Author: Jeremy Ryan

Worldcoin, the crypto startup co-founded by Open AI CEO Sam Altman, announced a major expansion to its eye-scanning identity platform on Wednesday, including integrations with major tech firms and a new multi-level verification system for the World ID “digital passport.” Tiago Sada, the head of product at Tools for Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, said in an interview that World ID 2.0 marks a “monumental upgrade” for the protocol that combines “ideas that were originally laid on the white paper” with “feedback that we’ve heard from developers.” Sada said Worldcoin will begin offering on-site onboarding into its proof-of-personhood service in…

On Dec. 8 and 9, the University of Zimbabwe in partnership with the South Africa-based Mzansi Web3 Hub, held the learning institution’s inaugural blockchain hackathon. Taurayi Rupere, the chairman of the institution’s computer science department, said the hackathon’s goal is to produce “open-minded” developers who “think outside the box.” Overwhelming Interest in the Hackathon The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) recently partnered with South Africa-based Mzansi Web3 to hold the learning institution’s first hackathon. About 175 students from different faculties and stages of their courses registered to participate in the Dec. 8 and 9 hackathon. Taurayi Rupere, the chairman of the…

LINE NEXT, the South Korea-based NFT arm of messaging giant LINE, raised $140 million in investment to “popularize the Web3 ecosystem.” In a statement released today, LINE claimed the investment was “the largest funding round in the Asian blockchain Web3 industry for this year.” It was led by Crescendo Equity Partners, a Peter Thiel-backed private equity firm. With the new capital, LINE plans to officially launch its global NFT platform DOSI in January 2024. “Integrating with Japan’s NFT marketplace LINE NFT, DOSI will be offered as a mobile app to users around the world,” the company said. Giving brands ownership…

Exclusive Offers ‘Mugshot Edition’ OpensAvailable on CollectTrumpCards.com, 100,000 of these new Mugshot trading cards are up for grabs for $99 each. Notably, buyers who purchase 47 or more in one transaction will receive one of 2,024 limited edition physical cards.On top of featuring a mugshot of Trump and a fragment of his suit, these digital collectibles grant a dinner invitation with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, with 25 assets also being hand-signed by him at random. For the first 200 buyers who purchase 100 cards with cryptocurrency, an additional exclusive offer awaits: buyers will receive a distinctive NFT, two tickets to a cocktail…

Immutable, an innovator in the world of zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM), announces the integration of Transak as the principal payment service provider. This collaboration offers an expansion in payment services within the sphere of gaming, featuring both fiat and Web3-based transactions.Advanced Payment Options in GamingWith this integration, additional payment options are set to become a part of Immutable’s gaming infrastructure. The payment services provided by Transak will be integrated into systems such as Immutable Checkout and Immutable Passport. This collaboration will include on-ramp, off-ramp, and NFT payment services that facilitate transactions through credit/debit cards, and digital wallets like Apple…

Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi (NASDAQ: HTHIF) has launched a JPY10 billion ($69.3 million) unsecured digital green bond, the largest of its kind in the country. Hitachi first announced the five-year bond in mid-November, revealing that it would use a green hub to track the reduction of CO2 emissions. Developed in partnership with the Japan Exchange Group (JPX)—which owns the Osaka Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange—it offers emission data to the investors. Hitachi and JPX partnered with Japan’s largest investment bank, Nomura and BOOSTRY, a blockchain firm majority-owned by Nomura, which provides the blockchain technology for the green bond and…

Former US President Donald Trump announced the release of a new NFT collection titled “Mugshot edition,” in reference to his August 2023 indictment. Following the announcement, there has been a noticeable increase in the value of his previous NFTs.Launch of the ‘Mugshot Edition’ NFT CollectionThe new collection offers various incentives to purchasers. Buyers of 47 of the new Trump NFTs will receive rewards such as a dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, as well as a piece of the suit that Trump wore for his mugshot, accompanied by a signed physical card. Some cards within the collection will be…

FIFA is launching a new set of NFT collectibles across Algorand and Ethereum scaling network Polygon ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023, according to an announcement this week. The global soccer organization stated it will be the first collectibles release under a new collaboration with crypto startup Modex, which will now oversee strategic management of FIFA’s digital collectibles platform, FIFA+ Collect. The collectibles platform launched in 2022 with NFTs exclusively minted on the Algorand blockchain. On Tuesday, FIFA clarified that it will continue to launch NFTs on Algorand via its own platform while also expanding to…

Online chess platform Immortal Game is no longer working on any NFTs or play-to-earn crypto elements for its game because such elements “encouraged heavy cheating” on the platform, the team announced in a Discord post last week. Immortal Game, which was built on Ethereum scaling network Immutable X, will no longer accept its Checkmate token CMT, is getting rid of its NFT marketplace, will remove any references to crypto on its website, and will no longer reward tournament winners with crypto prizes. The changes took effect Monday, according to the post. “After careful deliberation, we have decided to stop development…

Donald Trump announced a new $99 NFT collection – the “Mugshot Edition,” a nod to the former U.S. president’s legal troubles – that stirred up prices for the non-fungible tokens he’d already issued. Those who buy 47 Trump cards (if elected next year, Trump would be the 47th U.S. president) or more will get to have dinner with the former resident at Mar-a-Lago and receive a piece of the suit Trump wore for his mugshot when he was arrested in August. “In this Edition, some cards will even be one-of-ones (the only one in the world), while some others could…