CrossAngle undergoes rebranding, shifting focus to ERP solution

KISA and Ministry of Science and ICT Launch Blockchain Program for InnovationThe Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) and the Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Thursday that it held an initiation ceremony for the 2023 Blockchain Nuridan — an annual program aimed at recruiting beta testers for blockchain services to foster an ecosystem for blockchain innovation.Photo by Shubham Dhage on UnsplashPublic participation in advancing blockchain in KoreaNow in its fifth year, Blockchain Nuridan offers hands-on experience in blockchain services in order to raise public awareness of blockchain technology and businesses and gather feedback on how to improve these services.This year, 150 citizens who have a high level of understanding of the industry, such as blockchain professionals, university students majoring in blockchain, and more, have been selected to test and experience various services from twelve different blockchain projects, then provide comments and feedback for improvement. They will also be responsible for choosing services to be beta tested next year as well as sharing their reviews of the services on their social media accounts.Fostering collaboration and engagement“Together with the Blockchain Nuridan, KISA will do our best to enhance the competitiveness of companies participating in blockchain projects and provide services that will bring convenience to people’s lives,” said Kwon Hyun-oh, Head of the Digital Industry Division at KISA.At the latest initiation ceremony, the citizens received certificates for their participation and were issued non-fungible token (NFT) badges. There was also an information session outlining the details and role of the program.

Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a special administrative region (SAR) within the Kingdom of Bhutan, plans to establish a strategic cryptocurrency reserve.Photo by Ameya Sawant on UnsplashBitcoin, Ether & BNBThat’s according to an announcement published by the new administrative region on Jan. 8. In that statement the GMC SAR outlined that it has the intention to “recognise digital assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and BNB as part of its strategic reserves.” The SAR acknowledged that the move would result in it becoming one of the first jurisdictions to officially put in place the holding of digital assets as part of strategic reserves. While it cited Bitcoin, Ether and BNB, the SAR outlined that it has the intention to recognize digital assets with large market capitalizations and deep liquidity. That requirement has been set out so that it can easily trade in and out of these assets without impacting asset prices on the open market. The Kingdom of Bhutan is no stranger to cryptocurrency. It emerged in 2023, through court filings in the bankruptcies of crypto lenders Celsius and BlockFi, that Bhutan had cryptocurrency holdings managed by Druk Holding and Investments, the commercial arm of the Royal Government of Bhutan.  An evolution of Bitcoin mining activityShortly afterwards, it was revealed that Bhutan had been mining Bitcoin since it was priced at $5,000. Crypto mining was deemed to be a good fit for the Kingdom, given its considerable hydroelectric resources. Bhutan has entered into partnerships with Singapore-headquartered crypto mining firm Bitdeer to jointly develop green digital asset mining operations. Given this background, the SAR stated that adding crypto as part of a strategic reserve would be “an evolution of the jurisdiction’s involvement in bitcoin mining.” Crypto rather than Bitcoin-onlyTaking to the X social media platform, the BNB network project described the move as “a major milestone for blockchain adoption.” It added that the SAR’s inclusion of BNB suggests the existence of global trust in the BNB Chain ecosystem and belief in its utility. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) also chimed in, pointing out that the Bhutan GMC SAR isn’t just considering a Bitcoin reserve but one which includes crypto more broadly. CZ added that this demonstrates that Bhutan is open-minded and open to the consideration of cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin. The Binance founder said that this development “opens the door for BNB (and other crypto) to be included in other countries' National Strategic Reserves.” He believes that this will be the first of many strategic crypto reserves to be established. “This is a smart move by the country to attract crypto companies, investments, and innovation,” he added. The GMC SAR covers an area of 1,000 square kilometers, making it larger geographically than the city-state of Singapore. Its objective is to become a global leader in sustainable development, with a specific emphasis on holistic living, mindfulness and economic development.  The Bhutanese authorities intend for GMC to become a gateway for tourists visiting the area and Bhutan more broadly. It’s also seen as an initiative which can garner further foreign direct investment. According to data published by on-chain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence, the Kingdom of Bhutan holds 11,688 BTC ($1.1 billion) and 656 ETH ($2.18 million). 

Global pre-registration for Night Crows – a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Madngine and published by Wemade – opened today (KST), according to an article published by South Korean news outlet Game Focus. Pre-registration rewards include a participatory event and in-game currencies.Photo by Mateo on UnsplashPowered by innovative tech Built on Unreal Engine 5, a three-dimensional computer graphics engine used for game and content development, Night Crows features high-quality graphics, an immersive world, realistic action and large-scale in-game battles. It has topped the popularity and revenue charts on major app markets in South Korea since its launch in April last year. The global version of the game, which is scheduled for official release in March after the global pre-registration period is over, will harness blockchain technology and a multifaceted tokenomics system that tokenizes in-game items. It will also introduce character NFTs that keep character and player data in one place, connecting the game’s internal and external economies.  In addition, Night Crows’ omnichain network will allow users of other blockchain networks connected with the WEMIX3.0 mainnet to enjoy the tokenomics system as well. Wemade expected in TaiwanWemade is set to unveil Night Crows at this year’s Taipei Game Show at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from Jan. 25 to 28.