A blockchain project that's building an ecosystem for the future of NFTs, gaming and the Metaverse has unveiled an exciting new partnership. Funganomics has signed a marketing partnership agreement with Polygon Studios — and plan to work together closely in the coming years. It's being described as a perfect fit. While Polygon has over 39,000 projects in its ecosystem, Funganomics boasts a wide array of exciting technologies. Work is currently taking place on a new Layer 2 solution for Funganomics that's set to deliver scalability, sustainability and reduced infrastructure costs. At the beating heart of this crypto project is Fungatopia, …

The metaverse is a futuristic iteration of the internet, featuring a digital economy and an immersive virtual environment alongside other interactive features. This relatively nascent space has gained so much traction in recent years that conservative estimates suggest that by 2024, its total valuation could top $800 billion. Meta (the parent body behind Facebook and Instagram), Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Nike and others have made Fortune-100-sized metaverse splashes. But with great valuations comes great scrutiny from increasingly tech-savvy financial regulators. Unlike traditional tech products, which often spend years putting growth over revenue, some metaverse projects push questionable monetization schemes on their …

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has just launched a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) providing European customers with exposure to the blockchain industry, while reports indicate a Metaverse-focused ETF may be on the way. The newly launched blockchain ETF on Sept. 27 is called the iShares Blockchain Technology UCITS ETF (BLKC). BlackRock said 75% of its holdings consist of blockchain companies such as miners and exchanges, while the other 25% are companies that support the blockchain ecosystem. The fund includes 35 global companies out of a total of 50 holdings, which also includes fiat cash and derivatives, but does not …

Crypto enthusiasts love to party — And now, a new project has been launched that caters exclusively to clubbers. Klubcoin is championing a new concept called “party-to-earn,” meaning members of its community can gain VIP access to “insane” experiences. The project says it has already attracted support from some of the world’s biggest clubs, festivals and electronic music brands, such as Amnesia Ibiza, Festicket, Clubbing TV, Bootshaus, Caprices Festival and DJ Mag. A crucial goal for Klubcoin is to deliver experiences “money can’t buy” that are curated specially for users. Exclusive events are going to be held in real life …

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy has announced a new headquarters located where anyone in the world can visit — the Metaverse. According to the Gulf News, the announcement was made on Sept. 28 by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri during the Dubai Metaverse Assembly, with the minister stating “this is not a proof of concept, this is our third address” before giving a live tour of the virtual headquarters. The headquarters will feature a multiple story building, each serving a different purpose. Visitors will be able to take a ticket, which will prompt a …

The main cast from the cult-classic film Napoleon Dynamite are reuniting for an animated series which will be released through blockchain technology. According to a Sept. 27 report from Hollywood news outlet Deadline, the stars from Napoleon Dynamite have all signed on to voice characters in CyKo KO, an animated rendition of Rob Feldman’s comic book bearing the same name, with a 12-minute pilot to launch on Web3 streaming service Rewarded.TV. Napoleon Dynamite is an indie-comedy from 2004 that developed a cult following across the globe despite being shot in just 22 days and having a limited budget of $400,000. …

Kevin Shao, Executive President of the Asia Blockchain Gaming Alliance (ABGA) says he’s holding out hope for three “triple-A” blockchain gaming titles that could help propel GameFi into the mainstream and rescue it from the bear market. Speaking to Cointelegraph during Asia Crypto Week, the Executive President said one obstacle preventing mainstream adoption is current GameFi titles often have a focus on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and play-to-earn (P2E) features without caring about “game performance,” and users' enjoyment. In a P2E model, gamers typically buy an NFT in order to play the game and can win gaming tokens which can then …

American retail giant Walmart has taken its first steps into the Metaverse with the launch of Walmart Land and Walmart's Universe of Play on Roblox. According to the company's Monday announcement, Walmart Land focuses on "immersive experiences" with key features including a physics-defying Ferris wheel, unlockable tokens and badges, an interactive piano walkway and a D.J. booth for users. See Walmart like never before Walmart Land is our new world on #ROBLOX with fun & games for all. From film to fashion — whatever you’re into, let’s have some fun with it. Come for the inspo, stay for the verch …

The Walt Disney Company could be on the verge of expanding into the crypto space after posting a new job for an “experienced corporate attorney” to work on “emerging technologies” such as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse. According to the Sept. 23 listing on the Disney careers website, the company is hiring for a “Principal Counsel — Corporate Transactions, Emerging Technologies & NFTs” to work on transactions involving NFTs, the Metaverse, blockchain, and decentralized finance (DeFi). Specifically the entertainment conglomerate is seeking someone to provide “full product life cycle legal advice and support for global NFT products" and ensure …

It’s time to move on from the Bored Ape Yacht Club. They’re bad for nonfungible tokens (NFTs). They give critics ammo and distract from the technology, which is where the real value lies. For those on the outside looking in, NFTs are nothing more than overpriced monkey JPEGs. Or whichever choice of animated animal profile picture is in the firing line. NFTs, of course, are much more than that. But, because of Bored Apes, and the countless imitations they’ve spawned, NFTs are getting a bad rep. “Bubble,” “money laundering” and “scams” are all terminology associated by critics with the new …

Blockchain company Zilliqa is launching a Web3 focused console with a cryptocurrency wallet and mining capabilities, along with featuring gaming titles from the company. On Sept. 23, prototype images were released showing an array of ports including HDMI, Ethernet and USB connections, although full hardware specifications and the price of the unit remain guarded. The console itself looks similar to something from Xbox, but has two green panels on the top. The #Zilliqa gaming console seems to be taking a page form the OG Xbox playbook by putting letter into the hardware design.$ZIL #web3 #playtoearn pic.twitter.com/mln1kiUrwD — ChaseRaz (@ChaseRaz) September …

Some may argue that the Metaverse has been around for years, as demonstrated by early gaming platforms, yet virtual ecosystems are now being embraced by almost every industry. A recent report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company believes that the Metaverse has the potential to generate at least $5 billion in value by 2030. McKinsey also found that investments exceeding $120 billion have been put toward Metaverse platforms this year, indicating that major growth is underway. While notable, there is still the perception that most metaverse platforms are lacking when it comes to graphic quality. For example, Mark Zuckerberg was …