SBI and Chiliz join forces in fan token offering in Japan

Mars Program Sees Huobi Venture into SpaceHuobi, the Seychelles-headquartered global crypto exchange platform, has embarked on an extraordinary journey with the launch of Phase I of the Huobi Mars Program, making it the first cryptocurrency exchange to explore the vastness of space.Photo by Ju Guan on UnsplashIntergalactic interestsThe Huobi Mars Program, outlined by the company in a recent blog article, signifies Huobi’s interest in space exploration and an expansion beyond the confines of Earth. With aspirations to venture far into the universe, Huobi is inviting its users to join them on this unique and unprecedented journey, becoming pioneers in the Web3 field to enter space.The first phase of the Huobi Mars Program, scheduled from June 2023 to June 2024, consists of 12 rounds of themed activities. Each round requires participating users to complete specific tasks and mint space-themed non-fungible tokens (NFTs).Throughout each round, one lucky user will be selected as the monthly reward winner and stand a chance to become a potential candidate for space travel. In the subsequent phase, the 12 candidates will undergo a rigorous evaluation process, including assessments of physical fitness, training, preparation, and community contribution. Ultimately, one candidate will be chosen to embark on a space journey alongside Justin Sun, a member of the Huobi Advisory Board. The space flight is anticipated to take place after July 2024.Mars Program commencedThe first round of the Huobi Mars Program opened for participation from June 14 to July 5, 2023. To earn space NFT rewards, users must complete specific tasks in spot trading, peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions, futures trading, and Huobi Earn transactions. Each completed task grants users the opportunity to mint a space NFT, with no upper limits.Space NFTs will be issued on the TRON Network and can be traded on various NFT platforms. Users need to link their TRON addresses on the event page to receive the minted NFTs. It is advised to mint the NFTs promptly as there will be a daily cap on NFT minting, and qualification does not carry over to subsequent rounds.The lucky user selected as the monthly reward winner and shortlisted as a candidate space passenger will have their space flight broadcasted worldwide via a live-stream. Huobi will conduct thorough verifications, including checking the winner’s TRON address, UID, and KYC verification, to ensure the authenticity of the winner. The winning space NFTs are non-transferable, and any attempt to transfer them will result in the forfeiture of the reward.Spot trading fee exemptionIn addition to the opportunity of becoming potential space passengers, the lucky users shortlisted during the first round of the Huobi Mars Program will enjoy the privilege of a 180-day exemption from spot trading fees on Huobi.Huobi isn’t the only crypto market participant with an interest in the intergalactic. It emerged last week that Charles Hoskinson, Founder of layer one blockchain Cardano, is funding The Galileo Project, an expedition to recover an interstellar object from the floor of the Pacific Ocean.Crypto memes boast of the likelihood of digital asset prices “going to the moon,” but Huobi’s Mars Program aligns with the pursuit of exploring the unknown and appears to amount to a noble intergalactic endeavor.

Galaxia Metaverse Teams Up with Rotonda to Expand Blockchain EcosystemGalaxia Metaverse, a blockchain company under Galaxia Moneytree, said Thursday that it has signed a strategic partnership deal with Rotonda, a subsidiary of Korean crypto exchange Bithumb and the operator of the Web3 digital wallet Burrito Wallet.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on UnsplashBolstering the blockchain ecosystemThrough this new collaboration with Rotonda, Galaxia Metaverse aims to establish a cooperative framework for expanding the blockchain ecosystem by seamlessly integrating their respective blockchain-based Web3 wallets, Galaxia Wallet and Burrito Wallet, into the on-chain environment to secure on-chain liquidity and more users. Burrito Wallet supports 11 major mainnets, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon, as well as over 1,300 cryptocurrencies.The two companies also plan to leverage Rotonda’s global business network to increase the user base of Galaxia Wallet.Advancing on a global scaleThis comes as part of Galaxia Metaverse’s ongoing efforts to expand its presence on the global stage through collaborations with various partners, including Gopax, MVL, Elysia, Klaytn, and Bithumb. The partnership also marks another significant step in the evolution of the blockchain and metaverse industry, as companies continue to forge alliances both domestically and abroad to create more accessible and integrated virtual ecosystems.Meanwhile, Rotonda recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with global metaverse platform The Sandbox to support wallet integration within The Sandbox’s platform. The company also teamed up with blockchain gaming platform Oasys in further efforts to expand its global business scope.

IEEE to deploy skill certificates on blockchain for Indian membersThe Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a professional association boasting a membership of over 75,000 in India, has chosen the Avalanche blockchain as the primary settlement layer for issuing tamper-evident certificates.Photo by Vishnu Mohanan on UnsplashIntegrating Avalanche blockchainIndia holds the second-largest IEEE membership base globally outside the United States, making this move a significant development in secure credentialing.According to a report by Cointelegraph on Wednesday, Avalanche’s C-Chain will serve as the key settlement layer for IEEE’s certificate issuance due to its compatibility with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The decision aims to provide an ecosystem that meets the requirements for tamper-proof, instant and secure verification processes for all trainees and users receiving IEEE credentials.Zupple Labs collaborationThe blockchain certificates will be issued through LegitDoc, a blockchain-based credential lifecycle management system developed by Zupple Labs. Neil Martis, Co-Founder of Zupple, noted that the Indian public sector has shown increased willingness to implement full-fledged blockchain projects over the past 12 months, moving beyond pilot initiatives.This is the latest project in recent weeks that has seen Zupple Labs play a key role in enabling the real-world use of blockchain. Through a collaboration with the Indian Web3 startup in October, the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) streamlined its purchase order process, issuing tamper-proof digital purchase orders via LegitDoc.Avalanche expands into IndiaDevika Mittal, Head of Avalanche’s India arm, emphasized the significance of Avalanche’s EVM compatibility in simplifying the deployment of widely used applications, including credential registries and identity management. She pointed out that reputable institutions like SK Planet and JP Morgan Onyx prefer Avalanche as their go-to blockchain.Mittal has been a key hire for Avalanche blockchain developer Ava Labs recently as part of its efforts to target significant expansion within India. Earlier this year, the company collaborated with China’s Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing subsidiary of e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group, assisting with the building of a launchpad that will enable the deployment of metaverses.The partnership between IEEE and Zupple Labs is poised to bring about the issuance of numerous tamper-proof engineering credentials in India. This collaboration underscores the growing acceptance of blockchain in education credentialing, setting a powerful precedent for broader participation in the Web3 landscape.In an interview, Martis expressed the flexibility of their approach, stating:“We would be experimenting with new platforms as additional parallel settlement layers as suitable new tech emerges.”This reflects an openness to exploring evolving blockchain technologies while maintaining a commitment to ensuring the immutability, longevity and security of the solutions.The IEEE-Zupple Labs collaboration aligns with the trend of blockchain integration in educational and professional spheres, offering a glimpse into the future of secure and efficient credentialing systems. As the second-largest membership base outside the United States, India plays a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of blockchain adoption within professional associations like IEEE.