P2E defense game Slime World to roll out a major update in December

Amberdata Expands into Asia-Pacific with New Hong Kong OfficeAmberdata, a provider of digital asset data and analytics for institutional customers, is making significant strides in expanding its presence with the announcement of a new office in Hong Kong, marking its entry into the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.Photo by Pixabay on PexelsMarket data offeringThe company published a press release on Tuesday, providing details on the milestone. The strategically positioned Hong Kong office will provide local sales and support to APAC customers, granting them access to Amberdata’s suite of products. These offerings include extensive on-chain, DeFi, spot, and derivatives market data, along with valuable market intelligence.Tongtong Gong, the COO and Co-Founder of Amberdata of the US-based firm, will spearhead the company’s operations in the region. Gong, expressing her excitement about returning to her home country, shared her aspirations to contribute to the growth of Amberdata’s presence in Asia.She highlighted the burgeoning development of Web3 in Hong Kong, which benefits from a clear regulatory environment and strong government support, making it an exceptional location for the new office.Industry trends eastwardsThe expansion into APAC by Amberdata aligns with the global trend of accelerating institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. By addressing the increasing demand for institutional-grade data infrastructure and analytics, Amberdata is positioned to serve as a crucial partner to financial institutions.The company’s foray into APAC is yet another demonstration of a trend among US-based digital assets companies to establish themselves in the east, where the regulatory environment is developing in a much more progressive, forward thinking way by comparison with the United States.Shawn Douglass, the CEO of Amberdata, said that the move was with a view towards expanding its presence in Asia, “to deliver the highest quality digital asset data and analytics to institutional investors in the region.”Hong Kong’s crypto credentialsHe emphasized the growing prominence of Hong Kong as one of Asia’s leading crypto hubs and highlighted the city’s suitability as the location for their new office. The establishment of a local office enables the company to effect a more direct sales and support pipeline to both new and existing customers within APAC.Amberdata holds a paramount position as the leading provider of digital asset data. Their comprehensive insights into blockchain networks, crypto markets, and decentralized finance seek to empower financial institutions with invaluable data for research, trading, risk assessment, analytics, reporting, and compliance.Also on Tuesday, the company added new product features. Taking to Twitter, Amberdata outlined the addition of derivatives data relative to a well-known trading and futures options platform, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). Service users are also now being given complete visibility on externally owned accounts and wallets within lending and borrowing protocols.As financial institutions increasingly enter the digital asset class and participate in digital asset markets, Amberdata’s robust infrastructure is being positioned as a vital component, enabling them to make informed decisions and navigate the dynamic landscape effectively.

The trading volume of South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb exceeded that of its competitor Upbit as of 10:30 a.m. UTC on Wednesday, as reported by the local news outlet Etnews, which cited data from CoinMarketCap. This shift occurred for the first time in four years. According to CoinMarketCap, as of the specified time, Bithumb's 24-hour trading volume reached KRW 4.93 trillion (approximately $3.8 billion), surpassing Upbit, which recorded a volume of KRW 4.37 trillion. Until 2019, Bithumb was the leading exchange in Korea. However, it ceded its top position to Upbit, which gained a competitive edge through its collaboration with the internet-only bank, Kbank.Photo by Pierre Borthiry - Peiobty on UnsplashZero trading fees and new crypto listingsEarlier in the year, Bithumb initiated a strategic plan with the objective of boosting its trading volume in order to increase its market share in the domestic market to 25%. To achieve this goal, the exchange implemented several key initiatives. One of the significant steps taken was the elimination of trading fees, aimed at attracting more users and increasing transaction volumes. Additionally, Bithumb broadened its cryptocurrency offerings by listing prominent cryptocurrencies such as Tether (USDT) and WEMIX.Questioned sustainability of strategiesIn anticipation of crypto winter giving way to crypto spring, trading platforms are gearing up for more intense competition to increase their market shares. However, there are concerns about the sustainability of strategies like implementing zero trading fees. Critics argue that such policies, while they may temporarily shift market shares, are unlikely to be successful in the long term. This skepticism is largely due to the fact that cryptocurrency exchanges heavily rely on trading fees as a primary source of revenue.  An industry expert has pointed out that unless the cryptocurrency exchanges currently lagging behind develop innovative, paradigm-shifting strategies capable of significantly impacting the market landscape, there's a high likelihood that the ranking order will revert to the previously established, entrenched market order.  In fact, at the time of this publication, Upbit upended Bithumb in 24-hour trading volume, recording KRW 4.4 trillion compared to Bithumb's KRW 3.2 trillion. This data underscores Upbit's strong position in the market, illustrating its continued dominance.

Nuvei Teams Up with Mastercard on APAC Instant PayoutsNuvei, a crypto-friendly Canadian fintech firm, has partnered with global payments giant Mastercard, unveiling plans to bring nearly instantaneous payout capabilities to online trading platforms and investors, with a strong focus on the Asia Pacific region.Photo by Allison Saeng on UnsplashHarnessing Mastercard SendThis collaboration, announced by Mastercard on Monday, harnesses the power of Mastercard’s Send service. Mastercard Send is a payment solution that enables secure, real time fund transfers for organizations around the world, in over one hundred markets.The service has already been made available to Nuvei’s clientele in Singapore, with Nuvei claiming that it will speed up payments for the benefit of the merchants and consumers that make up its user base.An increase in the rate of digitalization, spurred by growth in online trading and remote working on an international basis is fueling a need for ever more seamless and rapid payment solutions. Through the use of Mastercard Send, traders are able to cash out of their investments immediately and efficiently.Commencing later this year, Nuvei will extend the service to customers in Australia and Hong Kong.“Trading platforms rely on fast, secure deposits and payouts to optimize user experience. Partnering with Mastercard Send enables us to offer our partners another trusted, instant payout method that will win new traders and generate revenue growth,” said Philip Fayer, the Chair and CEO of Nuvei.This sentiment was echoed by Sandeep Malhotra, Executive Vice President of Products & Innovation, Asia Pacific at Mastercard. “Given the boom in online trading in the Asia Pacific region, Mastercard Send presents Nuvei’s customers with the opportunity to improve the payments experience for their users while standing to grow their own revenues — a win-win,” he said.Crypto service offeringNuvei claims to have an active customer base spread across two hundred countries, offering more than six hundred alternative payment methods. As part of its array of services, the fintech firm has also been active relative to crypto.In a move that served to integrate crypto alongside its conventional payments products, Nuvei purchased crypto payments firm Simplex in 2021. Simplex was founded in 2014, offering fiat to crypto conversions involving over fifty cryptocurrencies, while integrating with global exchanges such as Binance and OKX.Later that year, the Canadian fintech company collaborated with Mastercard rival Visa, in offering crypto friendly debit cards. Late last year, it signed a deal with Danish blockchain-based payment platform e-Money. This arrangement saw Nuvei enable a fiat on-ramp for e-Money’s euro stablecoin (EEUR).Nuvei recently released its 2023 second quarter results, recording a 68% increase in total trade volume at $50 billion compared to $20 billion in the same period last year. Earlier this year, the firm announced that it was acquiring Atlanta-based integrated payments provider Paya as part of a deal believed to be worth some $1.3 billion.