BingX signs sponsorship deal with English Premier League club

As part of the celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is unveiling a series of colorful NFT tickets for the Lucknow to Delhi train service. Governed by the Ministry of Railways, IRCTC is a central public sector enterprise in India. Taking to the X social media platform on March 13, the railway company offered a sneak peek into these NFTs, showcasing sketches of iconic landmarks from both Delhi and Lucknow against vividly shaded backgrounds.Photo by Johannes Plenio on UnsplashLimited-time ticketing offeringCommencing March 20, passengers booking tickets for Tejas trains numbered 82501 and 82502 will have the opportunity to access these exclusive NFTs, with the initiative set to conclude on April 2. In its social media post, the IRCTC outlined the additional perks accompanying these NFT tickets, stating:"These tickets are not merely digital souvenirs. ... They symbolize our dedication to enriching your journey experiences, allowing you to personalize your travel memories with your own photographs and enjoy exclusive offers from handpicked brands." As of now, the IRCTC has not officially confirmed whether these NFT tickets will be complimentary with ticket purchases or if passengers will need to make additional payments to acquire these digital collectibles. Polygon and HyperledgerNFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets built on blockchain networks. Earlier this year, the IRCTC collaborated with NFTtrace, a service offered by Bangalore-based blockchain development firm ChainCode Consulting, to offer NFT tickets for journeys to the Hindu sacred city of Ayodhya. The tickets were presented as more than mere travel documents but as cherished mementos of divine experiences. The NFTtrace website stated:"More than just a ticket to Ayodhya Dham - a souvenir of the divine Shree Ramotsav. Treasure the pious memories of Lord Shree Rama's arrival forever, with Blockchain NFT.”On that occasion, the NFT certificates were minted on the Polygon blockchain. Indian Railways has been exploring blockchain technology for some time now. Last March, the National Academy of Indian Railways partnered with Polygon to conduct a workshop aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of blockchain in railway industries. Polygon outlined that the integration of blockchain within the Indian railway system was the beginning of a new era that moves the technology towards mass adoption.In this latest instance, the NFTtrace platform is involved once again. However, this time around, the NFTs will be minted on the Hyperledger blockchain. Ava Labs, the developer of the Avalanche layer one blockchain, has expressed its interest in developing ticketing-related blockchain applications in India. Last October the firm highlighted blockchain-based ticketing as one of a number of areas it wanted to concentrate on in an expansion within India. Conventional firms in the travel industry have been experimenting with the technology on an ongoing basis in recent times. In 2023 Japan’s largest airline All Nipon Airways (ANA) launched its own NFT marketplace. Argentinian budget airline Flybondi took the decision to offer NFT-based tickets in 2023 in a partnership with NFT ticketing firm TravelX.

It’s proving to be a significant week for the further development of stablecoins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with leading U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issuer Circle achieving in-principle licensing approval in Abu Dhabi, while a group of Abu Dhabi-based institutions have announced plans to launch a UAE dirham-pegged stablecoin.Photo by Yan Ma on UnsplashRegulatory licensingIn a press release published on April 29 Circle outlined that it had received in-principle approval to operate as a money services provider from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), the regulator for projects operating out of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). ADGM is a free zone located within the UAE capital that has established its own regulatory framework for virtual asset-based businesses. The in-principle licensing award puts the company on a firm path towards the acquisition of a full Financial Services Permission (FSP) license. Circle Co-Founder Jeremy Allaire said that this in-principle licensing “advances our strategy to establish deep roots in markets embracing the onchain economy, creating new pathways for investment and innovation in the region.” On X, Ian Ballina, founder and CEO of Token Metrics, said that the licensing milestone signaled more global momentum for crypto adoption. Ballina pointed out that Circle’s USDC stablecoin is gaining traction as a result of the company’s strategy of partnering with local tech innovators. In addition, Circle announced a collaboration with Hub71, an Abu Dhabi-based global tech ecosystem. The objective of the partnership is to strengthen innovation within the digital assets space, with Circle joining Hub71’s digital assets ecosystem to offer expertise to a community of more than 500 tech startups and venture capital firms. Dirham stablecoin launchIn a separate development, ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-headquartered sovereign wealth fund, announced that it had joined with local partners to launch a UAE dirham-pegged stablecoin.  In its efforts to launch the stablecoin, ADQ has partnered with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank, and conglomerate International Holding Company (IHC). The trio envisage that the stablecoin will be regulated by the UAE’s central bank and will be used “by citizens and consumers, businesses and institutions.” Once regulatory approval has been granted, the stablecoin will be hosted on the ADI blockchain, a network which was established by the Abu Dhabi-based non-profit ADI Foundation. ADQ CEO H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi described the launch of the stablecoin as “a pivotal step in our commitment to strengthening the UAE’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.” He added that the stablecoin will provide a secure, efficient and scalable solution for market participants as the UAE progresses towards an increasingly digital and connected economy. FAB CEO Hana Al Rostamani suggested that the new stablecoin would make a significant impact, with the potential to “revolutionize the use of trusted blockchain payments for UAE consumers and businesses.” Last December, the FSRA approved leading U.S. dollar stablecoin Tether (USDT) as an accepted virtual asset (AVA). Some weeks prior to that approval, Tether outlined that it planned to launch a dirham-backed stablecoin in collaboration with local partners. In October the country’s central bank issued in-principle approval to the promoters of another dirham-backed stablecoin, AE Coin.

Korbit and SK Planet Team Up to Promote NFT Membership ProgramKorbit, one of South Korea’s prominent cryptocurrency exchanges, has teamed up with SK Planet, a technology affiliate of the major conglomerate SK Group, in an effort to attract new users to Road to Rich, a non-fungible token (NFT) membership program.Photo by Mo on UnsplashWin up to 0.1 BTCUnder this collaboration, Korbit users will have the opportunity to win up to 0.1 BTC by completing assigned tasks. From those participating, 511 fortunate individuals will be selected as winners. The breakdown of prizes is as follows: 500 participants will earn 0.001 BTC each as third place winners; 10 second place winners will receive 0.01 BTC each; and the single top winner will be awarded the grand prize of 0.1 BTC.Quests, rewards, and rabbit NFTsRoad to Rich was introduced earlier this month by OK Cashbag, a popular customer rewards system offered by SK Planet. Road to Rich offers users daily quests involving rabbit character NFTs. Successful completion of these tasks allows users to gain various benefits, such as OK Cashbag points, which can be used at hypermarkets, restaurant chains, and other partner businesses. To participate in Road to Rich, users need to install the UPTN Station, a decentralized wallet developed by SK Planet, which allows storage, retrieval, and transfer of NFTs.According to a report by local news outlet Newspim, Oh Se-jin, CEO of Korbit, expressed the crypto exchange’s excitement about participating in the expansion of SK Planet’s Web3 ecosystem. Oh said that Korbit is committed to collaborating with SK Planet to deliver more convenient and valuable services to customers in the Web3 space.