H&M x Stranger Things in the Metaverse, Visa on Ethereum’s Goerli Testnet, Pepe Graces Bitcoin 2023

These are the stories that shape Web3.

Top Stories

• Visa: Payments giant Visa recently conducted an “account abstraction” testing by deploying its ‘Paymaster’ smart contracts on Ethereum blockchain’s Goerli testnet to enable simpler user interaction with the said network (TB). 

• Pepe: A mural inspired by Picasso’s “Guernica” and popular internet meme Pepe the Frog is gracing the walls of the upcoming Bitcoin 2023 conference in Miami. The art project coincides with a new trending “memecoin” known as Pepecoin (TB).

• Kim Asendorf: Metallica music video co-director Kim Asendorf has unveiled his latest NFT project called “Colors of Noise,” a series of 50 artworks curated by Peggy Schoenegge for the Feral File platform (D).

• Avalanche blockchain has introduced its new ‘Avalanche X-Chain Explorer,’ a “major upgrade“ that allows users to analyze all X-Chain activities such as assets, blocks, transactions, and many more (TW).

• H&M/Stranger Things: Clothing brand H&M is launching on May 25, the ‘Surfer Boy Pizza Delivery Game’ on metaverse experience Loooptopia on Roblox. The project features a summer clothing line for kids that draws inspiration from supernatural sci-fi TV series Stranger Things (TRB).

Web3 Games

• Ascenders, a sci-fi role-playing game (RPG) on Avalanche, has kicked off the minting phase for its Premium Land NFTs, which players can obtain via the project’s MetaDrop page (TW).

• CryptoBlades: In celebration of collectible RPG CryptoBlades’ 2^nd anniversary, the team has announced a “Create Your Own Blade Contest” which tasks participants to design their own swords (TW).

• Citizen Conflict: Massively multiplayer online (MMO) shooter game Citizen Conflict is setting the stage for the May 24^th launch of its ‘Guild Wars’ tournament, which will give away $10,000 to the winning participants (TW).

• Sunflower Land: Mining and simulation NFT game Sunflower Land has announced an upcoming three-day Hackathon to build an “RPG island” where players can join quests and connect other users (TW).

• Guild of Guardians: Action and fantasy mobile RPG Guild of Guardians has released the latest edition of ‘GOG Dev Diaries,’ covering a fresh roadmap, improved gameplay, economy enhancements, NFT staking, and other “progress leaks” (TW).

NFT News

• Blend: According to reports, Blur’s NFT lending platform Blend has facilitated over 100,000 $ETH in total volume ($180,373,000 as of this writing) 17 days since the platform launched (D).

• Koolpals/GIGIL: Filipino comedians Koolpals has teamed up with Philippine-based agency GIGIL and its tech arm GIGIL Metama to create a 3D art collection called ‘Thanks, Haters! NFTs’ (CBA).

• GroundUp Studios: Web3-focused music label GroundUp Studios has announced the establishment of a Creative Council consisting of award-winning veterans, along with plans to leverage NFTs for its ecosystem (NFTC).

• Laboon Alliance: Social commerce NFT platform Laboon Alliance has set a milestone of more than 10,000 community members, with the total value of NFTs held by members exceeding $7.5 million (PRN).

• Wow Bao: Chicago-based Asian street food brand Wow Bao, in conjunction with NFT artist MANOVERMARS (aka MoM), has started minting its “Digital CollectaBaos” NFT project to add to its ’Bao Bucks’ loyalty program (PRN).

Into the Metaverse

• Ohio: The Ohio State is utilizing virtual reality (VR) technologies to train first responders and prepare them using simulated emergency situations in the metaverse (TCR).

• MetaGuardians: Entertainment-focused producer and distributor DeAPlaneta Entertainment has acquired action Web3 RPG MetaGuardians, which will be the entity’s first collection of Metaverse superheroes (AE).

• Urban Decay: Cosmetics brand L’Oreal’s subsidiary Urban Decay is hosting a metaverse make-up launch party on game platform Roblox. The “Eye-Con” event will allow users to try a set of 3D avatar wearables (CB).

• The Sandbox: Metaverse platform The Sandbox has announced that its ‘Mega City 3’ is already sold out. The project, which serves as Greater China’s cultural virtual world hub, has sold 214 LANDs and9 ESTATEs (TW).

Web3 Content Creators

• Brycent: Web3 gaming content creator Brycent has launched an NFT project for his Twitch followers. The digital collectible features a painted rendition of a launching rocket.

• Cagy: Earlier this week, crypto gaming YouTuber Cagy and his Juice Team put the spotlight on a few titles including Axie Infinity: Across Lunacia, Aurory, Mirandus, StarHeroes, and Superior.

• Spike: Content creator Spike has started a series that aims to document his journey as the founder of Web3 gaming marketing agency Waypoint Gaming.

• Stache: Crypto gaming “Secret Agent” Stache held a back-to-back “Double Mission” to highlight Web3 games Illuvium: Overworld Beta 2 and Dr. Disrespect’s Midnight Society: Deadrop.

DeFi World

• Uniswap: Decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap is planning to launch V3 on the Polkadot blockhain with the help of Moonbeam parachain, which currently has Polkadot’s highest decentralized finance (DeFi) activity (D).

• Anchorage: Digital asset trust bank Anchorage Digital recently launched a decentralized “snapshot voting” that will allow institutional investors to take part in a project’s digital governance (D).

• Lava: FinTech company Lava has introduced a self-custody wallet and DeFi platform on pioneer cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s blockchain. Using the firm’s loan protocol users can now borrow stablecoins against $BTC (BTCM).

• Crypto.com: Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com has introduced several improvements to its DeFi wallet, including availability in more countries, added payment options, and support for more cryptocurrencies (TP).