Shinhan Bank Advances into Metaverse with the Launch of Shinamon Season 3

SKYPlay and 3D Factory join forces to bring Web3 to everyday lifeSKYPlay, a Seoul-based blockchain gaming platform, announced Monday (local time) that it has signed a business agreement with 3D Factory to create content that integrates Web3 into everyday life, thus facilitating the rapid expansion of Web3 technology.Photo by Medienstürmer on UnsplashSynergizing Web3 realmsThrough this business agreement, SKYPlay aims to combine its Web3 capabilities in gaming and art with 3D Factory’s Web3 capabilities in sports. The two enterprises will ultimately establish a technological foundation for accelerating the integration of Web3 into society and expanding its uses.Pioneering paths in gaming, sports and moreEstablished in 2021, SKYPlay is a Play-to-Earn (P2E) platform that offers several games and related services, including a gaming community and forum, to some 300,000 users. Previously, the company secured large-scale investments worth $3 million and $10 million from Hong Kong-based startup accelerator 1st Soul Group and U.S.-based investment group LDA Capital, respectively. It is also expected to participate in an outer space mission led by NASA and SpaceX through a partnership with Web3 community BitBasel.3D Factory is a global blockchain-based meta platform that provides a range of services like gaming, NFT sales and metaverse memberships. Notably, it is deeply engaged with Spanish soccer. Having signed an NFT sponsorship agreement with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in November last year, 3D Factory was able to create its own metaverse. This partnership involves not only the Spanish national team but also club teams in the Copa del Rey and Super Cup competitions, featuring some of the world’s biggest football teams like Real Madrid FC and FC Barcelona.

Remixpoint, Inc., an energy management solutions provider that trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO:3825), has announced the raising of $215 million to finance its Bitcoin treasury while the company’s CEO has become the first public company executive in Japan to receive his entire salary in Bitcoin.Photo by Michael Förtsch on Unsplash3,000 BTC targetIn a statement published to X on July 9, the company outlined that it had raised ¥31.5 billion ($215 million). The proceeds will be entirely allocated to Bitcoin acquisition. The company is targeting the accumulation of 3,000 BTC.  As of June 16, the company held 1,051 BTC, valued at around $114 million. At today’s pricing, the funds raised would allow Remixpoint to buy a further 1,977 BTC. However, the firm warned that actual acquisition volume may vary depending upon Bitcoin pricing over a certain period of time, combined with the firm’s share price. Providing its justification for the funds raised, Remixpoint said that the decision reflected its “conviction in Bitcoin’s future,” a view that the company has formed following extensive internal discussion. Remixpoint initiated this treasury strategy in September 2024, compelled to do so due to concerns about the Japanese yen, with a desire to hedge against its depreciation. In addition to Bitcoin, the company has also bought altcoins such as Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and Dogecoin (DOGE). Japanese firms buying BitcoinRemixpoint is one of a growing number of Japanese firms to establish crypto-based treasuries. Japanese fashion retailer ANAP Holdings held 200 BTC as of July 8, with plans to acquire over 1,000 BTC by August. Publicly listed marketing business Agile Media Network stated in April that the company would make an initial purchase of ¥10 million worth of Bitcoin on a trial basis in an effort to determine if it's worthwhile to invest in the asset on a broader basis. Earlier this year, Japanese gaming firm Gumi announced plans to build up a Bitcoin treasury worth in the region of ¥1 billion. In recent months, SBC Medical Group, nickel processing firm S Science and textile manufacturer Kitabo have either added Bitcoin to their balance sheets or announced plans to do so. Japan’s standout Bitcoin treasury company is Metaplanet, a former hotel operator. Earlier this week, it emerged that the company aspires to build up a 210,000 BTC treasury. Furthermore, it plans to use its Bitcoin holding to buy cash-producing businesses, with a digital bank being one of its potential acquisition targets. On July 8, Remixpoint announced that it had taken the decision to pay the entire salary of its recently-appointed CEO, Takashi Tashiro, in Bitcoin. Tashiro will become the first Japanese CEO of a publicly-listed company to receive his salary in Bitcoin. Remixpoint said that it had taken this decision as part of a shareholder-perspective management outlook. In a tongue-in-cheek comment on X, market analyst Caleb Franzen said that "Now that the Remixpoint CEO is taking their salary in Bitcoin, I think Satya Nadella [CEO of Microsoft] will do the same any day now!" The emergence of crypto treasury firms has faced criticism. However, Elliot Chun, a partner at Architect Partners, asserted back in March that by 2030, a quarter of S&P 500 firms will have invested in Bitcoin.

LINE Xenesis and Crypto.com Unite Efforts to Explore Global Blockchain Business OpportunitiesLINE Xenesis, a blockchain developer of Tokyo-based messaging app giant LINE Corporation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com to explore new global business opportunities in the blockchain industry.With the establishment of LINE Blockchain Lab in April 2018, LINE Corporation has conducted research and development on blockchain-based decentralized applications (dApps), peer-to-peer networking systems, and cryptographic techniques. Thanks to this endeavor, LINE not only developed the Finschia blockchain and its native token FNSA, but also launched crypto exchange LINE Bitmax and non-fungible token marketplace LINE NFT.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashSynergistic goalsThrough this partnership, the two entities will bring together their respective expertise to advance and innovate crypto-related business solutions in Asia and beyond. They will collaborate to increase the liquidity of LINE Bitmax, strengthen crypto payment functions, and promote NFT initiatives.Founded in 2016, Crypto.com has been expanding its services worldwide. In a recent interview, Patrick Yoon, General Manager of Crypto.com Korea, shared the company’s plan to launch its services in South Korea this year. Thus far, Crypto.com has achieved virtual asset service provider registration from the Bank of Spain and secured a major payment institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Meanwhile, despite global progress, the company ceased its institutional offering in the United States last month due to insufficient demand.Asia and beyondCommenting on this agreement, LINE Xenesis CEO Lim Inkyu said, “LINE Xenesis is exploring various ways to collaborate with the world’s leading companies in the virtual asset industry. We are excited to see the synergies created by our partnership with Crypto.com, which has more than 80 million enthusiastic users worldwide, with LINE Xenesis’ blockchain business in Japan. Starting with this collaboration in the Japanese market, we hope to work towards new business opportunities globally based on the technology and knowledge of our two companies.”Crypto.com CEO Eric Anziani echoed this sentiment, saying, “We are excited to partner with such an established and innovative brand in the APAC market and a leader in blockchain technology development in Japan. Enabling real-world utility is critical to our mission of mainstreaming crypto. Through our collaboration with LINE Xenesis, we will facilitate this utility by leveraging our respective expertise with a highly tech savvy base throughout the APAC region.”