Wemade to unveil upgraded DAO platform Wepublic in February

Rotonda revamps Burrito Wallet with cross-chain swapping, added mainnet and moreRotonda, a subsidiary of South Korean crypto exchange Bithumb, has recently revamped its Web3 wallet Burrito Wallet to make the app more convenient for users, according to Korean news agency Etoday on Wednesday (local time). The newest version features an improved mainnet support system, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), with a stronger focus on enhancing user convenience and creating a framework for optimal investment.Photo by Shubham’s Web3 on Unsplash“Through this service renewal, we hope that many users will be able to experience a more convenient and unique web3 environment. We will continue to improve our services to establish Burrito Wallet as a user-friendly crypto wallet platform,” the company said.Expanded options for token tradingMost notably, Burrito Wallet now offers cross-chain swapping, which allows users to trade token currencies that have been issued on different mainnets. This is a step up from regular crypto swapping, which only allows the swapping of tokens issued on the same mainnet. Cross-chain swapping between the Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Matic, Avalanche and Arbitrum mainnets is now supported by the deSwap Liquidity Network (DLN), a decentralized cross-chain exchange built by deBridge Finance. DLN facilitates secure and unlimited liquidity transfers across chains with zero slippage.Rotonda added that it would continue to expand its lineup of swap platforms through collaborations with major industry names like Kana Labs, WOOFi and Unizen.Better user experienceThe company also added new features to help users make optimal investments. This includes a new notification bot dubbed “Burrito Chef,” which sends notifications for announcements, updates and events within the app. Users can quickly and conveniently check the insights they need to inform their personal investments and get the most out of the app’s services.On the UI front, a “Home” tab has been added, which provides users with a concise overview at of the most commonly used features like wallet, swap and chat, along with the most popular content. Token rankings by category — such as most swapped tokens and most rising tokens — that were previously available on the “Swap” tab have been moved to the “Home” tab and placed in the foreground of the screen. Rotonda also explained that it aims to provide a more customizable experience by adding more detailed chart features.The wallet also now supports the Sui mainnet, bringing the total number of supported mainnets to 12.This development comes shortly after Rotonda recently launched Burrito Wallet in the Latin American region in a move to expand its global user base.

Startale Labs, the driving force behind initiatives such as the Astar Network smart contract hub and Startale Web3 Cloud, has secured a financial injection of $3.5 million. This backing, announced by Startale through a recent blog post, comes through a collaboration between UOB Venture Management, a subsidiary of the Singaporean financial giant UOB, and Samsung Next, the corporate venture capital arm of Samsung. UOB Venture Management is renowned for its equity financing in Southeast Asia and Greater China, bringing deep regional market insights to the table. Meanwhile, Samsung Next Ventures, an integral part of Samsung's innovation ecosystem, is dedicated to exploring cutting-edge technologies, including AI, fintech and blockchain, with a vision to shape the future of technology.Photo by Louie Martinez on UnsplashFunding talent acquisitionThe freshly acquired funds are earmarked for pivotal purposes, primarily focusing on bolstering talent acquisition and driving forward the development of Startale Labs' diverse product portfolio. Taking to the X social media platform, Astar Foundation Chief Operating Officer (COO) Shun Ishikawa confirmed that in light of the recent funding, Startale is hiring and it welcomes applicants to get in touch, particularly engineers. Moreover, alongside the $3.5 million capital injection, Startale also drew attention to a strategic alliance with Sony Network Communications to embark on a blockchain venture. With these combined resources, Startale aims to accelerate its development trajectory. Paul Ng, Executive Director of UOB Venture Management, emphasized the importance of real-world use cases in onboarding new users to Web3 technologies. Ng stated: "We are excited to support Startale, who have demonstrated expertise and experience in building successful Web3 products, in their mission to bring billions of users into the Web3 ecosystem.” Having made significant strides since its establishment in January 2023, Startale Labs has garnered support from these leading Asian enterprises within a remarkably short span. Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Labs, outlined the company's vision for the future, stating: "With the funds raised, we aim to invest in product development and recruitment to create a truly representative Web3 company of Asia and beyond." Through his X account, Watanabe expressed the intention that “we’re going to prove that Japanese startups can be successful in the world.”Sony joint ventureAn initial investment of $3.5 million by Sony in June of last year was followed in September by a collaboration between Sony Network Communications and Startale Labs, giving rise to the joint venture "Sony Network Communications Labs Pte. Ltd." This venture is dedicated to developing a blockchain infrastructure aimed at underpinning global Web3 initiatives. The objective is to harness blockchain advancements to create compelling use cases that foster wider adoption of Web3 technology. Sony Network Communications Labs is structured such that Sony Network Communications holds a 90% stake in the venture, with Startale Labs contributing the remaining 10%. Startale Labs' recent funding infusion, coupled with strategic partnerships with industry giants, appears to be putting the blockchain startup firmly on the road towards driving innovation and playing its part in shaping the future of Web3 technology. 

India is strategically navigating the development of its digital rupee, with the Reserve Bank (RBI) actively addressing privacy concerns through technological solutions in its central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programs. According to a recent report by CoinDesk, a senior official with insights into these initiatives revealed that while progress is evident, the RBI is proactively exploring ways to ensure privacy in the use of the digital rupee.Photo by Julian Yu on UnsplashPursuing mechanisms to maintain anonymityThe RBI has introduced a new dimension to the discourse on privacy concerns associated with CBDC usage. The central bank official suggested that the RBI may seek legal backing from India’s finance ministry to enact legislation allowing customers to delete transactions for the purpose of maintaining anonymity. New-found urgencyPublic statements from the RBI suggested a lack of urgency in implementing a full-scale retail CBDC, coupled with a reluctance to provide a specific timeline. However, recent events indicate that an underlying sense of urgency may be emerging. In the past month, the retail CBDC achieved a notable milestone, processing one million transactions in a single day, with support from various banks. Several banks, including HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, IDFC First Bank and Union Bank of India, reportedly encouraged their employees to deposit funds in CBDC instead of fiat currency, contributing to this achievement. The official overseeing the CBDC development emphasized the necessity for experimentation and substantial efforts to ensure the security of the digital currency. While the settlement aspect is considered straightforward, addressing latency remains a priority for the RBI. No mandate on taxThe RBI, historically known for its opposition to crypto both domestically and globally, clarified that crypto taxation is not within its mandate. This clarification suggests that the RBI might not object if the Indian government decides to reduce the stringent taxes currently imposed on cryptocurrencies. The central bank clarified that it lacks the mandate to express a viewpoint on reducing a contentious tax that has stirred debate within the crypto industry. The RBI has been a driving force behind the adoption of wholesale and retail CBDC since late 2022 when it initiated pilot programs. The official emphasized that taxation matters fall under the government’s purview, reinforcing the RBI’s focus on its designated responsibilities. Similarly, the country’s judiciary recently turned down a plea to have it formulate a crypto regulatory framework, outlining that this too is up to the government to address. The central bank has a historical context of attempting to ban cryptocurrencies, with effective prohibitions in place between 2018 and 2020 until a Supreme Court order overturned the ban. Since then, the RBI has consistently expressed concerns about cryptocurrencies in various forums, including the Group of 20, where India played a leading role in coordinating global regulation in the crypto space. Recent utterances from the RBI governor, Shaktikanta Das, suggest that the regulator is disinterested in seeing the offering of spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in India despite that eventuality coming to pass last month in the United States. Das also spoke positively recently about the tokenization of real-world assets using blockchain technology.