NFT Weekly News #2
24th April- 30th April, 2023
NFT News Weekly Update #2
(04/24/2023-04/30/2023)
GM
Welcome to NFT Weekly News by Threekeyslab. Here you can find the latest curated news in the NFT world. Every week, we aim to provide a selection of the most interesting news and events that are fostering the development of the NFT world.
The NFT field is constantly evolving, and this article will review last week's Top NFT news. Let's take a look together!
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Big News
1. Blur is about to launch a peer-to-peer perpetual lending protocol, Blend, with NFTs as collateral (May 1)
On May 1st, NFT trading platform Blur announced the launch of the Blend perpetual lending protocol with NFTs as collateral within 1-2 hours. Blend has no oracle dependency or expiration date, allowing borrowing positions to remain open indefinitely until liquidation, with interest rates determined by the market. Both borrowers and lenders have zero fees in Blend, and like the Blur market, fees are controlled by BLUR Token holders who can decide whether to enable them after 180 days.
2. Meta's metaverse division, Reality Labs, reported a loss of $3.9 billion in the first quarter (April 27)
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has released its Q1 2023 financial report, showing a 3% increase in total revenue compared to the same period last year, with a net income decrease of 24%. The company's metaverse division, Reality Labs, reported a loss of $3.9 billion this quarter, while revenue decreased from $695 million to $339 million compared to the same period last year. Mark Zuckerberg stated that the metaverse is still a core part of the company's future plans, but the company will also focus heavily on AI as its biggest investment. The company emphasized that this doesn't mean it is downplaying its vision for the metaverse.
3. The new CEO of Yuga Labs plans to allow external companies to develop Otherside, seeking to revitalize NFTs through gaming and events (April 28)
Yuga Labs' new CEO, Daniel Alegre, plans to revitalize NFTs through gaming and events by increasing user access to Yuga's games and allowing other companies to develop products and activities for Otherside. He is restructuring Yuga to look more like a traditional enterprise by splitting each NFT series into its own small IP. The company is considering expanding its brand to game consoles. Alegre believes that big gaming companies need to disrupt their economic models to allow others to be part of the ecosystem.
Other News
1. AIGC video is blowing up (April 27)
AIGC video is now on iPhone.You can now record yourself,And turn yourself into a marshmallow human with the click of a button.
2. AIGC: The Game Changer for Bringing Creative Ideas to Life (April 28)
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the way people can bring their ideas to life, allowing for a wide range of creative projects to come to fruition. Through the use of AIGC, individuals are able to create books, animated shorts, coding games, podcasts, and other forms of media with greater ease and efficiency. This has opened up new avenues for people to share their ideas and inspire others, making it an exciting time for creatives.
3. Adobe launches Firefly, a generative AIGC tool for easy image and video editing (April 28)
Firefly is a new AIGC model series focusing on image and text effects, soon to be launched by Adobe. It aims to bring new ideas, creativity, and communication to the creative process, while significantly improving workflow. Firefly is a natural extension of Adobe's technology over the past 40 years, based on the belief that people should be empowered to present their ideas to the world in the way they imagine them.
4. A New Era for BTC (April 30)
Despite the rise of Layer-1 smart contracts, Bitcoin remains dominant in the cryptocurrency market. However, questions remain about its sustainability, given declining block rewards and relatively low transaction fees. The emergence of 2023 ordinal and epigraph may hold some answers, as Bitcoin NFTs and innovations bring renewed excitement to the ecosystem. As scalability issues arise, Layer-2 solutions like Lightning Network, Stacks, and Rootstock offer pathways for developers to execute smart contracts. Mature Bitcoin smart contract markets, coin aggregation, and the upcoming Bitcoin halving are key themes for this report.
5. PROOF is building the 3D metaverse 'Moonbirds Monaverse' for the Moonbirds community (April 27)
The parent company of Moonbirds, PROOF, is partnering with 3D metaverse-building platform Mona to launch 'Moonbirds Monaverse', offering new ways for Moonbirds NFT holders to enjoy the digital world. Mona will provide technical support to help PROOF expand the virtual world space. The collaboration aims to create a community experience, such as a town hall, watching parties, and art displays.
6. The UK Intellectual Property Office has released a trademark classification guide on NFTs, virtual goods, and services in the metaverse (April 28)
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has released a trademark classification guide on NFTs, virtual goods, and services in the metaverse. The UKIPO does not accept NFTs as a separate classification term, but "digitally certified art by NFT" is acceptable, and physical goods certified by NFT can be classified under appropriate goods categories. Virtual goods will be treated equally as physical goods but will only be accepted if they are clearly defined. The guide notes that UKIPO will continue to accept virtual services if they can be provided virtually, but this may not apply to all metaverse services, particularly those that do not belong to the same category as traditional delivery forms.
7. Coinbase releases commemorative NFT aimed at protecting and promoting a collective stance on the crypto ecosystem (April 25)
According to official sources, Coinbase has released a "Stand With Crypto" commemorative NFT through the Zora platform, which aims to protect and promote a potential collective stance on the crypto ecosystem. All proceeds from this NFT series will be donated to vetted organizations through Gitcoin's crypto philanthropy round.
8. NFT soccer game developer Goals completes $20 million Series A funding round, led by Seven Seven Six (April 29)
Swedish NFT soccer game developer, Goals, announced the completion of a $20 million Series A funding round, led by Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Northzone, Moonfire, and Cassius also participated in the round. The company has now raised a total of $39 million in funding.
9. Cogni launches KYC-based soulbound NFTs for crypto wallet owners (April 28)
Neobank Cogni introduced a Web3 passport, a soulbound NFT containing KYC information for its crypto wallet owners. Built on Polygon, it transfers Web2 KYC verification to a Web3-based space. Cogni's non-custodial multichain crypto wallet, launched in January, allows users to manage NFTs and cryptocurrencies, as well as mint unique, non-transferable soulbound NFTs that dApps can decrypt with the owner's permission.
10. Romania launch NFT marketplace ICI D|Services on April 26 (April 25)
Romania's National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics is advancing Web3 adoption by launching an in-house NFT trading platform, ICI D|Services. Live since April 26, it aims to connect private and public sector users and institutions, allowing them to manage, mint, and trade non-fungible tokens.
11. Magic Eden Launches AMM-Type NFT Marketplace
Magic Eden, an NFT marketplace, has launched an Automated Market Maker (AMM) on the Solana (SOL) blockchain. The AMM functions as a trading platform for continuous pricing between two assets (SOL/NFT), allowing users to create a "Liquidity Pool" for efficient management of multiple NFTs, as well as placing buy and sell orders and earning commission income.
12. Mastercard Unites with Polygon, Solana & More to Unveil Crypto Credentials for Seamless Transactions (April 29)
At the Consensus 23 conference in Austin, Texas, Mastercard announced an entirely new innovative step In their ongoing work with blockchain technology. Particularly, the payment provider presented the Mastercard Crypto Credential in association with Polygon, Solana, and AVan, among others.
13. Morrison Hotel Gallery Drops Mesmerizing deadmau5 NFT Collection (April 27)
World-leading purveyor of music related photography, Morrison Hotel Gallery, has launched a spectacular new collection of NFT images of legendary electronic musician deadmau5. The resulting ‘Shadows’ collection offers a glimpse into the multifaceted world of Joel Zimmerman, both as himself and as his alter ego, deadmau5, through the expert lens of celebrity photographer, Timothy White.
14. Opepen Drops 001, 002 Coming Soon (April 28)
Opepens will use an opt-in system, providing a 48-hour window for potential buyers to participate in acquiring new NFTs, ensuring a fair chance for everyone. The reveal is planned for next week, but if subscription levels are insufficient, the art won't be dropped and a new pack will be created to maintain NFT value and exclusivity.