Seongnam City Hosts Seminar on Industry 4.0 Advancement

Web3 chatting app Beoble launches beta version with 50,000 usersWeb3 social messaging app Beoble has secured over 50,000 users in just one day since the beta version of the app was released on Saturday (KST), according to a post on its official X account. This comes after pre-registration applications closed on Nov. 30, which saw over 100,000 sign-ups.Photo by Andrej Lišakov on UnsplashEmpowering Web3 connectivityBeoble is a Web3-based social messenger platform that employs a decentralized encryption network called the Communication Delivery Graph. It allows users to engage in end-to-end encrypted chatting between their digital wallets and offers a communication toolkit for integrating decentralized applications (dApps). The app currently supports all EVM-compatible blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon and plans to add others like Solana, Aptos and Sui in the future.“Beoble is essentially the first Web3 messaging app with the complete user experience,” said Cho Sung-min, CEO of Beoble.In particular, Beoble has gained attention for having a low barrier to entry due to its user-friendly user interface and experience (UI/UX). Notably, the platform facilitates direct communication between Web3 wallet owners and allows them to conduct non-fungible token (NFT) and peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions.Incentivizing community engagementThe Beoble team explained that the ongoing beta test will be an opportunity to incorporate user feedback and improve services. It will also be a period during which users can receive rewards based on their chat room engagement.“The more active users are in the community, the higher their rewards. Rewards can be obtained through activities like completing quests, following others, reacting to messages and logging in,” the firm explained. The Beoble rewards system distributes “cat points” to users based on their participation and contribution to the ecosystem, which are then used to determine their eligibility for rewards like token airdrops.Beoble also previously raised $2 million in pre-seed funding, backed by investors like Digital Currency Group, HashKey Capital and Genesis Blockchain Ventures. The platform’s public launch is scheduled for Q1 2024.

OK Group Retires ‘Okcoin’ BrandIn a move to streamline its crypto ventures, cryptocurrency exchange operator OK Group is rebranding its platforms under the single name “OKX.”The announcement was made by Hong Fang, President of OK Group’s Seychelles-registered exchange OKX, via a thread on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash‘Okcoin’ to ‘OKX’ global rebrandFounded in 2013, Okcoin will be undergoing a name change to “OKX,” aligning with OK Group’s overarching branding strategy. Hong Fang expressed her personal connection to Okcoin, stating:“I’ve been part of Okcoin for five years. Over the years, we have put a lot of love and passion into our brand and product.”She emphasized that this rebranding effort, beginning in Singapore, will extend to Europe and the United States in the coming months, ensuring consistency across key operational jurisdictions. Despite the name change, OKX maintains that customers can expect the same high-quality services within the same regulatory framework under the new brand. Providing the rationale for the change, Hong Fang went on to state:”We also believe it’s time for a change. Rebranding to OKX in our key operational jurisdictions will be great for our customers and business. I’m very excited about what to come next.”Previous rebranding activityFang also revealed that OK Group has already sunsetted the “Okcoin” brand and product in several regions, including Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Hong Kong, and others. This transition aims to create a unified and recognizable identity for the group’s crypto ventures.The United States holds particular significance for OK Group’s global strategy, and the company remains committed to that market. Fang acknowledged the unique challenges encountered in the US but expressed the company’s dedication to empowering individuals and protecting freedom through technology within the US market. She stated: “It is home base for a lot of us on our team. It is special to us.”OKEx rebrandThis rebranding news comes approximately one year after OK Group initiated a similar transition with its subsidiary, formerly known as OKEx. In December 2022, OKEx transformed into “OKX,” expanding its scope beyond being a centralized crypto exchange. The move aimed to embrace DeFi, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and Web3. OKEx, founded by OK Group CEO Star Xu in 2017, had played a significant part in terms of innovation in the cryptocurrency space during that time.OK Group’s decision to rebrand its crypto ventures under the unified name “OKX” signifies a strategic shift toward creating a more cohesive and streamlined brand presence in the global crypto market. The transition stands out as yet another iteration in the development of global crypto platforms within an ever-changing crypto ecosystem. As Hong Fang put it, “Okcoin was started almost 10 years ago.” . . . “We have been unequivocally investing in our Okcoin team and infrastructure ever since.”

WazirX Founder’s Blockchain Startup Raises $5.4MShardeum, a highly-scalable layer-1 blockchain utilizing dynamic state sharding, has successfully closed a strategic raise of $5.4 million.The project was co-founded by Nischal Shetty, who also founded leading Indian cryptocurrency exchange WazirX.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashWorking towards mainnet launchThe funding round saw participation from prominent investors including Galxe, J17 Capital, JSquare, and TRGC, among others. Singapore’s Amber Group, a digital assets trading, products, and infrastructure firm, also participated. The additional capital will be used to facilitate the expansion of Shardeum’s ecosystem, leading up to the highly anticipated mainnet launch later this year. As part of that launch, it will also introduce $SHM, its native token. 5% of $SHM tokens are being allocated to ecosystem development and to community airdrops.What is Shardeum?Shardeum is a highly-scalable EVM-based layer-1 blockchain that utilizes dynamic state sharding. By employing dynamic state sharding, Shardeum ensures low gas fees and high transactions per second as the network expands. The platform achieves consensus at the transaction level, reducing the computational power required for validator nodes. This composition means that it’s engineered for linear scalability.This consensus mechanism enables broad accessibility and increased decentralization by allowing anyone to run a node. Through the power of dynamic state sharding, Shardeum offers a scalable and secure solution that addresses the blockchain trilemma while ensuring decentralization for all participants.Dynamic state shardingSince its establishment in 2022, Shardeum has been focused on delivering a highly-scalable EVM-based layer-1 blockchain with dynamic state sharding capabilities. As of Friday, the Shardeum testnet has already witnessed over 7.4 million transactions, with over 820,000 accounts and more than 230,000 contracts deployed.Kelsey McGuire, the Chief Growth Officer at Shardeum, expressed enthusiasm about the completion of the strategic raise, emphasizing the company’s commitment to cultivating a global and diverse community. McGuire highlighted Shardeum’s consensus design and the accessibility of validator participation, regardless of users’ computing resources. The additional funding will further support Shardeum’s dedication to decentralization by fostering worldwide community growth through educational initiatives and other key programs.Initial $18.2M seed roundIn addition to the aforementioned investors, the strategic raise attracted notable participants such as Bware Labs, Tané Labs, Hyperithm Group, and Luganodes, among others. This round follows Shardeum’s successful seed round in October 2022, which raised $18.2 million and involved backers such as Jane Street, Big Brain Holdings, Struck Crypto, The Spartan Group, Ghaf Capital, DFG, CoinGecko Ventures, and Foresight Ventures. Funding from that initial seed round went towards hiring more employees, expanding the Shardeum network, and growing its community.A Shardeum project team member told The Block that the raise now places a valuation on the overall company of around $248 million. Shetty recently told Forbes that he believes Shardeum can be a direct competitor to Ethereum. The WazirX Founder outlined that the blockchain was envisioned on the basis of low fees and scalability regardless of the extent of the network growth that transpires.