Cryptoday 12.14 | Whalemap has completed a $1.6 million funding round led by Shima Capital and Momentum6
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Cryptoday 12.14 | Whalemap has completed a $1.6 million funding round led by Shima Capital and Momentum6
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Funding Movements
NYDIG raises $1B in funding led by WestCap
On December 14, Bitcoin company NYDIG announced a $1 billion growth equity financing round, valuing the company at over $7 billion. The round was led by WestCap, with participation from prior lead investors Bessemer Venture Partners and FinTech Collective, as well as strategic partners and existing investors Affirm, FIS, Fiserv, MassMutual, Morgan Stanley, and New York Life. The funds will be used to further develop NYDIG’s institutional-grade Bitcoin platform using the recently upgraded Bitcoin protocol, featuring Bitcoin and Lightning payments, asset tokenization, and smart contracts. Robert Gutmann, co-founder and CEO of NYDIG, said: “Our roster of partners and strategic investors establishes NYDIG as a leading provider of Bitcoin solutions for enterprise, and this new equity capital will accelerate our progress in expanding network access and usage.”
Whalemap raises $1.6 million, led by Shima Capital and Momentum6
On December 14, Whalemap, a London-based blockchain analytics platform provider, raised $1.6 million in funding. The round was led by Shima Capital and Momentum6, with participation from Anthony Pompliano, Ghaf Capital, NFT Technologies, RR2 Capital, EIV Ventures, and angel investors from Coin98, Claystack, Solstarter, and Rarestone. The company plans to use the funds to expand its engineering team, particularly in data science and blockchain engineering, and scale development efforts with mainstream adoption in mind.
Zombie game Zombie World Z secures nearly $2M in private funding
On December 14, zombie-themed game Zombie World Z on BSC completed a private fundraising round raising nearly $2 million. Investors include BSC Station, SPARK DC, Onebit Ventures, Basics Capital, X21, ZBS Capital, Top7ico, Kingdomstarter, TITAN Ventures, VBC Ventures, BSC.NEWS, CRYPTORANK, Tokensuite, TCVN, GAGARIN CRYPTO, Cryptofamily, JLAUNCHPAD, G. Crypto, Daku, and others.
Web3 software development firm Thirdweb raises $5M
On December 14, Web3 software development company Thirdweb announced a $5 million funding round from prominent business leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators, including U.S. entrepreneurs Gary Vaynerchuk and Mark Cuban. Three months ago, Thirdweb launched free Web3 development tools enabling developers to build, launch, and manage their Web3 projects without writing any code. Developers can reportedly add features such as NFTs, social tokens and currencies, token marketplaces, and NFT trading with just a few clicks. So far, a total of 500 projects have been created using these tools.
DeFi
DODO community passes DIP-8 proposal to reduce LP fees and increase rewards for major stablecoin pairs
On December 14, official news: The DODO community has passed DIP-8, a proposal recommending reduced LP fees and increased LP rewards for the USDC-USDT (ETH) and BUSD-USDT (BSC) trading pairs.
Umbrella Network launches $15 million Oracle Accelerator Program
On December 14, DeFi oracle Umbrella Network announced the launch of a $15 million incubation accelerator program aimed at funding companies providing blockchain data solutions. The accelerator will focus on projects in blockchain gaming, metaverse, digital advertising, blockchain identity, sports, and climate sectors. In addition to financial support, the program will offer business and technical assistance.
NFT/GameFi
Sportswear giant Nike acquires NFT fashion and collectibles startup RTFKT
According to Jinse Finance, NFT fashion and collectibles startup RTFKT announced on Twitter that it has been acquired by Nike. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. One of RTFKT’s flagship products is hybrid NFT/physical footwear collectibles inspired by the legendary CryptoPunks NFT series. Notably, Nike has been exploring blockchain technology since 2019 and even filed patents for tokenized sneakers.
Korean gaming IP Soulworker to launch metaverse game Soul Reborn on Polygon
On December 14, the development team behind the popular Korean MMORPG Soulworker announced plans to release a metaverse-integrated game called Soul Reborn on the Polygon chain. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Soulworker is a combat-focused MMORPG about youths endowed with powerful souls who risk their lives to fight for humanity’s survival. Since its launch, Soulworker has gained popularity in South Korea, Japan, China, and other regions, amassing millions of fans across Steam and mobile platforms, and has also been adapted into animated series and other merchandise. The new metaverse game Soul Reborn will preserve core gameplay elements such as soul leveling, card-based support, and casual dressing modes, integrating blockchain technology to create a new virtual world and an original adventure storyline.
Others
Layer 2 interoperability protocol Connext goes live with WBTC support
On December 14, official news: Layer 2 interoperability protocol Connext has added support for WBTC, allowing users to instantly deposit and withdraw WBTC directly across other L2s and sidechains via the cross-chain bridge xPollinate.
Entertainment platform Hardcore Media launches token
On December 14, CIS and Eastern European entertainment platform Hardcore Media launched its own cryptocurrency—HARDcoin. It will be used for internal payments within its ecosystem, which includes combat and MMA leagues, YouTube channels, and its own marketplace. Hardcore Media also plans to launch several new ventures, including Hardcore Boxing, a streaming platform, betting services, Hardcore Arena, and a network of Hardcore Gym sports clubs.
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