Web3 gaming success, according to Yuga Labs CEO

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Metaproof is a media company that covers the business of the metaverse. We keep you informed on how the metaverse and web3 are changing YOUR industry.

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1/ Yuga Labs CEO: 'The metaverse is not new'

Daniel Alegre, the new CEO of the company behind the Bored Apes Yacht Club (BAYC), says the reality is the metaverse isn’t anything new. We quote:

“World of Warcraft, for all intents and purposes, is a metaverse. But what web3 is enabling is not only new interaction and ways for players to find communities that go beyond necessarily the game itself.”

More pearls of web3 wisdom from the veteran gaming exec, who previously served as president and COO of Activision Blizzard, where he oversaw some of its most important franchises such as WoW:

• Gamers want to partake in gaming’s creative environment and ecosystem, but will flee if they think that the metaverse and web3 are just about fleecing them for money.

• The key to web3 gaming success? Design the game from the ground up with web3 in mind.

2/ 70% of businesses in India plan to integrate the metaverse into their organizational activities

A new PwC India survey revealed that + 63% of companies that are actively engaging with the metaverse say that they will fully embed it into their business activities within a year.

Other key takeaways:

• Over 60% of the business leaders affirm that they have a detailed or good understanding of the metaverse.

• At least 39% say that the metaverse will be a social platform for their company.

• 36% cite cybersecurity as the biggest risk for businesses with 28% feeling the tech limitations could pose a challenge.

According to PwC, the metaverse can be key for business to “meaningfully engage with the customers, employees and the broader ecosystem,” with ample proof that the ‘hype’ is getting replaced by better appreciation of driving tangible business outcomes as the technology further matures.”

3/ Metaverse version of the dark web could be nearly impenetrable

The future of cybercrime looks darker than ever with the rise of the "darkverse" - a virtual playground for cybercriminals, extremists, purveyors of child porn, and harassers to operate with even greater impunity, more danger, and anonymity than the dark web.

Trend Micro researchers report more details about the threats that could arise in the metaverse, collectively forming an uncharted “deepverse”:

• Social engineering, financial fraud, and privacy risks will be the same old pests but with a twist of being more amplified than ever before.

• NFTs will be a hot target for hackers looking to steal digital assets.

• Cyber-physical threats will be more prevalent.

• Infiltrate and poison ICS environment to steal, spy, and create other havoc.

"When you execute a radical new technology, you are definitely going to start having security issues whether cyber, or procedural,” the researchers warn.

4/ The Sandbox Partners with Ledger Enterprise to secure metaverse businesses

Metaverse platform The Sandbox teams up with security solution provider Ledger Enterprise to develop security integration for its partners, who will get their NFT collections migrated to the Ledger wallet.

According to The Sandbox's official blog, this partnership involves the following initiatives:

• The Sandbox will appear as a DApp on Ledger Enterprise.

• A certain widget will be integrated in the Ledger Live desktop app.

• The Sandbox will recommend Ledger Enterprise to its LAND owner ecosystem.

• Ledger will promote The Sandbox metaverse to its clients.

The Sandbox is fast expanding its network, recently signing an MOU with the Saudi Arabian government while also collaborating with big names like Snoop Dogg, Gucci, Atari, HSBC, and Warner Music Group.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Here’s how Roblox is bringing new generative AI to the metaverse. (Link)

• The Game Developers Conference (GDC), attended by 28k+ in 2023, is exorbitantly expensive - but still vital for many game developers. (Link)

• What hardware will you need for metaverse gaming? (Link)

• Shiba Inu plans to battle with Axie Infinity. (Link)

• Fortnite brings Anakin Skywalker to the battle royale, a crossover in time for Star Wars Day on May 4. (Link)

• How to successfully build a career in metaverse gaming. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• The luxury guide to the metaverse: Where to buy the most covetable virtual clothes, view the top real estate, and fight the swankiest zombies. (Link)

• Balenciaga tries to put its BDSM and child sexual solicitation scandals behind it, via a new AR farming experience. (Link)

• 1st AI Fashion Week: The hard part may be turning the designs into real clothes. (Link)

• Here’s how Nike is embracing the future of digital fashion. (Link)

• 47% of consumers are interested in digital fashion, while 87% have already purchased some form of it. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Animoca and ONE Championship bring an NFT-powered mobile game to mixed martial art fans. (Link)

• AI could revolutionize MMA science. (Link)

• STEPN gamifies real-life behaviors through sport, making for a user-friendly, long-term playing mechanism. (Link)

• WSC Sports, specializing in AI sports video content, joins forces with German streaming challenger brand Dyn Media with content for OTT streaming. (Link)

• Brazil’s Sports Summit features club presidents, sports personalities, and a web3 slash metaverse session. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Social media app MeWe gets blockchain-savvy, integrating Frequency blockchain’s self-sovereign identity to its 20M users. (Link)

• Web3 sets out to revolutionize social media with creator ownership. (Link)

• aespa's 3rd mini-album takes its cyberpunk metaverse to the next level, from alien plains to a naturalistic terrain. (Link)

• How do you actually listen to a metaverse band? (Link)

• Pepsi brings Latin fusion dance master class to the metaverse. (Link)

• In Bangkok, entertainment metaverse platform MaziMatic lets people worldwide digitally experience Songkran, Asia’s largest water festival. (Link)

🖼 Art

• The Vatican Library embraces the digital with blockchain and NFTs. (Link)

• Cao Fei's Duotopia delves into the metaverse and VR at Sprüth Magers Berlin. (Link)

• Mad Lads gives Solana NFTs a “new heartbeat” after losing DeGods, per Coral CEO. (Link)

• Fly high in the Moonbirds Monaverse as NFT holders take off on Mona’s 3D world-building platform. (Link)

• Sellers calling the shots: NFT markets reportedly out of balance, leaving buyers on the edge. (Link)

• Winners at the Metaverse Architecture and Design (MAD) Awards. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Solana Labs unleashes ChatGPT plugin. (Link)

• Yelp leverages AI to upgrade its app for foodies and adventurers. (Link)

• This new AI tool can accurately identify cancer, the algorithm performing more efficiently than current methods. (Link)

• Might this be the 1st AI assistant for the supply chain? (Link)

• Could AI save the Amazon rainforest? (Link)

• Bill Gates' net worth soars $2B as Microsoft touts AI on earnings call. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Bitget commits $10M to create AI-based crypto derivatives exchange. (Link)

• AI legal tech startup Harvey raises $21M in Series A round. (Link)

• Razer and Roblox partner to launch 3 co-branded peripherals. (Link)

• AWS and Cronos Labs join forces to expand web3 startups via the Cronos Accelerator Program. (Link)

• Trust Wallet collaborates with Web3Auth to facilitate web3 access with social logins. (Link)

• Tech giant Samsung inks partnership with Crypto.com (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

📈 If you are a startup building in the metaverse / web3 ecosystem and are raising capital, please reach out to Sfermion. Sfermion is an investment firm focused on accelerating the emergence of the metaverse 📈

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