The war between the luxury industry and counterfeiters is a story as old as the goods themselves, with many normalizing the concept of vendors filling busy city streets with realistic-looking knock-offs and finding quality dupes online. Sadly, what few realize is the impact that counterfeiters have on the economy as a whole, a reality that has forced many companies to invest in ultra-sophisticated tech solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) to verify the authenticity of their products. When technology hasn’t been an option, brands have looked to the government for their power to seize and destroy fake goods in an …

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has launched a $600 million fund dedicated to gaming startups with a focus on Web3, saying it believes “Games infrastructure and technologies will be key building blocks of the Metaverse.” Dubbed Games Fund One, the fund will invest in three main areas: game studios, consumer applications — which support player communities, with Discord used as an example — and gaming infrastructure providers. The a16z team said “The coming Metaverse will be built by games companies, using games technologies” and that the industry has already “solved many of the problems that need to be solved …

After decentralized finance (DeFi) and nonfungible tokens (NFTs) made headlines last year, the play-to-earn concept has also been gaining momentum across the crypto community. Play-to-earn games allow players worldwide to benefit from the security and decentralization features of blockchain by getting rewarded with digital currencies or NFTs. There are many gaming companies adopting the play-to-earn approach, but one blockchain gaming company brings this model to the horror genre. FEAR, a horror ecosystem founded by Jonathan and Patrick Carey, is providing horror fans with a scary ecosystem of games, NFTs, and a dark metaverse. Horror is one of the most-watched gaming …

As the world accelerates towards a decentralized future, Fireblocks, a digital assets custody platform, announced the launch of their new Web3 Engine to help foster the development of the Web3 ecosystem. The company announced on Tuesday that the dedicated Web3 engine includes a set of tools for developers to create products and services in decentralized finance (DeFi), GameFi and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Fireblocks has also opened up a world of decentralized apps (DApps), exchanges, NFT marketplaces and more for alternative asset managers and capital market participants. "Web3 is the future," said Michael Shaulov, CEO of Fireblocks, adding that "we’ve already …

With nonfungible tokens (NFTs) quickly rising to value, more and more people want to go all-in on this asset class. But, as any wise investor would encourage, the value of investing is in diversification. Leveraging this strategy, investors can balance short-term risks with a well-diversified portfolio while exposing it to the most long-term growth potential. The only downside is that tracking these assets, which are often managed on different applications, is another story. Retail investors have to juggle multiple financial apps to stay on top of the market, making it nearly impossible to get an overarching view of their investments. …

How to protect kids and teens in the Metaverse Protecting young individuals is a shared responsibility. Therefore, parents must closely monitor their children’s activities in the Metaverse. As with anything else, the Metaverse has its advantages and disadvantages. As a parent, being aware of these risks and taking measures to protect your children from them is paramount. To start with, closely monitor your child’s online activity. Restrict their access to potentially harmful content and keep a close watch on what they see and do in the Metaverse. You should also set clear rules and guidelines for using the Metaverse and …

The concept of the Metaverse has been around since the 1980s, but it has only been in recent years that we’ve seen hundreds of projects popping up on the scene. What we are currently experiencing are gamified worlds with limited integration and engagement abilities. Right now, the Metaverse is still a blank canvas for early adopters to test and entertain the concept. When looking at the future of engagement in the Metaverse and bridging the gaps between the physical and digital worlds, however, we need to push the boundaries and go beyond what is currently seen as a metaverse. Let …

Centralized exchanges (CEXs) have come a long way since they came onto the cryptocurrency scene, now becoming the most widely used platform for buying and trading digital assets. However, since their inception in 2010, exchanges have evolved significantly; their teams are now working with regulators, auditors and user experience specialists to develop institutional and public trust in blockchain technologies and their underlying cryptocurrency assets. Although originating as trusted intermediaries, these platforms have proven to be much more, delivering value in their guarantee of consumer security and protection while also opening the door to the host of new tokens being released …

Emirates, the largest airline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced that it has plans to implement Bitcoin (BTC) payments and launch nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to be traded through the company's websites. In a media gathering held at the Arabian Travel Market, the chief operating officer of Emirates, Adel Ahmed Al-Redha reportedly stated that the Dubai-based airline will be onboarding new employees who will be focused on blockchain-related projects such as the crypto payments, blockchain tracking, metaverse and NFTs. According to Al-Redha, the airline is looking into using blockchain to keep aircraft records. Additionally, the airline executive also noted that …

Authorities in the U.S. states of Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Texas and Wisconsin have filed enforcement actions against the Flamingo Casino Club for allegedly perpetrating a scam through nonfungible tokens (NFTs) tied to a metaverse casino. In a Wednesday announcement, the Alabama Securities Commission, Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, New Jersey Bureau of Securities, Texas State Securities Board and Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions alleged the Flamingo Casino Club has been “fraudulently soliciting NFTs” it claims are tied to ownership rights of a casino in the metaverse, thereby giving token holders a share of any profits. The organization has allegedly …

By definition, a metaverse is a network containing a series of two and three-dimensional virtual worlds where users can interact and develop powerful social connections as a part of a larger community. While many look to current Web2 platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as fulfilling the need for community, the reality is that their foundations rely on centralization and a leader. Therefore, despite their best efforts, these communities will never provide the foundation that a group of like-minded people needs to achieve their goals, at least without some friction. Blockchain technology and effectively decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) become a …

Blockchain-based gaming has exploded in the last year. As technology continues to transform how users interact with digital assets, gaming has been at the center of all of the action. We have seen the rise of blockchain games without the need for traditional gamers. However, the existing gaming communities are an essential part of the future of gaming. A South Korean gaming company Wemade, the creator of the WEMIX platform, recognizes that blockchain game developers must bring the entire gaming community into the fold when enhancing the overall gaming experience. The vast majority of gamers would believe that the core …