Rotonda Signs Deal with The Sandbox for Blockchain Ecosystem Expansion

Of all the crypto startups bootstrapping their way forward in 2023, few have forged as many industry partnerships as Singapore-based fiat-crypto payment solutions provider Alchemy Pay. This week brought two more collaborative developments for the fledgling company.Photo by Erika Fletcher on Unsplash Trust Wallet partnershipAlchemy Pay has entered into a strategic alliance with Trust Wallet, a self-custody and multi-coin wallet project headquartered in San Francisco, boasting over 70 million users. The collaboration empowers users to seamlessly engage in crypto transactions with various fiat payments directly within Trust Wallet.According to a press release published by the company on Wednesday, the integration not only enhances the user experience but also provides more on and off-ramp solutions. With that, it potentially lowers the entry barrier for retail users and aids acceleration of the adoption of Web3.Trust Wallet users can now convert between crypto and fiat using a multitude of international and local payment methods which are enabled by Alchemy Pay from within the wallet. The platform supports over 30 fiat currencies and accommodates transactions involving numerous cryptocurrencies across more than 100 blockchains.Robert McCracken, the Ecosystem Lead at Alchemy Pay, expressed pride in the partnership, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring a smooth, compliant and secure user onboarding process for fiat on-ramp and crypto off-ramp. The collaboration aims to make comprehensive on and off-ramp support available to the global user community.Nate Zou, Trust Wallet’s Product Lead, was similarly enthused, stating:“We’re excited to offer more fiat solutions for our users by working with Alchemy Pay, making crypto more accessible than ever. This opens up new buying options for our global user base and introduces lower fees and more convenient payment methods while maintaining full ownership of their assets.” Enabling UK and Euro paymentsNot resting on that single collaboration, in a separate development Alchemy Pay has introduced new payment options, including the euro instant solution, Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Instant and the U.K. fast money transfer option, Faster Payments. According to details of these additions published to the Alchemy website on Thursday, the aim is to simplify the process of purchasing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, with transfers being processed in seconds to within a few minutes.SEPA Instant allows European Alchemy Pay customers to buy cryptocurrency up to 5,000 euros ($5,460), while Faster Payments, available in 30 European countries and the U.K. after Know Your Customer checks, has a transfer limit of up to 5,000 British pounds ($6,320). These options complement existing local payment channels, such as the Polish Blik payment system, Bancontact, Skrill and others.The announcement emphasized that this expansion of payment channels throughout Europe signifies Alchemy Pay’s growing influence and market reach.Notably, the platform recently acquired licenses in the United States, including Iowa and Arkansas. It has stated that other such state license applications are in the works, with the company expecting further licensing awards to be announced in the coming weeks. The firm also expanded its operations in Indonesia and Lithuania in February 2023.As Alchemy Pay actively broadens its payment services worldwide, the partnership with Trust Wallet and the enabling of Euro area and UK payments contributes to its mission of making crypto transactions more accessible and user-friendly on a global scale.

Acquisition by SBI Subsidiary Part of European ExpansionB2C2, a cryptocurrency liquidity provider catering to institutional clients and a subsidiary company of Japanese financial services conglomerate SBI Holdings, has solidified its foothold in the digital assets market by completing the acquisition of Woorton, a prominent European market maker and over-the-counter (OTC) transaction specialist.Photo by Christian Lue on UnsplashMarket expansionIn a press release published to its website on Thursday, UK-based B2C2 outlined further details relative to the acquisition. The move represents an effort by B2C2 to broaden its client base and expand within the European market, ahead of the forthcoming regulations under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).The acquisition opens doors for B2C2 to extend its services within the European Union (EU) jurisdiction. Additionally, it allows B2C2 to tap into growth opportunities beyond its existing strongholds in the United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and the United States.Licensing accessOne of the prime advantages of this acquisition is B2C2’s access to Woorton’s prestataires de services sur actifs numériques (PSAN) license, which is regulated by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), the French financial regulatory authority. This license empowers B2C2 to operate seamlessly within the EU, positioning the company for a strategic advantage in the evolving regulatory landscape.As the UK is no longer part of the EU, this acquisition makes for a much easier entry point for the company into the broader European market.Founded in 2017, Woorton boasts an active clientele of nearly 250 entities engaged in trading 96 different cryptocurrencies. The company distinguishes itself by offering round-the-clock liquidity provision, ensuring uninterrupted trading opportunities for its clients.Woorton’s engagement with regulatory bodies is a key highlight, and the firm is a co-founding member of the Association for the Development of Crypto-Assets (ADAN). Through ADAN, Woorton actively contributes to shaping regulatory frameworks governing digital assets in France, bridging the gap between the industry and policymakers.Additionally, the company played a crucial role in establishing Paris Blockchain Week, an internationally recognized event that brings together thousands of attendees and speakers to discuss blockchain and digital asset trends.Charlie Meraud, CEO of Woorton, expressed excitement about the acquisition, emphasizing the complementary strengths of the two firms. Meraud highlighted the enhanced liquidity pool and improved market presence that the combined platform would offer to customers, ultimately leading to a superior liquidity and trading experience.B2C2’s CEO, Nicola White, described the acquisition as a significant milestone in the company’s growth journey. White expressed enthusiasm about the potential the acquisition unlocks for B2C2 and its EU-based clients, reaffirming the importance of regulatory standing and a robust client base.London baseEstablished in 2015 and primarily owned by SBI, B2C2 operates from its main headquarters in the UK, with operational offices in the US and Japan. Its UK-registered company B2C2 Ltd serves as the parent entity within the B2C2 group of companies.B2C2’s acquisition of Woorton not only enhances its presence within the European Union but also serves to demonstrate its intent in terms of regulatory compliance and industry leadership. This strategic move positions the company to navigate the evolving crypto market, likely leading to greater opportunities for its clients.

Modhaus attracts $8M in advancing blockchain-based K-pop fan engagementModhaus, a South Korean Web3 startup focused on blockchain-driven K-pop promotion, recently announced that it has raised $8 million in Series A funding, according to a report by local news outlet Maeil Business Newspaper. This latest funding round brings the company’s total investment to over $12 million.Photo by C D-X on UnsplashKey investorsThis Series A funding was led by Sfermion, a Chicago-based venture capital firm focused on non-fungible tokens and the immersive internet. The investment round also saw participation from various investors, including SM Culture Partners, Laguna Investment, the KDDI Open Innovation Fund, Foresight Ventures, Reflexive Capital, NFT song collector Cooper Turley, Quantstamp CEO Richard Ma and Playco CEO Michael Carter.Modhaus had previously attracted investment from other players in earlier funding rounds. These included UNOPND, a venture division of Web3 venture capital firm Hashed; Naver D2SF; CJ Investment and Futureplay.Digital photo cards and tokensDoubling as an entertainment agency, Modhaus operates Cosmo, an app that empowers fans to play a role in their favorite artists’ operations. Through Cosmo, fans can purchase digital photo cards, earning tokens in return. These tokens then allow fans to vote on various aspects of their artists’ activities. The use of blockchain technology ensures that all votes are transparently and securely recorded, boosting the fan-artist relationship.Sfermion’s general partner, Dan Patterson, expressed enthusiasm about their investment in Modhaus, explaining that it “has innovatively bridged the K-pop fandom with both tangible and digital realms through NFTs. [The new] investment signifies more than just financial backing; it’s a venture into melding the energetic world of K-pop with the expansive narrative of the metaverse.”Jaden Jung, CEO 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.” He emphasized the crucial role of fan engagement in the entertainment industry, pointing out that Modhaus is dedicated to elevating this aspect to new heights. He referred to the achievement of girl group TripleS, which has garnered 1.74 million subscribers on YouTube since its debut in February of this year, as an example of what they envision for Cosmo. He suggested that Cosmo has the potential to evolve into a platform akin to LinkedIn or Kickstarter within the K-pop sector, aiming to maximize the value and reach of artists.Deepening artist-fan connectionsModhaus seeks to use the funds raised from this recent investment round to advance its Cosmo platform. This improvement aims to deepen the connections between fans and artists, providing fans with more opportunities to actively engage with and contribute to their favorite idol groups.At the helm of Modhaus are co-founders Jaden Jung and Kwanghyun Joseph Baek. Jung brings over two decades of experience as a producer at JYP Entertainment and Woollim Entertainment. Baek, on the other hand, has a background as the Chief Operating Officer at Playlist Originals, a digital content studio, and as a consultant at Bain & Company.Their team also includes Chief Product Officer Park Jae-hyun, formerly Product Owner at Viva Republica, the fintech company behind the internet-only bank Toss. Chief Creative Officer Kim Jong-soo has a history in the music industry as well, having produced girl groups like Dreamcatcher and Dal Shabet. Chief Business Officer Lee Gyu-hwa comes from MyMusicTaste, a K-Pop platform, while Chief Financial Officer Yang Ji-eun brings her experience from venture capital firm NCORE Ventures.