Today’s Web3 digest will shine the spotlight on several powerhouse projects that are making waves in the blockchain space.

Names that reverberated in Web3 include 9GAG, Captain Tsubasa, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Louis Vuitton, Sorare, Visa, Walmart, and Yuga Labs. They are joined by the likes of Avalanche, double jump.tokyo, Ed Balloon, Poznan Game Arena, WeTransfer, and Xterio, among others.

Last but not least, Web3 gaming continues to push the limits with various developments. Titles that made headlines as of late include Altira, Rune Seeker, Shrapnel, Sidus Heroes, Skyborne Legacy, and The Sandbox.

Here are the stories that shape Web3.

Top Stories

• Fantasy sports game Sorare sold over the weekend, a 1/1 NFT of NBA champion and MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo for 113.9 $ETH ($184,873.37 as of this writing). The “Greek Freak’s” NFT beat the platform’s previous record: an Anthony Davis collectible with a 49 $ETH (over $62,000 at the time of sale) price tag (DC).

• French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton will soon turn 200 years old. As part of the celebration, the brand has partnered with legendary contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama to launch an NFT collection. Basically, the project will consist of 10,000 digital collectibles which holders can convert into physical items. Furthermore, the latest offering is LV’s second collaboration with the Japanese art icon since their Marc Jacobs-led project in 2012 (CT).

• American retail corporation Walmart’s subsidiary Sam’s Club has filed patents for blockchain-focused services. Records posted on the US Patent and Trademark Office’s website revealed the company’s plans to offer virtual goods, NFTs, and digital wallets, as well as extended reality (XR) features (TK).

• Bored Ape parent company Yuga Labs has reached a settlement with developer Thomas Lehman for his work on Ryder Ripp’s Bored Ape imitation project. On the 20th of January, Yuga Labs filed a complaint against Lehman for building websites and smart contracts for “RR/BAYC.” The court victory bars Lehman from using any “BAYC marks”  (CD).

• Digital payments corporation Visa has been testing methods to convert digital assets into fiat payments. The initiative gives way to customer requests to make the conversion process easier. “The same way that we can convert between dollars in euros on a cross-border transaction, we should be able to convert between digital tokenized dollars and traditional dollars,” Visa head of crypto Cuy Sheffield stated (B).

Web3 Games

• Web3 game publisher Xterio, and operating company Libeccio Tech, has announced a $2.5 million investment in game studio Overworld. The initial funding aims to support the development of more blockchain titles. Furthermore, the project also plans to release game-themed digital collectibles on the Xterio platform (BW).

• Upcoming turn-based strategy card game Rune Seeker has announced that the project will launch on the Avalanche blockchain. “We’re impressed with the quality of the Avalanche team and their products, and believe our project will align perfectly with what they have to offer,” the developers stated on Twitter. Produced by Monster Studios, Rune Seeker leverages NFT technology to offer playable Norse Mythology-themed collectible cards (TW).

• Gaming-focused tech company ESE Entertainment has teamed up with multimedia fair Poznan Game Arena (PGA) and blockchain solutions provider Metapro. The partnership aims to launch a new event dubbed “Web3 Game Arena” (W3GA). The expo will feature Web3 gaming-dedicated exhibitions, conferences, and a “Game Jam” competition for developers (AW).

• Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Altaira has announced its Altaira Light  Festival. The event will take place on May 6 at the Utah Motorsports Campus. Touted as one of the largest light shows in US history, the “Fantasy Drone Light Show” is expected to host over 15,000 attendees (TW).

• Shrapnel, an Avalanche-based first-person shooter (FPS) game, has released episode three of its “Shrapnel Vision Series” podcast. The latest edition focuses on the game’s customization and playstyle, which are designed to enhance experiences. Joining the session are creative director Clint Bundrick, art director Jay Prochaska, game director Jeff McGann, character art lead Brice Broaddus, and gameplay design lead Adrian Balanon (TW). 

NFT News

• NFT and Web3 game company double jump.tokyo is creating an NFT collection of anime soccer hero Captain Tsubasa. Dubbed “World Peace Through the Power of Soccer,” the project aims to donate a soccer ball for every NFT purchase. Featuring famed cartoonist and manga artist Yoichi Takahashi’s original designs, the digital collectibles will depict characters, as well as moves and scenes from the franchise (AO).

• WeTransfer, an internet-based file transfer service company, has formed a partnership with blockchain platform Minima. Essentially, the move will enable users to generate and share NFTs, as well as collect revenue, all through their smartphones. “This partnership will explore the practical use of NFT technology,” Minima CEO Hugo Feiler stated (CD).

• Social media platform 9GAG’s Web3-focused venture studio Memeland recently bought eight Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. The digital collectibles almost amounted to 800 $ETH ($1,305,928 as of this writing). Memeland’s latest acquisition had a 93.8 $ETH ($153,120) price tag, while the most expensive piece cost 132.7 $ETH ($216,620.81) (BIC).

Into the Metaverse

• South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is planning to launch a metaverse version of the King Sejong Institute. Basically, the entity is a Korean-language institute established by the local government. Slated for release this year, the project will allow foreigners to learn the language remotely, while experiencing Korean culture virtually (KT).

• Recently in Dubai, UAE, futuristic metaverse RPG project Sidus Heroes received the “Golden Excellence in Metaverse Gaming” award. In a speech, the game’s publisher Sidus Gates CEO Roman Povolotskii said: “it is important for us to prove that GameFi is not just another bubble, but a completely viable model for the gaming industry” (BC).

• Ethereum-based metaverse platform The Sandbox has announced a partnership with renowned French video game publisher Ubisoft (best-known for titles such as Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, to name a few). The team-up celebrates the Lunar New Year with the launch of Rabbids avatars on February 21. The Ubisoft-owned franchise spawned several iterations spanning various platforms including Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PS2, and Xbox360, among others (TW).

Around the Blockchain

• Web3 data analytics firm Elementus has secured $10 million in a Series A-2 funding round led by ParaFi Capital. The latest fundraise brings Elementus’ warchest to $27 million. According to the company, they will use the funds to speed up development of its blockchain data intelligence tool. In essence, the tool offers companies an easy way to access on-chain data (NFTG).

• The Bank of Italy is considering ways to employ distributed ledger technology (DLT). The central bank believes that the blockchain could help in ensuring the financial system’s stability and protect customers. In addition, the entity is working with supervisory authority the Basel Committee. The collaboration will focus on establishing international standards for blockchain and cryptocurrencies (KC).

• Avalanche blockchain and musician/Web3 artist Ed Balloon is kicking off its “Avalanche Park x Ed Balloon” concert series. The event will take place on the 23rd of February at the immersive art and entertainment park WisdomeLA. Lined up performers from the underground music scene include Clipping., JPEGMAFIA, and Witch Prophet, among others (M).

Web3 Content Creators

• Cagy: Web3 gaming YouTuber Cagy recently flexed his gains on the Camelot Token ($GRAIL). Basically, the cryptocurrency is the native token of Camelot, a decentralized exchange (DEX) on the Arbitrum blockchain. According to Cagy, his $3,000 investment skyrocketed to $18,000 in just a month. 

• Hustle:  In the latest edition of Crypto Banter’s “In the Game,” host Hustle highlighted some relevant Web3 gaming altcoins. Blockchain game-related projects mentioned in the video include Avalanche, Kompete, Seedify, SuperVerse, Ultra, and Wasder, among others.

• Spike: Web3 content creator Spike has announced a partnership with MMORPG title Skyborne Legacy (SBL). The partnership will give away free mint whitelists to 25 lucky participants. Essentially, SBL allows players to explore, create, customize, and battle opponents.

• Stache: Stache recently shared his experience at the recently concluded Web3 Gam3rs’ Choice Awards. The YouTube video showed some highlights, and winning titles from the event. Moreover, Stache also introduced some prominent figures in the space including the shows’ host, and Web3 journalist Mona of blockchain-dedicated YouTube channel MetaverseXpress.