Quick take:

The fundraising comes just months ahead of Lumoz’s planned token launch in August.

The fundraising attracted participation from OKX Ventures, HashKey Capital, KuCoin Ventures, Comma3 Ventures, Kronos Ventures, and Kernel Ventures.

Lumoz’s platform has already onboarded layer 2 projects ZKFair and Merlin Chain to enable zk-proof-based scaling for dApps. 

Lumoz has announced a $6 million pre-Series A round backed by OKX Ventures, HashKey Capital, KuCoin Ventures, Comma3 Ventures, Kronos Ventures, and Kernel Ventures. Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal also joined the round as an angel investor.

Lumoz previously known as (Opside) raised $4 million in a seed fundraising announced in April 2023, with Web3.com Ventures leading the round.

The latest round was executed via a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) with token warrants and valuing the company at $120 million, the company said on Monday.

Lumoz is building a zero-knowledge Rollup-as-a-Service (zk-RaaS) platform that allows blockchains to enable zk-proof-based scaling for web3 applications. The company has already onboarded layer-2 projects ZKFair and Bitcoin-based Merlin Chain, demonstrating its ability to support all layer-1 blockchains for scaling, Lumoz co-founder Jeffrey Yang told The Block.

The platform is also compatible with some of the leading zk-proof-based scaling solutions including the Polygon CDK, zkSync, Scroll and Starknet, Yang added.

According to Yang, his company focuses on helping other blockchain companies build zk-rollups whilst also providing the underlying modular compute layer

“There are substantial computing costs associated with zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) computation for ZK-rollups, which often surpass data availability (DA) costs, and Lumoz’s modular compute layer aims to bridge this gap by offering modular computing support,” Yang said.

This fundraising comes just months ahead of Lumoz’s planned token launch in August. The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its team with more engineering and business development functions the priority.

The company is also targeting July this year for its mainnet launch.

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Quick take:

The debit card will be developed by crypto card maker Baanx, which is also used by cold wallet provider Ledger.

This partnership is part of Mastercard’s mission to bridge traditional finance with the world of crypto.

1inch said it hopes to reach the ordinary man on the street with the 1inch Web3 debit card.

Decentralised crypto exchange platform 1inch Network has announced a partnership with Baanx to develop a Web3 debit card powered by Mastercard. This is not Baanx’s first major Web3 partnership to develop a debit card, having worked with leading crypto cold wallet provider Ledger and layer-1 blockchain Tezos.

The collaboration also extends Mastercard’s foray into Web3 having partnered with leading hot wallet provider Metamask in its mission to bridge traditional finance with the world of Web3.

According to the announcement, the 1inch Web3 debit card will allow crypto users to easily convert their crypto assets into fiat, enabling them to shop directly online or in person. Users will also be able to withdraw fiat currency withdrawals at supported ATMs.

Commenting on his company’s Web3 debit card, 1inch co-founder Sergej Kunz told CoinDesk that 1inch is building on the many functions that its platform already supports including crypto swaps and limit orders.

“But we wanted to also onboard the man on the street who is holding crypto. So we decided to go with the 1inch Card because it offers us an additional entry point for new people. Those who are more familiar with the traditional world and using a debit card and paying with crypto assets,” Kunz said.

All three companies seem to have a similar goal, which was brought to fruition by the launch of the 1inch card. Baanx’s chief commercial officer, Simon Jones said his firm is on a mission to marry the traditional and crypto world. Mastercard is one of the best placed institutions to help it achieve that.

“We are offering crypto without compromise. In other words, users can make their own decisions about how they want to spend, lend, trade or whatever they want to do with their digital assets. But also make these acceptable and spendable in over 160 million locations worldwide,” Jones said.

On the other hand, Christian Rau, Senior Vice President, Crypto and Fintech Enablement at Mastercard said in statement: “Leveraging Mastercard’s leading technology and standards, the 1inch Card is connecting Web2 and Web3 worlds in an innovative way.”

The 1inch card will be issued both as a physical card and a virtual card.

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Solana-based NFT marketplace, Tensor Trade, saw a record number of traders on April 3, according to NFT analytics service SolanaFloor. The activity on Tensor has been intensifying since the end of 2023, with the number of traders breaking above 6,000.

However, Tensor’s trading volume in SOL terms has been consistently declining since the all-time high established in mid-December last year.

https://analytics.solanafloor.com/markets/tensortrade

This suggests the average cost of NFT collections and individual NFTs listed on Tensor has been declining, making them more affordable for retail traders.

Indeed, examining the most popular collections by 7-day trading volume on Tensor reveals that prices of 10 out of the top 15 collections have been declining over the last week. For example, Bears Studio and Worms from Holes have dropped in value by over 40%.

https://www.tensor.trade

The phenomenon of surging volumes amid declining prices is best reflected by ‘Froganas,’ the most traded NFT collection on Tensor right now. It had seen its price decline by 72% since January, while trading volumes increased in March.

https://www.coingecko.com/en/nft/froganas

As we reported earlier, trading volume on Solana’s two leading NFT marketplaces, Tensor and Magic Eden, started to gain traction in February.

While Magic Eden has outperformed Tensor in terms of USD volume starting with March, Tensor continues to dominate the Solana NFT market in terms of the number of traders and executed trades. When it comes to unique traders, Tensor had a market share of over 90% at the beginning of April.

https://dune.com/theano2247/me-and-tensor-market-analysis

The increase in activity on Tensor is likely driven by the launch of its governance token, TNSR, which launches today, April 8. To qualify for the TNSR airdrop, users have been encouraged to earn points on Tensor, including by trading and bidding on NFTs.

Crypto exchange OKX has already announced that it will list TNSR starting on April 8.

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March was the most intense month for Solana-based decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and meme coins were the main driver. They continue to stimulate DeFi activity on Solana in April as well.

DeFiLlama data shows that volume on Solana DEXs hit a record $60 billion in March, with Orca and Raydium accounting for two-thirds of the total transaction value.  

Dune data shows that stablecoins like USDC and USDT have been the most traded assets on Solana DEXs during the past 30 days, followed by meme coins. The most popular of them were Dogwifihat (WIF), Bul (BUL), Ansem’s Cat (HOBBES), Cat in a Dogs World (MEW), Book of Meme (BOME), and Slerf (SLERF).

https://dune.com/ilemi/solana-dex-metrics

Meme coins are the most traded assets on Solana DEXs today as well. DEX Screener data shows that 16 out of the top 20 tokens by 24-hour trading volume on Solana DEXs are meme tokens, including BUL, MEW, WIF, HOBBES, ANDY, EPIK, and BODEN.

Solana Overtakes BNB Smart Chain by DEX Volume

Thanks to the meme coin hype, Solana outperformed Binance’s BNB Smart Chain for a second time in terms of DEX monthly volume after achieving this in December 2023. It has become the second most active chain after Ethereum, which saw over $77 billion in DEX volume.

https://defillama.com/dexs/chains

Ethereum meme coins have also been in high demand during the past month. Coinmarketcap’s 30-day volume data on both DEXs and centralized exchanges (CEXs) shows that WEN, Shiba Inu (SHIB), and PEPE have ranked among the top 25 coins, along with Solana’s WIF and BOME.

Solana’s Surging Volume May Attract Bot Spam

Interestingly, the intensifying activity on Solana may attract bots. Dune data shows that a record 76% of all transactions on Solana are failing as of April 5.

Helius CEO Mert Mumtaz took on to X to explain that the majority of failed non-vote transactions were just “bot spam,” and that users shouldn’t worry about it.

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Quick take:

The company plans to adopt the stablecoin as a payment method across Sony Group’s gaming and sports IP.

Sony believes stablecoins can reduce costs associated with payments and remittances.

The development of the stablecoin has been tasked to Belgium-based blockchain firm SettleMint.

Sony Bank, the banking arm of the Japanese gaming and entertainment conglomerate has announced plans to launch a stablecoin on Polygon. According to a report by Nikkei, Sony Group has already started testing a proof-of-concept to issue a stablecoin that will be begged to fiat currency.

The report also suggests Sony’s stablecoin plans are driven by the desire to cut fees associated with payments and remittances within the group. The company is said to be planning to adopt the stablecoin as a payment method across the Group’s intellectual property for gaming and sports.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Group’s recent patent application for “super-fungible tokens” as it looks to implement NFTs in its games. 

Earlier this year, Sony announced it is developing an in-camera digital signature technology that enables users to verify the origin of content captured with its devices, heralding comparisons to non-fungible tokens.

Last June, Sony Network Communications, a subsidiary of the Japanese technology giant announced a $3.5 million strategic investment in Startale Labs that will see both companies collaborate to develop a global infrastructure for the mass adoption of web3.

The stablecoin testing is expected to continue for several months, Nikkei reported, as Sony assesses the legal implications of transferring Japanese yen-pegged stablecoins.

The development of the stablecoin has been tasked to the Belgium-based blockchain firm SettleMint, The Block reported.

This announcement comes at a time when stablecoins are dominating headlines in the crypto space. On Thursday, Ripple announced plans to issue a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar and other cash equivalents.

Earlier in the week, Nick Van Eck, the son of investment management veteran Jan Van Eck, with crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady raised $12 million from General Catalyst and Robot Ventures for their new venture Agora, which plans to issue its own stablecoin.

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Quick take:

The companies are inviting Web3 and NFT enthusiasts to join the livestream for a chance to win various prizes including Velocity Pass 2.0.

The Velocity Pass is a unique series of digital art by Bybit and Oracle Red Bull Racing, which evolves over the course of the race season, to reflect key moments.

The event is also part of a celebration of 20 years of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

Bybit and Oracle Red Bull Racing have announced an exclusive livestream event to celebrate the Formula One World Champion’s 20 years of racing. The two companies are inviting Web3 and NFT enthusiasts to join the livestream for a chance to win various prizes including Velocity Pass 2.0.

The Velocity Pass is a unique series of digital art by Bybit and Oracle Red Bull Racing, which evolves over the course of the race season, to reflect key moments. 

The inaugural collection included 1,000 passes, which grant holders exclusive access and benefits including access to four NFT artwork drops by world-class artists, four complimentary open-edition NFT airdrops and more.

The Velocity Pass 2.0 will see another 1,000 passes added to the series, Bybit said in an announcement on April 1.

Those joining the event will also gain insights into Bybit’s fractional NFT launch. Bybit’s Web3 evangelist Dirk Pennings will host the event, with Dan Mitchell, Senior Marketing Manager at Oracle Red Bull Racing joining as a guest.

Federica from AOI, Pop Punk from DN-404, Max Wu, Web3 Evangelist at Bybit and another mystery guest will also be among the speakers.

Some of the topics of discussion that participants can look forward to gaining insights on include the intersection of art and technology and the future of NFTs.

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Quick take:

This is the Japanese automaker’s inaugural NFT collection.

It is part of an ongoing campaign by Astar Network during the launch of Astar zkEVM, the blockchain company’s Ethereum Layer-2 built powered by Polygon SDK.

Some of the NFTs in the collection feature a design blend of the Mazda Brand with Astar, a Japanese Season, and the City of Hiroshima.

Mazda has launched its inaugural NFT collection as part of Astar Network’s “Yoki Origins” campaign. The Japanese automaker has teamed up with the layer-1 blockchain company to drop 10 NFTs inspired by Mazda’s iconic MX-5 MIATA embodied with subcultural essence plus two extra “Secret NFTs”.

Mazda joins a growing list of Japanese companies in the Yoki Origins campaign including Candy Girl, Casio, Japan Airlines, and Kyushu Railway Company.

Mazda joins barely a month following the launch of the “Yoki Origins”, a gamified campaign created to accelerate the onboarding of users on Astar zkEVM.

“Astar Network is delighted to announce that Mazda Motor Corporation is participating in “Yoki Origins,” the launch campaign for Astar zkEVM- the Ethereum Layer 2 powered by Polygon CDK and the first chain to integrate Polygon AggLayer,” Astar wrote in a statement shared with NFTgators.

According to the announcement, Mazda’s debut NFTs herald “a new era of communication and storytelling for Mazda in the digital realm.” The company is not just looking for a one-off product, as it sees the opportunity to potentially start a captivating series.

Some of the NFTs featured in the collection include four NFTs inspired by Mazda and Japanese Season, NA/ND Mazda MX-5 MIATA special NFTs, one Mazda and Astar NFT, and one NFT featuring a blend of Mazda and the city of Hiroshima.

The YoPort (Astar’s iteration of the popular Japanese Gacha Machines) for the Mazda NFT collection launched on April 5. Every project participating in the “Yoki Origins” campaign has its own YoPort.

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Quick take:

This is the Japanese automaker’s inaugural NFT collection.

It is part of an ongoing campaign by Astar Network during the launch of Astar zkEVM, the blockchain company’s Ethereum Layer-2 built powered by Polygon SDK.

Some of the NFTs in the collection feature a design blend of the Mazda Brand with Astar, a Japanese Season, and the City of Hiroshima.

Mazda has launched its inaugural NFT collection as part of Astar Network’s “Yoki Origins” campaign. The Japanese automaker has teamed up with the layer-1 blockchain company to drop 10 NFTs inspired by Mazda’s iconic MX-5 MIATA embodied with subcultural essence plus two extra “Secret NFTs”.

Mazda joins a growing list of Japanese companies in the Yoki Origins campaign including Candy Girl, Casio, Japan Airlines, and Kyushu Railway Company.

Mazda joins barely a month following the launch of the “Yoki Origins”, a gamified campaign created to accelerate the onboarding of users on Astar zkEVM.

“Astar Network is delighted to announce that Mazda Motor Corporation is participating in “Yoki Origins,” the launch campaign for Astar zkEVM- the Ethereum Layer 2 powered by Polygon CDK and the first chain to integrate Polygon AggLayer,” Astar wrote in a statement shared with NFTgators.

According to the announcement, Mazda’s debut NFTs herald “a new era of communication and storytelling for Mazda in the digital realm.” The company is not just looking for a one-off product, as it sees the opportunity to potentially start a captivating series.

Some of the NFTs featured in the collection include four NFTs inspired by Mazda and Japanese Season, NA/ND Mazda MX-5 MIATA special NFTs, one Mazda and Astar NFT, and one NFT featuring a blend of Mazda and the city of Hiroshima.

The YoPort (Astar’s iteration of the popular Japanese Gacha Machines) for the Mazda NFT collection launched on April 5. Every project participating in the “Yoki Origins” campaign has its own YoPort.

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The post Mazda Joins Astar Network’s Launch Campaign “Yoki Origins” appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take:

Ripple CTO David Schwartz the Stablecoin launch seemed like a good opportunity amid the surging popularity.

The toke will be 100% backed by US dollar, SU short-term treasuries and cash equivalents.

The announcement comes just as Delaware-based venture firm VanEck launched Agora to disrupt the stablecoin market.

Ripple is joining the stablecoin business amid the surging interest in the market. Explaining its decision to join the industry, the XRP Ledger creator said in a statement: “The stablecoin market is over $150 billion today and is forecasted to exceed $2.8 trillion by 2028. There’s clear demand for stablecoins that deliver trust, stability and utility,” CoinDesk reported.

According to the announcement, the Ripple stablecoin is scheduled for deployment on Ripple’s institutional-grade XRP Ledger and Ethereum later this year. It will be 100% backed by the US dollar, US short-term treasuries and cash equivalents. The token will be based on the ERC-20 standard, which requires nine scripting functions and two events to be used when creating a fungible token on a smart contract.

Ripple’s stablecoin announcement comes at a time when the industry is experiencing a rising interest, with crypto traders looking to hedge their portfolios against the more volatile digital assets.

Earlier this week, Agora, a stablecoin entity co-founded by Nick Van Eck with crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady raised $12 million in a seed round led by Dragonfly, with the co-founders stating that there is still room for newcomers in the space.

Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC dominate the market with market caps of $106 billion and $32 billion, respectively. 

However, with a projected market value of over $2.8 trillion by 2028, it explains why Ripple and Agora are joining the stablecoin business whilst there is still much room for newcomers.

But Ripple wants to be more strategic about its involvement in the space. “What we think is going to be our differentiator is going to be the fact that the assets are going to be in dollars, Treasuries – rock solid,” Ripple CTO David Schwartz told CoinDesk in an interview. “We’re not trying to juice the last couple of decimal points out of this. We’re looking to conquer the market and be in it for the long term.”

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The number of new addresses on Polkadot parachains hit a monthly record in March, surging over 400% to exceed the 1.5 million mark. Asset Hub accounts for the lion’s share of the surge, adding 1.3 million new addresses.

Asset Hub, formerly known as Statemint, is a system parachain that offers an interface to issue, manage, and use digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs). There is a similar parachain on Polkadot’s sister chain, Kusama.

Factors Contributing to Surge in Asset Hub Activity

At the end of 2023, Circle added Polkadot to its list of chains that host USDC. The stablecoin is generated on the Polkadot Asset Hub, which may partially explain the increase in new addresses.

Another reason behind the inflow of new users may be the anticipation of Polkadot 2.0, a major upgrade expected to be released as a one-time rollup later this year.

The upgrade will focus on offering a smooth app experience and will represent a base layer offering a high degree of interoperability, scalability, customization, and a straightforward onboarding process.

However, a more direct impact might have come from the launch of a few new tokens on Polkadot via Asset Hub, including two meme coins.

Polkadot Joins Meme Coin Craze with PINK and DED

In mid-March, the Polkadot community saw the launch of PINK, promoted as the first meme coin on the chain. The token has over 9,000 followers on X.

Another meme coin that launched at the end of March is DED, which already has over 30,000 followers on X. The meme coin is airdropped to DOT holders.

The Polkadot ecosystem is attracting more crypto users thanks to its new projects, and it remains to be seen how much impact the upcoming upgrade will have.

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Quick take:

Ellipsis Labs’ main product is a decentralised exchange platform built on top of Solana.

The decision to choose Solana as the host network was made based on the requirements of active liquidity.

Ellipsis previously raised $3.3 million in a seed round led by Electric Capital.

Ellipsis Labs, a decentralised finance company building on Solana has completed a $20 million Series A round led by Paradigm and with participation from Electric Capital. Electric led Ellipsis Labs’ $3.3 million seed round announced in August 2023.

Ellipsis said it will use the fresh capital to expand its engineering team as it looks to accelerate efforts in creating “a new financial ecosystem that offers competitive financial products on top of high-throughput blockchains.”

Phoenix launched in February last year, with its public release following later in August. Ellipsis describes its platform as “the fastest on-chain Orderbook in DeFi,” characterised by low protocol and network fees.

Decentralised exchange platforms allow traders to trade directly with each other without using a centralised custodian. However, liquidity is often a problem, but Phoenix addresses this challenge by allowing market makers to compete on quality of liquidity, the company said in a statement.

“We think there’s a path to building DeFi products that are comparable— then significantly better—than what exists on centralized venues,” co-founder Eugene Chen said.

According to the announcement, Phoenix has chosen not to incentivise market makers by offering them extra tokens, choosing to offer opportunities on the exchange platform.

“Most of the time, if you deposit money into an automated market maker (AMM), you’re going to end up losing money. And so the way these AMMs are able to attract liquidity, oftentimes, it’s through incentives to make it profitable,” Chen told Fortune.

According to Chen, offering profit incentives to automated market makers (AMMs) is not sustainable because of the requirement for a constant inflow of capital. 

Chen and his team believe proving the system exchange is self-sufficient is “the most important thing”, he said.

Chen added that the decision to choose Solana was based on the requirements of active liquidity. “The blockchain needs to run really, really fast, so it needs to have very high throughput, and the fees need to be very low.”

Commenting on his company’s leading role in the fundraising, Matt Huang, co-founder and managing partner of Paradigm said: “We’ve known and respected Eugene and Jarry for several years, and we’re excited to formally partner with some of the most ambitious and principled builders in DeFi.”

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Quick take:

The crypto exchange company asked users to withdraw their Bitcoin NFTs from the Binance NFT Marketplace before May 18, 2024.

Users will no longer be able to buy, deposit, bid on, or list NFTs on the Binance NFT Marketplace via the Bitcoin network beginning May 18, 2024, at 06:00 UTC.

The platform will also cease support for airdrops, benefits, or utilities associated with Bitcoin NFTs.

Binance is ending its support for Bitcoin NFTs, the crypto exchange company announced on Thursday. This announcement comes barely two months after officially enabling the buying, depositing, bidding, selling and listing of Bitcoin NFTs on the Binance NFT Marketplace in February.

In the statement posted on its website, the company said the decision was taken as part of the ongoing efforts to streamline product offerings on the Binance NFT Marketplace. According to the announcement, users will no longer be able to buy, deposit, bid on, or list NFTs on the Binance NFT Marketplace via the Bitcoin network beginning May 18, 2024, at 06:00 UTC.

Therefore, the company is asking users to withdraw their Bitcoin NFTs from the Binance NFT Marketplace before May 18, 2024, 00:00 UTC. 

Binance is also ceasing support for Runestone NFTs, a collection of Bitcoin-based non-fungible tokens, which airdropped 112,383 Runestones to early Bitcoin Ordinals faithful last month.

“For Runestone NFT users who meet the conditions for the Runestone airdrop, Binance NFT had distributed these NFTs to eligible users’ Binance NFT accounts before 2024-04-04 10:00 (UTC). Users are advised to withdraw these NFTs by 2024-04-10 10:00 (UTC), to ensure they still have the opportunity to receive any associated tokens, utilities, and benefits after 2024-04-10,” Binance wrote, warning holders that it will not be responsible if they fail to withdraw their NFTs before the deadline.

This announcement comes on the heels of asset manager Franklin Templeton’s positive sentiment on the impact of Bitcoin NFTs on the Bitcoin ecosystem. According to Templeton, Bitcoin Ordinals have helped to drive innovation on Bitcoin.

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Quick take:

The company said the fund will be crucial in the development of the Mojo ecosystem and the studio’s growth story.

Planet Mojo’s first game on its Metaverse platform launched in 2023.

Described as a next-gen AutoChess Battler game, Mojo Melee allows players to engage in battles and “earn real rewards as they play”.

Indie Web3 gaming studio, Planet Mojo has announced a new strategic funding round led by Animoca Brands, Merit Circle and Courtside VC. The new capital brings the total raised to date to $10.5 million, the company said.

The company previously raised $5 million in a seed round led by Animoca Brands in December 2021.

The latest fundraising also attracted participation from Spartan Group, Citizen Capital, Sfermion, Big Brain Holdings, EVG, Republic, NGC Ventures, Readyplayer DAO, Alchemy, Momentum 6, Skyvision Capital, RW3 Ventures, Collab + Currency, Polkastarter, Metavest Capital, Symbolic Capital, Everyrealm, Fourth Revolution Capital, and more. 

Commenting on the announcement via a post on X, Planet Mojo wrote: “This milestone marks a significant step forward in the development of the Mojo Ecosystem and our growth trajectory. Our journey has been made possible with the support of our lead backers.”

Planet Mojo said the fresh capital will play a crucial part in the development of the Mojo ecosystem and the studio’s growth story. 

Mojo Melee, Planet Mojo’s first game on its metaverse platform launched in 2023. The game is described as a next-gen AutoChess Battler game, Mojo Melee allows players to engage in battles and “earn real rewards as they play”.

Mojo Melee has made significant milestones since its launch last year. In August 2023 it announced a a strategic partnership with Amazon Prime, allowing Prime members to win exclusive Mojo Melee NFTs.

The game is built on Polygon’s highly scalable and lightning-fast blockchain, also enabling its players to interact with a burgeoning community of Web3 gamers within the Polygon ecosystem.

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Quick take:

The company also highlighted the risks associated with Ordinals as an investment warning investors that they could lose value and are not insured.

The report also highlights to the surging popularity of Ordinals, which in December 2023 topped the charts in terms of transaction volume per chain.

Emerging token standards BRC-20 and Runes, as well as, the rise of Bitcoin layer-2s and DeFi protocols as other factors boosting innovation on Bitcoin, the asset manager said.

Franklin Templeton’s Digital Asset Management Unit has issued a report crediting Ordinals (nonfungible tokens inscribed on Bitcoin) for unlocking innovation on the Bitcoin network. However, the asset manager was quick to warn investors of the risks associated with investing in Ordinals, stating they could lose value and are not insured.

The report also highlights the milestones Ordinals have made since being introduced to the non-fungible token market in February 2023. 

Using a graphic representation, the report demonstrated how Ordinals overtook all other chains including Ethereum and Solana to dominate NFT transaction volume in December 2023.

Source: Franklin Templeton

“Bitcoin Ordinals have seen a surge in trading volume over the past several months. This is reflected in an increase in dominance starting in December of 2023 when it surpassed ETH in trading volume,” the asset manager wrote in a note to investors.

But Bitcoin NFTS are not the only products driving innovation on the blockchain powering the world’s biggest cryptocurrency. Since last year, the network has attracted the Bitcoin layer-2s and Bitcoin decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols, which have helped accelerate the growth of Bitcoin’s dApp ecosystem.

The report also credited New fungible token standards like BRC-20 and Runes for driving innovation on Bitcoin.

According to a Dune Analytics dashboard by Domo, Bitcoin Ordinals have surpassed $3.1 billion in transaction volume.

Source: Dune Analytics by Domo

The entire Ordinals Marketplace now has more than 490k unique users and has overseen over 2.3 million transactions to date.

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Time seems to move at warp speed in the world of Web3. It seems like every time we blink, new frontiers emerge sprawling with potential – crypto, NFTs, the metaverse, and who knows what’s next! For builders and brands, it’s an exciting time filled with uncharted territories just waiting to be shaped.

But with great opportunity comes fierce competition. This new digital landscape grows more crowded by the day as startups scramble for user attention. Simply minting a token or building a virtual world doesn’t even get you a seat at the table anymore. 

In fact, it isn’t even about who has got the best product. It’s about who finds a way to connect with and speak to the values, wants, and interests of Web3 audiences. Those are the businesses that succeed. 

This is why specialized Web3 marketing agencies are gaining so much traction lately. These firms live and breathe Web3 culture. They intuitively understand the human factors driving users, not just the tech. By tapping into that insider expertise, brands can craft tailored messaging and experiences that captivate crowded rooms.

So, What is a Web3 Marketing Agency?

For years now, digital marketing has centered around the major players – think Google, Facebook and Amazon. Brands have flocked to these platforms, hoping to find their audiences and sell products.

But over-relying on these walled gardens has its downsides. Their algorithms seem to change on a whim. Privacy policies shift overnight without warning. They can throttle a brand’s visibility at any point.

Meanwhile, a more decentralized internet has emerged with the rise of blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and metaverses. This is the basis of Web3 – an alternative digital sphere governed by users and builders, not big corporate gatekeepers.

Early on, many dismissed Web3 tech as niche or a passing fad. But its explosive expansion suggests a seismic shift in the digital landscape. For marketing teams, Web3 presents both huge potential and unknown risk.

Enter Web3 marketing agencies. These specialized firms deeply understand the nuances of decentralization, crypto-economics and Web3 community engagement. In a way, they can guide brands to harness the opportunities of Web3 while avoiding pitfalls. In simple terms, good Web3 agencies bring three key strengths:

Technical know-how in blockchain, crypto wallets, tokens and smart contracts

First-hand experience building and engaging Web3 communities

Creative chops to craft compelling narratives

In this post, we have assembled intel on six Web3 marketing agencies knocking it out of the park lately, each with their own specialties. For builders seeking to not just launch, but truly resonate across the next generation of digital, this should make for promising reading.

Meet The Top 6 Web3 Marketing Agencies For 2024

Chainstory

Been Around Since 2016 Company Size 10+ employees (including remote workers and freelancers) Headquarters Tel Aviv, Israel Key Services Specializes in strategic PR and narrative development. Focuses on securing earned media. Offers a unique results-based pricing model Best For Both early-stage Web3 startups and established businesses seeking a results-driven marketing & PR/communications agency

Chainstory, a boutique results-based blockchain marketing agency that caters to web3 brands, stands out in the web3 marketing and communications landscape. Living at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and media, their PR experts weave engaging stories about the real-world utility and value behind each Web3 product or service. At the same time, Chainstory’s connections in web3 news publications and mainstream tech media secure high-visibility features for businesses- earning crucial exposure and credibility.

But here’s what makes them unique: despite the fact that they’ve been around and are considered crypto natives, Chainstory doesn’t lock you into restrictive retainers. Instead, they operate on a flexible, results-based approach. This puts the focus squarely on driving success from campaign day one.

NinjaPromo

Been Around Since 2017 Company Size 50 – 100 employees Headquarters New York, USA Key Services Expertise in wormance-oriented paid advertising. Leverages social media, influencers, and programmatic channels. Emphasizes data-driven optimization and ROI focus Best For Companies seeking a full-service marketing agency that delivers growth based on intelligent data analysis through paid channels

NinjaPromo is another full-service marketing agency that focuses on data-driven advertising and influencer campaigns. NinjaPromo’s approach is all about efficiency when it comes to growing audiences and awareness. Their team manages end-to-end partnerships with social media influencers, sets up promoted ads across platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and leverages programmatic channels to reach wider groups.

The NinjaPromo expert team has experience supporting Web3 brands, fintech disruptors, eSports tournaments, SaaS platforms and eComm sites among others. Not locked into a single niche, but fluent across categories.

Lunar Strategy

Been Around Since 2019 Company Size 10 – 50 employees Headquarters Gothenburg, Sweden Key Services Focuses on scaling established and growth-ready Web3 platforms. Specializes in the NFT, GameFi, and DeFi sectors. Delivers comprehensive growth strategies and execution Best For Web3 firms in NFT, GameFi, and DeFi niches seeking a full-service marketing agency 

Lunar Strategy is a Web3 marketing agency laser-focused on accelerating the growth of established NFT, GameFi, and DeFi platforms. They deeply understand the unique challenges and immense opportunities within these dynamic sectors.

Whether you need to galvanize your existing community, attract highly targeted new users through paid campaigns, or optimize SEO to rank higher in relevant searches – Lunar Strategy delivers custom solutions designed to propel your thriving business even further. Their data-driven expertise is best suited for founders that have already achieved initial success and are now setting sights on aggressive, sustained expansion.

Crowdcreate

Been Around Since 2014 Company Size 10 – 50 employees Headquarters Los Angeles, USA Key Services Possesses a wide network of prominent influencers and investors. Drives growth through strategic partnerships and funding. Investor relations  Best For Web3 firms looking to market their businesses, acquire users, increase sales, and raise investor funds. Better for more established players.

At its core, Crowdcreate is a top-tier marketing agency that has built a solid reputation helping brands manage strategic growth and investor relationships. They’ve cultivated an extensive network of prominent investors, influencers and industry voices across sectors like crypto, real estate, eCommerce and gaming.

For Web3 companies specifically, Crowdcreate brings these connections into play to open doors, capture investor attention and drive growth opportunities. They elevate crypto leaders and blockchain innovators alike by aligning them with partners that establish credibility and get noticed by VCs at the perfect time.

With that said, Crowdcreate may not necessarily be right-fitting for early-stage Web3 brands still carving out their niche. Instead, this agency is likely a better option for established companies that are ready to scale.

Block Tides

Been Around Since 2014 Company Size 10 – 50 employees Headquarters Singapore, Singapore Key Services Deep expertise in Asia-Pacific markets and communities. Builds culturally relevant and localized campaigns. Full-scale marketing solutions  Best For For crypto companies prioritizing adoption and visibility in Asia

Unlike most Web3 marketing agencies with a largely western focus, Block Tides directs its efforts specifically at Asian crypto communities. This specialized regional expertise allows Block Tides to help crypto businesses and brands effectively navigate the nuances of key Asian markets like China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

They build strategic Asia-centric marketing and PR campaigns tailored to resonate locally across each region. Backed by a team immersed in those cultures with established relationships and native-language capabilities, Block Tides ensures messaging and partnerships authentically speak to each audience. 

BDC Consulting

Been Around Since 2011 Company Size 50-100 employees Headquarters Tallinn, Estonia Key Services Delivers data-informed Web3 marketing strategies. Offers advisory services in addition to marketing implementation Best For Web3 companies seeking a holistic consulting approach from their marketing agency.

BDC Consulting is a specialist consultancy blending data-driven marketing strategies with C-suite advisory services for Web3 businesses. Through the use of analytics, they identify target audiences and create tailored brand positioning, messaging, influencer partnerships and multi-channel promotions to boost awareness and drive adoption.

BDC Consulting also provides strategic guidance including business concept design, market entry, growth/scaling, and operational effectiveness. This unified combination of marketing activation and executive-level consulting makes BDC Consulting ideal for Web3 leaders lacking know-how or bandwidth to map out and spearhead strategic growth

What Do Web3 Marketing Agencies Offer?

So what can you expect these Web3 marketing all-stars to bring to the table? Let’s break it down.

Strategy and Roadmap

They’ll start by deeply understanding your business and charting custom roadmaps to reach your goals. That means assessing your values, users, and objectives to determine optimal technologies and channels. Maybe an NFT collection makes sense. Maybe you need active Discord engagement. With their expertise, they’ve got you covered.

Fundraising marketing

Raising capital is crucial across Web3. Agencies can equip you with sleek investor decks, access their networks of potential backers, and build hype with launch events and press coverage. Before you know it, you’ll have investors eagerly looking to support your vision

Influencer marketing

Influencers add credibility and widen reach. Agencies identify the right macro and micro collaborators to create specially-crafted campaigns and challenges for their audiences. This amplifier effect introduces your brand to untapped communities.

Community development

Veteran agencies know active communities are the lifeblood of leading Web3 brands. Expect strategic plans to consistently expand and engage your followers across Telegram, Discord, real-world events, and incentive programs. Devoted communities become your biggest advocates.

Earned media and PR

Earning media coverage and features in leading crypto and tech outlets that report web3 news stories, builds valuable awareness. Agencies leverage media relationships and newsworthy narratives to successfully pitch your brand for interviews and coverage. This third-party validation cements your thought leadership.

Social media

Tailored social strategies keep existing followers engaged while reaching qualified newcomers. Adaptable content paired with community management and paid acquisition creates an expanding tribe of brand devotees across platforms.

Content and SEO

Compelling owned media helps Web3 brands attract and convert viewers while conveying thought leadership. Agencies create binge-worthy content optimized for visibility and performance. The result? Growing tribal enrollment with each new release.

How to Choose the Right Web3 Marketing Agency for Your Business

Finding the right vendor can feel overwhelming. One Google search and your head starts spinning from the endless options. But taking a step back, this doesn’t have to be complicated. There are numerous resources that review brands like we did in this article, check this list of web3 marketing agencies for example. Or simply focus on just a few key factors to help guide your decision:

Industry expertise: You want an agency that has specific experience in your industry. They’ll just get the unique challenges and nuances that others might miss. Go with someone who has successfully worked with companies similar to yours.

Range of services: Make sure to look at the whole range of services they provide—content, social, influencers, etc.—to confirm they can handle all your needs. You want a one-stop shop.

Culture fit: Since you’ll be collaborating closely, it’s important to vibe with their culture and values. You want a team that just feels like an extension of your own.

Proven results: Ask about case studies and client stories so you can see concrete examples of the results they deliver. Tangibles matter here.

Budget: Pricing should align with your budget, but keep long-term growth in mind too. The agency should scale with you.

Communication style: Look into how they communicate with clients. Make sure it matches what would work best for your team.

Final Word

And there you have it – six stellar agencies poised to skyrocket your business growth through strategic Web3 marketing. Each one brings their A-game when it comes to things like narrative building, community building, influencer partnerships, and scoring press coverage.

Scope them out in more detail, chat with their teams, and get a feel for their vibe. You’ll quickly get a sense of who you mesh with and who really understands your goals.

Once you pick your partner agency, buckle up! Needless to say, it’s gonna be an interesting ride full of learning curves, wins to celebrate, and momentary hiccups to push past. But if anyone can guide you on this adventure, it’s one of these agencies. 

Comparing the Web3 Marketing Agencies

Agency Name Specialty Best For Chainstory Strategic PR and Web3 storytelling Best for businesses prioritizing impactful storytelling and media coverage that builds credibility. NinjaPromo Paid advertising and media campaigns Best for companies seeking data-driven paid media strategies that deliver measurable ROI. Lunar Strategy Scaling NFT, GameFi, and DeFi platforms  Best for established NFT, GameFi, DeFi companies ready for rapid scaling and expansion. Crowdcreate Growth marketing and investor relations Best for larger businesses seeking investment and access to an elite network of influencers. Block Tides Targeted Asia-Pacific marketing strategies Best for businesses aiming to break into the Asia-Pacific market with localized, culturally-relevant strategies. BDC Consulting Data-driven Web3 marketing with advisory services Best for businesses seeking a data-informed, holistic approach to Web3 marketing alongside broader advisory services

The post 6 Best Web3 Marketing Agencies to Have On Your Radar appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take:

The round also attracted participation from OKX Ventures, Animoca Ventures, Big Brain Holdings, Lemniscap and The Spartan Group.

The fundraising comes ahead of the $ZEUS token launch on April 4.

Zeus Network is currently in testnet with a mainnet launch scheduled to take place in June or July.

Zeus Network, a blockchain interoperability protocol looking to establish a link between Solana and other blockchains including Bitcoin and Litecoin has completed an $8 million funding round led by Mechanism Capital.

The seed round also attracted participation from other leading Web3 VCs including OKX Ventures, Animoca Ventures, Big Brain Holdings, Lemniscap and The Spartan Group.

According to the announcement, the round was completed via a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) at a valuation of $100 million, Zeus Network CEO Justin Wang told The Block.

The fundraising comes barely a day before the launch of the $ZEUS token on April 4 via the Solana-based Jupiter’s LFG Launchpad.

The token will also be airdropped to various community members with 3% going to Jupiter voters, zuPoint holders and Dappie Gang holders, the company said. The total supply is set at 1 billion with an initial allocation of 167.5 million. 40% of the initial supply will go to the community to support ecosystem growth, while 20 will be held by the Zeus Foundation. 

On the other hand, the founding team and contributors receive 15% of the allocation, whereas 10% will go to backers. The Jupiter LFG Launchpad, liquidity providers and advisors will each be allocated 5%. All allocations have different vesting periods and restrictions, a tokenomics document on the Zeus Network platform indicates.

Zeus said its initial plans are to deploy Apollo, a decentralised app focused on bringing Bitcoin liquidity to Solana. The app was released on testnet just four days ago, and has since attracted more than 40,000 users globally, the company said.

The cross-chain interoperability infrastructure used a pluggable and programmable network of nodes on the Solana Virtual Machine to build the Zeus Layer.

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The post Mechanism Leads $8M Seed Round for Solana-Based Interoperability Layer Zeus appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take:

The seed round brings the total raised to $12.5 million.

Raiinmaker also announced plans to launch in mainnet this April, with the launch of its native token COIIN following shortly after.

The company’s platform enables users to train AI agents and receive rewards on mobile phones.

Raiinmaker, a Web3 infrastructure platform that offers AI training tools via iOS and Android phones has closed a $7.5 million funding round co-led by Jump Capital and Cypher Capital. The seed round also attracted participation from Gate.io Labs, MEXC Global, Krypital Group, Launchpool, New Tribe Capital and others.

According to CrunchBase data, Raiinmaker has now raised $12.5 million following a $5 million fundraising announced in October 2021. 

The company’s decentralised AI training tools enable users to train AI agents and receive rewards via mobile phones. The rewards are credited to their accounts depending on their proportionate impact on AI models.

This announcement comes ahead of Raiinmaker’s planned mainnet launch scheduled to take place this April. The company also plans to launch its native token COIIN shortly after. 

Commenting on the announcement, Raiinmaker Founder and CEO J.D. Seraphine told The Block: “There’s a perfect confluence of events occurring right now with the collision of decentralised AI, a performant blockchain infrastructure and the crypto market bull run. Our team has been building for years to get here and we are excited that our moment has finally arrived.”

Artificial Intelligence has emerged as one of the rapidly growing segments of the blockchain industry. Last month, Lightspeed Faction co-led a $6 million funding round for another AI training firm FLock, which uses a hybrid model blending machine learning and sponsored training tasks to reward creators.

Raiinmaker believes its technology can be used in sports, gaming and entertainment. And this line of thinking isn’t far from what Bitkraft Ventures, a venture capital firm heavily investing in the gaming industry thinks.

Bitkraft’s founding general partner, Jens Hilgers on Wednesday following his company’s announcement of its $275 million third fund, said AI can make the production of games easier, thus reducing the capital required to build new games and accelerating the time to market.

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The post AI Firm Raiinmaker Closes $7.5M Seed Round Co-Led by Jump Capital and Cypher appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take:

The new fund will invest in studios, platforms, and technology within the gaming and interactive media space.

Once closed, the new fund brings Bitkraft Ventures’ total assets under management to $1 billion.

According to Bitkraft’s founding general partner, Jens Hilgers, his company maintains high conviction for Web3 games having previously backed Gods Unchained creator Immutable.

Bitkraft Ventures has launched a $275 million venture fund to invest in early-stage startups involved in gaming and interactive media. The company said once the fund is closed, it will have $1 billion in assets under management. 

Bitkraft has been one of the most active venture funds in the Web3 gaming sector, having backed one of the main players in the space, Immutable, the creators of the popular blockchain game, Gods Unchained.

According to Bitkraft’s founding general partner, Jens Hilgers, his company maintains the same conviction about investing in Web3 gaming as it has ever, VentureBeat reported.

Hilgers sees the foundational technology of Web3, which focuses on implementing a digital-first world and digital asset ownership “is advancing quickly, with gains in things such as transaction speed and lower fees.”

Despite a perceived increase in layoffs in the gaming industry, Hilgers believes it’s more about a market correction after companies overhired during the pandemic period. “It isn’t too much different from the tech companies that saw their own wave of layoffs,” he said.

Hilgers also believes the increasing adoption of AI gaming and entertainment will have a great impact on the evolution of the industry, but recognises working AI into the production process to make development more efficient will be a challenge.

According to Hilgers, AI can make the production of games easier, thus reducing the capital required to build new games and accelerating the time to market. He also adds it can be used to lower risk levels if teams iterate faster, adding that its ability to scale to larger numbers is also another potential benefit to the industry.

He also highlighted one of Bitkraft’s portfolio companies Inworld AI, which wants to change the way players interact with games based on a dynamic character or map generation, as an exciting way to use AI.

“That’s a category of people using AI to bring forward truly new experiences, not just making it more efficient or faster,” he said.

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The post Bitkraft Ventures Secures $275M Funding Round to Invest in Early-Stage Gaming Projects appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take: 

The fundraising attracted participation from Polychain Capital, CMS Holdings, Master Ventures, Token Metrics and Cluster Capital.

The fundraising brings the total raised to $11 million, valuing Gasp at a reported fully diluted market cap of $80 million.

The company will use the funds to expand its marketing team and accelerate mainnet and $GASP token launches.

Gasp (formerly Mangata Finance) an Actively Validated Service (AVS) that supports cross-chain transfers on EigenLayer has closed a $5 million private round backed by Polychain Capital, CMS Holdings, Master Ventures, Token Metrics and Cluster Capital.

The fundraising brings the total raised to $11 million, and according to people close to the deal, it values Gasp at $80 million, The Block reported. 

According to Gasp CEO, Peter Kris the fundraising his company started fundraising for the round in November 2023 and closed it this month via a simple agreement for future equity (SAFE) with token warrants.

The company plans to use the fresh capital to expand its marketing team and accelerate the mainnet launch of its service along with the $GASP token. The token will be airdropped to holders of the Mangata X (MGX) tokens, an economic testnet token that the company ran a year ago. “MGX holders will get part of the airdrop of GASP,” Kris said.

Gasp leverages the security features of Ethereum to facilitate cross-chain transfers for Layer-2s on the network. Currently, it supports transfers between Optimism and Arbitrum but plans to expand its services to more chains in due course.

“The Gasp network relies on Ethereum for transaction finality through EigenLayer, making it one of the first EigenLayer AVSs to be deployed,” Kris said, adding “Gasp on EigenLayer will make cross-chain atomic swaps as easy as calling a smart contract on Ethereum or any other connected chain.”

The fundraising comes ahead of Gasp’s upcoming testnet launch as an EigenLayer AVS in the coming weeks.

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The post EigenLayer-Based Gasp Closes $5M Private Round for Cross-Chain Swap Protocol appeared first on NFTgators .

Quick take:

Although Agora’s parent organisation is based in Delaware, the stablecoin will initially be available outside the US.

Co-founders Nick Van Eck, Drake Evans and Joe McGrady said the issuing entity will be based in The British Virgin Islands.

Van Eck believes despite Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC, there is still room for a newcomer in the stablecoin market.

VanEck Scion the investment firm founded by Nick Van Eck, the son of investment management veteran Jan Van Eck, has raised $12 million in a seed round led by Dragonfly. The fundraising also attracted participation from leading digital asset venture firms General Catalyst and Robot Ventures.

Van Eck has teamed up with crypto veterans Drake Evans and Joe McGrady to launch Agora, a stablecoin pegged on the US dollar. The co-founders believe that despite the dominance of the USDT and USDC, there is still room for a newcomer in one of the fastest-growing segments of the digital assets industry. 

Over the last few years, we have seen multiple mainstream financial services companies launch stablecoins including PayPal’s PYUSD. Other institutions have focused on the tokenisation of real-world assets, which is not too far from what stablecoins are.

Agora describes itself as a financial solutions provider offering stability by pegging its value to assets like the dollar, backed by cash, Treasury bonds, and repurchase agreements.

Although the parent company is incorporated in Delaware, the Agora stablecoin will initially be available outside of the US, Van Eck told Bloomberg in an interview.

“Until there’s federal legislation for stablecoins in the US, we’re going to focus primarily on customers outside of the US,” the 27-year-old said.

According to the announcement, the issuing entity will be based in The British Virgin Islands. 

Kyle DaCruz, director of digital assets product at VanEck added that VanEck will manage a fund for Agora’s reserves as part of Agora’s demonstration of transparency and trustworthiness. 

“There is a need to have transparent and trustworthy institutions managing the assets of these digital dollars,” said DaCruz. “The exciting future of stablecoins is one in which audited and transparent stablecoin reserves are standard and we are looking forward to helping Agora build that future.”

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The post Agora Joins the Stablecoin Market with $12M Seed Round led by Dragonfly appeared first on NFTgators .