Koscom Partners with LG CNS to Develop Joint Security Token Platform

China’s GAPP proposes ban on gaming crypto token conversionChina’s gaming industry hit a significant speed bump on Friday as the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) unveiled a draft proposing substantial changes to the regulation of in-game tokens, signaling a strategic shift in the country’s stance on digital currencies in gaming.Photo by blurrystock on UnsplashImplementing more stringent controlsThe proposed regulations by GAPP bring about a ban on the conversion of game tokens into physical goods or legal tender. These guidelines, spanning 64 articles, impose stringent requirements on gaming companies. These include mandatory licensing in China, a two-year data retention policy, adherence to national and socialist values in content and the eradication of anonymous user registrations.One significant aspect of the guidelines is Article 23, which specifically addresses the use of game tokens. It proposes restrictions on exchanging them for physical goods, services or legal tender.The regulatory landscape becomes more complex due to the ambiguity surrounding cryptocurrencies, which are not recognized as legal tender in China. Although a warning was issued about the risks inherent in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), they remain legal in China. NFTs feature prominently within blockchain-based gaming.Game providers are also confronted with new limitations on inducements, such as bonuses for registration or daily logins, and are mandated to implement measures against irrational consumer spending.Gaming sector falloutIn the wake of these developments, several Chinese tech giants experienced a significant market downturn in Hong Kong. Tencent, a global gaming powerhouse and one of China’s most valuable companies, saw a 12.4% drop on Friday, marking its worst day since October 2008. This decline erased a massive 367 billion Hong Kong dollars ($47 billion) from Tencent’s market value.NetEase, another gaming giant, witnessed a 25% dive in Hong Kong afternoon trade, recording its most substantial daily loss since its listing in June 2020. Additionally, Bilibili and Kuaishou, prominent players in video-sharing and short-video platforms, experienced declines of 9.7% and 7.2%, respectively, given their involvement in online gaming.Market uncertaintyWith this latest development, the future of gaming crypto tokens remains uncertain in China, with investor confidence having been hit hard. Putting the matter in context on Friday, Stansberry Research Analyst Brian Tycangco took to the X social media platform, stating:”Govt regulation will effectively render prevailing business models irrelevant due to uncertainty regarding monetization. Games are inherently reward-based and if you clamp down on the use of rewards/incentives, you turn an entire industry on its head.”The guidelines, open for public consultation until Jan. 22, 2024, have not yet been legally enacted. This time frame allows for feedback and potential adjustments before enforcement.Notably, the Web3 gaming sector has witnessed substantial activity, with approximately a million unique active wallets engaged daily over the past three months, according to DappRadar. Industry experts, including Yat Siu of Animoca Brands, anticipate a potential surge in user engagement, emphasizing the potential impact of these regulations on the gaming industry’s trajectory.

It’s proving to be a significant week for the further development of stablecoins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with leading U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issuer Circle achieving in-principle licensing approval in Abu Dhabi, while a group of Abu Dhabi-based institutions have announced plans to launch a UAE dirham-pegged stablecoin.Photo by Yan Ma on UnsplashRegulatory licensingIn a press release published on April 29 Circle outlined that it had received in-principle approval to operate as a money services provider from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), the regulator for projects operating out of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). ADGM is a free zone located within the UAE capital that has established its own regulatory framework for virtual asset-based businesses. The in-principle licensing award puts the company on a firm path towards the acquisition of a full Financial Services Permission (FSP) license. Circle Co-Founder Jeremy Allaire said that this in-principle licensing “advances our strategy to establish deep roots in markets embracing the onchain economy, creating new pathways for investment and innovation in the region.” On X, Ian Ballina, founder and CEO of Token Metrics, said that the licensing milestone signaled more global momentum for crypto adoption. Ballina pointed out that Circle’s USDC stablecoin is gaining traction as a result of the company’s strategy of partnering with local tech innovators. In addition, Circle announced a collaboration with Hub71, an Abu Dhabi-based global tech ecosystem. The objective of the partnership is to strengthen innovation within the digital assets space, with Circle joining Hub71’s digital assets ecosystem to offer expertise to a community of more than 500 tech startups and venture capital firms. Dirham stablecoin launchIn a separate development, ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-headquartered sovereign wealth fund, announced that it had joined with local partners to launch a UAE dirham-pegged stablecoin.  In its efforts to launch the stablecoin, ADQ has partnered with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank, and conglomerate International Holding Company (IHC). The trio envisage that the stablecoin will be regulated by the UAE’s central bank and will be used “by citizens and consumers, businesses and institutions.” Once regulatory approval has been granted, the stablecoin will be hosted on the ADI blockchain, a network which was established by the Abu Dhabi-based non-profit ADI Foundation. ADQ CEO H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi described the launch of the stablecoin as “a pivotal step in our commitment to strengthening the UAE’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.” He added that the stablecoin will provide a secure, efficient and scalable solution for market participants as the UAE progresses towards an increasingly digital and connected economy. FAB CEO Hana Al Rostamani suggested that the new stablecoin would make a significant impact, with the potential to “revolutionize the use of trusted blockchain payments for UAE consumers and businesses.” Last December, the FSRA approved leading U.S. dollar stablecoin Tether (USDT) as an accepted virtual asset (AVA). Some weeks prior to that approval, Tether outlined that it planned to launch a dirham-backed stablecoin in collaboration with local partners. In October the country’s central bank issued in-principle approval to the promoters of another dirham-backed stablecoin, AE Coin.

SC Ventures and Deutsche Bank Execute Stablecoin Payments via UDPNSC Ventures, the Singaporean disruptive technology investment subsidiary of UK banking conglomerate Standard Chartered, has partnered with Deutsche Bank in completing the first successful proof of concept (PoC) for the Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN).Photo by Conny Schneider on UnsplashConnecting blockchain networks with CBDCsThe UDPN is a brainchild of Hong Kong’s Red Date Technology, which in turn is a co-founder of the Chinese Blockchain-Based Service Network (BSN). The PoC was aimed at facilitating seamless connections between central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and various blockchain networks through message-based transactions.News of the successful PoC emerged via a report by India’s English-language business newspaper Financial Express earlier this week. In conventional finance and international payments, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) is the foremost, dominant financial messaging service. Notably, UDPN distinguishes itself from SWIFT as it operates on a permissioned blockchain, ensuring heightened security and regulatory compliance.As part of the PoC, several real-time transfers and swaps of synthetic USDC and EURS (Stasis Euro stablecoin) were executed between the two banks. While SC Ventures utilized code that leveraged UDPN software development kits (SDKs) and APIs, Deutsche Bank employed a graphical user interface. Rafael Otero, CTO and CPO of Deutsche Bank’s Corporate Bank division, emphasized the significance of this trial, stating that it provides an opportunity to explore how clients can actively engage in the decentralized global economy. Otero sees this as the logical next step in the evolution of financial transactions.Overcoming digital currency adoption challengesUDPN has been under development in collaboration with consultancy firm GFT Technologies and DLA Piper’s Hong Kong-based digital asset creation platform, TOKO, with further governance provided by the UDPN Alliance.The primary goal of UDPN is to overcome the hurdles that hinder the broader adoption of digital currencies, especially in the face of the surging number of CBDCs, stablecoins, and deposit tokens. The lack of interoperability among these digital assets necessitates innovative solutions.Currently, interoperability among stablecoins primarily relies on centralized cryptocurrency exchanges. However, due to the absence of proper oversight and regulatory framework in these exchanges, this method is not a sustainable solution for achieving interoperability between CBDCs and deposit tokens.UDPN takes a unique approach by providing a decentralized identity infrastructure. The actual currency transactions occur on their respective native blockchains or infrastructures. This means that UDPN enables users to seamlessly swap a USDC stablecoin on one network for a Euro stablecoin on another or even a bank deposit token.Improving upon financial messaging systemsAs UDPN incorporates an element of financial messaging for digital currencies, this hybrid approach streamlines transactions, eliminates the need for reconciliations, and enables atomic settlement. Therefore, UDPN ensures that either both sides of a transaction succeed or both fail. In contrast, purely messaging-based systems can result in one side of the transaction failing.SWIFT recently experimented with a messaging solution to connect CBDCs, and other conventional integration methods are being explored, involving APIs and routing networks, such as finP2P. It has collaborated with the central banks of Hong Kong and Kazakhstan recently in testing CBDC connectors.A report by Nikkei Asia last week suggested that Standard Chartered is venturing further into the world of digital currencies, particularly so in Asia, via SC Ventures.