Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

XRP price hovered at $1.08 on Wednesday, June 24th, after slipping 1.96% in 24 hours. The token stayed under pressure as the wider crypto market consolidated, with Bitcoin near $62,000. The XRP price has declined by 10% in the last week and has spread the weakness of major altcoins. 

Grok AI still predicts a possible rally before 2026 ends. The CLARITY Act includes new policy attention following its House passage on July 17 this year, which retains regulation in the center of discussion among digital asset investors.

XRP Price Rally Ahead? Grok AI Points to 2026 Upside Elon Musk’s Grok AI has projected a strong XRP price rally before 2026 ends. The model opined that XRP would recover when Bitcoin can gain support and liquidity goes back to major altcoins. It also cited the progressive CLARITY Act, ETF interest and expansion of Ripple as institutions as favorable. 

Source: Grok Ai Bullish version of case by Grok has XRP to reach 1.60 to 1.80 in 30 days should sentiment turn. A more optimistic base case has XRP between $1.55 and $1.75 at the beginning of July. Nevertheless, the prospect is risky. Additional Bitcoin vulnerability or regulatory delays might drag XRP back into the $1.00 to $1.05 support range initially. Volume, policy progress and BTC are monitored by traders.

XRP Spot ETF Inflows Hit Two-Week High as Bitwise Leads The largest daily inflow into XRP spot ETFs was 5.31 million on June 22, the highest inflow in two weeks. Bitwise XRP ETF registered the entire inflow on SoSOValue Crypto data. The last larger reading was on June 9 when dollars came in at 7.44 million. 

Source: Sosovalue data The new demand came when RLUSD got a formal listing in Japan. In the meantime, the XRPL Lending Protocol passed a security audit. Voting on the amendment of v3.2.0 also proceeded throughout the network, introducing another beneficial update to XRP traders.

XRP Price Prediction: Can Bulls Reclaim $2.0 Soon? The XRP price traded at $1.09 on the 4-hour chart, slipping 0.34% at press time.

The token has weakened short-term and is currently testing the $1.10 area. The level has turned into a significant buyer line. A decisive break above $1.10 may help in recovering to $1.15.

The first significant recovery point is at the level of $1.15. With improved momentum, the XRP price might stretch to $1.20. 

The RSI is at 31 with a low momentum. The MACD is also in favor of the prudent opinion. The MACD line remains below the signal line. This demonstrates that bearishness has not yet lost its grip.

Source: XRP/USDT 4-hour chart: Tradingview Nevertheless, the risk of downside is still present. If the XRP price loses $1.09, selling pressure may increase. The support target at the next level is around $1.05. A further dissection would reveal the psychological level of $1.00.

Key Highlights On June 24, 2026, Eli Lilly finalized its purchase of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, delivering $38 cash per share to investors. Investors received additional non-transferable contingent value rights worth as much as $9 per share. Following the deal’s closure, Centessa was removed from Nasdaq trading and operates as a fully owned Lilly entity. A comprehensive management restructuring occurred, with all existing Centessa executives and directors stepping down. The transaction places Centessa’s total value near $7.8 billion, focusing on sleep disorder therapeutics. On June 24, 2026, Eli Lilly successfully finalized its purchase of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, delivering a cash payment of $38 for each share — alongside contingent value rights potentially worth up to $9 per share — in a transaction totaling approximately $7.8 billion.

The deal closed via Lilly’s acquisition vehicle, LDH XV Corporation, after receiving authorization through a UK court-approved scheme of arrangement dated June 22, 2026.

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc, CNTA

CNTA shares reached a record peak of $40.26 before the deal’s completion, representing a 183% price increase year-over-year and a 209% gain on a total return measurement.

At its peak, Centessa’s total market valuation reached $6.22 billion — demonstrating investor anticipation of the transaction’s finalization.

Effective June 24, Centessa transitioned into a completely owned Lilly division. Previous equity holders forfeited all ownership privileges, receiving solely the agreed-upon transaction payment.

The organization promptly initiated procedures to withdraw its American Depositary Shares from Nasdaq and cease its public disclosure requirements.

Centessa simultaneously settled and closed out its loan and security arrangement with Oxford Finance alongside other creditors as part of the closing procedures.

Complete Management Overhaul The acquisition prompted an extensive organizational transformation. Every senior executive and board member at Centessa exited their positions when the deal became effective.

Lilly designated two replacement directors who assumed control of the reconfigured board. The company’s at-the-market equity distribution initiative was simultaneously discontinued.

Centessa’s metamorphosis is now final — evolving from a standalone, Nasdaq-traded biotechnology firm into a wholly incorporated division within Lilly’s organizational framework.

Wall Street Response Financial analysts had previously adjusted their assessments to mirror the transaction parameters. Truist Securities revised CNTA from Buy to Hold after the deal announcement, establishing a $38 price objective — matching the cash payment amount.

Wolfe Research executed a comparable adjustment, transitioning its position from Outperform to Peerperform.

The latest analyst evaluation for CNTA stands at Hold with a $42 target price — marginally exceeding the acquisition price, factoring in the possible CVR distribution.

Lilly’s strategic motivation focuses on strengthening its development portfolio within the sleep disorder therapeutic area, a segment where Centessa had been advancing multiple initiatives.

The Alkermes correlation merits attention: upon the initial Centessa announcement, Alkermes shares climbed 13%, indicating wider market enthusiasm for sleep disorder therapeutics.

Following delisting completion and Centessa’s full integration, CNTA shares no longer exist as publicly available securities.

In the latest close session, e.l.f. Beauty (ELF - Free Report) was up +1.65% at $64.54. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.1% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.35%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq depreciated by 0.43%.

Coming into today, shares of the cosmetics company had gained 17.29% in the past month. In that same time, the Consumer Staples sector lost 0.72%, while the S&P 500 lost 1.34%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of e.l.f. Beauty in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $0.73, indicating a 17.98% decline compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $424.55 million, indicating a 20.02% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $3.31 per share and a revenue of $1.86 billion, signifying shifts of +5.75% and +13.64%, respectively, from the last year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for e.l.f Beauty. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 1.98% decrease. e.l.f. Beauty presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note e.l.f. Beauty's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 19.18. This signifies no noticeable deviation in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 19.18 for its industry.

We can additionally observe that ELF currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.81. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Cosmetics industry was having an average PEG ratio of 0.75.

The Cosmetics industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 85, putting it in the top 35% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

March 27, 2024 – United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates

XCAD Network – a tokenization platform for YouTubers to connect and reward their viewers with crypto tokens – today announced it has signed MOUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with multiple governments to expand incentivized Web 3.0 education to millions of people across the globe. By securing the support of several governments, XCAD aims to bridge the gap between Web 2.0 and Web 3.0, and enable more people to partake in the Web 3.0 space.

XCAD Network has announced the first government agreement, which is with Pakistan.

Under this partnership, XCAD will distribute and incentivize the consumption of educational media among Pakistani citizens.

Education is the first step in bringing new people into the Web 3.0 space.

As part of the MOUs, XCAD Network will work with governments to launch pilot campaigns to educate their citizens on Web 3.0.

These campaigns will be joint campaigns launched by governments and the XCAD team alongside select content creators from that country’s jurisdiction.

Users will have to download the XCAD Network application to watch interactive educational content on various Web 3.0 topics.

Upon completing the modules and consuming content, users are rewarded with tokens.

Blockchain, cryptocurrency and the Web 3.0 world will be the key focus areas.

However, governments can also focus education on other subjects, such as financial literacy.

Oliver Bell, chief executive officer of XCAD Network, said,

“Working directly with government entities is incredibly exciting for the XCAD project and the Web 3.0 space as a whole.

“What we’re doing aligns with the government’s vision towards digitization and global blockchain adoption.”

Another way that XCAD plans to work with government entities is by leveraging the XCAD platform to boost travel and tourism engagement in their country.

They want to partner with creators and citizens to create engaging educational content around tourism in their country. Those who consume the content are then rewarded.

XCAD Network has already onboarded some of the biggest YouTubers in the world to issue creator tokens on its platform.

However, getting governments involved gives the project more credibility.

This allows XCAD Network to attract even bigger names to issue creator tokens, stay on top of regulatory requirements and drive more users to the XCAD platform.

About XCAD Network XCAD Network allows YouTube creators to launch personalized tokens and generate dedicated economies around their loyal fanbase.

It also offers new startup creators a way to earn tokens and generate income even before the creator generates traction on YouTube itself.

In addition to helping generate new revenue, XCAD Network fosters deeper engagement through gamification and rewards.

Fans benefit monetarily from the growth of their favorite creators, thus strengthening the bonds between creators and their followers.

The platform is backed by famous YouTubers such as KSI and MrBeast and is home to more than 100 celebrity influencers globally with a combined audience of over 800 million.

The XCAD ecosystem consists of DEXs, a governance portal, a browser plugin with YouTube integration, cross-chain bridges, staking pools and creator swap, which lets users exchange creator tokens.

For more information, please visit the website.

Contact Roelien Vd Westhuizen, Dverse

 

XCAD Network, a Watch2Earn tokenization platform for YouTubers, has announced the upcoming launch of its first V2 creator token, $DON, in partnership with Ape Terminal and TheDonato, a renowned South American content creator with over 40 million subscribers and 7 billion views.

The launch has already generated significant interest, with more than 25,000 sign-ups and a remarkable 2,400% oversubscription.

TLDR XCAD Network is launching its inaugural V2 creator token, $DON, in collaboration with Ape Terminal and YouTube star TheDonato. The launch has garnered over 25,000 sign-ups and a 2,400% oversubscription. The strategic listing on Ape Terminal aims to draw TheDonato’s vast fanbase into the crypto space, injecting fresh capital from Web2 users. Fans will be turned into stakeholders through governance and will find deeper engagement with TheDonato through various exclusive offerings. The $DON token has a total supply of 1 billion tokens, with allocations for fan incentives, pre-sale, liquidity, contributors, and marketing. The collaboration between XCAD Network, Ape Terminal, and TheDonato marks a significant milestone in the creator economy, as it aims to bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3 by introducing TheDonato’s extensive fanbase to the world of cryptocurrencies.

This strategic move is expected to inject fresh capital into the crypto space, while simultaneously revolutionizing the relationship between content creators and their audiences.

Oliver Bell, CEO and Co-founder of XCAD Network, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating that the launch on Ape Terminal represents a transformative moment for both XCAD Network and the creator economy as a whole.

He emphasized that Ape Terminal’s sophisticated infrastructure provides the perfect launchpad for creator tokens like $DON, ensuring seamless transactions and broad accessibility to both experienced crypto enthusiasts and newcomers from Web2.

The $DON token is designed to turn fans into stakeholders through governance, allowing them to have a say in the direction of TheDonato’s content.

Additionally, fans will enjoy a deeper level of engagement with the creator through exclusive offerings such as meet-and-greet sessions, appearances in TheDonato’s videos, and access to an exclusive Discord community.

Bell further emphasized that the $DON token is just the beginning, as XCAD Network aims to empower creators to deepen connections with their fans while offering unprecedented access and influence over their favorite content.

The collaboration with Ape Terminal and TheDonato will enable XCAD Network to roll out a suite of creator tokens, enhancing the digital content landscape and creating new opportunities for creators and their communities.

The $DON token has a total supply of 1 billion tokens, with allocations distributed as follows: 30% for fan incentives, 20% for pre-sale, 30% for market making and exchange liquidity, and 10% each for contributors and marketing.

Through $DON, fans will transcend traditional boundaries, gaining unparalleled access and influence over TheDonato’s creative journey while being rewarded for their unwavering support.

Oliver Dale

Editor-in-Chief of Blockonomi and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact [email protected]

Wed 08 Apr 2026 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Luc Jose A.

Summarize this article with:

Global debt crosses a threshold reminiscent of the darkest hours in economic history. The International Monetary Fund sounds the alarm: public debt reaches levels comparable to those of World War II, in a context nevertheless devoid of global conflict. This drift raises questions far beyond the numbers, as it weakens monetary balances and revives doubts about the stability of currencies.

In Brief Global public debt reaches a level close to 100 % of GDP, an unprecedented threshold since World War II. The IMF warns of a historic break : unlike post-war, debt shows no sign of reduction. States face increasingly complex budgetary trade-offs amid rising borrowing costs. Trust becomes a central issue to maintain global economic and financial balance. Global debt at an unprecedented level since 1945 In an unstable geopolitical context, the IMF warns as global public debt now approaches 100 % of the planet’s GDP, an unprecedented threshold since the end of World War II. The institution describes a deep and worrying development, accompanied by clear warnings about future risks.

It states notably that “governments can no longer postpone difficult budgetary choices”, placing trust at the heart of the current economic equation.

The key points put forward by the IMF help measure the scale of the situation :

Global debt reaches a level close to 100 % of GDP, a historical record in a period without major conflict ; After 1945, debt dropped from 150 % to less than 50 % of GDP over two decades, a dynamic now completely reversed ; Successive crises (financial, health, geopolitical) have fueled a continuous accumulation of debt; Rising borrowing costs complicate states’ budgetary trade-offs ; Current projections indicate continued increase, with no clear reduction path. This break from historical cycles fuels concerns about economies’ ability to stabilize their debt in an environment that has become more constrained.

Towards a financial shift favorable to alternative assets ? Beyond the observation, the IMF reveals increasing pressure on global economic balances, where states’ room for maneuver is rapidly shrinking. Debt accumulation limits policy options and heightens tensions between public spending, financial stability, and growth.

This situation fosters an atmosphere of uncertainty where trust becomes a determining factor, as explicitly highlighted by the institution. Upcoming decisions are expected to be delicate, with budgetary choices that could redefine economic priorities globally.

In this context, certain dynamics are emerging in parallel. Massive indebtedness and consequent monetary policies revive concerns related to inflation and fiat currency depreciation.

This development contributes to increasing interest in alternatives perceived as uncorrelated to the traditional system, notably cryptocurrencies. The text highlights that this potential loss of trust in currencies could benefit instruments like bitcoin or stablecoins, in an environment where financial stability becomes uncertain.

As imbalances deepen, the issue no longer concerns just debt management but the possible transformation of the monetary system itself. Between increased budgetary constraints and the search for new benchmarks, upcoming policy decisions could accelerate the adoption of alternative assets or strengthen the role of decentralized solutions, particularly those of DeFi. The evolution of this debt crisis thus fits into a global perspective, where the lines between traditional finance and crypto could continue to blur.

Maximize your Cointribune experience with our "Read to Earn" program! For every article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start earning benefits.

Join the program

A

A

Lien copié

Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019. Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

Pundi X was one of the most highly anticipated ICOs of 2018. This meant that it was able to hit its $35 million hard cap within 90 minutes.

The project is trying to build a large decentralized crypto point of sale network. They are trying to acheive this through Merchant devices, cards and crypto wallets. If they succeed, they hope to make buying cryptocurrency as easy as "buying bottled water".

However, are these ambitions too grand?

In this Pundi X review I will attempt to answer that. I will also take an in-depth look at the use cases of the NPXS token as well as its long term adoption potential.

Pundi X Technology and Use CasesThe driving force behind the creation of Pundi X is the steep learning curve for those just entering the cryptocurrency ecosystem. With very few exceptions (Robinhood and Coinbase come to mind), current cryptocurrency exchanges are confusing and difficult to learn for new users.

And that doesn’t even touch on the difficulty and confusion associated with juggling multiple wallets, private keys, passphrases and authenticators.

Honestly, even experienced cryptocurrency users can become somewhat frustrated. Pundi X offers to change all this through three interlocking pieces of technology: The Pundi X platform, mobile wallets, and card payments.

One interesting and unique feature of the Pundi X network is that its devices are integrated into two blockchains – Ethereum and NEM. Nem (XEM) was chosen because it is popular with Asian financial institutions, and because it has the technology to enable nearly instantaneous payments.

The PlatformThe Pundi X POS device has begun production in February 2018 following the ICO and has been shipping to merchants since July 2018. The list of merchants has been expanding at an ever increasing pace. You can see a list of all of the global merchants here

It allows customers to pay for goods with cryptocurrencie stored in their mobile wallet, and can also be used to buy cryptocurrencies (BTC, ETH, XEM, QTUM, or ACT) to top up the wallet.

During the ICO Pundi has said that they will deliver 100,000-700,000 POS devices to at least 12 different countries over the next three years. In addition to the base model, Pundi is also designing a smaller unit and a desktop version that will be capable of accepting major credit cards, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Pundi X POS System Explained

The team is actually doing much better with XPOS devices shipped to more than 25 countries as of November 2019, and expectations for over 100,000 XPOS devices being deployed by 2021.

The POS system also serves merchants as it incorporates inventory, membership and identity management features. Pundi X says the POS system will be far better than Bitcoin ATMs thanks to the increased range of services available and the lower cost.

In addition, the devices are far smaller, enabling them to be installed in many places where a Bitcoin ATM wouldn’t be feasible. The Pundi X token (NPXS) will be used as gas for the network, powering transactions and advertisements, as well as identify customers for qualified discounts.

The initial 500 units were delivered to select locations in late June, and on July 10, 2018 the team announced the first of these, which are located in Hong Kong in four participating FAMA restaurants as part of the RISE 2018 convention. The team also distributed XPASS cards to RISE 2018 participants to demonstrate how easy it is to use cryptocurrencies to make purchases using their technology.

The current and planned Pundi X PoS devices. Image via Pundi X

The team has also said they will focus on Indonesia, which is the largest South-East Asian country, with a population of roughly 250 million. Obviously, Hong Kong has also become a target for early adoption, and the Pundi X team has also said that it has expanded into China.

It’s very exciting to see the team shipping and beta testing the actual hardware, and while it may seem unreal to be able to purchase goods with cryptocurrency, and to purchase cryptocurrency while waiting for your lunch or dinner to be served, this platform could not only make it a reality, but make it widely accepted over the next three years.

Pundi X WalletThe mobile wallet (Pundi XWallet) will simplify key management for users, storing the public and private keys and using a password system similar to any online system.

This feature alone is expected to massively increase adoption of cryptocurrencies by new users, however, there are worries that it could deter existing cryptocurrency users who worry about security and privacy issues.

The wallet is able to hold BTC, ETH, BNB and NSPX, as well as fiat currencies. There are plans to add support for additional currencies over time. The XWallet also includes a virtual XPASS card, or it can be synched with a physical XPASS card.

Screenshots of XWallet in the Google Play Store

The XWallet is available on both iOS and Android devices and are free to download. In terms of feedback on the apps, it has about a 4.3 star rating in the Google Play store. However, there appears to have recently been a number of complaints about the functionality of the app.

Some of these relate to the KYC requirement of Pundi X which is not something that they can really control. However, for those that are technical in nature, the team appears to be quite responsive and - most importantly - receptive.

The Pundi X Card Payment SystemThe company has released a card, which they are naming the XPASS card, which works together with the mobile app and wallet, enabling payments and deposits by card (a familiar medium for most) that are pulled from the mobile wallet.

In addition, users are able to see the current market price of each cryptocurrency before paying for goods and services, allowing them to pay with the cryptocurrency that brings the best value at the time. Currently, the XPASS card has support for BTC, BNB, ETH and NPXS.

This ability to pay for things easily with cryptocurrencies is what will finally give them real value in a widespread sense. The Pundi X whitepaper states that

most cryptocurrencies can only be used to buy other cryptocurrencies, reducing the relevance of them to almost zero for most people

Pundi X Card Payments

Indeed one of the primary arguments of non-crypto believers is that cryptocurrencies have no real value. It is hoped that enabling ease of payments will change that opinion.

It does seem as if the Pundi X team has created a technology system that has the potential to make cryptocurrencies widely accepted and used on a global scale. While the use cases are strong in theory, much of the adoption will depend on how quickly the POS devices can be rolled out, how well they actually work, and how successful the next several years of marketing for the technology is.

It is also notable that Pundi has partnered with iBank for the release and distribution of the XPASS cards. They offer both the standard XPASS card as well as a special edition Cao Jun designed card.

Pundi has also released a Manga themed XPASS card that also supports NEM and Qtum. Eventually, these special edition cards will be made into digital assets on the IOST blockchain.

Pundi Function X - f(x)Function X or f(x) is Pundi’s vision of the blockchain internet and includes not only a decentralized internet model, but also the hardware devices necessary to take advantage of this new blockchain based operating system.

The first device being launched is the Pundi X blockchain phone, being dubbed “BOB” for “Blok on Blok”. In addition to the blockchain based phone, the Pundi X team is also planning on redesigning the XPOS terminals to take advantage of f(x) technology. Finally, there is a Function X physical node in development.

FXTP Protocol With the BOB Smartphone

These are only three examples of hardware that can be created to take advantage of the f(x) operating system. Like everything else the Pundi X team takes on, the concept of the Function X operating system is ambitious, impressive, and far-reaching.

Pundi X TeamThe Pundi X team are a talented group of technologists and entrepreneurs, which seems to be exactly what this project will need for success. In general, the management team is comprised of computer engineers turned serial entrepreneur.

The glaring exception to this is CEO and founder Zac Cheah, who was formerly an HTML games developer, but perhaps this is why he surrounded himself with such a strong team.

The President of Pundi X, Constantin Papadimitrou, has a long history of founding successful fintech companies, and scaling them, which makes him an ideal fit for a project that will need rapid growth and adoption.

From Left: Zac Cheah (CEO), Pitt Huang (CTO), Constantin Papadimitriou (President), Danny Lim (CFO)

The CTO/COO and co-founder Pitt Huang created and sold his first business by the age of 25 and went on to create and sell several more business, including one that had over 200 employees.

The CFO and the third co-founder of the project is Danny Lim. Danny is an APAC financing expert who has product design experience with Baidu and Lenovo. Danny is a PhD Law scholar from Tsinghua University and hold ACMA and CGMA accounting qualifications.

The management team operates out of Jakarta, which the research team largely operates out of Shenzhen. Overall the team has physical offices in Jakarta, London, São Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo, Shenzhen and Singapore. As of August 2018 the team is comprised of more than 150 employees, with over half filling research and development roles.

PartnershipsThe Pundi X team has worked diligently, not only on the product and platform, but also on partnerships to help spread the platform and ensure both short-term growth and long-term stability.

The most significant partnership for Pundi X has been the one with NEM. It is this partnership that will allow Pundi X to confirm transactions instantly. Without this the team would almost certainly be able to gain traction with consumers, who are not going to be willing to use a transactional payment system that takes several minutes at the least to confirm transactions. The fast and inexpensive transactions provided by NEM make it possible for Pundi X to gain mainstream adoption.

Pundi X Partnerships

The Pundi team has also spent time positioning itself within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, establishing partnerships with the Indonesian Blockchain Association, the Singapore Fintech Association, the XPOS Consortium, ACCESS, the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, and the Swiss Finance and Fintech Association.

This last led to a further partnership with Swiss company UTRUST, who have committed to deploying 1,000 of the Pundi X POS devices.

Pundi X has been proactive in creating partnerships as a key business development tool. They have also used them to maximize their value proposition, increasing trust, engagement and adoption for both consumers and merchants. This should assist them tremendously in their marketing efforts as they roll out the Pundi X devices and systems throughout Asia and beyond.

Even though the NXPS coin has been languishing along with the rest of the cryptocurrency markets, the project continues to attract members to its various online communities. In fact, it has by far the largest following on Facebook I've ever seen for a blockchain project with over 110,000 followers of its page.

That dwarfs its other social media accounts, although it does have a strong Telegram channel, with over 40,000 followers there.

The project's following on Twitter is pretty solid, with 66,600 followers. The team is also active there, not only tweeting their own stuff but also retweeting useful information from other Twitter users and blockchain projects.

The sub-Reddit for Pundi X is somewhat disappointing, with only 5,534 followers. Posts here are infrequent too. In fact, you'd be better off following the project's YouTube channel, which has a large number of videos and some very good information about Pundi X and NXPS tokens.

It also has over 4,000 subscribers, which is pretty good on Youtube for a blockchain project.

The NPXS TokenAs mentioned earlier, Pundi X held an ICO back in January, raising their $35 million hard cap in just 90 minutes. As we all know, the first quarter of 2018 was a bad one for crypto in general and the NPXS token slowly sank from $0.001 to between $0.0007-0.0008 by April.

That’s where things got interesting after the Bancor Network listed the NPXS token. That took the price to $0.004 or so, but then in May price jumped again, reaching nearly $0.015 before dropping back. Price spiked to an all-time high of $0.015621 on June 17, 2018 when the shipment of the first 500 XPOS devices was announced.

NPXS Price Performance. Image via CMC

Of course, that pump didn’t last and price turned lower almost immediately following the June shipment announcement. There was a brief rally in May 2019, but by October 23, 2019 price was at an all-time low of $0.000159. Several weeks later on November 8, 2019 price has recovered slightly to $0.00018, making NPXS the 94th largest coin by market cap.

Trading & Storing NPXSIf you think now is a good time to buy NPXS, or if you just want to support the project, you’ll find the token listed on dozens of different exchanges.

The largest trade volume can be found at Binance, but Upbit and Hotbit also have good volumes. You could also consider Bithumb, Exrates, BKEX, or Vebitcoin. There are a handful of other exchanges with acceptable trade volumes although you could struggle with larger orders.

Taking a look at the liquidity on an exchange like Binance it appears average. For example, on the BTC / USDT order book the depth is reasonable with a minor bid ask spread however daily turnover is on the lower side. So, larger block orders could lead to some slippage.

Register at Binance and Buy NPXS Tokens

The recommend wallet is the mobile XWallet that is created and released by the Pundi X team. You can get it here and it is perfect for staking too. There are other options such as the Atomic Wallet, and of course, you can store NPXS in any ERC-20 compatible wallets too.

The NPXSXEM TokenIn addition to the NXPS ERC-20 token there is also an NXPSXEM token created from the NEM blockchain. It is a utility token that was created for utilization on NEMXPOS devices.

Pundi plans on manufacturing and deploying 20,000 NEM XPOS units around the world, all of which will run on the NEM blockchain. Of course, it is also openly traded on markets and as of this writing has a value of $0.000171.

NXPSXEM hit its all-time high of $0.004845 on August 8, 2018, just a day after being exchange listed. It’s all-time low was $0.000088 on October 16, 2019. Like NXPS it can also be staked by holding it in the XWallet until the end of 2020.

ConclusionPundi X has taken on an impressive and ambitious task in tackling what could amount to everyday adoption of cryptocurrencies by the masses, if their vision is realized. The technology seems appropriate for what they’re attempting, and the delivery of XPOS devices to more than 25 countries already shows the commitment of the team, and the success of the project to date.

The entire team has substantial experience in both technology and finance, which has been helpful to the start-up. With partnerships in place, and the hope for larger partnerships to be forged, Pundi X is like a sleeping giant.

All that’s left is to see if they can deliver on their promise of 100,000 units in the coming three years, and whether they are able to market those devices appropriately.

With those two pieces in place, you could be seeing a Pundi X device at a retailer near you in the near future. In fact, if you live in Brazil, Southeast Asia or some areas of Europe and Africa you might have already come across Pundi X devices.

And now with the development of Function X Pundi is looking to not only take over cryptocurrency merchant transactions, but they also want to take over the internet. Imagine if they’re successful. Pundi X in twenty years could be like a combination of Google, Apple, and Amazon with a global reach and commanding market presence.

Disclaimer: These are the writer’s opinions and should not be considered investment advice. Readers should do their own research.

xMoney Appoints Dr. Greg Siourounis as CEO to Develop MiCA-Regulated Stablecoin Platform

Binance Pay Collaborates with xMoney to Boost Crypto Payments Across Europe

In a surprising development, Binance Pay, the payment subsidiary of the leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has joined hands with xMoney, a blockchain payment solution provider. The strategic collaboration envisions enhancing crypto payment accessibility for customers across the European market.

Notably, this alliance expands the payment platform’s global merchant network to over 32,000 businesses, with xMoney operating in compliance with MiCA regulations. The development aims to foster secure and innovative payment solutions, solidifying the firm’s leading role in the global payment network.

Binance Pay Establishes in Europe via xMoney In an official blog post, Binance announced Binance Pay’s strategic alliance with xMoney, a prominent blockchain payment solution provider in Europe. Using xMoney’s robust payment infrastructure, the firm intends to link its users with a vast network of merchants. Thereby, the move expands Binance Pay’s payment ecosystem across Europe.

Notably, the partnership envisions addressing the growing demand for secure, efficient, and easily accessible payment solutions. Elaborating on the venture’s significance, Jonathan Lim, Global Head of Binance Pay stated:

This collaboration between Binance Pay and xMoney comes at a pivotal moment when cryptocurrency is being embraced in mainstream commerce and public services. The ability to pay for luxury goods, travel, and even government services with crypto demonstrates how digital currencies are becoming a practical tool for everyday transactions.

Partnership to Expand Merchant Network In addition to creating a better crypto payment environment, the move also focuses on expanding Binance Pay’s merchant ecosystem. While xMoney’s merchant network spans diverse areas including luxury retail, gaming, travel, real estate, and public services, it could significantly drive Binance Pay’s connections.

Significantly, association with xMoney has propelled the payment platform’s merchant network to over 32,000 businesses globally. This marks a notable milestone in the firm’s growth trajectory. The expansion underscores the platform’s accelerated growth, with the platform already achieving a notable 36% year-over-year increase in its development.

xMoney CEO Greg Siourounis stated that the partnership will enable the platform to expand and provide customers with greater flexibility. The CEO added, “Partnering with Binance Pay is a significant step in building the bridge between blockchain and traditional finance.”

Another important development that the Binance ecosystem witnessed recently was Binance Lab’s rebranding to YZi Labs. This change reflects the investment firm’s plan to shift its focus towards investments and establish a distinct identity separate from the Binance brand.

Binance Pay Prioritizes Compliance While xMoney fully adheres to the EU’s MiCA regulations, the Binance Pay partnership ensures a highly secured environment for crypto payments and transactions. This joint venture becomes crucial as it comes on the heels of the French investigators’ judicial probe into charges against Binance.

Moreover, the collaborative project operates within a trusted framework, with xMoney’s strong regulatory compliance. This framework fosters cryptocurrency adoption and provides a secure environment for crypto transactions.

Table of contents

Binance Pay, a virtual currency payment platform powered by Binance, today announced a strategic partnership with xMoney, a   Web3 transaction hub in Europe. Through this alliance, the two entities are making cryptocurrency payments secure and more seamless for everyone in Europe.

Expanding merchant payment network XMoney’s broad merchant network reaches various industries including real estate, travel, gaming, luxury retail, and even public service. It also supports government clientele like Liechtenstein National Administration and the City Of Lugano where locals can use crypto to pay for public services. This broad merchant network powered by xMoney evolved to accommodate the growing interest in cryptocurrency use in business premises and public sectors in the entire Europe.

Its collaboration with Binance Pay is a crucial development as it enabled it to create a seamless trading connection between traditional finance and the cryptocurrency world. By integrating its infrastructure into Binance Pay, xMoney broadened its ecosystem and provides its users with higher trading options and greater flexibility in how to conduct day-to-day transactions.

Furthermore, customers and merchants have peace of mind accessing xMoney as the platform thrives on trust and regulatory compliance. It remains committed to adhering to the EU’s   MiCa laws and emphasizes legal adherence to ensure a safe environment for Web3 accessibility and cryptocurrency transactions.

On the other hand, this alliance allowed Binance Pay users to seamlessly access xMoney’s broad merchant network, allowing more than 20,000 European businesses to accept cryptocurrency directly. This helps simplify transactions across a wide range of industries like e-commerce, gaming, travel, luxury goods, and many more.

As a result, based on this collaboration, Binance Pay’s network has experienced tremendous growth – recently onboarded 32,000 businesses worldwide. This is an indication that this alliance has been an essential initiative. The partnership also enabled Binance Pay to register an impressive 36% year-to-year growth. In just one year, Binance Pay drew in more than 12,000 merchants by December 2024.

This continued growth represents Binance Pay’s commitment to bringing innovative opportunities for crypto applications, including allowing users to book travels, buy luxury items, and access various everyday transactions using cryptocurrency. These innovative offerings coincide with the evolving demand for advanced, accessible, and real-world digital payment solutions.

Dismantling obstacles in crypto payments Based on this collaboration, the two firms jointly offer a more affordable, rapid, and accessible payment experience for both businesses and ordinary customers. Binance Pay users can now smoothly access a broad variety of Web3 and traditional products and services, enabling them to integrate cryptocurrency into their everyday transactions.

This partnership happened at a crucial time when crypto assets are increasingly being adopted in traditional markets and even public service. Paying travel expenses, luxury items, and even government services using cryptocurrency is proof that cryptocurrency is becoming a common instrument for daily transactions.

By collaborating with xMoney, Binance Pay assists in advancing the use of blockchain technology to offer real-world applications to users. This helps fulfill the increasing demand for accessible, seamless, and secure digital payment solutions.

AUTHOR

Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.

Sui is partnering with xMoney and xPortal to launch a virtual Mastercard for European users, allowing them to spend crypto like cash.

Sui is expanding into everyday payments through a new partnership with financial platform xMoney and crypto super-app xPortal. Together, they are launching a virtual Mastercard that allows European users to spend crypto like cash.

The partnership introduces a full-stack payment solution: a custom Sui (SUI) wallet experience integrated into xPortal’s app, already used by 2.5 million people.

https://twitter.com/SuiNetwork/status/1915394307433128333

This includes a branded virtual Mastercard that users can add to Apple Pay or Google Pay and use across over 20,000 merchants. 

A physical card is expected later in 2025, according to a company note shared with crypto.news.

“This powerful new product is a significant step towards making the Sui ecosystem more accessible to everyday consumers,” said Christian Thompson, Managing Director of the Sui Foundation.

Self custody coupled with spending By leveraging xPortal’s user-friendly interface and xMoney’s licensed infrastructure, the offering combines self-custody with seamless spending. 

It positions Sui among the few Layer 1 blockchains enabling real-world payments in a compliant way, starting in the EU.

Sergiu Biris, CEO of xPortal, emphasized Sui’s performance and community as key reasons for the integration, while Greg Siourounis of xMoney highlighted the platform’s goal of bridging crypto with traditional finance.

The company plans to expand in the U.S. and introduce more enterprise services, which will be announced at the upcoming Sui Basecamp event.

TLDR: xMoney integrates with Sui, improving payment speed and multi-chain merchant access globally. zkLogin allows users to access blockchain services using social accounts for simpler onboarding. Merchants gain DeFi liquidity and capital to scale their operations efficiently and securely. Expansion strengthens xMoney’s global multi-chain ecosystem while maintaining MultiversX partnerships.
xMoney has expanded to the Sui blockchain to accelerate payments and merchant adoption. The move provides faster infrastructure, broader liquidity pools, and cross-border payment tools. 

Sui’s zkLogin simplifies blockchain onboarding through social accounts like Google or Apple. The expansion complements MultiversX partnerships while enabling global reach.

Sui Integration Boosts Efficiency and Liquidity Sui offers deep liquidity, scalable infrastructure, and fast transaction processing for users and merchants. 

These capabilities reduce delays and improve operational efficiency. Besides speed, Sui grants access to DeFi liquidity pools, supporting business growth and funding.

xPortal, a DeFi super app powered by xMoney, recently issued the first Sui-based payment card. This demonstrates practical adoption and ecosystem integration. Moreover, zkLogin allows users to join blockchain networks without complex wallets or private keys.

The integration opens additional capital sources for merchants, enabling faster cash flow and cross-chain customer access. Additionally, broader ecosystem participation allows businesses to leverage Sui’s DeFi financing while expanding revenue streams.

xMoney just plugged into Sui.

Faster rails, bigger reach, and payments that flow.

Let’s build the future of commerce and B2B invoicing. https://t.co/8b0nZ9x1rI

— Sui (@SuiNetwork) September 1, 2025

Benefits and Considerations for Users and Merchants Merchants benefit from access to new capital and DeFi liquidity, improving financial flexibility. 

Consequently, businesses can scale efficiently across multiple blockchain networks. Users gain staking, loyalty rewards, governance, and continued cashback in EGLD while exploring Sui utilities.

However, managing multiple ecosystems introduces complexity and potential regulatory uncertainty. 

Adoption depends on merchant and user willingness to transition to new tools. Despite these risks, stronger liquidity and cross-chain exposure support long-term sustainability and platform resilience.

xMoney emphasized that this expansion does not replace MultiversX but complements its ecosystem. EGLD rewards, merchant solutions, and xPortal partnerships remain active. Hence, global expansion balances growth with continued support for the original community

xMoney Secures $21.5m Strategic Funding Led by Sui Foundation

Crypto projects raised $351 million across 13 deals from September 28 to October 4, led by Flying Tulip’s $200 million seed round, as DeFi and finance-focused ventures dominated the week’s funding activity.

Summary

Flying Tulip raised $200m seed at $1b valuation, leading weekly crypto funding. DeFi and finance startups dominate $351m crypto funding across 13 projects. Payments and gaming projects like xMoney and AmbrusStudio secured millions. Here’s a breakdown of this week’s top announcements, according to Crypto Fundraising data:

Flying Tulip Flying Tulip, a full stack on-chain exchange, raised $200 million in a Seed round Backed by Brevan Howard, CoinFund, and DWF Labs, the startup has a fully diluted valuation of $1 billion. xMoney The payment infrastructure platform secured $21.5 million from various investors, including Sui Foundation and MultiversX (formerly Elrond). So far, xMoney has raised $31.5 million. Lava Lava raised $17.5 million ($27.5 million in total). Its backers include Peter Jurdjevic of Qatar Investment Authority, Bijan Tehrani of Stake, Zach White of 8VC, Saurabh Gupta of DST Global, Terry Angelos, formerly of Visa, and Aaron Suplizo, formerly of Block (previously Square). Today we’re proud to announce we've raised $17.5M in additional funding.

We’re also launching our newest product— earn up to 7.5% yield on your USD by funding bitcoin-backed loans on Lava.

2x more than a high-yield savings account, fully backed by BTC. pic.twitter.com/66TluZdkFZ

— lava (@lava_xyz) October 1, 2025 AmbrusStudio (E4C: Final Salvation) Gathered $15 million in an Unknown round E4C token is operating in Gaming, NFT, P2E, and Sports sectors Investment was backed by Capital Projects < $15 Million Ethena Labs, $14 million in an Unknown round KGeN (ex Kratos), $13.5 million in an Unknown round Talus Labs, $10 million in a Strategic round Yield Basis, $5 million in a Public sale Tea Protocol, $3 million in a Public sale BaseVol, $3 million in a Seed round Novastro, $2 million in a Public sale Nolan, $2 million in a Seed round Drake Exchange, $1 million in a Seed round

Web3 Gamer: Gods Unchained app drops crypto, Kings of Fighters Arena review

Immutable Games, the publisher of Ethereum NFT card game Gods Unchained, announced Monday that it will release an expansion pack called Dread Awakening, which will feature a crossover with the upcoming mobile role-playing game Guild of Guardians.

The Dread Awakening set, slated to drop on April 23, will include 148 cards minted on Immutable X, an Ethereum scaling network originally created by the publisher. Guild of Guardians, also from Immutable Games, is set to hold its global launch on May 15.

"This was a really fun expansion for us to work on because we've been able to lean into the creativity and lore of Guild of Guardians, while working really closely and collaboratively with a team that is quite literally sitting right next to me," said Gods Unchained Executive Producer Daniel Paez, in a release.

The expansion's "cosmic horror" theme “introduces new mechanics and cards that will reshape the meta and hint to a bigger world than ever imagined," the announcement added.

"What makes this even more exciting for me is the anticipation of things to come from this collaboration,” added Paez. “IP crossovers are just the tip of the potential we can unleash with web3 gaming—true game interoperability is right around the corner.”

Paez previously spoke with Decrypt’s GG about the potential for interoperability in blockchain games. Gods Unchained previously launched on Ethereum years back, but now uses Immutable X for cheaper and faster transactions. The game recently expanded to iOS and Android, with Immutable claiming a 60% jump in monthly active users.

Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

Updated Jul 9, 2024, 8:49 p.m. Published Jul 9, 2024, 7:27 p.m.

8 min read

Crypto as a whole is, I think, at something of an inflection point. With the recent “bull run” either on hold or cut short with prices below 2021 highs, the mounting crypto-speculative mania of the past decade seems to have settled down. That puts a premium on products that deliver, instead of just making big promises.

That includes blockchain-backed gaming, which has been on the horizon since the announcement of Ethereum, and which I’m happy to report is actually becoming a Real Thing. In the past, “blockchain games” have often been hasty cash-ins designed to entice speculators rather than players. But, as an embarrassingly experienced gamer who spent my childhood loading Doom from a DOS command line, I’m happy to report that blockchain games are now emerging fully-cooked: that is, many are at least as enjoyable as games that have nothing to do with crypto.

What follows is a lightning-round of quick reviews of a selection of blockchain games. Each game is judged on standard metrics of gameplay and graphics. But unlike more conventional games, blockchain games should also be evaluated for their onboarding experience and tokenomics.

Onboarding is significant because games are great ways to attract people without crypto experience, and hitting them with a laundry list of complicated tasks before they can play is a great way to lose their interest immediately. And tokenomics matter because they’re hard to get right, and the temptation for developers to be shortsighted and self-interested is strong.

Also worth noting: The reviews below are mostly based on fairly short play time (and few if any of these games are deep enough to demand more.) The reviews are also based on the current state of these games: Roadmaps and projections are all well and good, given the financial stakes, this is a “verify, don’t trust” situation.

Note: I had also planned on reviewing Nifty Island and My Pet Hooligan. But Nifty Island was offline for maintenance when I tried to log in. While My Pet Hooligan (which is in Early Access) looks and feels great offline, it’s a PVP shooter, and the game’s few servers weren’t cooperating when I tried to play.

Hamster Kombat (Mobile/Telegram)Onboarding: A

Gameplay: D

Graphics: A

Tokenomics: D

It’s new, it’s hot, it’s incredibly effective at what it was designed for – but Hamster Kombat isn’t really “a game.” At present, the only ‘gameplay’ proper is clicking one object for points, then spending those points to earn more points. If there’s any actual “Kombat,” it’s completely opaque to me as a new player. Instead, Hamster Kombat, where you play the role of a growth-minded CEO of a crypto exchange, gamifies social engagement, offering in-game “gold” for things like following and promoting the game’s X/Twitter account, or recruiting friends.

The scammy vibes of this pyramid-built-on-nothing element are impossible to ignore, but one thing can’t be denied – it’s working, driving the “game” to huge popularity (see Jeff Wilser’s recent feature on the growth of Hamster Kombat and other TON-based games. The tiny bit of gameplay is impressively addictive (I’m clicking right now …). And, in most other respects, Hamster Kombat is top-tier, with a flawlessly smooth interface and, most impressive of all, a truly effortless onboarding experience that’s integrated directly into Telegram. That both mutes the impression of scamminess, and leads one to believe promises that a real game will emerge from beneath this perpetual self-promotion machine.

Unfortunately, though, gameplay evolution seems to be a low priority for the devs for the moment. The Hamster Kombat roadmap includes gameplay upgrades like “Squad Kombat,” but by far the most focus is on an upcoming airdrop, with a token that is promised to be integrated into gameplay. It seems iffy to release your token before anything resembling an actual game, so between that and the fact that the financial tease is probably leading to a lot of people wasting their lives clicking on a phone, the hamsters get a “D” on tokenomics.

Pixels (Web Browser)Onboarding: C

Gameplay: A

Graphics: A+

Tokenomics: A

Proof that low-hanging fruit can be delicious. Pixels is a resource-gathering and building game, a bit like Farmville, but with a lot more style. Even the writing is good, in its cutesy way, which is really notable. There are also promised and plausible extensions into more active forms of gameplay, such as dungeons, but the simple harvest-cooking-sale loop is already satisfying in itself. There are definitely periods of downtime in the early game, but that’s what you’re signing up for – this is a game you can run in the background and check in on every once in a while (I’m making Popberry Jam while I write this).

The graphics and overall vibes of the game are also excellent. The game is designed in a nostalgic 8-bit style, one seeming reason that Pixels actually has NFT imports. You can play as your Pudgy Penguin or Bored Ape, and the Pixels team has guidelines that allow any collection to submit game versions of PFPs. This unambiguously rocks, increasing the value of the entire Web3 space, and reflecting what seems to be the team’s more general deep alignment with crypto ideas and values. At the same time, there’s an outright downplaying of the possibility of massive growth in token prices, which is equally refreshing.

In what will become a theme, however, I was annoyed by Pixels’ onboarding process, which frankly seems to directly contradict the care and values on display elsewhere in the game. While Metamask login is teased, it no longer works for new players, who must instead download and install a boutique wallet for Sky Mavis’ Ronin Network – an EVM chain that has its own flavor of Wrapped Ether (WETH), but otherwise seems to only handle assets on Mavis’ own Ronin Network. This is an illustration of a common misalignment of incentives in Web3 gaming: there are big incentives to use an attractive game to rope users into your niche network, instead of improving interoperability by using a more widespread public network. It’s a toxic dynamic the industry should be wary of.

Gods Unchained (PC, Mac, iOS, Android)Onboarding: B

Gameplay: A

Graphics: A

Tokenomics: B

It’s time for a horrifying confession: In 2019, I decided to spend money on Gods Unchained NFT cards instead of buying a Cryptopunk. I could have retired by now on a Punk or two, but it is illegal for anyone to make fun of me for my choices. (Mostly, buying a Punk was just incomprehensibly complex back then.)

In 2019, Gods Unchained was a concept rather than a working game, so I am ecstatic to report that not only has it become a game, it has become a really good game, with a blockchain use case that makes sense. It also has really solid user and trading metrics, with more than 200,000 holders recently trading over $250,000 worth of NFT-based cards per day. I also had great luck with matchmaking – casual queues are very short, indicating a lot of players are online actually playing, not just trading.

One possible criticism of Gods Unchained is that it’s, in essence, a copy of Hearthstone, the World of Warcraft-based CCG. Of course, there are other digital card games out there with similar-enough formats and gameplay, but GU has detailed similarities, down to the points and stats of specific (reskinned) cards. Honestly, though, there’s no real shame in that – Hearthstone is an incredible game, and, having familiar mechanics, makes GU quick to jump into.

Gods Unchained also looks and plays great, though its designs and illustrations are quite generic. Specifically, the way the game marks the rarity of cards is pretty opaque, muting one major fun part of playing a CCG.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t downsides. GU becoming part of the “Immutable Passport” ecosystem adds a seemingly pointless layer of intermediation. Why can’t I just sign in with Ethereum via Metamask, where my cards are, and which the game ultimately connects to anyway? Plus, Immutable itself uses Google or email login rather than its own wallet – which seems convenient until you remember this is an entirely superfluous step already. On the other hand, I was surprised by how smoothly I was able to connect back to my pre-Immutable GU account.

Finally, the tokenomics of Gods Unchained barely matter … and that’s great. You earn cards and packs for playing in a way that, again, will be familiar to Hearthstone players. And there are daily quests that can earn you $GODS tokens, which I would assume can be swapped for real money somehow. But, in stark contrast to Hamster Kombat, these are nice bonuses for playing a game that’s inherently rewarding – not bribes for endlessly clicking on a static image.

Guild of Guardians (iOS and Android)Onboarding: A

Gameplay: F

Graphics and presentation: D

Tokenomics: C

I’ll admit up front this is Not for Me, but somehow, this dungeon roguelite auto-battler with actual animation is less engaging than clicking a still image in Hamster Kombat. “Auto-battlers” strike me as bleak artifacts of our era, games that play themselves with the goal of producing player satisfaction without player effort or skill. In the case of Guild of Guardians, the only gameplay seems to be tapping a few heroic special abilities, if you feel like it – but you’ll “win” either way. I wrote this review while the game was playing for me, and I don’t think I missed much.

The game is also aesthetically janky as hell, from middling graphics to truly bad interface and design, and generally feels like it was built by contractors working to an investor spec rather than actual game designers. On the plus side, it was seamless to log in to, and I didn’t get a cringey crypto-based sales pitch. On the other hand, I can’t imagine any human ever caring about this game enough to connect a crypto wallet to it, and its backend tokenomics are utter boilerplate, with a vesting schedule that seems to privilege insiders.

Rumble Racing Star (PC, Mac)Onboarding: C

Gameplay: D

Graphics and Presentation: D

Tokenomics: F

One thing I noticed during these reviews is that many games built or backed in Asia still appear to be in a token-bubble mindset. The homepage of Rumble Racing Star is a good example, starting with an immediate pop-up encouraging users to spin a wheel and win obscure crypto tokens and NFT prizes. At the same time, I was unable to find any meaningful description of the game’s token design from the front page. Where you’d normally find a white paper there’s only a vague gameplay description.

Unfortunately, the game itself reflects this – it’s basic and, to be blunt, janky as hell. At its core it’s a Mario Kart knockoff with lawnmowers for carts, but the tracks, characters, and vehicles are uninspired, and worst of all, the controls are unreliable and “squishy.” This surely isn’t the last we’ll see of blockchain games that haven’t figured out that they have to be good games first – but hopefully, they’re a dying breed.

12345678910

Gods Unchained, a digital collectible card game, topped CryptoSlam’s non-fungible token (NFT) sales chart on Wednesday for the second consecutive day, though it recorded a drop from the previous day.

Gods Unchained had over US$612,000 in sales on Wednesday, down from US$930,000 on Tuesday.

The Immutable network, where Gods Unchained resides, recorded over US$806,000 in total sales on Wednesday, which was the fifth in the industry.

Ethereum led all chains in NFT sales with US$4.37 billion.

The second-ranking collection for the day was DMarket on the Mythos network. The collection, which represents in-game items, had US$539,193 in daily sales across 26,277 transactions.

Solana Monkey Business took the third spot with daily sales of US$567,134 across 117 transactions. The Solana-based collection has been climbing the all-time charts.

It currently has US$207.7 million in all-time trades and is eyeing the 30th spot, now occupied by SATS, a BRC-20 NFT set, with US$211.4 million.

The Solana blockchain, hosting the Solana Monkey Business collection, reported total sales of US$3.13 million for the day, the second-highest sales tally among blockchains.

DogeZuki Collection on Solana came in fifth for the day with US$414,755 in sales, while c_HyPC on Ethereum came in sixth with US$338,791.

Post Views: 23,082

Gods Unchained stole the spotlight after topping the NFT collections ranking, courtesy of strong sales. GODS registered a ‘God candle’ as whales demonstrated an interest in the project. Play-to-earn game Gods Unchained [GODS] has experienced a surge in activity in the last two days as the crypto market enjoyed some bullish relief. This contrasted with the slow situation that has gripped the market for weeks.

Recent data indicated a strong uptick in Gods Unchained-related activity. This included transaction activity, especially in relation to in-game NFTs.

According to Cryptoslam.io, Gods Unchained had the highest NFT sales in the last 24 hours at $761,618. This represented a 12.76% uptick during the same period.

Source: Cryptoslam The number of Gods Unchained-related transactions rose by 68.65% during the same 24-hour period and to 89% in the last seven days.

Gods Unchained: Who is driving the momentum? The surge in demand for Gods Unchained NFTs correlated with the demand for the game’s native token. AMBCrypto’s analysis revealed that the robust momentum was whale-driven.

The large holders net flow metric revealed that large holders net flows surged by 952,830 GODS in the last two days.

Source: IntoTheBlock But how has this affected the GODS price? The token pulled off an impressive 221% uptick in the last seven days, with most of the gains occurring between the 15th and the 17th of July.

This aligned with the surge in NFT trading activity that we observed during the same period.

Source: TradingView Pump and dump, or the start of a major rally? GODS’ chart revealed that its price traded at $0.3696 at press time, which represented a 12.46% dip in the last 24 hours. So, there was some profit-taking after the bullish bounce this week.

The dip also signaled that the momentum might not be backed by continuous demand.

Zooming out on the price chart, AMBCrypto discovered that the massive price surge this week occurred after bouncing from near its lowest historic levels.

Therefore, we will continue observing to see if the recent whale activity may attract more attention towards the GODS token and the Gods Unchained game.

If so, there is a likelihood that the bullish momentum might be sustained for longer.

In summary, although the recent price surge and the associated demand for the GODS token has triggered some excitement, there is still a long way to go.

Read Gods Unchained [GODS] Price Prediction 2024-25

GODS peaked at $8.34 during the 2021 bull run, and it traded at a 95% discount from its all-time high at press time.

Therefore, the GODS token may offer significant gains for traders if it sustained robust bullish demand in the next few months. The fact the game is still registering healthy activity is a good sign. 

Table of contents

Over the recent 7 days, the non-fungible tokens saw a significant rise in sales. The top NFT collections over this week in terms of sales take into account Solana Monkey Business, DMarket, DogeZuki Collection, Guild of Guardians Heroes, and Gods Unchained Cards. The well-known NFT data aggregator CryptoSlam has provided the respective ranking of the NFT projects.

Solana Money Business Maintains Its Top Position among the Top NFT Projects in Terms of Sales According to the platform, Solana Monkey Business took the 1st position among the NFT collections witnessing significant sales. In this respect, the non-fungible token collection recorded sales of up to $4,185,567 worth this week. This figure indicates a decline of nearly 18.42% in Solana Money Business’ sales over this period. The Mythos-based NFT collection DMarket witnessed $4,108,309 in terms of sales during this week.

CryptoSlam added that DMarket went through a dip of 0.54% in the recent seven days. After that, another Solana-based DogeZuki Collection occupied the 3rd place with sales of nearly $3,291,844 worth. Dissimilar to the above-mentioned two NFT collections, the DogeZuki Collection saw a rise in its sales rather than a slump. The NFT collection experienced a 3.12% in its sales this week. A week ago, the Gods Unchained Cards NFT was standing at the 3rd spot while DogeZuki Collection obtained the 4th position. Additionally, $?? BRC-20 NFT was the 5th on the list at that time.

Gods Unchained Cards Drops from 3rd to 5th Spot The Immutable-Zk-based Guild of Guardians Heroes obtained the 4th spot in the list with a sales volume of almost $3,099,078 worth. The NFT collection made a remarkable spike of up to 235.80%. The last entry in the list includes the Immutable-based Gods Unchained Cards. The NFT collection secured the 5th position with a sales volume of $2,766,701 worth. However, as per CryptoSlam, it went through a 21.12% plunge in sales over the above-mentioned time.

AUTHOR

Umair Younas is a cryptocurrency-related content writer linked with this work since 2019. Here, at Blockchainreporter, he serves as a news and article writer. He is a crypto, blockchain, NFTs, DeFi, and FinTech enthusiast. He has strong command over writing authentic reviews about brokers and exchanges and he has collaborated with our education team to write educational content as well. He has a dream to raise awareness among people about digital currencies. His works are well-researched and brimmed with information hence they provide fresh insights. Stay tuned to his posts if you want to stay up-to-date with the crypto-verse.

Gods Unchained, a trading card game on Ethereum layer-2 network Immutable zkEVM, announced the launch of a battle pass ahead of its upcoming season and the new Fallen Age expansion coming on February 18.

The pass, which comes has one free tier and two paid tiers of premium rewards, will be available for pre-purchase from February 9 to February 17, offering users a 25% discount on the top two tracks, Premium and Shiny which are priced at $6.99 and $39.99 respectively. 

With each pass tier, users are granted perks like new exclusive cosmetics, as well core card packs and Fallen Age packs from the new expansion.

As users move up tracks, they are granted additional perks like the Gods Unchained token (GODS) on Ethereum. Purchases of Premium or Shiny tracks will offer users 28 and 47 GODS tokens respectively, approximately $3.35 and $5.63 worth at current prices, with additional GODS rewards available as they play through the season.

The Fallen Age expansion set that arrives with battle pass season one will feature 56 cards, with seven legendaries and seven mythic variants, including two new gameplay mechanic cards: “Wither” and “Raid.” 

Gods Unchained released its Tower of Dread expansion pack in October. The turn-based card game is available and free to play on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

An under-the-radar virtual reality metaverse altcoin teased an upcoming app release on the new Apple Vision Pro headset and surged by more than 24% in a matter of hours on Friday.

Victoria VR (VR) is a blockchain-based virtual reality metaverse powered by the 3D creation tool Unreal Engine.

[adinserter block="1"]

The massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) advertises realistic graphics, a digital real estate marketplace and non-fungible token (NFT) trading.

The project’s native token, VR, was trading around $0.0347 when Victoria VR teased a new release on the Apple Vision Pro just before 6 am PST on Friday.

By around 9 am PST, it had surged to a high of $0.0432, though it has since partially retraced and is trading at $0.0374. The 256th-ranked crypto asset by market cap is also up nearly 66% in the past seven days.

The Apple Vision Pro is the tech giant’s first 3D camera. It launched in US stores on Friday and offers immersive viewing for games, shows and movies.

Additionally, the Seychelles-based crypto exchange giant Bitget listed VR in its innovation zone on Friday morning.

Despite the token’s price gains this week, VR remains nearly 94% down from its all-time high of $0.616, which it set back in December 2021, according to CoinGecko.

Generated Image: Midjourney

Table of contents

Victoria VR, a leading virtual reality developer, has announced a pioneering integration with OpenAI into its AI Builder. This historic collaboration positions Victoria VR as the first Web3 project to fuse artificial intelligence with virtual reality, offering unprecedented capabilities in VR content creation.

Empowering Creators with No-Code VR Development Victoria’s VR AI Builder is a user-friendly platform that democratizes virtual reality design. It allows individuals, regardless of their programming knowledge, to craft their own virtual realities, games, and applications. Users can monetize their creations, whether they are games, digital shops, interactive showrooms, virtual offices, online schools, or entirely new VR worlds.

The integration of OpenAI into Victoria’s VR AI Builder promises to unlock a plethora of new creative avenues. It facilitates the design of custom in-game items, virtual accessories, characters, and even entire Metaverses. With OpenAI prompts, users can generate bespoke VR content effortlessly, eliminating the need for coding and enabling the on-demand creation of rich digital spaces.

AI-Powered Content Creation and Rapid Prototyping Scheduled for a late 2024 rollout, the OpenAI integration will be the first of many AI technologies to be incorporated into Victoria’s VR AI Builder. Additional AI capabilities, including DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, will further enhance the platform’s functionalities, accelerating the content creation process.

By integrating these advanced AI technologies, Victoria VR enables users to design intricate 3D assets and environments with ease. The platform empowers creators to bring their imaginative VR worlds to life, supporting mini-games and Metaverse applications built using the Victoria’s VR AI Builder.

One of the standout features of Victoria VR is its support for content rendering as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). Creators maintain full ownership and control over their digital assets, allowing them to trade and monetize their VR content as they see fit. This innovative approach transforms users into creators, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of unique VR experiences.

Victoria VR sets itself apart with its ultra-realistic graphics and immersive gameplay, delivering a top-tier virtual reality Metaverse experience. Compatible with devices like Apple Vision Pro, Oculus Quest 3, and others, Victoria VR harnesses the power of virtual reality and Web3 technology to create a unique digital realm filled with endless possibilities.

Breaking Down Barriers in VR Development The traditional complexities associated with VR development, such as coding, texture mapping, model creation, and animation, often deter many from entering the VR space. However, Victoria VR’s AI Builder aims to remove these barriers, making virtual reality development accessible to everyone. This accessibility is further supported by the $VR tokens, which drive the Victoria VR ecosystem.

Victoria VR is a cutting-edge Virtual Reality Metaverse equipped with the VR AI Builder, empowering users to create, trade, and monetize VR content as NFTs. Built on Unreal Engine, Victoria VR leverages the latest advancements in virtual reality technology to offer immersive entertainment, discovery, and learning experiences. As the first Web3 Metaverse available on Apple Vision Pro, Victoria VR is paving the way for the future of the Metaverse.

In essence, Victoria VR’s integration of OpenAI marks a significant milestone in the evolution of virtual reality and the Metaverse. By combining the power of AI with user-friendly VR development tools, Victoria VR is poised to redefine the landscape of virtual reality, unlocking new realms of creativity and innovation for creators and users alike.

AUTHOR

Mushumir Butt is a seasoned crypto journalist with over three years of experience reporting on the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency. At Blockchain Reporter, he delivers insightful news, in‐depth project reviews, and precise price analysis and predictions. With a strong background in SEO and digital marketing, Mushumir excels at breaking down complex trends into clear, accessible content, ensuring readers stay ahead in the fast‐paced crypto space.

Today, Victoria VR, a leading virtual reality developer, announced breakthrough news of integration with OpenAI that might be a game changer in implementing how AI-based virtual worlds’ capabilities are done.

Revolutionizing virtual reality creation  Faced with democratizing the creation of virtual reality content, Victoria VR integrated OpenAI into its VR-building platform. This cutting-edge step positions Victoria VR as the first Web3 project to beautifully synthesize AI capabilities within the virtual reality environment, all to make the content creation process for VR as easy and intuitive as possible.

One of the unique points of this integration is the special Victoria VR AI Builder tool, which allows users to build their VR worlds, games, and applications from scratch without having prior programming skills. Personal features, such as characters and virtual landscapes, can be created easily and with simple instructions using the technology provided by OpenAI. Such innovative tools will further strengthen personalization in the virtual experience.

Enhancing immersion with realistic graphics and gameplay With devices like Apple Vision Pro and Oculus Quest 3, the Victoria VR metaverse is expected to provide the highest level of immersion possible with photorealistic graphics and unbeatable games. It uses the Unreal Engine and thrusts its users into scenic, beautiful fantasy environments that redefine the standards of VR technology.

The company will take these frontiers further and line up new integrations by the end of 2024 with the most futuristic artificial intelligence technologies. Such improvements will enable developers to express their ideas as a 3D asset and setting more rapidly, easing the development of game environments and other metaverse applications.

Victoria VR’s program looks forward to enabling producers to display their content as non-fungible tokens (NFT), which are attached to empowerment in the control and ownership of digital assets. This makes the approach very conducive to developing a virtual world with a friendly environment for creative production, which then, in turn, would nurture a vibrant and crowded society of producers and explorers.

Driving accessibility and engagement with $VR tokens The $VR tokens strive to enhance the VR experience, making it accessible and engaging. By doing so, Victoria VR is again at the forefront of changing the game of how people experience virtual reality, this time with simplicity and engagement like never before.

With OpenAI integrated into its platform, Victoria VR’s goal is to democratize access to and creation of virtual reality content. This frontier effort will open up new chances to innovate and personalize within the virtual world and thus vividly emerge in a lively manner in VR.

This is big; the integration with OpenAI is a major milestone for AI-powered virtual worlds by Victoria VR in its virtual reality builder. With hopes to empower users, expand creative horizons, and ensure accessibility, Victoria VR is a poised brand that turns the tides in the landscape of virtual reality, all for an altogether immersive and engaging product for the creator and explorer alike. Being a pioneer in the metaverse revolution, Victoria VR brings massive new opportunities for the future of VR.

Original Story From https://hackernoon.com/the-dawn-of-ai-powered-virtual-worlds-victoria-vr-leads-with-openai