U.S. seizes web domains tied to Burma-based crypto investment fraud ring

NEOPIN and Sevenline Labs collaborate to boost Web3 gaming expansionCentralized decentralized finance (CeDeFi) protocol NEOPIN has entered into a partnership with Sevenline Labs, a Korea-based company specializing in blockchain solutions. This collaboration is aimed at fostering expansion in the Web3 gaming ecosystem.Photo by Alicia Christin Gerald on UnsplashGames of different genres and platformsSevenline Labs is currently operating a Web3-powered esports tournament platform called Miracle Play. Leveraging application programming interfaces (APIs), the platform offers games of different platforms of genres on blockchain networks. It enables mobile, desktop, console and Web3 gamers to engage in diverse tournaments and earn rewards from competitions.Sevenline’s inaugural service, operating on the Polygon Network, has successfully completed a closed beta test specifically targeted at Indonesian communities. Currently, the company is in the process of conducting an open beta test. Looking ahead, Sevenline is planning to extend its support to various chains compatible with Ethereum virtual machines (EVMs). This expansion includes notable blockchain platforms such as Avalanche, Binance Smart Chain, Oasys, Solana and Klaytn. The ultimate objective of Sevenline is to orchestrate large-scale tournaments between different mainnets, with each of them representing a distinct faction.Through the collaboration between NEOPIN and Sevenline Labs, NEOPIN’s global partners will introduce their Web3 games to the Miracle Play platform. This move allows users to voluntarily host and participate in various tournaments, thereby enhancing the visibility and popularity of these games. Concurrently, Web3 gaming companies that have formed partnerships with Sevenline will be incorporated into the NEOPIN ecosystem.Native tokens to be supportedThe integration of the NEOPIN wallet with Miracle Play is a strategic move that aims to attract a global user base, particularly those who have completed Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks. This strategy presents a win-win scenario for both NEOPIN and Miracle Play. NEOPIN benefits by gaining access to a dedicated community of Web3 gamers who will actively organize and partake in tournaments on the Miracle Play platform. In return, Miracle Play taps into the decentralized finance (DeFi) user base associated with NEOPIN. Furthermore, both platforms plan to support their native tokens — the NEOPIN (NPT) token and the Miracle Play (MPT) token in the future.Ethan Kim, CEO of NEOPIN, expressed that the partnership will be beneficial in three aspects: attracting Web3 gaming partners, acquiring mutual users and expediting the adoption of the Web3 gaming ecosystem. He emphasized NEOPIN’s commitment to accelerating the global expansion of the NEOPIN ecosystem through these strategic efforts in promoting the Web3 gaming sector.

With local regulator the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) having set out guidelines for crypto firms regarding the provision of crypto staking services, two prominent Hong Kong companies have moved forward with staking-related offerings. HashKey Capital, a crypto-focused institutional asset manager, and crypto trading platform OSL, have announced the addition of staking to an Ether exchange-traded fund (ETF) and in the case of OSL, a partnership with Kiln to offer ETH staking.Photo by Raymond Yeung on UnsplashFirst spot crypto ETF in APAC to support stakingIn a press release published on April 11, HashKey Capital outlined that its Bosera HashKey Ether ETF, which was jointly launched with Bosera Asset Management in April 2024, has received approval from the SFC to engage in Ethereum staking activity from April 25 onwards.  HashKey claimed that its ETH ETF product is the first spot crypto ETF within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to support staking. The company stated: “By enabling staking, the ETF aims to enhance potential returns for investors, creating a new avenue to participate in the Ethereum ecosystem through a regulated virtual asset investment vehicle.” The staking service will be extended to the ETF by another HashKey Group company, HashKey Cloud, a Web3 infrastructure provider. HashKey Capital and HashKey OTC Global CEO Deng Chao said that the institutional-grade staking infrastructure of HashKey Cloud was being leveraged in order to provide a secure, efficient and regulated vehicle to access staking rewards with ease to both professional and retail investors.  The ETF is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). It tracks the price of Ether via the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate, a daily benchmark index price that aggregates Ether trade data from various sources. Competitive edgeBoth HashKey and the Hong Kong authorities have stolen a march on their international counterparts with the launch. In recent months, efforts have been building in the United States by spot ETH ETF providers to add a staking element to these offerings.Robert Mitchnick, head of digital assets at the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, told last month’s Digital Asset Summit in New York that the lack of availability of a staking yield as part of U.S. spot ETH ETFs is likely to be holding the development of the products back. He added:”A staking yield is a meaningful part of how you can generate investment return in this space, and all the [ether] ETFs at launch did not have staking.” HashKey and OSL were the first two entities to be issued trading licenses by the regulator in Hong Kong. OSL is also looking to take advantage of the new regulatory clarity related to crypto staking in Hong Kong. On April 10, it published a press release, outlining details of a partnership that it has formed with enterprise-grade staking infrastructure firm, Kiln. By integrating with Kiln’s API infrastructure, OSL is now enabled in offering clients of its custody platform access to staking services.Kiln co-founder and CEO Laszlo Szabo underscored the significance of regulatory approval of staking in Hong Kong, while stating:”With the future integration of staking, these products will offer investors both exposure to ETH price movements and rewards for securing the Ethereum network.”

dtcpay forges strategic partnership in launch of crypto payments systemSingapore-based dtcpay has announced a collaboration with Singaporean data-sharing platform PlatON and Chinese payments firm Allinpay International, marking the imminent launch of a digital currency payments system.Photo by Jonathan Borba on PexelsPOS terminal crypto paymentsThe trio is set to unveil a cutting-edge digital currency payment system, leveraging smart point of sale (POS) terminals supporting a range of currencies, including USDT, ETH and BTC. The primary goal of this partnership is to broaden the reach of digital payments, providing global users with faster, more cost-efficient and secure payment experiences.The overarching objective of the collaboration is to empower partners and merchants to seamlessly accept payments in both fiat and digital currencies. By doing so, dtcpay, PlatON and Allinpay International aim to enhance operational efficiency, broaden business outreach and capture the attention of a younger customer base.Officials emphasize that this venture aligns with dtcpay’s commitment to delivering secure and efficient digital payment solutions while diversifying its service offering. A spokesperson for Tonghua International, Allinpay International’s parent company, stated:“We are very pleased to cooperate with industry leaders, PlatON and dtcpay. This cooperation will not only promote the development of digital currency payments but also help merchants better adapt to the modern payment trend and meet the needs of young consumers.”A collaboration that relies on core competenciesThe collaborative effort capitalizes on the strengths of each entity. dtcpay facilitates swift and secure digital and fiat currency exchange. PlatON contributes advanced privacy computing technology for robust technical infrastructure, while Allinpay International provides smart terminals and online aggregate payment interfaces, eliminating entry barriers relative to Web3 payments.In addition to driving advancements in digital currency payments, Allinpay International seeks to support merchants in adapting to modern payment trends and meeting the preferences of younger customers. dtcpay’s comprehensive suite of services includes multi-currency swaps, online checkouts and in-store POS solutions, positioning the company as a one-stop solution for merchants embracing the future of payments.Founded in 2019 in Singapore, dtcpay operates as a regulated payment service provider licensed by the Major Payment Institution (MPI) under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).The company struck up a similar partnership in September, bringing crypto payments to the POS system of Jeripay, which has a network of 8,000 terminals in Singapore. In an interview earlier this year, the firm’s CEO Kanny Lee outlined that dtcpay had targeted Hong Kong and Dubai as markets in which the company plans to expand.Sumsub partnershipThe collaboration’s momentum was further solidified at the end of September 2023 when dtcpay partnered with Sumsub, a global full-cycle verification platform. This partnership aimed to enhance the security and reliability of digital currency payments in target markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, the UK and Europe. Sumsub integrated its electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) service into dtcpay’s wallet platform, streamlining the onboarding process for customers engaging in transactions through the platform.PlatON is an open financial infrastructure that features verifiable and privacy-preserving computation. It will endeavor to bring financial-level system stability and compliant digital asset management to the collaboration. Allinpay is a global financial payment company focused on providing diverse payment solutions while enhancing digital financial technology services globally.