NFTs
KuCoin Raises $150M, Announces Web3 Expansion
- KuCoin's $150 million pre-Series B funding round was led by Jump Crypto, and increased the valuation of the company to $10 billion.
- KuCoin will use the funds to expand its product offerings, as well as build and invest into DeFi, GameFi, NFT, and crypto wallet platforms.
Meta to Start NFT Tests on Instagram This Week
- Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Instagram will be the first app under Meta's control to start NFT tests, and that Facebook could soon see a similar functionality.
- Meta's CEO also noted that the company was working on augmented reality NFTs, which will allow users to place their digital art into physical spaces.
KuCoin Launches $100M NFT Creators Fund
- The $100 million Creators Fund was launched by the company's venture arm, KuCoin Ventures, and its newly launched NFT marketplace, Windvane.
- It will support a wide range of NFT projects, such as art, sports, profile pictures (PFPs), Asian culture, celebrities, GameFi, and others.
United Kingdoms to Become Global Crypto Hub
- The UK government said the first step to becoming a global crypto hub is to recognise stablecois as a valid for of payment.
- A new "Cryptoasset Engagement Group" will also be created, alongside a financial market infrastructure sandbox for DLT experimentation.
Bored Ape Yacht Club Discord Channel Compromised
- Bored Ape Yacht Club, Doodles, Shamanzs, and Nyoki Discord channels have all been compromised by a hacker, who attempted to use phishing links to steal NFTs.
- Security researchers have noted that the attacker most likely used a Discord ticket tool to gain access to the NFT-focused channels.
DoJ Cracks Down on $1.1M NFT Rug Pull
- The founders of NFT project "Frosties", Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna, were arrested on Thursday and charged for fraud and money laundering.
- The two individuals, who took off with $1.1 million in January, were preparing to hold another alleged NFT rug pull later this year.
GameStop NFT Marketplace Beta Live on Loopring
- The beta version of GameStop's NFT marketplace allows users to mint NFTs, though the trading functionality is yet to be activated.
- Whlie GameStop did integrate with Loopring's layer-2 technology, its "preferred partner" remains Immutable X, with which it partnered back in February.
Coinbase Wallet Adds Support for Solana Tokens
- Coinbase users can now use the exchange's self-custody wallet to store, send, and receive SOL and Solana-based tokens.
- The exchange also revealed it was looking to add wallet support for Solana-based NFTs and dApps in the near future.
Cake DeFi Launches $100M Venture Capital Arm
- Cake DeFi Ventures will focus its investments on the web3, metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), gaming, and fintech spaces.
- The first company to receive funding from CDV will be United States-based media startup The Edge of Company.
The Sandbox Metaverse Launches Alpha Season 2
- Alpha Season 2 of The Sandbox will provide players with 35 new metaverse experiences, including a sneak peek at Snoop Dogg's "Snoopverse".
- Players can also complete over 200 quests to earn a chance of getting an Alpha Pass NFT, which rewards owners with up to 1,000 SAND tokens.