CryptoKitties Raises $15M in Financing 3842

Dapper Labs, the company behind the world’s first and most successful consumer blockchain product, CryptoKitties, has raised US$15M in financing led by Venrock, with participation from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Samsung NEXT. These funds will be used to help Dapper Labs, a Canadian-founded company, expand locally and globally. This includes establishing a U.S. subsidiary led by former executives from Unity and Disney, with additional hires for the Canada office from Ubisoft, EA Sports, Amazon, ESPN, Hasbro, and Zynga. The investment will also accelerate the build-out of the infrastructure necessary to attract mainstream consumers to the blockchain.

“The evolution of true digital ownership and the interoperability of smart contracts creates new ways for consumers, creators, and platform providers to interact completely peer-to-peer, with no middlemen,” said Roham Gharegozlou, CEO at Dapper Labs. “Our mission at Dapper Labs is to use games and entertainment to bring the values of decentralization to billions of consumers worldwide. This round of financing was about getting the right partners around the table to bring compelling content to the blockchain – and make sure usability and infrastructure allow for adoption by mainstream consumers.”

Dapper Labs is working with the world’s top entertainment brands to bring compelling brands, communities, and intellectual property to the blockchain. The new financing includes participation from entertainment heavyweights Endeavor; eSports leader aXiomatic; and the Andreessen Horowitz Cultural Leadership Fund. The company also disclosed several additional investors from its previous financing round, including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo; Steve Huffman, the founder and CEO of Reddit; and Green Bay Ventures.

“The team at Dapper Labs impressed us with their vision. More than any other company in this industry, they truly understand and aim to reach the mainstream consumer,” said David Pakman, a General Partner at Venrock and now on the Dapper Labs’ Board of Directors. “The blockchain will usher in an industry of scarce digital assets and will enable new types of self-expression. Combined with the transition from centralized to peer-to-peer commerce, this will unlock trillions of dollars in value for consumers.”

CryptoKitties is the world’s most used consumer blockchain application outside of exchanges, with 3.2-million transactions and tens of millions of dollars transacted on the platform. The game launched in late 2017 and differentiated itself by not using the ICO-model for funding that most blockchain projects pursued, opting instead to launch a product that showcased an application for blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies. By focusing on games and entertainment, CryptoKitties brought mainstream users completely new to blockchain into the industry.

“We launched CryptoKitties to show the benefits that blockchain technology can bring to consumers,” Dieter Shirley, Dapper Labs’ CTO and creator of the ERC-721 standard for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum. “By starting with a fun and approachable experience, we appealed to a very broad audience. We’ve seen many opportunities and obstacles for mainstream adoption of decentralized technology, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve learned with the rest of the world.” Dapper Labs intends to use its consumer insights to lower the barrier to entry for blockchain and make the values of decentralization accessible to everyone.

The NFT standard that CryptoKitties authored and pioneered has created a new industry and new possibilities for digital ownership. Since launching CryptoKitties, Dapper Labs has instituted a developer program and public API, innovated on terms of service and instituted a flexible license giving NFT owners and third-party developers broad usage rights on original artwork, and created a launchpad program and seed fund to help third-party teams build a self-sustaining business within the ecosystem.

Additional investors in this round include CoinFund, Animoca Brands, Matt Bellamy, the lead singer of Muse, June Fund, HOF Capital, John Pfeffer, and GBIC. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, SV Angel, Digital Currency Group, William Mougayar, Hex Capital, and Rising Tide Fund also participated in the financing.

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BNB Chain Enhances Stablecoin Retention with TVL Incentive Program and DeFi Integration 61

As part of its mission to onboard the next billion users and bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3, BNB Chain is expanding its focus on stablecoins through a series of retention-driven initiatives, including the Total Value Locked (TVL) Incentive Program, deeper integration of stablecoins into its DeFi ecosystem, and a newly launched Gas-Free Campaign.

Gas-Free Campaign: Zero Fees for Stablecoin Transfers

BNB Chain’s Gasless Carnival Season eliminates gas fees for transferring or withdrawing stablecoins (USDT, FDUSD, USDC) on BNB Smart Chain (BSC) and opBNB. This campaign, live from September 19, 2024, is available across platforms like Binance, Bitget, Gate.io, MEXC, and wallets like Bitget Wallet and SafePal. It also covers transfers via Celer cBridge, making stablecoin transactions faster and more cost-effective.

TVL Incentive Program

The TVL Incentive Program, offering a total prize pool of up to $300,000, encourages DeFi projects to expand their TVL on BNB Chain by rewarding growth in stablecoin and BNB staking. Open to all DeFi projects on opBNB and BSC, the program features two challenges: the BNB Staking Challenge with a $100,000 prize pool and the TVL Challenge with a $200,000 prize pool. Participants are ranked based on incremental TVL growth, with special weighting for stablecoins (FDUSD, USDT, USDC) and BNB. The program runs from September 12 to October 11, 2024.

DeFi Integration: High APY Opportunities

BNB Chain is further enhancing stablecoin utility by integrating them into top DeFi platforms like Venus and PancakeSwap, enabling users to stake and provide liquidity with competitive APYs. This initiative allows stablecoin holders the opportunity to earn returns while contributing to the liquidity and stability of BNB Chain’s DeFi ecosystem.

Stablecoin Adoption and Real-Life Utility

To make stablecoins more practical for everyday use, BNB Chain is collaborating with payment gateways to facilitate real-world transactions using stablecoins. This integration bridges digital and traditional financial systems, making stablecoins a key driver in BNB Chain’s strategy for mass adoption.

Through these initiatives, BNB Chain is reinforcing its commitment to making cryptocurrency as accessible and practical as traditional money, driving forward the adoption of decentralized finance and stablecoins.

About BNB Chain

BNB Chain is a community-driven blockchain ecosystem that is removing barriers to Web3 adoption. It is composed of:

  • BNB Smart Chain (BSC): A secure DeFi hub with the lowest gas fees of any EVM-compatible L1; serves as the ecosystem’s governance chain.
  • opBNB: A scalability L2 that delivers some of the lowest gas fees of any L2 and rapid processing speeds.
  • BNB Greenfield: Meets decentralized storage needs for the ecosystem and lets users establish their own data marketplaces.

Setting a high bar for security, the AvengerDAO community protects BNB Chain users while Red Alarm provides a real-time risk-scanner for Dapps. The ecosystem also offers a range of monetary and ecosystem rewards as part of its Builder Support Program.

ZETA, A Cross Chain Solution, Will Be Listed on CoinW Exchange 57

CoinW, the world’s pioneering cryptocurrency trading platform, has listed ZETA, a public blockchain platform designed for cross-chain and omnichain smart contracts, on the Innovation Zone. For all CoinW users, the ZETA/USDT has been officially available for trading on September 23rd 2024, at 10:00 (UTC). To celebrate the listing of ZETA, a reward pool of 6,900 USDT has been launched.

Enabling Omnichain Smart Contracts and Seamless Cross-Chain Interactions

ZetaChain is a revolutionary public blockchain platform designed to enhance interoperability across various blockchain ecosystems, offering an omnichain smart contract framework that connects blockchains seamlessly, including those that do not support smart contracts like Bitcoin and Dogecoin.

With ZetaChain, decentralized applications (dApps) can operate across multiple blockchains, bridging the gap between different ecosystems. The platform’s cross-chain messaging system allows developers to build and deploy dApps that can manage and interact with assets across several blockchains without wrapping tokens or using complex bridges. It opens up new possibilities for DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, and other blockchain-based applications.

Key Features of ZetaChain:

Omnichain Smart Contracts: ZetaChain allows dApps to execute transactions and logic across multiple chains without the need for token wrapping or bridges, providing a smoother user experience and reducing complexity for developers.

Native Cross-Chain Capabilities: Unlike many other blockchains that rely on bridges or wrapping assets, ZetaChain enables the direct transfer and management of assets across blockchains. This functionality is powered by a secure, decentralized multi-party threshold signature scheme (TSS).

Universal Gas Asset: The ZETA token serves as a universal gas token, streamlining transactions by allowing users to pay fees across different chains with one asset, making cross-chain transactions faster and more efficient.

About CoinW

CoinW is a pioneering crypto trading platform that prioritizes security, transparency, and user-centric principles. With advanced technology, deep liquidity, and a wide range of supported cryptocurrencies, the company has amassed a broad user base to become one of the world’s most secure crypto exchanges. Committed to security, transparency, and compliance, the CoinW exchange upholds the highest regulatory standards and actively contributes to the advancement of the crypto industry.

About ZetaChain

ZetaChain is the first universal L1 blockchain. It serves as the base-layer of the decentralized internet, providing a platform for global access, simplicity, and utility across any blockchain. Zetachain’s Omnichain Smart Contracts on the Universal EVM are purpose-built for general chain abstraction across the entire crypto ecosystem. ZetaChain can connect to any blockchain, from Ethereum and Cosmos to Bitcoin and beyond, enabling unified liquidity, user experience, and data all from a single place. Universal Apps on ZetaChain are future-proof and have full compatibility with both existing and new chain integrations. With a proposed Universal Proof-of-Stake capability, ZetaChain supports staking of assets like native Bitcoin and Ethereum in exchange for rewards, powering unbounded scale for economic security.

AllDomains Launches .solana TLD, Offering 50% Revenue Sharing With the Solana Community 59

AllDomains, a leading name service provider enabling customizable top-level domains (TLDs) on the Solana blockchain, has officially launched the highly anticipated .solana TLD. As part of this initiative, 50% of all revenues generated from .solana domain sales will be shared with the Solana community, fostering deeper engagement and support for the ecosystem.

Bridging the Gap Between Web2 and Web3 with Domains

Web3 domains are transforming the way users and brands interact on the blockchain. By offering memorable, personalized addresses, they simplify wallet interactions, replacing the complex 15-character public keys provided by default. For brands, these domains turn community members into on-chain ambassadors, proudly representing brand identities across the rapidly growing Solana ecosystem.

AllDomains continues to innovate, bridging the gap between traditional web2 domains and web3 identities. With bespoke multi-chain identity solutions, the company is expanding services across SVM, EVM, and Move-based blockchains. The launch of the .solana TLD cements AllDomains’ position as the leading name service provider on Solana, enhancing their domain offerings while rolling out community-driven incentives.

Empowering the Solana Ecosystem

As Solana sees an influx of new users daily, with limited options to personalize their on-chain identities, the .solana domain offers a new way for users to claim unique names. To prevent domain squatting and ensure availability for new users, domains will be renewed annually.

Solana remains the fastest-growing blockchain ecosystem, with over 75.2 million active wallets and a year-high in Total Value Locked (TVL). AllDomains already powers branded domains for high-profile projects, including BONK, WEN, MonkeDAO, SuperTeam, and over 60 other TLDs. The hybrid web2 and web3 TLD, .id, is also a key part of AllDomains’ offering, in partnership with PANDI, helping to bring real-world assets (RWAs) to Solana’s NFT marketplaces.

Additionally, AllDomains is integrated with some of Solana’s most popular wallets and decentralized applications (dApps), providing seamless accessibility to its services. A complete list of integrations is available on their website.

“We believe this initiative will not only enhance the user experience on Solana but also for the first time in Web3 we are able to share the success of a TLD directly with our community” said Claudio, Co-founder at AllDomains

How to Claim Your .solana Domain:

  1. Visit AllDomains’ official .solana page.
  2. Search for your desired domain name.
  3. Purchase the domain using a Solana wallet.

About AllDomains:

AllDomains is a leading name service provider that allows users to create customizable top-level domains (TLDs) on various blockchains, including Solana, SVM, EVM, and Move-based chains. Focused on bridging the gap between web2 and web3 domains, AllDomains provides users and brands with a seamless identity layer, empowering them to personalize and control their on-chain presence. With a wide portfolio of branded domains and a growing list of partnerships, AllDomains is revolutionizing how communities engage with blockchain technology. For more information, visit www.alldomains.id.

YouHodler Expands Web3 Fintech Innovation with the Launch of Native Utility Token $YHDL 73

YouHodler, a Swiss and EU-based Web3 fintech platform, is excited to announce the upcoming launch of its native utility token, $YHDL. Set to transform the YouHodler ecosystem, $YHDL will provide users exclusive rewards, reduced trading fees, and an enhanced experience across the platform.

The launch of $YHDL marks another milestone in YouHodler’s mission to bridge Web3 and traditional finance for all. Starting now, users in eligible countries can participate in the Airdrop campaign to earn $YHDL tokens by completing various tasks. By the end of 2024, $YHDL will be publicly listed on multiple online crypto exchanges.

Key Features of the $YHDL Token

  • Higher APYs: Starting as early as Q4 of 2024, $YHDL token holders will be able to obtain high APY on the $YHDL token depending on their loyalty level.
  • BTC Mining: Users can exchange their $YHDL tokens for Sparks (in-app points) and use them to mine BTC in YouHodler’s flagship BTC Cloud Miner. 
  • Future Perks: Moving forward, referral payouts will also be available in $YHDL tokens, along with a cashback feature for YouHodler’s upcoming Debit Card.

Airdrop Campaign

Starting now, users can complete tasks on platforms such as Zealy to earn a hefty token airdrop.

“The launch of $YHDL underscores our commitment to creating a Web3 financial ecosystem that’s accessible to everyone,” said Ilya Volkov, CEO and co-founder of YouHodler. “With $YHDL, we are not only providing exclusive rewards and innovative features for our community, but also shaping the future of Web3 finance for all.”

The official Token Generation Event (TGE) for $YHDL will take place following the completion of the Airdrop campaign.

About YouHodler

YouHodler is a Swiss and EU-based Web3 platform providing innovative fintech solutions that bridge fiat and crypto financial services with simplicity, efficiency, and transparency. Its comprehensive suite of offerings includes crypto-backed loans, crypto reward accounts, innovative crypto multiplication engines, and universal currency exchange. While user-friendly and intuitive for everyday consumers, the full-service platform is also progressive enough to conduct advanced strategic trading in the crypto market.

Beauty of Blockchain: Next Smart Investment in $VATO from vanitis 71

vanitis is now boosting the beauty industry by integrating blockchain technology with its sustainable vegan products. The $VATO project’s captivating investment options are now open to the public. They include passive income and revenue sharing. These beautiful opportunities enhance consumer engagement via innovative platforms like vaniVERSE and STAKEtis. $VATO tokens presume direct investing in the future of ethical beauty.

The benefits are obvious and substantial for those considering holding $VATO. vanitis has scheduled a comprehensive roadmap that includes everything from the launch of its tokenized Loyalty Program to the development of the vaniVERSE. It is a metaverse platform where beauty enthusiasts can explore, learn, and shop in a mesmerizing digital environment.

vanitis possesses a staking platform called STAKEtis, where token holders can earn rewards simply by locking their tokens. Moreover, there are few extra NFT assets that offer additional benefits. Owning vaNFTs can boost multiple rewards, creating a rich ecosystem of engagement and financial growth.

About vanitis

vanitis is an enlightened cosmetics company founded by Markus and Sabrina. The brand has a clear mission: to create sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free beauty products that resonate with conscious consumers. The company spreads its avant-garde approach to blending ethical beauty with blockchain technology. This move is both bold and forward-thinking.

vanitis has ambitious plans to expand its presence in the UAE, MENA, and US markets. The brand is focused on increasing exposure and capturing a larger share of the growing crypto audience. The roadmap includes the launch of the vanitis Makeup Academy, which will offer blockchain-integrated education for aspiring makeup artists. It is a unique initiative that aligns with the brand’s mission to educate and encourage talents.

The company ties the success of its blockchain solutions directly to its physical product sales. This means that $VATO holders can expect to see a share of the net revenue as vanitis grows and sells more products. This is an exciting prospect that adds tangible value to holding the $VATO tokens.

***

Fans of beauty can get acquainted with the company’s roadmap and visit the official website for more information. Even more details are available at the following media sources:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vanitis-cosmetics
Twitter: https://x.com/vanitis_CRYPTO
Telegram: https://t.me/vanitis_official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanitiscrypto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanitis.cosmetics
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vanitisCRYPTO
Discord: https://discord.com/channels/vanitis.crypto
Medium: https://medium.com/@vanitis_crypto

Boom Launches its DeFi Ecosystem To Lead the Unbanked Generation 80

Boom Technologies (“Boom”), a DeFi unicorn and e-commerce provider for the unbanked, has announced the official launch of its decentralised finance market infrastructure, a secure and comprehensive e-commerce solution designed to empower the world’s unbanked and underbanked population.

The new ecosystem offers individuals and businesses a self-custodial approach to full participation in the global digital economy without the need for traditional banking systems.

With this launch, Boom creates “The Unbanked Generation” movement, a mindset that is open to everyone that is seeking an alternative to legacy banking and neo-banking, where commerce is permission-less, inclusive, equitable and instant.

The self-sustaining, decentralised ecosystem maximises all users’ financial autonomy through its innovative technologies:

  • Boom SuperApp is an all-in-one platform that facilitates secure online and offline transactions for goods and services. Already adopted in 52 cities worldwide, it enables users to conduct peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, marketplace transactions and cross-border trade without requiring a bank account. Since its launch in July 2023, the Boom SuperApp has recorded over 100,000 downloads, with over 35,000 KYC-verified merchants onboarded.
  • BoomPay is an online payment gateway that allows merchants to accept payments from unbanked customers at checkout, bridging the gap between digital and traditional commerce.
  • Boomswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) that utilizes tokenized fiat currencies to enable instant cross-border transactions.

The Boom DeFi Ecosystem is underpinned by an artificial intelligence-generated credit scoring system, that provides access to fair credit for individuals’ and businesses.

Naomi Bourgarel, Chief Product Officer at Boom Technologies, commented: “We are not just building an ecosystem but a movement, a decentralized future where financial freedom and agility is a right, not a privilege. With Boom, being unbanked is now a choice.”

About Boom

Boom is a revolutionary new world of e-commerce without banking for the billions of consumers and businesses with no access to the global financial system. Boom connects their trillions of dollars worth of cash, to the the global digital economy, enabling them to securely store, move, exchange, send, receive and spend it on goods and services online, while maintaining full control of it.

The Boom ecosystem consists of the Boom blockchain as the layer 1 payments and settlement rails, Boom superapp and Boomswap at layer 2 where goods, services and value are exchanged between merchants, consumers and traders with the Boomcoin, the ecosystem’s native digital asset as the medium-of-exchange and base currency, and Boom Foundation, the ecosystem’s non-profit arm which deploys Boomcoins-for-social-good.

  • Download the app at: https://boom.market/dl
  • Add Boom Pay to your e-store to collect online payments from unbanked customers at checkout: https://boom.market/solutions/boom-pay
  • Trade and provide liquidity for your currency at: https://boomswap.org