Korean Financial Watchdog to Penalize Bankers Involved in Illegal Foreign Remittances

Animoca Brands’ Japanese market expansion via strategic partnershipAnimoca Brands Japan, in collaboration with Animoca’s subsidiary KLKTN, a digital experience label, has unveiled a strategic partnership with Cool Cats Group, marking a significant move into the Japanese anime market within the Web3 space.Photo by Yu Kato on UnsplashConquering the Japanese anime marketAs part of this strategic venture which was announced on Tuesday, Animoca Brands Japan has acquired equity shares in Cool Cats Group. Cool Cats is a U.S.-headquartered global character brand. It entails Cool Cats and Cool Pets NFT collections, notable for their distinctive and colorful cat designs.In addition to this, Animoca’s digital experience label, KLKTN, has acquired NFTs from all three of Cool Cats’ collections on the secondary market. Notably, this NFT purchase took place through San FranTokyo, KLKTN’s virtual “decentralized city,” which is known for its focus on licensed anime and Web3 intellectual property.Daisuke Iwase, CEO of Animoca Brands Japan, highlighted that the partnership goes beyond business growth. According to Iwase, it is about cultural exchange, understanding and delving into what makes Japan’s digital and artistic realm globally appealing. He emphasized their commitment to creating more opportunities for the Cool Cats IP’s growth through Animoca Brands Japan and San FranTokyo.Accessing Web3 intellectual propertyRobby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, telling The Block that it revolves around building Web3 intellectual property. He emphasized the company’s excitement about collaborating with an iconic Web3 IP holder like Cool Cats to explore the potential of Web3 products and traditional Japanese media products, including manga, to engage the community.The partnership also introduced several strategic initiatives that are set to roll out. One of the key initiatives is the creation of a “Cool Cats Manga,” which will blend the world of Cool Cats with Japan’s renowned manga tradition. This manga will be crafted by a Japanese manga artist, promising a unique fusion of creative elements.Japanese Cool Cats brand expansionAnother significant aspect of the partnership involves expanding the Cool Cats brand within Japan. Animoca Japan and San FranTokyo will work collaboratively to promote the Cool Cats IP through various channels. They are also committed to establishing new connections for Cool Cats with prominent organizations in the Japanese entertainment and intellectual property sectors, enhancing the brand’s presence in the country.The narrative of the Cool Cats IP will be seamlessly integrated into the virtual city of San FranTokyo. This initiative will encompass interactive e-figurine drops and align with the marketing efforts of other iconic Japanese IPs, creating a vibrant digital ecosystem within the city.David Taing, Co-Chief Operating Officer of KLKTN, expressed their dedication to Japanese and Web3 IP, emphasizing the importance of forging a path forward in the Web3 space. They are committed to bringing together diverse worlds, styles, ideas, industries and technology to drive collaboration to new heights, shaping the future of web3.The strategic partnership between Animoca Brands Japan, KLKTN and Cool Cats Group represents a significant step toward embracing Web3 in the Japanese anime market, not just in terms of focusing on business growth but also in aiming to bridge cultures, bringing together the rich traditions of Japanese manga and the innovation of Web3.

Nano Labs, a Web3-focused semiconductor design company listed on the Nasdaq (NA) and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, has arranged $500 million in financing to fund a BNB treasury. In a press release published on the company’s behalf by GlobeNewswire on June 24, Nano Labs outlined that it has entered into a convertible notes purchase agreement with a number of investors. Convertible promissory notes to the value of $500 million will be issued. Holders of the notes, which mature in 360 days, have the option to convert them to Class A ordinary shares at an initial conversion price of $20 per share. Unconverted notes will not accrue interest, but will be repaid in line with the initial principal amount at maturity. 5%-10% of BNB’s total supplyNano Labs asserted that the agreement “marks an important step in the company’s strategic growth.” It stated that as part of the initiative it plans to conduct an in-depth assessment of the BNB token, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem. The token enables transactions on the BNB Chain and access to various services and decentralized applications (DApps) that run on the blockchain network. In the initial phase of the initiative, Nano Labs plans to acquire $1 billion worth of BNB through convertible notes and private placements. In the long term, the firm plans to build up a holding equal to 5% to 10% of BNB’s total circulating supply. On X, @Whdysseus, the pseudonymous founder of Asian Web3 and crypto financial media project BroadChain Finance, commented on Nano Labs' BNB reserve initiative, considering it to be a BNB version of the Bitcoin treasury strategy pioneered by American firm Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy).Photo by Vadim Artyukhin on UnsplashShare price surgeChangpeng Zhao (CZ), the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, who has been heavily involved in the development and overall vision of BNB Chain, outlined on X that Nano Labs’ share price “went through the roof” following the announcement. He added that none of his affiliated entities participated in the funding that Nano Labs has put in place. At the time of writing, Nano Labs stock (NA) was trading at $14.85, up 36.36% over the course of 24 hours. Nano Labs isn’t the only corporate entity to declare an interest in holding BNB. According to a report published by Bloomberg on June 23, former executives at Coral Capital, a Japanese venture capital firm, are understood to be in the process of raising $100 million through a newly formed entity called Build & Build Corporation, in order to launch a crypto treasury that will invest in BNB. In another positive development, on-chain analytics firm Nansen highlighted last month that the BNB Chain had seen active addresses double to two million.  Earlier in May, Geoff Kendrick, head of digital asset research at Standard Chartered, outlined in a research report that the BNB token could reach a unit price of $2,775 by 2028. Kendrick maintained that the deflationary nature of the token, together with its ties to the Binance exchange platform, are factors that support its long-term value.

Hong Kong Bank to Act as Settlement Bank for Crypto FirmsZA Bank, Hong Kong’s largest virtual bank, is looking to become the go-to bank for crypto startups. The online bank has been given permission to serve as the settlement bank for regulated Web3 companies in the city. This development was announced at Hong Kong’s Web3 Festival, an event supported by the local government and attended by crypto startups and institutions from across Asia.©Pexels/Frank BarningHashKey and OSL collaborationZA Bank is expected to facilitate crypto-fiat conversions with two licensed exchanges in Hong Kong, HashKey and OSL, where customers can swap crypto into fiat currencies. ZA Bank will also offer basic banking services to local Web3 startups, a category that is currently underserved by traditional financial institutions.ZA Bank is focusing on assisting local Web3 startups and small-medium enterprises (SMEs).The bank linked up to the city’s company registry data, allowing for minimal information input and cross-checking. According to Devon Sin, alternate chief executive of ZA Bank, the bank currently conducts AML scrutiny against the usual checklists to satisfy the regulatory requirements. No AML issues have emerged during the recent months of work.Competing for global crypto businessHong Kong is trying to establish itself as a crypto-friendly alternative to other hubs, such as the US and Singapore, and a sandbox for Web3 businesses from China, where crypto trading is illegal. The city is revamping its digital assets regulatory framework, with plans to legalize retail trading of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether. Ronald Lu, CEO of ZA Bank, said that ZA Bank’s online account opening for Web3 startups is a major step forward in integrating traditional banking services with the Web3 world.According to Lu, ZA Bank will act as a settlement bank for clients to allow withdrawals in Hong Kong, China, and US currencies after they deposit crypto tokens with exchanges. The business model is already operational through HashKey and OSL, the only two licensed crypto exchanges in Hong Kong. The bank will provide the same service for other exchanges as they become licensed.HK China’s crypto “trial run”Hong Kong is opening up to the beleaguered sector in a move that aims to revive its status as a financial center following years of COVID restrictions and political upheaval. However, access to banking has been a major hurdle for the city’s ambitions. The city’s banking and securities regulators are hosting a round-table for crypto players and bankers to share experiences and perspectives on banking services later this month.Many have speculated about a softening stance on cryptocurrency by the Chinese authorities. However, it’s more likely that they continue with strict regulation and control relative to crypto in mainland China while happy to monitor a more open approach to it within Hong Kong. Crypto analyst Myles Deutscher likens the approach to a “trial run” that is being monitored by China.Launched in March 2020, ZA Bank is one of Hong Kong’s eight licensed virtual banks and had the most net assets as of last year, despite remaining unprofitable. The virtual lender doesn’t expect it will need to boost its headcount to handle the crypto client push. Although the revenue model is still unclear, Lu said that more clients, more deposits, and more business opportunities are always great for the bank. The lender doesn’t offer services for clients from mainland China, given the restrictions in place there.