands from fashion, entertainment, and commerce, as well as launching a number of new projects ranging from immersive experiences to NFT marketplaces in the coming weeks.

In addition, Dept has also announced that it will launch the world’s first 24 hours in the metaverse event in June 2022, connecting all corners of the globe in the Meta Festival. This event will bring together future-focused innovators, tech, brands, and people to a virtual event location called Metapolis, with hundreds of talks, music, and workshops, amongst others.