Tokenpost and PUNKPOLL launch open beta service for Web3 news polling service

Accused of one of the world's largest cryptocurrency scams, Andreas Szakacs, a Swedish national who became a Turkish citizen under the name Emre Avcı, was detained in Istanbul. The alleged international fraud scheme, led by Szakacs, began in 2019 under the guise of OmegaPro, a company dealing in forex and cryptocurrency trading. OmegaPro claimed to generate significant profits for its investors through complex financial algorithms and high-risk leveraged trading. The company, registered in opaque jurisdictions like Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and headquartered in Dubai, promised returns as high as 300% within 16 months, attracting investors from across the globe. High-profile endorsements and lavish eventsTo bolster credibility, Szakacs and his partners, including well-known figures in the finance and crypto sectors like Dilawar Singh and Mike Sims, organized extravagant events. These included the OmegaPro Legends Cup, a football tournament featuring former stars like Ronaldinho, Kaka and Iker Casillas, who were branded as OmegaPro ambassadors. The company also sponsored car races and held opulent conferences in luxury hotels, where gifts and prizes were distributed to participants, further enticing new investors. OmegaPro's operations spanned multiple continents, with representatives in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, the UK and Nigeria. Over time, the company claimed to have attracted 1.5 million investors. However, in late 2022, as withdrawals were suddenly halted, suspicions grew. By July 2023, the company had shut down, leaving an estimated three million investors defrauded and $4 billion unaccounted for.Photo by Xiaoyi Huang on UnsplashAs OmegaPro collapsed, investors from around the world began filing complaints. In France alone, over 1,500 victims have initiated a class-action lawsuit. Similar legal actions have been reported in countries including Mexico, Congo and Myanmar. Despite multiple investigations, the whereabouts of Szakacs and his partners remained unknown—until recently. A tip-off leads to arrest in IstanbulThe breakthrough came on June 28, when an anonymous informant tipped off Turkish authorities about Szakacs' presence in a luxury villa in Istanbul's Acarkent neighborhood. Following an investigation, the Istanbul Gendarmerie identified 18 complainants connected to OmegaPro. On July 9, Szakacs was arrested in a raid on the villa, where authorities found 32 cold wallets containing cryptocurrencies, along with extensive documentation related to OmegaPro’s operations. During questioning, Szakacs denied all allegations, claiming that OmegaPro was a legitimate business that went bankrupt in late 2022, resulting in significant losses for him and his partners. He also refused to provide access to the cold wallets and the encrypted data on his devices. Despite his defense, Szakacs was charged with fraud using information systems and detained by the Beykoz Criminal Court of Peace on July 10. Ongoing legal battles and future implicationsAs the investigation continues, authorities are scrutinizing Szakacs' digital transactions, which reportedly involve $160 million in movements over a single month. His legal team argues that investors knowingly took on risks in the forex market, but the sheer scale of the losses—especially the $103 million claimed by a Dutch complainant representing 3,000 victims—has intensified the case. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how international crypto-related fraud is handled, particularly in an era where digital currencies and high-risk investments are increasingly intertwined. 

Superblock Rolls Out Crypto Wallet, Garnering Over 680K Pre-RegistrantsSouth Korean blockchain startup Superblock has successfully rolled out its own cryptocurrency wallet, named Over Wallet, according to a report by local news outlet Newsis. The wallet has already amassed over 680,000 pre-registrants since April, ahead of its official release.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on UnsplashAccessibility and cost reductionOver Wallet serves as the mobile crypto wallet for the Over Protocol, a blockchain mainnet developed based on the paper published by Superblock’s CEO, Kim Jae-yun. The Over Protocol distinguishes itself through its accessibility, offering enterprises interested in the Web3 industry an opportunity to reduce costs associated with infrastructure investment and service operation.With the introduction of Over Wallet, Superblock empowers users with the capability to collect and manage Over points. The company plans to add functions for the management and transfer of token assets to provide an even more optimized user experience.Currently, Over Wallet is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.Mainnet launch next yearAs part of the preparations leading up to the Over Protocol’s mainnet launch in the first half of next year, the Over Community Access Program (OCAP) has also been unveiled. OCAP enables users to earn Over points by completing various tasks. These accumulated points can then be used at the Over Protocol pop-up store, a side event scheduled for the annual blockchain conference, Korea Blockchain Week 2023, taking place in Seoul in September. The event will collaborate with KREAM, a resale and trading platform catering to collectors of limited editions.Superblock CEO Kim has a notable background, having founded Decipher, a blockchain study group at Seoul National University, in 2018. During the establishment of Superblock, Kim successfully secured funding from investors Spring Camp and Naver Z, both affiliates of the Korean search engine giant Naver.There has been additional support that underpins Superblock’s commitment to blockchain ventures. Last October, the company partnered with Shinhan Securities for technological cooperation. Subsequently, in February of this year, Superblock raised a Series A funding round of 9 billion KRW ($7 million). Investors in this round include notable names like conglomerate SK Inc., game developer Netmarble, and venture capital firm DSC Investment.

Asiastar Entertainment and Codus to Develop Casual P2E Game with NFT RewardsAsiastar Entertainment, a Korean company specializing in animation, food products, and toys, revealed plans last Friday to work with its business partner, software and blockchain development firm Codus, to develop a casual play-to-earn (P2E) game that rewards players with NFTs.Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on UnsplashTokenized in-game assets and coin rewardsSpecifically, multiple in-game characters and backgrounds will be tokenized as NFTs for trading. As players progress through the game, they can also earn rewards in the form of TBC — the official tradeable coin issued by TurboChain Foundation, a subsidiary of Asiastar Entertainment. These rewards can be exchanged for gift vouchers and various merchandise, the company said.The two companies plan to leverage Asiastar Entertainment’s Great Q-Bot animation model — a model originally aimed at providing animated educational content for children — to create the P2E game.Watch-to-earn, short-form videosMeanwhile, TurboChain Foundation is gearing up to launch its Turbo Playhouse platform in the latter half of the year. This watch-to-earn, short-form video platform links offline products and online videos with QR codes to allow users to receive TBCs.Asiastar Entertainment also added that it is currently focusing on expanding its business through blockchain-related ventures by taking advantage of its core competencies in this emerging field.