Shinhan Card to launch NFT-based art-tech service next year

FactBlock, a Seoul-based Web3 ecosystem builder and consulting firm, has become the newest member of the WEMIX3.0 blockchain’s 40 WONDERS, or Node Council Partners (NCP), according to an official announcement on Friday (KST). Photo by Growtika on UnsplashShaping the WEMIX3.0 ecosystemThe 40 WONDERS make up a governance council that represents the interests of the WEMIX community by participating in on-chain voting processes for improving or changing WEMIX3.0’s protocol. They are also responsible for validating transactions and operating nodes on the mainnet to boost and maintain its integrity and security. In particular, each member gets to choose their own WONDER number – FactBlock has joined as WONDER 13, shortly after blockchain security audit firm Verichains joined as WONDER 12. FactBlock was able to join by tapping into its resources from secured investments and committing to expanding the ever-growing WEMIX ecosystem and promoting community activity. FactBlock’s industry-oriented missionThe firm is dedicated to ameliorating information asymmetry within the Web3 industry, serving as a gateway for overseas blockchain projects looking to enter the South Korean market and local firms preparing to go international. The firm’s upcoming projects for this year include the launch of Fablo, an educational platform for collective blockchain learning centered around community engagement.  FactBlock has also hosted Korea Blockchain Week (KBW), the largest blockchain conference in the country and in Asia, since 2018. Last year’s event was held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul in September, hosting a number of industry experts who discussed trends and outlooks for the Web3 industry.

Bitget Launches Blockchain4Youth ProjectSeychelles-headquartered crypto derivatives trading platform, Bitget, announced on Thursday the launch of a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) project. The initiative seizes upon an opportunity to execute on a public good while at the same time, benefiting the future prospects of the business itself alongside the overarching crypto space.Blockchain4Youth is a new initiative from the crypto business with the objective of “empowering and inspiring younger generations to use Web3 and crypto tools to create and engage in a decentralized space. ” With this goal, the trading platform believes that a blockchain future can be created.Photo by Jill Wellington on PexelYouth key to crypto adoptionWhile this is a CSR project, it’s easy to interpret it as a win/win. The future success of crypto lies with the younger demographic. They are the ones who are digitally native. They’re the ones that can more easily identify with truly digital money and digitally decentralized systems.Bitget seems to get this according to the statement it issued: “Bitget believes that a blockchain-based future is essential to building better products and tools to help people advance crypto adoption. The platform will be relying on the young generation to promote such ideas and will help them become proactive leaders.”This is telling as it demonstrates firstly that the Seychelles-based platform understands that the younger demographic represents its future customers. But it also clarifies that Bitget understands that future products need to be purpose built to meet the specific needs of that younger demographic.46% of millennials own cryptoIt appears that Bitget’s initiative is further motivated off the back of recent research it carried out. Released last month, that research study reveals that 46% of Millennial respondents said they owned cryptocurrencies, compared to 25% of Gen X-ers, 21% of Gen Z, and just 8% of Baby Boomers.The depth of the study extended to 255,000 survey responses received from respondents distributed across 26 countries, including places as diverse as the United States, Japan, China, Nigeria, Germany, Indonesia, and elsewhere. The study achieved responses per country of at least 10,000 respondents.The research also uncovered that “related statistics compiled on attitudes towards the regulation of digital assets indicate that each successive generation is more likely to factor in the attitudes of electoral candidates towards crypto regulation when casting their vote.”One of the study’s key findings is the following: “By 2030, all Gen Z members will be adults and the spread of blockchain technology by that time could lead to an increase in the percentage of cryptocurrency adopters across all generations. As such, the chances of the growth in acceptance of cryptocurrencies in the coming years are very high.”Broader industry involvementBitget intends to extend involvement in its Blockchain4Youth project beyond the company, with participation coming from other blockchain firms. The press release sets out that “the platform will also collaborate with other leading blockchain firms to incubate innovative projects by young entrepreneurs and host U30 (Under the age of 30) hackathons to identify the most promising ones.”The crypto derivatives platform is kicking things off later this month through a series of campus lectures in Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan covering the topic of Web3. As well as being open to collaborating with industry peers, the company also wants educators to take an active role in the initiative.

NFT Seoul Conference 2023 to Picture the Future of Digital InnovationArt Token, a South Korean company that operates non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace 2R2, has made an announcement regarding the upcoming NFT Seoul Conference 2023, scheduled to take place at COEX on September 1. This conference is poised to provide insights into the future trajectory of the ever-evolving digital landscape.According to a local news outlet, the event is co-hosted by Art Token, along with The Korea Herald, an English-language newspaper in Korea, and Soongsil University. Noteworthy support is also coming from Crypto.com, a crypto exchange headquartered in Singapore.Photo by Riza Gabriela on UnsplashNFTs as economic vehiclesHong Ji-sook, CEO of Art Token, shared the motivation behind orchestrating this NFT-focused conference. According to her, the event focuses on the future of NFTs, which are anticipated to serve as economic vehicles in the emerging Web3 digital ecosystem. Hong added that the conference is designed to provide strategic responses to the burgeoning concepts in the expansive digital realm such as decentralization, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and crypto rewards.Highlighting the pivotal role of NFTs in embracing necessary digital innovations across the domains of art and finance, she emphasized that the conference agenda will showcase sessions and programs that foster a dynamic exchange of ideas. This collaborative environment is anticipated to pave the way for novel opportunities and solutions that hold relevance across blockchain technology, the tech industry, and the artistic landscape.Web3, NFT art, and security tokensThe in-person conference will be structured around three main themes: Web3, NFT art, and security token offerings (STOs). The keynote speakers will delve into the future trends of NFTs and their potential in the Web3 era. They will also analyze the utilization and significance of NFTs in the realm of art. Lastly, the presenters will assess the current state of the Korean security token market and discuss the diverse industrial applications of security tokens. Meanwhile, visitors will have a chance to glean insights from other separate sessions that shed light on the evolving global landscape.