Alibaba Cloud Partners With Avalanche to Deploy Metaverses

NEOPIN and SBINFT Join Forces to Expand DeFi and NFT EcosystemsNEOPIN, the global CeDeFi platform of South Korean investment holding company Neowiz Holdings, announced today its strategic partnership with SBINFT, the NFT marketplace developer and Web3 subsidiary of Japanese online financial conglomerate SBI Holdings.Photo by Markus Winkler on PexelsExtending their global reachThrough this partnership, the two companies will combine their individual expertise to enhance the global reach of each other’s ecosystems. Their strategy involves facilitating the introduction of established NFT projects from regions such as South Korea, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia into the Japanese market. Additionally, they will collaborate to offer both financial and technical assistance to promising Japanese Web3 initiatives, enabling them to expand internationally.Web3 projects and utility NFTsTo achieve this objective, NEOPIN will onboard a diverse range of Web3 projects to its ecosystem, thereby broadening their adoption and appealing to a worldwide user base. Meanwhile, SBINFT will proactively seek to bring utility NFTs into its NFT marketplace.NEOPIN’s partnership with SBINFT is a strategic step in its plan to enter the Japanese market. Just recently, the South Korean enterprise revealed its proactive approach to intensify endeavors to attract a Japanese customer base.Kim Yong-ki, NEOPIN’s CEO, mentioned that the collaboration with SBINFT represents one of their initial endeavors to penetrate the Japanese market. Kim further stated that NEOPIN is dedicated to achieving favorable outcomes not only within Japan but also across the East Asian region.Ko Jang-deok, CEO of SBINFT, echoed this sentiment, expressing that NEOPIN possesses a robust strategy tailored for the Japanese market. He mentioned that the partnership with such a company will help SBINFT introduce international content to the Japanese market. Ko highlighted SBINFT’s commitment to extending its presence in the East Asian market.

The joint virtual asset crime investigation unit of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office announced the arrest of three executives from South Korean cryptocurrency yield platform Haru Invest, according to a report by local news agency Yonhap. They are accused of embezzling cryptocurrencies valued at over 1 trillion Korean won ($750 million).Photo by niu niu on UnsplashFraud lawsuitThis development comes after approximately 100 investors filed a fraud lawsuit in June against the executives of Haru and Delio, another Korean crypto lending firm.  The three leading executives of Haru, one aged 44 and the other two aged 40, are facing fraud charges for failing to return cryptocurrencies deposited by around 16,000 customers.Misleading promotionsInvestigations uncovered that Haru Invest was offering misleading promotions for its products. Despite assurances that it utilized a risk-free, diversified investment strategy to manage user assets, Haru Invest predominantly allocated the majority of these assets towards concentrated investments from March 2020 to June 2023. Haru Invest had garnered attention from crypto investors, promising an annual return of up to 12%.  Subsequently, on June 13, Haru halted the withdrawal of digital assets without prior notice. The platform is currently in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings.  Delio, having allocated some of its assets with Haru, also came under public scrutiny that same month when it ceased withdrawals just a day following Haru's questionable action.

Chinese Subsidiary of DBS Bank Launches e-CNY Product OfferingDBS Bank China, a cryptocurrency-friendly bank and subsidiary of the Singaporean multinational financial services firm DBS, has introduced a new solution for its customers in mainland China, facilitating transactions with the digital yuan.The bank has officially launched the digital yuan or e-CNY merchant solution, allowing businesses in mainland China to receive payments in the central bank digital currency (CBDC). The announcement of the new service offering was made via a press release published to the website of the parent company on Wednesday.Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplashe-CNY settlementWith this new service, DBS clients in mainland China can receive the e-CNY and have it automatically settled into their CNY bank deposit accounts. DBS refers to this as a “merchant collection solution,” where the merchant collects the final amount in CNY directly into their bank deposit account. The solution aims to streamline the process by eliminating manual settlement procedures.Enabling CBDC functionalityThis innovative tool offers several advantages. It allows businesses to collect CBDC without the need for manual settlement processes. Moreover, the e-CNY’s capabilities enable users to receive payments in regions with limited internet connectivity, ensuring broader accessibility. The solution also provides reconciliation through consolidated merchant reports, with detailed e-CNY transactions available on DBS’ digital platform for business banking.The CEO of DBS Bank China, Ginger Cheng, announced that the first e-CNY transaction using the new solution has been successfully completed, involving a catering company in Shenzhen. Cheng emphasized that integrating a CBDC collection and settlement method into clients’ existing payment systems would position their businesses for a digital future where e-CNY becomes increasingly prevalent among Chinese consumers. She expressed the bank’s commitment to enhancing user experience and supporting China’s financial market innovation.Adoption pushChina has made substantial progress in promoting and expanding the digital yuan since its launch in 2019. The country’s central bank reported that there were 13.6 billion e-CNY in circulation, equivalent to approximately $2 billion, by the end of 2022.The digital yuan is currently accepted in 26 cities and 17 provinces across China, with further adoption expected as the program gradually expands to more regions. In recent days, another measure was taken to bring about everyday use of the digital yuan when the city of Jinan enabled use of the currency across its public transport system.DBS Bank has become actively involved in the digital assets space. In 2020, the bank launched cryptocurrency trading and custody services for institutional clients. In April of this year, it extended crypto trading services to its premier customers. The bank has also participated in various government-related blockchain initiatives in Singapore, including Project Orchid, Project Guardian, and Project Ubin.DBS is not the first foreign banking entity to collaborate with the Chinese relative to the digital yuan. Earlier this year, France’s BNP Paribas partnered with the Bank of China to promote the digital yuan to its corporate clients. The Chinese are clearly making every effort to promote use of the digital currency inside and outside of Chinese territory.