Today’s Web3 digest highlights various industries including gaming, art, culture, entertainment, music, sports, fashion, and many more. 

Here are the stories that shape Web3.

Top Stories

• Adidas: German apparel giant Adidas’ Web3 lead Erika Wykes-Sneyd revealed the brand’s interests in using “gate-exclusive drops for specific communities and specific currencies.” The initiative will enable users to join whitelists to future sneaker drops, among others. Moreover, Wykes-Sneyd also stated that token-gating could help the community “beat the bots” in acquiring Adidas products (DC).

• Mizuno: Sports equipment and clothing corporation Mizuno has launched an NFT collection on digital collectible marketplace OpenSea. For the project, the brand commissioned martial arts-inspired illustrator Ryokke Draw to create images of some of the country’s judoka champions. Included in the NFT collection are Tokyo Olympics women’s gold medallist Naori Hamada, as well as men’s champions Naohisa Takafuji and Hifumi Abe (CN).

• Japan Metaverse Economic Zone: Japanese tech companies have signed an agreement to build an Open Metaverse Infrastructure called ‘Ryugukoku.’ In addition, the project also aims to establish a “Japan Metaverse Economic Zone.” Some of the names that joined the alliance include Fujitsu, JP Games, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mizuho Financial Group, and TBT Lab, among others (FJ).

• Aespa: Metaverse K-Pop group Aespa recently performed in its first-ever solo concert using hyper-realistic virtual avatars. The digital counterparts of members Giselle, Karina, Ningning, and Winter graced the LED screens to entertain an audience of 5,000. Basically, the avatars joined the girl band in performing three songs: “Black Mamba,” “Illusion,” and “Menagerie” (KH).

• Yuga Labs: Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) parent company Yuga Labs has revealed plans to launch an NFT collection minted Bitcoin’s ecosystem. Dubbed “TwelveFold,” the project will be minted on the Ordinals protocol, which recently gained popularity for minting NFTs on the pioneer cryptocurrency’s blockchain. Essentially, TwelveFold will feature 300 generative digital art with 3D and hand-drawn elements (CD).

Web3 Games

• Mongraal/Dookey Dash: Professional Fortnite gamer Mongraal emerged as the winner of Bored Ape Yacht Club’s (BAYC) racing game Dookey Dash. Following the win, Mongraal has decided to sell the reward “key” for 1,000 $ETH ($1,627,310 as of this writing). The asset was acquired by Adam Weitsman, owner and CEO of scrap metal processing company Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling (TW).

• Gods Unchained: Fantasy trading card game (TCG) Gods Unchained has announced the project’s exclusive mobile pre-alpha closed testing phase. “Mortals! We’re now opening the mobile pre-alpha closed testing to our most engaged and active community members,” the team tweeted. Gamers who have played Gods Unchained at least once from February 1-12, are eligible to receive early access (TW).

• ArchLoot: Web3 mobile role-playing game (RPG) ArchLoot kicks off its open beta test with a grand launch party on February 28 in Vietnam. Attendees will be able to try out the game even before it officially releases in the market. Furthermore, the event will also feature giveaways and prizes, as well as panel discussions and esports competitions, among others (KH).

• Jump.Trade/RADDX Racing Metaverse: NFT marketplace Jump.Trade has announced NFT drops for its racing game called ‘RADDX Racing Metaverse.’ The project features various aspects of racing titles such as cop chases, high-octane races, and tournaments, to name a few. Additionally, players can also personalize their cars, decals, garage, and other in-game assets (IT).

• Planet IX: Strategy GameFi project Planet IX is giving away “Corpo Collection Genesis Edition” NFTs to lucky participants. The prize is an Avatar Pack that contains 1-5 cards. Essentially, the collection represents the non-player characters (NPC) that gamers can find in the game’s virtual world (TW).

NFT News

• AuraPool: Cudos blockchain creators Cudo has launched NFT marketplace AuraPool on its ecosystem. Touted as “the world’s first NFT marketplace for Hashrate Collectibles,” the platform connects digital art enthusiasts and collectors, Web3 gamers, and crypto miners, among others. In addition, AuraPool’s first release in March will feature apparel brand Nike’s former designer Delux3 (AW).

• WiNFUND: The Women in Innovation Fund (WiNFUND) has announced the public launch of its non-profit WiNFUND NFT Africa project. The fund was co-founded by consumer goods company Reckitt and Health Innovation and Investment Exchange (HIEx). The collection aims to help finance WiNFUND and support women entrepreneurs who are focused on addressing the continent’s most pressing health issues (BW).

• Miami NFT Week: The Miami NFT Week is setting the stage for a return to the Web3-friendly city in the state of Florida. Set to kick off in March, the Non Fungible Events-hosted conference will feature discussion panels and networking forums. NFT-related topics will include games, music, sports, and entertainment, among others. Furthermore, the conference is sponsored by the likes of Delta Airlines, Mastercard, and Tradestation, to name a few (BW).

Into the Metaverse

• Republic: US-based equity crowdfunding portal Republic has canceled its $75 million metaverse fund. Formed in 2021, the “Republic Realm Metaverse Real Estate Fund” is intended for virtual real estate acquisition in Web3 games and metaverse platforms such as Axie Infinity, Decentraland, and The Sandbox. The company cited market downturn and advice from the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), as reasons for the cancellation (YF).

• Assemblr Metaverse: Indonesian augmented reality (AR) company Assemblr has launched its metaverse social hub. Dubbed the “Assemblr Metaverse,” the platform allows users to meet friends or clients, and engage in various activities without installing an app or relying on a virtual reality (VR) headset. In addition, the hub’s social features enable individuals to share media including images, video, and 3D animations (TIA).

• Sphinx Meta Theater Festival: Renowned Chinese theater director Meng Jinghui has announced the ‘Sphinx Meta Theater Festival.’ The event will run from April 15 to May 7, in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The festival will feature a metaverse theater stage, interactive multimedia exhibits, and forums, to name a few (GT).

Around the Blockchain

• Mantle Core: Mantle Core, an Ethereum layer-2 (L2) protocol built by the BitDAO ecosystem, has proposed a $200 million Web3 fund. Basically, the team will use the capital pool to support early stage blockchain startups while bringing more developers and decentralized apps (dApps) to the network. Dragonfly Capital, Pantera, and Play Ventures Future Fund, are some of the entities that have expressed interest in the project (CT).

• Fans Love It!: Web3 football and sports conference ‘Fans Love It!’ is set to launch on the 10th of June. The event will take place prior to the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, Turkey. Attendees will get the chance to join discussions, interactive sessions, and keynote speeches. In essence, Fans Love It! will tackle NFTs, games, the metaverse, as well as other Web3-related technologies and their impact on sports (CT).

• Blockchain Founders Fund: Web3-focused venture capital fund has secured $75 million in a fundraising round. Entities that backed the project include Polygon, Ripple, Octava, The Sandbox COO Sebastien Borget, and many more. The fund will support seed and early-stage Web3 projects with high potential. Past titles that Blockchain Founders Fund have invested in include Altered State Machine, Chibi Dinos, Dogami, and Splinterlands, to name a few (CT).

Web3 Content Creators

• Brycent: Web3 content creator Brycent revealed his game week 37 lineup for NFT-based sports fantasy Sorare NBA. Led by veteran all-star players Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, the squad also featured young studs such as Anthony Edwards, Kyle Kuzma, and Tyty Washington Jr.

• Hustle: In Crypto Banter’s latest edition of ‘In The Game,’ host Hustle discussed how he protects his “crypto gaming assets” against a feared macro recession. Topics that Hustle touched on include Web3 gaming and the countless titles built in the space. Furthermore, the Web3 content creator also highlighted the partnership between e-commerce giant Amazon and the Avalanche blockchain, as well as South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group’s NFT expansion plans.

• Spike: Web3 gaming expert Spike put the spotlight on a Solana-based title called Synergy Land. “Synergy Land is coming together very nicely. Their demo last year was a lot of fun too,” Spike tweeted. Basically, the upcoming project combines elements of action, dungeon, and RPG. In Synergy Land, players are allowed to choose any of the four ecosystems (earth, wind, fire, ice) and select their heroes for dungeon exploration. 

• Yellow Panther: Web3 content creator Yellow Panther shared a ‘Heroes Market Update’ for upcoming title Tales of Elleria. Built on the Binance Smart Chain ecosystem, the project is an adventure game with PvP/PvE gameplay features. As of February 27, the game has sold 45 heroes and relics in a 24-hour time frame. In addition, the game has also recorded a 24-hour volume of 861 $MAGIC. Currently, Tales of Elleria’s top sale is 450 $MAGIC for a Legendary CS Mage Hero.