WEMIX’s staked token listed on BitMart exchange

XPLA to Bring The Walking Dead: All-Stars to MainnetXPLA, the blockchain gaming platform operated by South Korean gaming company Com2uS Group, has announced that it will onboard Com2uS Holdings’ mobile collectible role-playing game (RPG), The Walking Dead: All-Stars.Photo by Rebekah Yip on UnsplashBringing a fan-favorite story to the gaming worldThe Walking Dead: All-Stars is based on the globally renowned “The Walking Dead” comics, leveraging the global intellectual property owned by Skybound Entertainment. It has received acclaim for its post-apocalyptic setting, characterized by captivating artwork that captures the ambiance of the original comics. Robert Kirkman, author of the comics and Chairman of Skybound Entertainment, has been directly involved in overseeing the project, earning support from fans of the series. The game has also been labeled as an Editors’ Choice app on Google Play.“The Walking Dead: All-Stars vividly brings to life the illustrations of the original comics, which triggered a global zombie craze. We will bring new forms of fun centered around in-game ownership for users worldwide within XPLA’s Web3 ecosystem, ” said Son Kyung-hyun, CEO of FunFlow, the Com2uS subsidiary that developed the game in collaboration with Skybound Games.The Web3 update for the game is scheduled to take place later this month, XPLA said. Users who connect their crypto wallets to the game will be able to collect in-game items and exchange them for XPLA, the platform’s native token, allowing players to own and utilize the assets that they have acquired in the game. Currently, the XPLA token is actively traded on global crypto exchanges such as Crypto.com, Gate.io, and HTX (formerly Huobi Global), as well as major domestic exchanges like Bithumb, Korbit, and GOPAX.Building the game lineupXPLA has been continuously onboarding Web3 games based on hit IPs, such as action RPG Summoners War: Chronicles, casual game MiniGame Party, fishing game Ace Fishing: Crew, and massively multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) Idle Ninja Online, establishing itself as a global Web3 content hub centered around gaming and entertainment.

In a global effort to bolster regulatory control over the cryptocurrency sector, Asian nations feature prominently among 17 jurisdictions globally, who have implemented tighter cryptocurrency regulations in 2023. That’s the view expressed by blockchain analytics firm TRM Labs in a report published on Monday.Photo by CARTER SAUNDERS on Unsplash2023 notable for regulatory tighteningThe increased scrutiny comes on the heels of several crypto meltdowns in 2022, including the collapse of major platforms like Terraform Labs, Celsius, BlockFi and FTX, resulting in a market rout that wiped out trillions of dollars in value. The subsequent year witnessed an extraordinary surge in regulatory measures globally, with governments prioritizing consumer protection in the volatile crypto space. TRM Labs' report indicates that the jurisdictions strengthening consumer protection measures accounted for 80% of the 21 studied, representing 70% of global exposure to cryptocurrencies. As the crypto ecosystem grappled with the aftermath of the FTX collapse at the beginning of 2023, regulatory actions surged, shaping a transformative year for the industry. The TRM Labs report emphasizes that nearly half of the jurisdictions tightening crypto regulations in 2023 prioritized increasing consumer protection measures. Additionally, international organizations, including the G20, Financial Action Task Force, Financial Stability Board, International Monetary Fund and the International Organization of Securities Commissions, played a role in shaping global frameworks and policy recommendations for cryptocurrency regulation. While prominent regulatory moves included the European Union's implementation of the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) in June, Asian countries were particularly active in rolling out regulatory controls and measures relative to digital asset markets.  Stronger measures in SingaporeSingapore, recognized as an early adopter of crypto regulation, took significant steps in November to curb retail speculation in cryptocurrencies. The city-state’s central bank and financial regulator, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), brought in these restrictions following a year-long public consultation process, together with a review of cryptocurrency platforms. The country set itself apart from other jurisdictions by becoming one of the first to finalize rules governing stablecoins. That regulatory action included the establishment of a comprehensive framework relative to stablecoin operations. South Korea and Australia increased scrutiny of the cryptocurrency sector, contributing to the global trend of regulatory tightening. Hong Kong licensingHong Kong introduced a new licensing regime for centralized crypto exchanges, aligning with its goal to become a global hub for virtual asset businesses. Following its major initiative in October 2022 to support the virtual asset sector, it has since implemented a mandatory licensing regime for centralized crypto exchanges, allowing them to accept retail investors. Eleven companies, including OKX, one of the largest exchanges by trading volume, have submitted applications for the license in the city. In December, Hong Kong followed Singapore’s lead, by proposing stringent rules for stablecoin issuers, prohibiting unlicensed companies from selling stablecoins to the city's retail investors through regulated channels or actively marketing their tokens within the city. These rules are considered challenging for stablecoin issuers and may potentially deter major stablecoin operators like Tether and USDC from entering the city, according to experts. As Hong Kong solidifies its regulatory stance, it positions itself alongside other major players, contributing to the global evolution of cryptocurrency oversight.

Singapore Bank Opens Branch in the MetaverseSingapore’s OCBC Bank has made its debut in the Metaverse with the opening of OCBCx65Chulia in Decentraland, a virtual platform that uses blockchain technology. The bank occupies nine plots of virtual land and visitors can access its website to open a bank account, apply for a credit card, and learn about its historical milestones and latest banking products and services.©Pexels/Andrea PiacquadioThe virtual branch got its name from its headquarters located at 65 Chulia St, OCBC Centre, Singapore. It is designed after OCBC Bank’s red logo, “a nod to the bank’s rich heritage,” the bank said in a statement.Reaching a larger and younger audienceOCBCx65Chulia represents a new way to connect with the younger generation, the bank added. “With the Bank’s arrival in the Metaverse, customers gain an additional access point that also represents a new way to engage with the younger crowd,” it said.The bank aims to tap into this emerging technology to reach a larger audience, said Peter Koh, Head of Group Technology Architecture at OCBC Bank.“Many have doubted the purpose of the Metaverse. Though a nascent and evolving space that we are still working to understand, the Metaverse remains one of the newer ways to make a connection. We are ready to tap on these, as they emerge, to reach a larger audience. At the same time, through experimentation and collaborating with an industry player, our younger colleagues can learn and develop themselves,” he said.GamificationIn the third quarter of 2023, OCBCx65Chulia will involve gamification, the bank said. This enhancement will come from the winning ideas of a group of Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) Diploma in Interaction Design students who won the associated hackathon held in February 2023. The bank also collaborated with Web3 firm Memotics, an expert in emotive and social spaces through digital architectural design.Broader banking interestOCBC Bank, which opened its doors in 1932, is the second-largest in Southeast Asia by assets, according to Forbes. It is not the first bank in Singapore to venture into the Metaverse. Last year, DBS partnered with decentralized gaming virtual world The Sandbox to create an interactive Metaverse experience called DBS BetterWorld, which also forms part of its sustainability agenda.In February of last year JPMorgan became the first bank to enter the metaverse. At the time, it launched its virtual Onyx Lounge within Decentraland’s Metajuku Mall. The lounge featured a portrait of JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, a spiral staircase and a dynamic roaming tiger.It also took the opportunity to release its “Opportunities in the Metaverse” report, in which it estimated a trillion dollar metaverse opportunity over the next few years. The metaverse has seen a plethora of well known corporations enter the space in recent times, including Gap, Adidas, PwC, Verizon and Nike.OCBC Bank’s move to the Metaverse represents a new era of banking where technology is used to reach a larger audience, especially the younger generation. With the Metaverse still being a nascent and evolving space, it is a new way to connect, engage, and experiment with the digital world.The gamification element in OCBCx65Chulia also shows how banks are exploring ways to make banking more interactive and fun. It will be interesting to see how other banks and financial institutions will follow suit and use the Metaverse to engage with customers and provide innovative services in the future.