KuCoin Report Points to Marked Increase in Crypto Investors in Turkey

Intella X Partners With Aptos Foundation to Accelerate Growth of Web3 GamingIntella X, the Web3 blockchain gaming platform developed by Neowiz, a South Korean gaming company, has forged a strategic partnership with the Aptos Foundation, an esteemed layer-1 blockchain entity.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on UnsplashAptos’ expansion in KoreaDedicated to nurturing the growth and advancement of the Aptos Network, a community-centric layer-1 network, the Aptos Foundation operates grant programs designed to expedite the expansion of the Aptos ecosystem. Seizing this collaboration as a valuable opportunity, the foundation envisions expanding the network’s presence in the Korean gaming market.These two entities will be collaborating across various technological and business domains, with the goal of enhancing the Intella X ecosystem and fostering the success of its Web3 projects.Empowering newcomers in Web3Intella X’s mission revolves around establishing an accessible platform that guides newcomers into the Web3 landscape. Beyond its gaming offerings, Intella X stands as a decentralized exchange, NFT launchpad, and NFT trading platform.On the global stage, Intella X has taken proactive strides to amplify its ecosystem’s reach. Among its notable achievements is a recent alliance with Yield Guild Games (YGG), a DeFi-powered gaming guild boasting a user base of over 450,000 worldwide. The cooperation between these entities will delve into the integration possibilities of YGG’s soulbound reputation tokens into Intella X Wallet (IX Wallet), the dedicated Web3 wallet for the Intella X platform.

Metaplanet, the Tokyo-headquartered Bitcoin corporate treasury firm, has purchased an additional 696 BTC, following a stock split, bringing its total Bitcoin holding to 4,046 BTC.Photo by Kanchanara on Unsplash$341 million in BitcoinThe company publicized details of its latest Bitcoin purchase on X on April 1. It outlined that funding of this purchase was enabled through the allocation of cash held by the firm as a consequence of the sale of put options.  The average purchase price of the 696 BTC was 14,586,230 yen ($97,694). The average price the firm has paid per Bitcoin in relation to its entire holding of the leading digital asset is 12,943,181 yen ($86,689). Its overall Bitcoin holding has a total value of approximately $341 million. Taking to X, the firm’s CEO, Simon Gerovich, said that Metaplanet’s Bitcoin Income Generation business achieved 770 million yen ($5.2 million) in Q1 revenue, while year-to-date its Bitcoin yield has reached 95.6%. Stock split & bond issuanceThis purchase follows both a stock split and the issuance of bonds worth 2 billion yen ($13.3 million). On March 31, Metaplanet filed a disclosure outlining details of the bond issuance. The company issued the zero interest bonds via its Evo Fund. Buyers will be permitted to redeem the newly issued bonds at face value by Sept. 30. In an X post, Gerovich suggested that the bond issuance was being implemented in order to facilitate the company “buying the dip,” taking advantage of a downturn in the Bitcoin unit price over recent weeks. In a notice filed on Feb. 18, Metaplanet outlined details of its 10-to-1 stock split. The company described how it executed a reverse 10-to-1 stock split last August. This has created a problem for investors as in the interim, the stock price has increased significantly. Consequently, the share price is unwieldy, placing a substantial financial burden on investors. On that basis, the latest stock split will enable greater investor accessibility and improved liquidity. Arising from that, Metaplanet expects that it will gain a broader investor base. On March 30, Gerovich reported that Metaplanet stock is now a component within Betashares’ Crypto Innovators ETF. Betashares is an Australian asset manager with over $50 billion in assets under management.  The Metaplanet CEO suggested that the development pointed towards “growing interest from institutional investors,” while expressing his satisfaction with Australians now having access to Metaplanet’s Bitcoin First Strategy via the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The ‘Asian MicroStrategy’Metaplanet is being regarded by many industry commentators as the “Asian MicroStrategy,” referring to the American Bitcoin treasury firm that recently rebranded to Strategy, having pioneered a particular approach to building a position in Bitcoin within a corporate treasury. Metaplanet appears to have adopted the same Bitcoin playbook. In an appearance on the Coin Stories Podcast recently, Metaplanet’s Gerovich said that he encourages his friends to put “100% of their net worth into Bitcoin.” Last month, the company confirmed that it was pursuing a strategy to accumulate 10,000 Bitcoin in 2025 and 21,000 Bitcoin by 2026. The firm is now ranked ninth in the world as a corporate Bitcoin holder. Within Asia, it is the leading corporate holder of the world's largest digital asset.

Amberdata Expands into Asia-Pacific with New Hong Kong OfficeAmberdata, a provider of digital asset data and analytics for institutional customers, is making significant strides in expanding its presence with the announcement of a new office in Hong Kong, marking its entry into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.Photo by Pixabay on PexelsMarket data offeringThe company published a press release on Tuesday, providing details on the milestone. The strategically positioned Hong Kong office will provide local sales and support to APAC customers, granting them access to Amberdata’s suite of products. These offerings include extensive on-chain, DeFi, spot, and derivatives market data, along with valuable market intelligence.Tongtong Gong, the COO and Co-Founder of Amberdata of the US-based firm, will spearhead the company’s operations in the region. Gong, expressing her excitement about returning to her home country, shared her aspirations to contribute to the growth of Amberdata’s presence in Asia.She highlighted the burgeoning development of Web3 in Hong Kong, which benefits from a clear regulatory environment and strong government support, making it an exceptional location for the new office.Industry trends eastwardsThe expansion into APAC by Amberdata aligns with the global trend of accelerating institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. By addressing the increasing demand for institutional-grade data infrastructure and analytics, Amberdata is positioned to serve as a crucial partner to financial institutions.The company’s foray into APAC is yet another demonstration of a trend among US-based digital assets companies to establish themselves in the east, where the regulatory environment is developing in a much more progressive, forward thinking way by comparison with the United States.Shawn Douglass, the CEO of Amberdata, said that the move was with a view towards expanding its presence in Asia, “to deliver the highest quality digital asset data and analytics to institutional investors in the region.”Hong Kong’s crypto credentialsHe emphasized the growing prominence of Hong Kong as one of Asia’s leading crypto hubs and highlighted the city’s suitability as the location for their new office. The establishment of a local office enables the company to effect a more direct sales and support pipeline to both new and existing customers within APAC.Amberdata holds a paramount position as the leading provider of digital asset data. Their comprehensive insights into blockchain networks, crypto markets, and decentralized finance seek to empower financial institutions with invaluable data for research, trading, risk assessment, analytics, reporting, and compliance.Also on Tuesday, the company added new product features. Taking to Twitter, Amberdata outlined the addition of derivatives data relative to a well-known trading and futures options platform, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). Service users are also now being given complete visibility on externally owned accounts and wallets within lending and borrowing protocols.As financial institutions increasingly enter the digital asset class and participate in digital asset markets, Amberdata’s robust infrastructure is being positioned as a vital component, enabling them to make informed decisions and navigate the dynamic landscape effectively.