Phoenix Group adjusts public trading launch date

Metaworld Global’s Web3-based shopping metaverse to be launched worldwide next monthHong Kong-based Metaworld Global’s shopping metaverse, MWCC, is scheduled for global release on Dec. 25. As a Buy-to-Earn (B2E) platform, it is expected to surpass the limitations of traditional online shopping by incorporating a Web3-based online store and offering a unique, rewards-based shopping experience for customers.“This will be a shopping mall that no consumer has ever experienced before,” said Lee Geun-ho, who is in charge of development at Metaworld Global.Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on UnsplashForging a new digital frontierMWCC aims to become a decentralized commerce ecosystem built together by buyers, sellers and influencers. The ecosystem will run on tokens that can be used across several social settings, thus expanding the scope of cryptocurrency beyond traditional settings. It will also harness various blockchain technologies to create a social media-based consumer network, ultimately handing over digital ownership to shoppers.What also sets MWCC apart is that it will employ a multi-purpose middleware to carry out global-scale commerce activities such as intermediary payment and copyright monetization via NFT marketplaces, among others. Notably, the platform plans to mint high-value, collectible NFTs.Supporting all participants in the shopping processSuppliers within the MWCC network who own manufacturing facilities will be able to export their products to over 200 countries through the platform’s promotion and logistics systems. Sellers can also use social media to sell their products to customers overseas and get their transactions settled in real-time. In turn, these customers can easily purchase Korean products without the hassle that is usually associated with making payments on overseas online shopping sites.“MWCC offers benefits for buyers, sellers and suppliers, which will serve as the base for a new operation system in the digital era,” Lee explained.

Rotonda Signs Deal with The Sandbox for Blockchain Ecosystem ExpansionRotonda, a subsidiary of Korean crypto exchange Bithumb and the operator of the Web3 digital wallet Burrito Wallet, announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with metaverse platform The Sandbox to expand its blockchain ecosystem.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashA space for creativity and monetizationThe Sandbox is a global metaverse platform that allows users to easily create and participate in games, avatars, and items. It also provides free three-dimensional content creation tools called VoxEdit and Game Maker, and users can monetize their content. It has partnered with over 400 major companies, including Netmarble, LINE Studio, Ubisoft, and Zynga, securing some five million subscribers worldwide. “We expect that users will be able to enjoy a new Web3 experience within the metaverse, where they can create their own content,” said Max Minchul Shin, CEO of Burrito Wallet.Elevating the metaverse experienceThrough the new partnership, Burrito Wallet will support wallet integration within The Sandbox’s platform by unifying the on-chain experience across services. Burrito Wallet users will thus have more convenient access to various content within The Sandbox, including LAND — the platform’s virtual real estate space for interacting and showcasing creativity — as well as personalized avatars and assets, and an NFT marketplace. Additionally, the company plans to enhance wallet utility by supporting the multi-chain functionality of SAND, The Sandbox’s utility token.“Our partnership with Burrito Wallet will make it easier and more convenient for users to enjoy The Sandbox,” said Cindy Lee, CEO of The Sandbox Korea.“We will continue to collaborate with companies from various fields to advance the Web3 market and establish ourselves as a distinguished wallet service in the global market,” Shin added.Rotonda’s global initiativesRotonda is actively collaborating with global projects to promote the mass adoption of Web3 and blockchain technology. Last month, it launched the iOS version of Burrito Wallet in a move to expand availability for Web3 users on all operating systems. The company also recently co-hosted Next Block 2023 with its parent company Bithumb to promote business collaboration and build an ecosystem for accelerating Web3 projects.

The Stacks Asia DLT Foundation, an organization associated with the Stacks Bitcoin layer-2 network, has become the first Bitcoin-based foundation to establish itself within, and be recognized by, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). ADGM is a free zone and international financial centre located on Al Maryah Island within the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a press release published on April 28, the foundation set out that it has established itself within the ADGM in an effort to further grow the adoption of the Bitcoin layer-2 network within Asia and the Middle East, while leveraging the positive regulatory environment that has been established by the ADGM with regard to distributed ledger technology (DLT).Photo by Joshua Woroniecki on UnsplashAttracting DLT foundationsThe ADGM has played a significant role in positioning the UAE as a go-to location for crypto startups and projects. The Berlin-based IOTA Foundation, developer of the IOTA DLT project, was among the first to establish a foundation within the ADGM to promote use of its network in the Middle East region back in November 2023.Since then, others have followed. In 2024 DLT foundations were established related to blockchain projects such as Kaia, Aptos and Beam. Last month DeFi protocol project NEOPIN announced that it had established a DLT foundation within the ADGM.  The free zone has proven popular not just among DLT foundations, but among crypto startups too. Projects such as Polygon Labs, Chainlink Labs and TON have established a presence there. Regulatory frameworkThe ADGM has its own regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), and it established a framework for blockchain foundations in 2023. In establishing the Stacks Asia Foundation within the ADGM, the project would have had to register as a DLT Foundation, while meeting all local legal and regulatory requirements.Kyle Ellicott, interim Executive Director of the Stacks Asia DLT Foundation, commented on the development, providing an insight into why the ADGM was chosen:”We chose to establish our presence in ADGM because of its unparalleled commitment to fostering innovation in the blockchain space. Their forward-thinking approach to policy-making aligns perfectly with the Stacks ecosystem’s history of creating pathways for Bitcoin builders.”  Bitcoin programmabilityThe foundation asserts that it will play a “pivotal role” in forging the future of Bitcoin programmability and its adoption in that respect within Asia and the Middle East.  Referring to Bitcoin while speaking at the Abu Dhabi Digital Assets Forum, Ellicott said that “the once sleepy asset, seen only as a store of value, is now yielding with Layer 2s," through Stacks Bitcoin (sBTC), a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset hosted on the Stacks blockchain network. Stacks believes that the next wave of growth for Bitcoin will come through Bitcoin layer-2s. The project claims that unlike wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), sBTC doesn’t rely on centralized intermediaries. The asset has been designed to extend Bitcoin’s utility, enabling Bitcoin-adjacent DeFi applications and smart contracts. While the project highlights the importance of Bitcoin layer-2 going forward, back in February, Stacks co-founder Muneeb Ali forecast that a shakeout of Bitcoin layer-2 projects will occur, with only a handful of such projects surviving over the course of the next three years.