Foblgate adds D’CENT and Trust as supported external wallets

Daegu to host first-ever metaverse expo on Nov. 8South Korea’s Daegu Metropolitan City is set to host its first metaverse expo called the “ABB Big Show” from Wednesday to Friday (local time) at the EXCO convention center as part of efforts to stimulate and promote the metaverse industry — a key industry that was notably earmarked as a growth engine in last year’s eighth nationwide local elections. Despite more recent concerns about the sector due to worsening domestic and international economic conditions and reduced investments, the global market continues to recognize its high potential, as divulged at CES 2023, one of the biggest tech events in the world. Daegu has thus stepped up to promote the latest metaverse technologies and content across diverse industrial, administrative and educational services.“The metaverse industry represents a new field that symbolizes a digital era with infinite opportunities and possibilities,” said Choi Woon-baek, Director of the city’s Office for Future Innovation Growth. “I hope that this event will be a meaningful time for citizens to experience firsthand the advanced metaverse technology that is poised to change our future lives.”Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on UnsplashA confluence of metaverse innovation and technologyUnder the theme of exploring the link between reality and the virtual realm, the ABB Big Show — ABB is an acronym for AI, blockchain and big data — will be hosted by Daegu and jointly organized by the Daegu Gyeongbuk Metaverse Industry Association, the MICE Industry Research Institute and local news outlet Yeongnam Ilbo. It will also be held simultaneously with this year’s ICT Convergence Expo Korea and the ABB Hackathon. Of the 156 total companies that are scheduled to participate in the shared event, 32 of them are metaverse companies, the city said.These companies are set to introduce various cutting-edge metaverse technologies through hands-on activities and exhibitions, many of which come with prizes and special events for visitors. In particular, creative media content company YDesign Lab plans to set up a futuristic Instagram photo zone for visitors using immersive anamorphic technology, while mixed reality (MR) content provider DG Entertainment will showcase its motion recognition technology.Other individual guests plan to give lectures on the prospects of Korea’s metaverse industry and propose related policies to push these prospects in a promising direction. The second day of the expo will host a conference featuring Ahn Jong-bae, President of Hansei University’s Future Creativity Campus, who will deliver a keynote speech on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in changing the future and the metaverse industry.Daegu’s ambitious projectsDaegu is also pursuing several other big-budget projects to foster its regional metaverse ecosystem, including the construction of a metaverse hub in the greater metropolitan area that will serve to support related businesses and cultivate metaverse experts. Also on the city’s agenda is the development of a “Daegu World” metaverse that leverages regional intellectual property in the realms of tourism, education and culture to give citizens unique virtual experiences.

Avalanche Blockchain Developer Expands into IndiaAva Labs, the company behind the layer one Avalanche blockchain, is setting its sights on a significant expansion in India.Seeking out state agency partnershipsThe move by the New York-based blockchain development firm reflects the growing interest in blockchain technology within the world’s most populous country. Ava Labs outlined that it is actively seeking partnerships with Indian government agencies and institutions to facilitate the development of applications on the Avalanche (AVA) blockchain, according to a blog post published by the firm on Thursday.While government and state agencies have not been terribly progressive when it comes to decentralized cryptocurrencies in India, they have been more receptive in terms of developing the underlying blockchain technology.Earlier this year, the Royal Bank of India (RBI) highlighted the importance of adopting blockchain technology. Last month, an RBI-led initiative emerged through India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to further explore blockchain technology relative to payment systems.Indian government’s initiatives, such as launching a Centre of Excellence in Blockchain Technology, align with Ava Labs’ expansion strategy. Moreover, Indian states like Goa and Telangana have demonstrated a proactive approach to leveraging blockchain for real-world use cases, including land records and vehicle registrations.Photo by Studio Art Smile on PexelsRecruiting local talentAs part of its plans, Ava Labs has made a few pivotal hires to lead its operations and business development in India. Devika Mittal, formerly the Head of Token Listings for OK Group company Okcoin, and Kamakshi Arjun, who has held leadership positions at Polygon (MATIC) India and Tech Mahindra, have joined the team. Both individuals bring extensive experience in the blockchain industry to their new roles.Mittal expressed her excitement about the opportunity, stating:“I am so excited to help Ava Labs expand its reach and impact in the region, and am confident that Ava Labs is well-positioned to meet the demands of India’s large and growing population of tech-savvy individuals and businesses.”Equally Arjun, with her understanding of the blockchain market, is expected to play a critical role in Ava Labs’ expansion strategy.Business development fundMittal said in an interview with The Block that Ava’s operations in India would focus on several sectors, including ticketing, certification, and supply chains. She also highlighted the innovative features of Avalanche subnets. Notably, Ava Labs has a specific business development fund earmarked for India.There’s a lot of activity within India’s blockchain ecosystem, with projects like Loco, an esports and live-streaming platform, leading the way. Loco is developing a range of Web3 products and pioneering innovative fan experiences using a custom Avalanche Subnet.While Polygon Labs, the founder of Ethereum scaling network Polygon, operates on a fully remote basis, its origins can be traced back to India through its founders. One community member responded to this latest news, stating that the Avalanche development team has a lot of ground to make up by comparison with the progress recorded by Polygon in India in terms of partnerships and business development.Ava Labs is actively engaging with various prominent institutions and has already secured a partnership with a government agency, although specific details have not been disclosed.

India’s WazirX Partners with TaxNodes to Simplify TaxesIndia’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, WazirX, has integrated with TaxNodes to enable platform users to calculate and file their crypto-taxes with greater ease.TaxNodes is a platform that provides users with the ability to calculate taxes on their cryptocurrency transactions. The start-up company has built a product for the retail crypto investor and trader that’s accessible on a global basis.Photo by Julian Yu on UnsplashEase of calculationThrough the partnership, TaxNodes will enable WazirXs expansive user base to calculate and file taxes on their crypto trades and crypto investments accurately. Furthermore, it will extend its service to provide updates on any developments in Indian taxation relative to the digital assets sector.Avinash Shekhar, Founder and CEO of TaxNodes, commented on the partnership: “We are looking forward to embarking on a journey with WazirX. We believe that our solutions will help WazirX’s customer base get clarity on the taxes levied on their investment. We think that our users will be able to leverage our plans to not only compute but also file their taxes, thereby, enabling us to simplify the taxation journey of crypto investors in the country.”From its perspective, Rajagopal Menon, Vice President at WazirX, said that the company has always prioritized compliance with regulations in the country to set an example of fair practice in the virtual digital asset industry. The partnership between WazirX and TaxNodes will be beneficial in enabling an ecosystem of regulatory abidance and mainstream adoption of crypto without the challenges of tax miscalculation or default.”High taxesIndia has chopped and changed its position on digital assets many times, and its tax treatment of cryptocurrencies has also undergone changes in tandem with that. Currently, Indian investors who trade digital assets, inclusive of NFTs, are under the obligation to declare their income if the assets are held as investments.Income tax return (ITR) forms for the 2022–2023 tax year have been amended to include a section dedicated to digital assets. A section called “Schedule — Virtual Digital Assets (VDA)” is now included. Income from the sale of virtual assets is currently taxed in India at a rate of 30%. One inequitable feature of the Indian crypto tax treatment is the fact that losses incurred from digital assets cannot be offset against other income.Additional taxes are to be applied in the form of tax deducted at source (TDS) of 1%, applicable on all sell transactions of digital assets and NFTs. That measure was first applied as of July 1, 2022. The world’s largest democracy has taken a very repressive stance in taxing digital assets, and added to that, non-compliance in the case of TDS can be sanctioned by way of a fine or jail time.With those high stakes, it’s appropriate that service providers like TaxNodes are collaborating with Indian crypto exchanges like WazirX. Crypto market participants can’t afford to miscalculate their taxes given the sanctions that could potentially be applied.