Evening News ｜DCG shuts down its wealth management department; MetaMask removes Wyre from mobile aggregator

Organizer: flowie, ChainCatcher

"What Important Events Happened in the Last 24 Hours"

1. DCG Shuts Down Its Wealth Management Division
According to The Information, DCG's Genesis Global Trading has just announced further layoffs and the closure of a wealth management division called HQ Digital.

It is reported that HQ manages over $3.5 billion in assets. A DCG spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. (Source link)

2. MetaMask: Wyre Removed from Mobile Aggregator, Please Do Not Use Wyre

MetaMask's official Twitter stated, "Wyre has been removed from our mobile aggregator, please do not use Wyre. We are currently working to remove the extension, thank you for your patience. Apple Pay, credit cards, and bank transfers are still available through Transak, MoonPay, and Sardine (U.S. only)."

Previously, Axios reported that crypto payment provider Wyre is allegedly shutting down. A former employee cited an email from Wyre CEO Ioannis Giannaros stating that the company would liquidate and terminate services as soon as possible this month. Another former employee indicated that the company did not provide any severance pay. However, Giannaros responded to Axios that the company is still operating and plans to downsize soon. (Source link)

3. Huobi Plans to Lay Off About 20%, Appoints New Head of Human Resources

According to Reuters, Huobi committee member Justin Sun stated that the cryptocurrency exchange Huobi plans to lay off about 20% of its staff and mentioned that "structural adjustments" have not yet begun, with expectations to complete in the first quarter. Additionally, BlockBeats reported that an internal letter from Huobi indicated that due to the need for organizational upgrades and business development, the head of the group's human resources department will be concurrently held by Ryan Wang, the head of the group's internal audit, with Mike Hu no longer serving in that role.

Earlier reports indicated that insiders had stated at the end of 2022 that Huobi would continue layoffs in 2023, with an expected scale of 40%. Currently, Huobi has approximately 1,600 employees. Meanwhile, some Huobi employees will re-sign contracts, recalculate their years of service, and the distribution of five social insurances and one housing fund subsidy will be canceled. (Source link)

4. Ark Invest Increases Holdings in Coinbase Stock Worth $5 Million Again

Cathie Wood's asset management company Ark Invest has increased its holdings in Coinbase stock worth $5 million again. Coinbase's stock price closed down 11.06% at $33.53 on Thursday.

Previously, it was reported that a week ago, on December 30, Ark Invest had increased its holdings in Coinbase stock worth $5 million. (Source link)

5. SBF Files Lawsuit to Prevent Debtors from Controlling His $450 Million Stake in Robinhood

According to The Block, FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has filed a lawsuit in court attempting to prevent debtors from controlling his $450 million stake in Robinhood. SBF's attorney argued that these shares do not belong to any FTX-related entity currently in bankruptcy proceedings, and that SBF needs the money to pay for his legal fees. The 56.2 million shares were previously purchased by SBF and another FTX co-founder, Gary Wang, through a special purpose vehicle, Emergent Fidelity Technology. (Source link)

6. Multisignature Wallet Solution MSafe Completes $5 Million Seed Round Financing, Led by Jump Crypto

The Aptos ecosystem multisignature wallet solution MSafe announced today that it has completed a $5 million seed round financing, led by Jump Crypto, with participation from Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Superscrypt (founded by Temasek), Redpoint Ventures, SV Angel, Shima Capital, and Spartan Group.

It is reported that MSafe has currently integrated 12 major projects in the Aptos ecosystem, including Dex (LiquiditySwap), NFT marketplace (Souffl3), cross-chain bridge (Wormhole), decentralized finance protocol Aris market, and stablecoin provider Thala labs. (Source link)

7. Digital Collectibles Platform Candy Digital Completes A1 Round Financing, Led by Galaxy and ConsenSys Mesh

Digital collectibles platform Candy Digital announced that it has completed its A1 round financing, led by Galaxy and ConsenSys Mesh, with participation from 10T Holdings and ConsenSys. Specific financing terms have not been disclosed.

It is reported that Candy Digital was launched in 2021, with the mission of developing the fan economy through digital collectibles and experiences. It will continue to expand its flagship digital product business, including ICON trading cards, tickets, and more. By establishing new partnerships with ConsenSys Mesh and ConsenSys, Candy will accelerate the development of its platform, tools, and experience capabilities. (Source link)

"What Exciting Articles Are Worth Reading in the Last 24 Hours"

1. "Redline DAO In-Depth Research: Why We Are Optimistic About the Future of Web3 Wallets?"

Wallets are not only the first entry point for Web3 but also the foundation for the development of on-chain domains (such as ENS), soul-bound tokens, decentralized identifier systems, etc. Without a secure wallet environment, the construction of Web3 Lego lacks a solid foundation. Redline DAO explains from multiple dimensions why we are optimistic about the future of Web3 wallets.

2. "Bankless: Review of 2022 Predictions and Trends Forecast for 2023"

Bankless summarized the results of its 2022 team predictions, including founders Ryan Sean Adams, David Hoffman, and analyst William M. Peaster, and made predictions for trends in 2023.

Founder Ryan Sean Adams gave an overall grade of C- for the 2022 predictions, with successful predictions including L2 market cap entering the top 10, the development of DAOs, and the expansion of NFTs. His predictions for 2023 include: crypto market cap eventually exceeding $2 trillion, Ethereum dropping to three digits, and DeFi returning to $125 billion TVL, etc.

3. "Selling $12 Million in 12 Minutes, How Did the Comedy Community 9GAG Heat Up Memeland?"

At the beginning of 2023, Memeland became one of the hottest projects in the NFT market with the release of its latest NFT series, with many notable milestone events throughout its development over the past year. This article will attempt to interpret how 9GAG has gradually transitioned from a Web2 content company to Web3 through the Memeland NFT brand.