South Korean Job Seekers to Benefit from Digital Badges for License Credentials

Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based Web3 company focused on blockchain gaming and NFTs, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DayDayCook (DDC) Enterprise Limited in a deal that will see Animoca allocate up to $100 million in Bitcoin with that capital to be exposed to yield enhancement strategies operated by DDC.Photo by Erika Fletcher on UnsplashBitcoin treasury strategyIn a press release published to its website, Animoca Brands claimed that the deal accelerates the Bitcoin accumulation strategy pursued by DDC. Back in May, DDC Enterprise, a Chinese company listed on the Nasdaq in the U.S. while headquartered in Hong Kong, became one of many Nasdaq-listed companies recently to add Bitcoin to its balance sheet.  At that time, it made a symbolic initial 21 BTC purchase, bearing in mind the leading digital asset has a supply cap of 21 million BTC. The company has set out an ambitious plan to build up a Bitcoin treasury of 5,000 BTC over the course of three years. DDC Founder Norma Chu described the development as a “pivotal moment.” ‘Pristine monetary asset’On this occasion, Chu described the partnership with Animoca as a “transformative step,” reflecting the companies’ “shared vision to accelerate Bitcoin’s role as a pristine monetary asset.” As part of the partnership, Animoca Brands Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Yat Siu, will join DDC’s Bitcoin Visionary Council (BVC). The company established the BVC recently in order to put strategic leadership and guidance in place so that DDC’s Bitcoin-related treasury operations are conducted in accordance with industry standards so as to maximize value creation in the long term. Siu said that the arrangement enables Animoca Brands “to enhance the value of [its] blockchain technologies and maximize the value of [its] Bitcoin holdings.” Commenting further on the partnership, he added: “We will focus on developing strategies to enhance Bitcoin’s value proposition, leveraging DDC’s commitment to advancing corporate Bitcoin treasury solutions." Siu told Cointelegraph that Animoca Brands' belief in the abilities of the DDC founder played a large part in the company establishing the partnership. He said that her background and experience enable her to “bridge the East and West to successfully navigate markets on both sides of the planet,” adding that “she has good appeal and connections to the Chinese market, one of the largest for crypto adoption, while also running a NASDAQ-listed company.” On BitcoinTreasuries.net, a Bitcoin treasury data hub, DDC is listed as 47th in terms of corporations globally that have adopted a Bitcoin treasury strategy, ranked by the amount of Bitcoin that they have accumulated. The website suggests that DDC currently holds 368 BTC, valued at approximately $43.2 million. Following its initial purchase of 21 BTC in May, the company followed up with the acquisition of 38 BTC in June. On July 1, it announced that it had raised $528 million to expand its Bitcoin holdings, with confirmation of a further purchase of 230 BTC by July 7.

Wemade Releases Sustainability Report to Demonstrate Commitment to TransparencyWemade, a leading South Korean blockchain gaming company, has published its 2022 sustainability report, demonstrating its commitment to transparency and effective communication with shareholders and investors.Photo by Ash from Modern Afflatus on UnsplashThree ESG objectivesIn the report, Wemade CEO Henry Chang outlined three key objectives focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. These objectives are strengthening the company’s eco-friendly practices, nurturing future minds in the blockchain industry, and establishing a transparent governance framework.Wemade’s WEMIX 3.0 ecosystem is built on three main pillars: the global blockchain gaming platform WEMIX PLAY, the DAO-based NFT platform NILE, and the decentralized finance service WEMIX.Fi. These platforms are supported by the WEMIX token and WEMIX Dollar (WEMIX$), which are key currencies within the ecosystem. WEMIX$ is fully backed by USD Coin (USDC).The WEMIX token is listed on more than 17 cryptocurrency exchanges, including KuCoin, Gate.io, and Bybit, according to CoinMarketCap. Meanwhile, WEMIX$ can be traded on WEMIX.Fi and centralized exchange BitMart.Transparency initiativesThe report highlights various transparency initiatives undertaken by the company. Wemade has partnered with crypto data platform Xangle, intending to enable users to monitor the real-time circulation of the WEMIX token. The company has also established a protocol investment committee of five members to review and approve diverse projects. Furthermore, the report mentions that all of the undistributed WEMIX tokens are held by institutional custodian Ceffu (formerly known as Binance Custody) to ensure WEMIX’s stability.According to the report, Wemade is committed to effective communication with stakeholders worldwide, including shareholders, token investors, and gamers. CEO Chang’s quarterly conferences play a significant role in unveiling the platform’s policies and answering stakeholders’ questions. Additionally, the company ensures the dissemination of information in multiple languages (Korean, English, Chinese, Spanish, and Indonesian), catering to global WEMIX token holders.CEO Chang underlined the company’s dedication to enhancing corporate transparency and fulfilling its social responsibilities. These measures are aimed at facilitating the sustainable growth of the blockchain company.

Korean Survey: High Hopes for New Tech, Less for Blockchain and MetaverseA survey report on the perceptions and acceptance of evolving technology among the South Korean public was released yesterday by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) in collaboration with the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI). The survey, conducted from October 5, 2022, to January 13, 2023, involved 5,378 smartphone users who accessed the Internet at least once a day.Photo by Алекс Арцибашев on UnsplashTech toolsThe report titled “The 2022 User Panel Survey on Intelligent Information Society” revealed that Korean individuals generally hold high expectations for technological tools. Among the respondents, 89.3% expressed their belief that robots would enhance our lives, making it the most anticipated technology. This was closely followed by autonomous driving (87.8%) and kiosks (87.6%). On the other hand, blockchain and AR/VR were slightly less popular, with 73.4% and 72.4% of respondents showing interest, respectively. AR/VR stands for augmented reality and virtual reality.Information servicesThere was also significant anticipation for advanced information services among the respondents. Algorithm-based content recommendations garnered approval from 86.9% of participants, while artificial intelligence-based healthcare received support from 86.5%. However, metaverse-related services received a more moderate level of enthusiasm, with approximately 66% of respondents expressing interest.Metaverse usageThe survey also delved into the usage of metaverse platforms among respondents, revealing that only 12.7% had prior experience with such platforms. This finding suggests that the level of metaverse usage remains relatively low. Among the metaverse-experienced respondents, the most popular platform was ZEPETO, which accounted for 39.4% of usage. On average, users spent 1 hour and 4 minutes on the platform daily. ZEPETO is a Korean communication service that allows users to create and interact as 3D avatars in a virtual world. The cyberspace platform is operated by NAVER Z, an affiliate of the nation’s search engine giant NAVER Corp.Regarding the activities conducted on metaverse platforms, 77.9% of users stated that they primarily utilized them for gaming purposes. This was followed by “communicating with friends” (67.8%) and “communicating with strangers” (66.6%).When discussing the advantages of the metaverse, respondents highlighted its ability to transcend physical and temporal limitations, with 65.7% and 62.6% mentioning “less constraint by time” and “less constraint by space,” respectively. Additionally, 60.1% of respondents mentioned the metaverse’s capacity for self-expression as a benefit. However, respondents also expressed concerns about the metaverse, including risks such as sex offenses (65.7%), personal data infringement (62.6%), hacking (60.1%), and addiction (57.8%).