Paxos launches USDG stablecoin in Singapore

Hong Kong-based game software company Animoca Brands has announced its foray into the Bitcoin industry by endorsing the Opal Foundation, a novel Bitcoin ecosystem protocol. The move involves the Opal Protocol and BLIF token, initiated by Animoca Brands and Darewise, a metaverse technology platform. On April 30, Animoca Brands disclosed its plans to become the "largest Web3 ecosystem" for gaming, education and culture built on Bitcoin. The company aims to establish the Opal Protocol and BLIF token as key components of this ecosystem.Photo by Kanchanara on UnsplashBLIF token and Opal ProtocolThe BLIF token, also known as the Opal Protocol Runes token, is hailed by Animoca as a means to enable a "true digital life" on Bitcoin. According to Animoca's executive chairman and co-founder Yat Siu, Bitcoin is now primed for Web3, transitioning from a mere store of value to a store of culture for the Web3 age. Six of Animoca Brands' portfolio companies have already joined as Genesis members, signaling a strong start for the Opal Protocol. Additionally, all future Bitcoin-based projects from Animoca Brands will collaborate with the Opal Foundation. Launched in 2024, the Opal protocol positions itself as a decentralized ecosystem protocol on Bitcoin, powered by BLIF. Its litepaper describes it as a seamless blend of virtual and real-life experiences, offering digital extensions of reality across various domains such as banking, entertainment, education and social interactions. The launch date of the Opal protocol and BLIF airdrop is yet to be announced, but Opal's Telegram group has hinted at its impending arrival. Despite not being operational, Opal's X profile already boasts over 270,000 subscribers. Strategic partnershipAnimoca Brands is hailed as the first strategic launch partner for the Opal Foundation. The company's collaboration aims to integrate its vision into the open Opal protocol on Bitcoin and ordinals. Animoca's venture into Bitcoin coincides with the recent trading debut of spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETF) in Hong Kong. However, the initial trading volumes of these ETFs were relatively modest compared to spot Bitcoin ETFs launched in the United States in January 2024. 

In an official announcement on Wednesday (KST), CeDeFi protocol NEOPIN revealed that it has signed a business agreement with Web3 consulting firm Catalyze Research and metaverse and AI tech company Futureverse to expand the global blockchain industry and discover promising Web3 projects. Strategic allianceThrough this business agreement, the three enterprises plan on working towards two main objectives: expanding the global blockchain business industry and Futureverse’s open metaverse ecosystem. To do so, they have vowed to onboard NEOPIN’s gaming business partners to the Futureverse ecosystem and create decentralized finance (DeFi) products for NEOPIN based on The Root Network. They will also host hackathons and joint campaigns in efforts to incubate and accelerate Web3 projects in South Korea. “South Korea is an intellectual property (IP) and blockchain powerhouse that serves as the backbone of the open metaverse that Futureverse is striving for. We look forward to bringing together various IPs such as games and content – including DeFi collaborations – with Futureverse’s powerful infrastructure to bring us one step closer to the open metaverse,” said Ben Ko, Co-Founder and CEO of Catalyze Research. Based in Seoul, Catalyze Research offers insights into the Web3 industry as well as consulting services like mapping and implementation of business strategies, marketing, research, due diligence and more.Photo by Shubham's Web3 on Unsplash“By working with NEOPIN, a leading DeFi company with an extensive network in South Korea, we will expand the Futureverse and The Root Network ecosystems and create an environment where users and developers can create an open metaverse together. This partnership will bring Futureverse to the forefront of the South Korean blockchain industry with NEOPIN and Catalyze’s experience, expertise, vision and insights into the Korean market,” added Futureverse CEO Aaron McDonald. Redefining gaming, blockchain and DeFiFutureverse is a developer of AI and metaverse technologies that elevate gaming experiences and enable open, scalable and interoperable applications. It is also home to one of the largest global NFT-based metaverse communities, which is being expanded through the layer 1 blockchain The Root Network. The company’s partners include globally renowned brands like FIFA, Warner Bros., Mastercard and Reebok. NEOPIN, on the other hand, has been a trustworthy node validator for multiple blockchains since 2018 with a 0% accident and slashing rate and a 99.99999% block generation rate. It has also been bringing new faces to the industry by securing, investing in and incubating numerous domestic and foreign firms. Backed by this experience, NEOPIN plans to introduce innovative DeFi products through the newest three-way partnership. “We will actively help various game and content service companies that have partnered with us to operate in the Futureverse ecosystem. Based on our trustworthiness and stability, we will contribute to leading the decentralized exchange (DEX) and DeFi services in Futureverse,” said Kim Yong-ki, CEO of NEOPIN.

Coinone adds new security featuresSouth Korean cryptocurrency exchange Coinone has recently added two new features — “Change Phone Number” and “Lock Account” — on its website and mobile app to bolster user security and convenience, according to local news site Greenpost Korea on Tuesday (KST). This comes after the platform recently rolled out plans to terminate its existing authentication services — identity verification via the Coinone PASS app was suspended on Dec. 4, and the service on the Kakao Pay platform will also be suspended on Dec. 28.Photo by FLY:D on UnsplashRobust protection measures“As the number of malicious smishing and phishing attempts to access customer accounts is increasing, it is essential to strengthen customer security. We will continue to implement security features that allow customers to use our services conveniently and safely,” said Myung-hoon Cha, CEO of Coinone.Enhanced user controlAccording to the exchange, users can change their phone number after completing the identity verification process in the “Change Information” option on the “My Page” tab. Notably, if a user’s account information is unintentionally disclosed, they can utilize the Account Lock feature to protect their account. These two features have been added to Coinone’s mobile app in its latest version upgrade.After announcing plans to suspend authentication via Kakao Pay, Coinone instead introduced authentication services via the KakaoTalk app on Dec. 14, which is generally more commonly used by Koreans. By registering a KakaoTalk mobile certificate on the “Additional Channel Authentication” tab, users can undergo identity verification without the hassle of logging in separately. This latest authentication channel was added as yet another option along with Naver, which was added earlier in August.