Weekly News Highlights | BlockFi has filed for bankruptcy restructuring; Uniswap launches NFT aggregation trading platform

整理：润升，ChainCatcher

Important News

1. "WETH FUD" Originator: WETH Will Never Depeg, the Joke Was Just to Test Who Reads This Content

On November 28, news spread widely on Twitter about a joke regarding the depegging of Wrapped Ethereum (WETH), which many believed to be true. The original poster and spreader of the related news was blockchain developer and contributor to the ERC-721A token standard @cygaar, who later responded in a post that "WETH depegging" was actually a "bullshit post," "to see who is reading my content."

Prior to this, @cygaar had tweeted that WETH would never depeg. WETH will always be redeemable 1:1 with ETH. The code and logic are very simple. In fact, it only requires 60 lines of code to implement. (Source link)

2. Foreign Media: BlockFi Has Filed for Bankruptcy Reorganization, Currently Holding $256.9 Million in Cash

On November 29, according to Bussiness Wire, crypto lending company BlockFi and its eight subsidiaries have filed for bankruptcy reorganization in New Jersey bankruptcy court. BlockFi will focus on recovering all debts owed to it by its counterparties (including FTX and related entities). BlockFi currently holds $256.9 million in cash, and platform services will remain suspended. (Source link)

3. Huobi and Dominica Jointly Launch National Token DMC to Accelerate Globalization Strategy

On November 29, according to an official announcement from Huobi, Huobi, TRON, DMC Labs, and the government of Dominica have reached the highest level of cooperation, authorizing the joint launch of the Dominica national token (DMC) and digital identity (DID).

It is reported that DMC is a token issued based on the TRC-20 protocol, which will be officially sold through Huobi Prime. DMC holders will be granted a Dominica national digital identity, enjoying citizen status in the digital world. The use cases for DMC include: KYC identity verification on mainstream trading platforms, opening bank accounts locally, applying for credit loans, registering digital service companies, etc. (Source link)

4. Animoca Brands Plans to Launch a $2 Billion Metaverse Fund

On November 30, according to Nikkei, Animoca Brands co-founder and CEO Yat Siu stated that the company plans to launch a fund of up to $2 billion to invest in metaverse businesses, describing the planned fund as a "good entry point for Web3 businesses." (Source link)

5. Kraken Announces Global Layoffs of 1,100 Employees, About 30% of Its Total Workforce

On December 1, crypto trading platform Kraken announced it would lay off 1,100 employees globally, about 30% of its total workforce, to withstand the crypto winter phase. (Source link)

6. Uniswap Officially Launches NFT Aggregation Trading Platform, Airdropping Approximately 5 Million USDC to Genie Historical Users

On December 1, Uniswap tweeted that it officially launched its NFT aggregation trading platform, airdropping approximately 5 million USDC to Genie historical users and providing gas refunds to the first 22,000 NFT users.

It is reported that Uniswap's NFT aggregator provides listings from all major NFT markets, including OpenSea, X2Y2, Sudoswap, LooksRare, etc. The Universal Router smart contract can save 15% on gas costs. (Source link)

7. Telegram Plans to Launch Crypto Wallet and DEX

On December 1, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov stated that Telegram would continue to expand in the crypto space, advancing its crypto infrastructure and planning to launch a non-custodial crypto wallet and decentralized exchange (DEX), expected to cover millions of users.

Previously, on November 28, Telegram had supported direct trading of BTC and TON within the app's chat interface. (CoinDesk)

8. Ankr: Will Snapshot and Reissue ankrBNB, and Purchase $5 Million BNB to Compensate LPs

On December 2, Ankr tweeted that the team had assessed the losses, with the BNB value in the liquidity pool being up to $5 million. Ankr will take a snapshot and reissue ankrBNB to all valid aBNBc holders before the exploit. The ankrBNB token will remain redeemable, while aBNBc and aBNBb will no longer be redeemable. Additionally, Ankr will purchase $5 million worth of BNB to compensate liquidity providers affected by the exploit due to the depletion of the liquidity pool.

Earlier today, it was suspected that the deployment key of Web3 infrastructure provider Ankr was leaked, resulting in the minting of 100 trillion aBNBc. PeckShield later stated on Twitter that after Ankr was hacked, one address exploited the vulnerability to exchange 10 BNB for over 15 million BUSD and transferred the assets to Binance.

Regarding the hack on Ankr, Zhao Changpeng stated on Twitter that preliminary analysis indicated that the hack was due to the theft of the developer's private key, which led to the contract being altered to a malicious contract. Binance stopped withdrawals a few hours ago and froze $3 million worth of assets transferred to Binance by the hacker. (Source link)

9. Alibaba Cloud Has Added Support for Avalanche Validator Nodes and Infrastructure

On December 2, Alibaba Cloud announced that it had added support for Avalanche validator nodes and infrastructure, allowing users to establish validator nodes using Alibaba Cloud services and supporting Asian users with Alibaba Cloud's storage and content delivery network. (Source link)

10. Singapore Deputy Prime Minister: Singapore Has No Plans to Become a Hub for Cryptocurrency Activities

On December 2, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong stated in parliament that due to the volatility of cryptocurrencies, coupled with their lack of intrinsic value, even well-managed cryptocurrency platforms are not immune to collapse. Those engaged in cryptocurrency trading must be prepared to lose all value, and no regulation can eliminate this risk. The government and MAS have distinguished the development of an innovative and responsible digital asset ecosystem from cryptocurrency speculation and do not encourage retail public participation.

Additionally, Wong pointed out that Singapore has no plans to become a hub for cryptocurrency activities but is focused on being an innovative and responsible participant in the digital asset space. (Source link)

11. Musk: SBF May Have Donated Over $1 Billion to Support Democratic Elections

On December 3, Twitter CEO Musk stated that FTX founder SBF may have contributed over $1 billion to support Democratic elections. (Source link)

12. MetaMask Co-Founder: Ready to Abandon Apple Ecosystem and Fight Apple Tax with Coinbase

On December 3, MetaMask co-founder Dan Finlay posted on social media expressing support for the cryptocurrency industry to completely abandon the Apple App Store, stating that its 30% in-app purchase tax is a manifestation of Apple's "abuse of monopoly." Dan Finlay called for the crypto industry to unite, or else MetaMask and all other wallets would be subject to this.

Dan Finlay stated, "As of now, MetaMask is still listed in the App Store, but we will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks and months to ensure users continue to access their crypto assets without restrictions."

ChainCatcher reported on December 2 that Coinbase Wallet stated that due to Apple's requirement that Coinbase Wallet iOS must pay the gas fees required to send NFTs through its in-app purchase system, charging a 30% fee, but currently, Apple's proprietary in-app purchase system does not support crypto applications, making this issue unsolvable. Thus, Apple has blocked the release of its new version, preventing users from using the Coinbase Wallet iOS version to send NFTs. (Source link)

13. Venture Capital Fund V Ventures Acquires Zipmex Exchange for $100 Million

On December 3, it was reported that venture capital fund V Ventures has reached an acquisition agreement with crypto exchange Zipmex. Insiders revealed that the fund acquired 90% of Zipmex's shares for about $100 million in digital assets and cash, including $30 million in cash, with the remainder in cryptocurrency; Zipmex plans to use the cryptocurrency assets received from the transaction to unlock frozen customer accounts by April 2023. (Cointelegraph)

Important Financing/Venture Capital News

1. Staking Service Platform Kiln Completes €17 Million Financing, Led by Blockdaemon and Illuminate Financial

On November 28, it was reported that staking service platform Kiln completed €17 million ($17.6 million) in financing, led by Blockdaemon and Illuminate Financial, with participation from ConsenSys Mesh, Kraken Ventures, GSR, LeadBlock Partners, Sparkle Ventures, Alven, and Blue Yard Capital. This round of financing reportedly ended in October.

Currently, Kiln supports staking for Ethereum, Solana, Tezos, NEAR, Terra, and Cosmos, with plans to support more blockchains in the future. (The Block)

2. Digital Asset Fraud Detection Platform FrankieOne Completes Approximately $30 Million Financing, with Participation from Binance Labs

On November 29, it was reported by Techcrunch that digital asset fraud detection and identity verification platform FrankieOne received an additional investment of AUD 23 million (approximately USD 15.4 million), bringing its total Series A financing to AUD 45 million (approximately USD 30 million), co-led by AirTree Ventures and Greycroft, with participation from Kraken Ventures, Binance Labs, and existing investors Apex Capital, Reinventure, and Tidal Ventures.

It is reported that FrankieOne connects banks, fintechs, cryptocurrency, and gaming companies with hundreds of data sources and collaborates with 170 financial institutions worldwide, providing an API to access identity and fraud prevention providers around the globe. The company stated that its platform's revenue has quadrupled in the past 12 months. (Techcrunch)

3. Blockchain Insurtech Company Igloo Completes $46 Million Series B Financing, with Participation from Cathay Innovation

On November 29, it was reported that blockchain insurtech startup Igloo announced it had received an additional investment of $27 million, completing a total of $46 million in Series B financing, with participation from the German Development Bank KfW's InsuResilience Investment Fund II, WAM, ACA, OpenSpace, BlueOrchard, Women's World Banking Asset Management (WAM), and Finnfund.

It is reported that Igloo was founded in 2016, and the company has launched insurtech products based on blockchain smart contracts that can automatically calculate claims payouts, currently promoting applications in the Vietnamese market. (Source link)

4. Pearpop Completes $18 Million Series A Financing, with Participation from Avalanche's Blizzard Fund

On November 29, it was reported that blockchain creator marketing and collaboration platform Pearpop announced the completion of $18 million in Series A financing, with participation from Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary of Sound Ventures, Seven Seven Six, Blockchange Ventures, Avalanche's Blizzard Fund, and C2 Ventures. To date, the company's valuation has reached $300 million, with total financing exceeding $34 million.

Pearpop's two new products are the brand interaction service Ovation and the blockchain cross-platform engagement service Passport, the latter of which helps brands better understand creators' influence and audience engagement. (Source link)

5. Web3 Game Studio Roboto Games Completes $15 Million Series A Financing, Led by a16z

On November 30, it was reported by CoinDesk that Web3 game studio Roboto Games announced the completion of $15 million in Series A financing, led by a16z, with participation from Ancient8, Animoca Brands, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Harrison Metal Capital, Makers Fund, Merit Circle, Transcend, and some angel investors. The funds will be used to develop the company's second game and hire artists and marketers. To date, the company's total financing has reached $19.5 million, including seed round financing in 2019.

It is reported that Roboto Games was founded by veterans from Web2, and the team behind it created ZipZapPlay in 2007, which produced 20 social Facebook games. Roboto Games has released a fast-paced battle game called Last Mage Standing and is currently focused on developing a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game codenamed Foragers and Fighters, planning to launch an initial playable version of the game in the first quarter of 2023. The company also plans to establish a user-generated content (UGC) platform. (CoinDesk)

6. X2Y2 CEO: X2Y2 Has Nearly Secured $10 Million in Financing

On November 30, during an AMA held by X2Y2, CEO TP stated that X2Y2 has nearly secured $10 million in financing, with investors including some well-known public chain investment funds; the tokens given out in the financing are a portion of the daily reduced output, with a four-year lock-up period and no participation in dividends.

Additionally, he mentioned considering changing X2Y2's economic model, but the form and timing are uncertain, and all economic models will consider incorporating Ajin. The future direction will be towards becoming a platform that provides NFT derivatives. (Source link)

7. Crypto Market Maker Keyrock Completes $72 Million Series B Financing, with Participation from Ripple

On November 30, it was reported that crypto market maker Keyrock completed $72 million in Series B financing, with participation from Ripple, SIX FinTech Ventures, Middlegame Ventures, and others. Keyrock will use the funds to invest in infrastructure development, scalability tools, and regulatory licenses in Europe, the US, and Singapore.

It is reported that Keyrock was founded in Brussels in 2017, and before the collapse of FTX, Keyrock withdrew most of its assets from FTX, and customer funds were not affected. (CoinDesk)

8. Web3 Developer Platform Fleek Completes $25 Million Series A Financing, Led by Polychain Capital

On December 1, it was reported that Web3 developer platform Fleek completed $25 million in Series A financing, led by Polychain Capital, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Protocol Labs, Arweave, North Island Ventures, Distributed Global, The LAO, and Argonautic Ventures.

It is reported that Fleek aims to establish an interface and protocol layer that allows anyone to access the foundational layer of Web3 services and call functions such as storage, hosting, and billing. Fleek currently hosts approximately 50,000 applications on its platform, primarily focused on the Ethereum ecosystem. (Source link)