Today’s Web3 digest will highlight innovations and developments in blockchain gaming, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and the metaverse.

Music just went big on Web3 with artists such as Deputy, Ed Balloon, Linkin Park, Paris Hilton, Rihanna making noise in the scene. They are joined by prominent names from other industries including Alexander Volkanovski and Mark Zuckerberg, among others.

Meanwhile, Web3-native entities and projects continue building foundations in the space. Notable companies, platforms, and titles that headlined the news include Avalanche, Blizzard Fund, Chiliz, KuCoin, LooksRare, Limit Break, Mino Games, MoonPay, and ZeptoLab.

Last but not least, Web3 games are making some big moves as of late. Titles that deserve the spotlight are Dimensionals, Eternal Dragons, Hogwarts Legacy, Kingdomverse, MetalCore, Rage Effect, Rune Seeker, Shrapnel, The Fabled, and The Sandbox.

Here are the stories that shape Web3.

Top Stories

• Paris Hilton/The Sandbox: Metaverse platform The Sandbox and Paris Hilton-founded entertainment company 11:11 Media has announced the launch of ‘Parisland,’ in time for Valentine’s Day. From February 13 to March 13, the metaverse project offers users a romantic experience on a virtual tropical island. A-list celebrity Paris Hilton will host an in-game dating reality show and will also DJ in the after-party (GP).

• Jamil Pierre/Rihanna: Jamil “Deputy” Pierre, the music producer behind pop superstar Rihanna’s hit “Bitch Better Have My Money,” is selling 0.99% of his streaming royalty rights to the song as NFTs. Apparently, Deputy sought European startup AnotherBlock’s Web3-based to connect music royalty rights to NFTs. The mint for Rihanna’s song immediately sold out after release, raking in $63,000 in sales (DC).

• Linkin Park/Pplpleasr/Maciej Kuciara: Legendary rock group Linkin Park has released a new music video directed by Web3 video platform Shibuya co-founders Emily Yang and Maciej Kuciara. Known as “pplpleasr” in the NFT scene, Yang has worked with Blizzard projects and films such as Star Trek Beyond and Wonder Woman. Maciej Kuciara is best-known for his concept art in films such as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home, to name a few (DC).

• Limit Break/Superbowl: Web3 game company Limit Break is giving away thousands of DigiDaigaku Dragon NFTs at Super Bowl LVII. Using a QR Code, fans can avail of the “free-to-own” digital collectibles during the sporting event’s commercial. The much-awaited Super Bowl ad will feature Limit Break’s NFT collection DigiDaigaku (VB).

Web3 Games

• Rune Seeker/Blizzard Fund: Avalanche-based fantasy adventure game Rune Seeker has announced that Blizzard Fund has invested in the project. Essentially, Blizzard Fund is an Ava Labs-managed venture capital fund dedicated to accelerating Web3 projects on the Avalanche ecosystem. “With their expertise and support, we’re looking forward to a brighter future for Rune Seeker,” the team stated in a tweet (TW).

• Mino Games/Dimensionals: Mobile gaming studio Mino Games has raised $15 million to create a new blockchain-based game called Dimensionals. The new collectible role-playing game (RPG) franchise is the company’s first foray into Web3. Mino Games gained prominence in the industry with the success of Web2 games Cat Game and Dog Game (VB).

• KuCoin/Kingdomverse: Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has listed $KING, the native token of mobile gaming metaverse (MGM) Kingdomverse. The project is a play-to-own (P2O) ecosystem of casual games where gamers can play, battle, and interact. Kingdomverse’ first title is Defend the Kingdom (DTK), a free-to-play game produced in conjunction with NFT project Monkey Kingdom (BSCN).

• Trailblazer Games/Eternal Dragons: Web3 game developer Trailblazer Games has expanded into Vietnam with the opening of its first office in Ho Chi Minh city. According to CEO Alex Arias, the talent pool in the country is “uniquely suited” for the company’s mission and its auto-battler/strategy title Eternal Dragons (PRN). 

• Shrapnel: Shrapnel, a AAA Web3 shooter game on Avalanche, will have a free mint for its Sigma Containment Unit (SCU) NFTs. The multichain minting will be available on blockchains Avalanche, Ethereum, and Polygon. Basically, the SCU NFTs offer creator tools such as exclusive content and sneak peaks, as well as other offerings from partners (TW).

NFT News

• MoonPay/LooksRare: Web3 payments company MoonPay has partnered with NFT marketplace LooksRare. The team-up will enable traders to obtain crypto and NFTs on the platform. Using MoonPay’s infrastructure, LooksRare can easily onboard customers to the blockchain. Furthermore, the integration will allow users to purchase NFTs with their debit or credit card, alongside cryptocurrencies (CD).

• RD Land/Alementals: RD Land, a social multisensory WebXR events platform, has released its first NFT collection. Dubbed “Alementals,” the project is composed of metaverse-ready 3D avatars that grant access to adult-safe experiences in RD Land. Additionally, Alementals also come with customizable personal spaces called “Homepods” (EIN).

• OnChain Monkey/Ordinals Protocol: Ethereum-based profile picture (PFP) NFT collection OnChain Monkey experienced a surge in value after it went multi-chain via the Ordinals protocol. Created by Casey Rodarmor, Ordinals enables NFTs to be stored in pioneer cryptocurrency Bitcoin’s blockchain. Following the news of inscription with Ordinals, the floor price of OnChain Monkey NFTs almost tripled in price (DC).

Into the Metaverse

• Coin Kickoff/Philippines: According to research by crypto education Coin Kickoff, Filipinos show the most interest in the metaverse. The Philippines also came in second to Vietnam in terms of the number of positive tweets about the virtual world. Countries that joined the top 10 list of pro-metaverse nations include Ukraine, Nigeria, Indonesia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Singapore, and Portugal (BW).

• The Sandbox/ZeptoLab: Metaverse platform The Sandbox has formed a partnership with video game developer ZeptoLab. The company is best-known for titles such as Cut the Rope, CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars, Bullet Echo, and King of Thieves. The Web3 team-up aims to deliver new experiences to the virtual world and connect with the ZeptoLab community (TN).

• Alexander Volkanovski/Mark Zuckerberg: Meta Platforms co-founder Mark Zuckerberg posted a video of him and UFC pound-for-pound kingpin Alexander Volkanovski sparring in virtual reality. The Instagram entry showcased the vast possibilities of metaverse interaction. Complete with motion-capture suits, Zuckerberg and Volkanovski simulated various fight scenarios with a virtual Australian outback as the backdrop (BE).

Around the Blockchain

• Avalanche Park: Upcoming in-person music festival Avalanche Park is kicking off with a Twitter Spaces on February 10. The session will feature guests from Avalanche’s parent company Ava Labs, artists Ed Balloon and Witch Prophet, as well as speakers from Moongate and MynaSwap (TW).

• Ministry of Science and Technology: China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the establishment of the National Blockchain Technology Innovation Centre. The Beijing-based hub will focus on blockchain technology research with focus on use cases. Furthermore, the entity also aims to develop software, hardware, and fundamental theory (SCMP).

• Chiliz: Fan token platform Chiliz has launched a layer-1 blockchain to support the ecosystem’s expansion. Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible blockchain utilizes a network of 11 active validators. Chiliz gained prominence in sports and entertainment due to its fan token app Socios. The platform has worked with some of the biggest names in sports including major football clubs Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain (CT).

Web3 Content Creators

• Brycent: One of the latest projects that Web3 content creator Brycent featured on his channel is The Fabled, an upcoming action/fantasy RPG based on Ethereum and Polygon. On the latest edition of “Web3 Wednesday,” Brycent got the chance to play the game together with the title’s developers.

• Cagy: YouTuber Cagy’s Web3 gaming community The Juice Team recently showcased a Solana-based project called Rage Effect. Essentially, Rage Effect is a first-person shooter (FPS) game akin to iconic shooter classics such as Counter-Strike. “There is no denying Rage Effect is one of the smoothest FPS in Web3,” the Juice Team stated.

• Spike: Web3 gaming expert Spike has partnered with futuristic multiplayer shooting game MetalCore. As part of the partnership, Spike is giving away 20 Genesis Infantry NFTs to lucky winners. In essence, MetalCore is a mechanized combat game that allows participants to play as Infantry, Mech, or Aircraft.

• Stache: This week on crypto “secret agent” Stache’s “Top Secret Thursdays,” the beloved Web3 gamer featured popular open-world action RPG Hogwarts Legacy. To complete the Harry Potter theme, Stache wore his Hogwarts costume, complete with black-rimmed eyeglasses and his trademark mustache.