Former Thai PM expresses positive view on crypto

Gaming Industry Pioneers to Gather at Korea Blockchain Week 2023The highly anticipated Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) 2023, Asia’s largest blockchain and Web3 conference co-hosted by FACTBLOCK and Hashed, is on the horizon.Marking its sixth year, the conference is set to take place from September 4 to 10 at various venues, including The Shilla Seoul hotel. It will feature a series of panel discussions, keynote speeches, and networking opportunities focused on emerging blockchain and Web3 technologies.Photo by Terry on UnsplashUnveiling expert insights on blockchain, Web3, and moreThe main event, a two-day conference from September 5 to 6 titled “IMPACT,” will host prominent industry figures to discuss blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi), Web3, and artificial intelligence (AI). Several gaming enterprises are also set to present their projects and insights into blockchain gaming.In particular, Henry Chang, CEO of Korean gaming publisher Wemade, will deliver a keynote speech titled “Mega-Ecosystem Wemix: Beyond Games.” As a two-time title sponsor of the event, Wemade will also set up exhibition booths for visitors to explore the vast blockchain ecosystem of its WEMIX3.0 Mainnet.There will also be a panel discussion dubbed “Creating a Sustainable Blockchain Gaming Economy: The Importance of Tokenomics” featuring Hilmar V.Pétursson, CEO of Pearl Abyss subsidiary CCP Games, as well as Hwang Sun-young, Production Director at Nexon’s NFT-centered blockchain games ecosystem MapleStory Universe.More leaders like Jose Ko, CEO of Neowiz’s blockchain gaming platform Intella X; Jake Moon, COO of Netmarble’s blockchain subsidiary MARBLEX; and Bryan Song, Biz and Ops Team Lead at game developer Krafton, will talk about the thriving landscape of high-quality blockchain games in Korea during the conference’s last program on September 5.The second day will go on to feature a discussion on the impact of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and gaming on business adoption with Justin Waldron, Co-Founder and CEO of Storyverse, and Robbie Ferguson, Co-Founder and President of Immutable, sharing their insights on the topic.Kyu C. Lee, CEO of Com2uS USA; Han Yoo, Chief Operating Officer of NOD Games; and Tin Nguyen, Founder of Sipher and Athler Labs, are also set to lead a panel centered on the disruptive potential of blockchain in the gaming industry.In addition, companies like XPLA and IPX will hold separate functions to foster lively networking and promote their respective blockchain gaming ecosystems.NFT-centered eventScheduled for September 7 to 8 after the IMPACT conference is The Gateway: Korea, an annual Web3 event that will bring NFT enthusiasts and digital artists together at SFactory in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

Zep joins hands with NEAR Protocol to elevate Web3 experience for usersSouth Korean metaverse platform Zep announced on Monday (local time) that it has partnered with the Layer 1 blockchain network NEAR Protocol. The two companies aim to jointly pursue a business model catered to developers and Web3 users, accelerating the widespread adoption of Web3.Zep plans to leverage the collaboration to enable its partners to issue and distribute various Web3-based digital assets while enhancing the user experience on its metaverse platform.Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on Unsplash“Working with NEAR Protocol will be an opportunity to provide a new experience for both Web2 and Web3 users. The collaboration will allow us to provide Zep users with more diverse and rich content and establish ourselves as a leader in the metaverse industry by providing a seamless user experience in the Web3 space,” said Kim Sang-yeop, Co-CEO of Zep.Bringing the metaverse to diverse audiencesZep is a joint venture between game developer SUPERCAT and Naver Z, the operator of the 3D avatar social platform Zepeto. Following its beta launch two years ago, the platform has since accumulated 8.3 million users and recently surpassed 1.3 million monthly active users.Zep has been consecutively launching special features for enterprises, such as single sign-on (SSO) authentication and data dashboards, prompting businesses and public organizations to recognize its versatility. Based on its success in the Korean market, the platform is on the verge of entering the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets.Dominating the dApp sphereMeanwhile, NEAR Protocol has experienced rapid growth as an operating network for decentralized apps (dApps), making it one of the fastest-growing blockchain networks this year. According to data from major dApp store DappRadar, NEAR Protocol-based dApps have secured the top two rankings among all blockchain applications, proving that it is the preferred choice for companies considering mass adoption.

Bitfinex Turkiye Facilitates Zero-Cost Deposits via VakıfBank PartnershipIn a strategic move to bolster its presence in Turkey, cryptocurrency trading platform Bitfinex has introduced a seamless and cost-free method for Turkish customers to deposit Turkish lira directly into their accounts.According to a press release published by the company on Thursday, this integration comes as a result of collaboration between Bitfinex Turkiye and VakıfBank, Turkey’s second largest bank in terms of asset size, and a significant player in the Turkish banking sector.Photo by Meg Jerrard on UnsplashExpanding market accessBitfinex’s Chief Technology Officer, Paolo Ardoino, emphasized the user-centric benefits of this partnership. He stated that Turkish customers can now deposit lira effortlessly and economically, streamlining their access to the cryptocurrency market.This development could potentially aid Bitfinex in expanding its operations within Turkey, which stands as one of the largest markets for leading global crypto exchange Binance. Ardoino stated that the move facilitates “the ability to deposit [lira] seamlessly and cost-effectively.” Additionally, Ardoino maintained that market access was being enabled “by integrating with VakıfBank,” and that “[Bitfinex] is making it easier” for customers to participate.Collaborating with the crypto sectorFounded in the 1950s, VakıfBank has 935 brick-and-mortar branches, a network of over 4,000 ATMs and almost one million point-of-sale (POS) terminals in use. This latest partnership is not the first touch point for the bank when it comes to the crypto sector. It has a similar deal in place with Istanbul-based crypto platform, CoinTR. In that instance, CoinTR customers can deposit or withdraw Turkish lira to or from their CoinTR accounts via VakifBank instantly, 24/7 and with zero fees.The bank has also participated in a blockchain-based trade finance initiative, the Turkish Trade Chain Project. In a press release published by the bank last year, it expressed the belief “that blockchain technology will make data sharing more transparent, traceable, verifiable and controllable by reducing the communication traffic between parties in the foreign trade process that requires many documents.”Partnering with TradFiBy aligning its services with a traditional financial institution, Bitfinex joins the ranks of other industry players like Fidelity, BlackRock, and PayPal, which have demonstrated increasing openness to cryptocurrencies despite the ongoing bear market.Turkey has proven to be an important market for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and USDT, the US dollar stablecoin issued by Bitfinex’s sister company, Tether. Runaway inflation in recent years has led to an outsized interest in decentralized money in the country.Bitfinex’s business in Turkey has not been without its hiccups. Earlier this year, a Wall Street Journal report alleged that Bitfinex Turkiye user accounts had been implicated in terrorist financing. One particular account was alleged to have been used for money laundering purposes by the armed wing of Palestinian militant group, Hamas.This latest initiative follows Bitfinex’s recent announcement of the launch of Bitfinex P2P, a peer-to-peer exchange catering to clients in Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. With such expansions and collaborations, the cryptocurrency sector continues to evolve, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of bear market conditions and regulatory challenges.