Worldcoin launches in Singapore post India hiatus

Rotonda, the operator of the Bithumb Burrito Wallet, has agreed to work with Swiss digital asset AI platform Smart Valor, according to South Korean news website Greenpost Korea. Burrito Wallet will adopt the features of Smart Valor’s Elonn.ai – a digital investment advisor that provides investors with AI-generated market news analysis and research for optimized investment. Photo by Shubham's Web3 on Unsplash"Our collaboration with Smart Valor, who was the main sponsor of our NextBlock blockchain conference last year, is significant. The company will serve as an ideal partner for us to lay out the blueprint of the global Web3 market together," said Max Shin, CEO of Burrito Wallet. Leading the European Web3 industryFounded in 2017, Smart Valor is a Swiss-based Web3 AI company and the first European digital asset platform to be listed on the NASDAQ First North Growth Market. It specializes in crypto AI market intelligence application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as investment platforms and crypto trading and custody infrastructure for banks, fintech firms and European investors. Global expansion and market access in South KoreaThrough the newest partnership, Burrito Wallet aims to provide high-quality investment services for users and contribute to the expansion of the Web3 ecosystem as a key partner for Smart Valor's global expansion. In particular, the collaboration will also serve as a bridgehead for Smart Valor's entry into South Korea. The firm’s VALOR token is currently listed exclusively on Bithumb among Korean cryptocurrency exchanges and will be supported for trading on Burrito Wallet, offering Korean users the opportunity to experience a more expanded Web3 market. To celebrate their cooperation, the two companies will be holding a Valor token trading event until Feb. 1. The first thousand Bithumb users to trade at least 30 Valor tokens during the event will receive an additional 30. Also, the first 2,000 users who sign up for Burrito Wallet and trade at least 30 tokens will receive 60 tokens for free.  "Starting with this event, we will not only expand the scope of our partnership with Smart Valor but also initiate various collaborative activities and develop features to ensure that Burrito Wallet is recognized as a unique Web3 wallet,” Shin added. Burrito Wallet has been accelerating efforts to expand overseas. The service recently increased its number of supported blockchain networks to 18 and entered global markets in Asia and Latin America.

Bizplay Improves Payment Experiences for Foreign Tourists in South KoreaBizplay, a cost management solutions provider, is gearing up to introduce a mobile payment service for international visitors to South Korea. This innovative service will empower tourists with the convenience of seamless transactions across a nationwide network of 1.75 million merchants who accept ZeroPay, a QR code-driven mobile payment platform.Photo by Federica Bisso on UnsplashBlockchain involvementOn September 7, Bizplay joined HIVEX Network, the cross-border payment system of blockchain tech company TBCASoft. This collaboration opens up opportunities for Japanese and Taiwanese tourists in South Korea to access the same payment services they are accustomed to in their home countries.Native apps and currenciesBy the first half of next year, these tourists will be able to readily identify ZeroPay-accepting merchants in their native apps without having to install a separate app, and they will have the ability to pay in native currencies such as Japanese yen and New Taiwan dollars without the cumbersome process of currency conversion.Once integrated with the HIVEX Network, Bizplay’s services will be available in all member countries of the HIVEX Network. By strengthening its partnerships with global payment companies, Bizplay aims to facilitate easy payments for the 4.5 million Korean users of its BeplePay, another app similar to ZeroPay, when they travel abroad in the latter half of 2024.Kim Hong-ki, CEO of Bizplay, expressed his excitement that international tourists in Korea will soon be able to enjoy a convenient travel experience by easily making payments with their native apps at ZeroPay-accepting shops. He further emphasized the company’s commitment to leveraging its technology and extensive global network to expand its services, with the aim of meeting the diverse needs of consumers.

Korean Conference Captures Interest of NFT and Blockchain Game EnthusiastsNews of the upcoming NFT and Blockchain Game Conference is sure to excite gaming enthusiasts with a keen interest in these technologies. Organized by ZDNet Korea, a tech news outlet, the conference is scheduled to take place on June 27 in the Pangyo Techno Valley, located on the outskirts of Seoul, Korea.Photo by Mateo on UnsplashPolicy and future strategiesThe event will delve into various aspects of the gaming industry, including policy and future strategies, with a specific focus on innovative technologies such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cloud computing, and cryptocurrency wallets. Attendees can expect valuable insights and engaging discussions on how these advancements are shaping the future of gaming.Prominent firms to share insightsHosted by the Korea Game Media Association (KGMA), the conference will kick off with a keynote speech by Jae Park, the Korea Country Manager of the global crypto exchange XT.COM. Park will share his expertise on the NFT gaming industry and discuss success strategies. Following Park’s speech, representatives from prominent companies at home and abroad, including Nexon, Marblex, NPIXEL, Polygon Labs, and Alibaba Cloud, will take the stage.Hwang Sun-young, Production Director at Korean game publisher Nexon, will explain Nexon’s implementation of blockchain technology in their projects. Hwang previously attended the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2023 in San Francisco, where Nexon unveiled the blockchain gaming ecosystem “MapleStory Universe” in partnership with Polygon, a layer 2 scaling solution on Ethereum. MapleStory is Nexon’s blockbuster side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).Jake Moon, COO of Marblex, will discuss the endeavors of the Marblex Web3 game ecosystem. Park Sung-mo, Head of Business Development at Polygon Labs, will shed light on the role of the mainnet in the blockchain industry.Ko Jeong-hwan, Head of Web3 at NPIXEL, will provide insights into how Web3 enhances the gaming experience. Lim Jong-jin, Tech Team Lead in Korea at Alibaba Cloud, will introduce the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem and platform that supports Web3.Kim Oh-joong, CEO of Find The Gap, will review incidents related to NFT and game hacking, along with potential solutions. James Kwak, Director of the Business Development Department at BPMG, will deliver a talk on Web3 and wallets.KGMA President Lee Taek-su told ZDNet Korea that NFTs and the blockchain have emerged as important concepts in the global gaming industry. He highlighted that the conference would provide an opportunity to review the efforts undertaken by Korean game companies in the blockchain sphere and raise awareness of the need to embrace the changing paradigm in the sector.