Wemade’s NILE Launches Ticket NFT Sales for Blockchain-Assisted Golf Tournament

Ground X Teams Up with Oasys for Digital Wallet and SDK CollaborationGround X, the blockchain subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate Kakao, announced on Wednesday that it has entered a strategic partnership with Oasys, a Japanese blockchain gaming platform.Through this partnership, Ground X and Oasys aim to collaborate on multiple fronts and onboard each other’s respective Web3 ecosystems. Ground X said that it will participate as a partner company in Oasys’ Web3 ecosystem, collaborating with other Japanese blockchain and gaming firms.Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on UnsplashSDK sharingIn particular, Ground X also plans to provide a software development kit (SDK) that will enable game developers around the world to embed digital asset wallets into their services by leveraging the convenience and technical capabilities of Kakao’s digital wallet, Klip.“By providing the embedded SDK through this partnership, this will serve as an opportunity for Ground X to expand globally by attracting more Klip users,” said Kim Tae-geun, Head of the Business Group Division at Ground X.Dominic Jang, Head of Business Development at Oasys, expressed similar sentiments, stating, “This Klip wallet SDK will allow Oasys’ partners in the gaming industry to operate more smoothly, serving as valuable infrastructure.”NFT allianceOasys will also become a member of GRID — Ground X’s alliance of over 130 local companies aimed at popularizing and fostering non-fungible token (NFT) usage in Korea. Ground X will subsequently share with Oasys the expertise it has gained through success stories of various NFTs on Klip. Through a combination of all these efforts, the company’s goal is to expand the local NFT business ecosystem and increase opportunities for networking and joint marketing between Korean and Japanese companies.“Ground X is at the forefront of Kakao’s blockchain business and has accumulated a wealth of expertise in the blockchain field. Through our collaboration with them, the Oasys ecosystem gains a strong partner,” Jang emphasized.In addition, Ground X is participating as a partner company and panel judge in a blockchain hackathon organized by Oasys and XPLA.

Glohow to promote UtopiaGames’ blockchain-based casino games on global stageUtopiaGames, a game developer based in Seoul, has entered into a partnership with Glohow, a global co-publishing service provider and subsidiary of Kakao Games. As per a report by local news website Etoday, this collaboration is aimed at launching comprehensive marketing efforts for UtopiaGames’ blockchain-based social casino gaming platform, “Vegastopia.”Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on UnsplashGlobal metaverse casino cityThe game company anticipates that Vegastopia will introduce innovative elements to the game development industry, as it is conceptualized as a global metaverse casino city. This 3D online gaming platform is developed to mimic a real-life casino setting, offering players an immersive experience. In Vegastopia, virtual gamers can participate in psychological battles, utilizing tactics like bluffing, just as they would in a physical casino environment.150 countries by H1 2024Vegastopia offers a feature where players can create and manage their own casinos or cardrooms. In these personalized spaces, operators have the autonomy to manage their own point systems. The platform has recently concluded its closed beta testing phase and is now gearing up for a soft launch in select countries, including France, Mexico and Southeast Asian nations. Looking ahead, UtopiaGames plans to launch the service in some 150 countries by the first half of next year.Resolving trust issues with blockchainAn official from UtopiaGames highlighted Glohow’s track record in successfully promoting global game projects from notable gaming firms such as Kakao Games, Sky People, Hidea, Gravity, Wemade, Webzen and Neowiz. With Glohow at the helm of Vegastopia’s marketing, management, customer service and localization efforts, the game’s global presence has notably increased, the person added. The official further pointed out that Vegastopia has garnered significant attention for addressing the issue of trust in online casino games by using blockchain, a key factor in its growing popularity and appeal.UtopiaGames’ latest advancement comes on the heels of equity investments from SU Holdings and BU Technology. These investments totaled KRW 21 billion, equivalent to approximately $16.2 million.

Crypto Oasis Founder Thinks UAE Set Up For Crypto SuccessAs the dust settles on 2023's Dubai Fintech Summit, which took place last week, one takeaway offered by the Co-Founder of blockchain ecosystem firm Crypto Oasis is that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set itself up for success where crypto business is concerned.In speaking with crypto publication CoinTelegraph on the fringes of the Dubai Fintech Summit, Crypto Oasis Co-Founder and Managing Partner Saqr Ereiqat suggested that the regulatory infrastructure that the UAE has put in place provides an ideal foundation upon which crypto companies can develop and prosper.Photo by Mo Ismail on PexelsRegulatory infrastructureEreiqat pointed to some key fundamentals that crypto entrepreneurs and start-up founders should look at when deciding on the location that will best meet their needs and help to optimize their route to market and ultimate success. This includes the regulatory infrastructure.The UAE authorities and regulators at a national level, together with their colleagues within the regulatory agencies in the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have been doing some heavy lifting in this regard over recent months.They’ve all been working on establishing a workable regulatory framework, and as part of that, a licensing process. In the case of Dubai, its Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has started to issue preliminary or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) license approvals that enable crypto startups to get started, while providing them with a pathway towards obtaining Full Market Product (FMP) licensing at a later stage.Talent poolThe other key requirements that Ereiqat set out were digital infrastructure alongside an ability to attract and provide a pool of talent relative to the crypto assets space. In respect of these key considerations, Ereiqat believes that the UAE hits the target in each case.“The UAE’s regulatory framework is more streamlined and business-friendly compared to the complex and fragmented regulatory environment in the US,” he told the crypto media firm.To enhance these fundamentals, Ereiqat also alluded to a depth of capital that could potentially find its way into UAE-based crypto businesses, easing these start-ups’ efforts in executing on funding rounds as they look to achieve growth.Ereiqat maintains that the interest in the region is already evident, citing a data-point that suggests there are 1,800 Web3-centric businesses already operating in the region, with more than 8,000 people working for those start-up businesses. Speaking to that reality further, he said:“The Dubai FinTech Summit was a significant event that brought together stakeholders from the fintech industry […] The presence of crypto and Web3 leaders and projects at the event is an important indicator of the growing interest and adoption of these technologies in the region.”This enthusiasm and belief in the existence of the right Web3 business environment in the UAE was echoed at that event by both Coinbase Founder and CEO Brian Armstrong and Ripple Founder and CEO Brad Garlinghouse. Both industry figures featured as keynote speakers at the event. Armstrong alluded to the potential of Coinbase establishing a base in Abu Dhabi while Garlinghouse announced the opening of a Ripple office in Dubai.