ChainCatcher news, the centralized network digital identity security development organization Holonym Foundation announced the completion of a $5.5 million seed round financing. This round of financing was led by Finality Capital and Paper Ventures, with participation from Draper Dragon, Arrington Capital, Lightshift, and others.Holonym Foundation focuses on applying cryptographic innovations and has developed three core protocols: Mishti Network, Zeronym, and Silk.Holonym co-founder Shady El Damaty stated that they are building human-centered technology principles, aiming to create a global open-source layer that enhances the digital identity capabilities of every citizen through cryptography.

According to ChainCatcher news and the official blog, the NEAR Foundation has announced the launch of *NEAR Name Tokens, a multi-chain, cross-platform digital identity suitable for Web3 and other fields.Users will be able to use these name tokens in various ways, including: as simplified wallet addresses across hundreds of different blockchain networks, as infrastructure identifiers across hundreds of different blockchain networks, as cross-platform usernames spanning various decentralized platforms (including DeFi, GameFi, SocialFi, SportFi, and other related applications), as verifiable credentials (VC) for platforms and services with which users interact, to gain unique benefits and reward programs for participating in the D3 ecosystem, and as an expression of interest in the ultimate .NEAR equivalent domain on the internet.NEAR Name Tokens have an asterisk () between the domain and the extension, for example you*near, instead of a dot (.). Part of the reason is that NEAR accounts already use the .NEAR extension, so they want to avoid confusing users.

ChainCatcher news, according to official sources, MATCH Chain CEO Petrix Barbosa stated at the TOKEN2049 DUBAI offline event that Web3 social disrupts traditional models, and digital identity allows users to experience rich social scenarios in more open protocols, ensuring data ownership and privacy. This is achieved by putting user data on-chain and decentralizing nodes to safeguard user sovereignty.MATCH is an innovative Web3 social graph running on Cosmos that empowers users with data sovereignty and provides infrastructure for Web3 developers to build novel, user-friendly DApps without permission. This event focuses on DID identity sovereignty, tokenized relationships of trust in Web3, AI-driven user experiences, and connections with industry leaders. It explores Web3 development trends together with ecosystem builders to collaboratively construct industry ecological cooperation.It is reported that TOKEN2049 Dubai will be held from April 18 to 19 in Dubai, focusing on global industry development, exploring extensive cooperation in the Web3 industry, and aiming to gather global Web3 industry elites. It will provide a platform for interaction and communication for entrepreneurs, investors, developers, industry professionals, and global media, including keynote speeches, workshops, hackathons, dinners, and various independent peripheral activities.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, Web3 digital identity startup Metropolis has announced the completion of a $1.2 million funding round, with participation from Cointelegraph Accelerator, Lamina1 Ecosystem Fund, ACS, Outlier Ventures, Protocol Labs, Primal Capital, Zephyrus Capital, Cluster Capital, EthLizards, Acacia Digital, Block Consult, IBC, and several strategic angel investors.It is reported that the core of MetropolisX is a collaborative marketplace where creators can profit and launch personalized products, while their fans can have a more immersive connection and access exclusive products, content, and experiences. The platform allows users to shape their identity using different brands and creator IPs, combining elements like Slime Sunday hoodies, Sneakerheads backgrounds, and Pet Liger accessories into a single avatar.In addition, details of Metropolis's upcoming token public sale will be announced soon, including community gamified airdrops, retail-focused presales, and launchpad. Further information will be released through an interactive white paper, which will include token economics, ecosystem partners, and product development roadmap.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, Web3 digital identity service provider Root Protocol has completed a $10 million seed funding round in two phases, led by Animoca Brands, with participation from Signum Capital, Ankr Network, CMS Holdings, and angel investors Tekin Salimi and Meltem Demirors. Root Protocol's valuation has reached $100 million.It is reported that Root Protocol is building a Web3 operating system that will serve as a digital identity aggregator, becoming "a one-stop service for all decentralized identity-related matters," to make access to different Web3 platforms more seamless.

ChainCatcher news, according to Forbes, the venture capital fund Ex/Ante, spun out from Google’s former chief Eric Schmidt's philanthropic venture capital arm Schmidt Futures, has completed a $33 million funding round to invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups. The fund has received support from companies such as Cendana Capital, Marc Andreessen, the Ford Foundation, and Union Square Ventures.It is reported that the fund's partner Michael Mosier was a top lawyer at cryptocurrency startups Espresso Systems and Chainalysis, as well as a former senior official at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice. The fund will focus on "agent technology" related to human agency and rights in the digital age, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data infrastructure, digital identity, fintech, and Web3.Ex/Ante has made 9 investments to date, including deepfake detection startup Reality Defender, consumer identity company Lockr, and self-custody company Webacy.

ChainCatcher news, according to Blockwork, Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, will launch the blockchain-based open-source digital identity protocol QuarkID in November to simplify citizens' access to public services.The QuarkID wallet is co-developed by the government and the on-chain digital identity solution company Extrimian, along with Matter Labs, the developer of zkSync Era, integrating document storage through the zkSync Era blockchain framework, with zkSync Era serving as the settlement layer for the QuarkID platform. The complete roadmap for QuarkID will be released by the end of the year.Citizens of Buenos Aires will be able to download a local wallet for the protocol to obtain important personal documents such as birth certificates and marriage certificates. Starting in November, citizens will be able to access income certificates and academic certificates in their digital wallets (which are key documents for welfare claims).

ChainCatcher news, according to EU Startups, decentralized digital identity startup Neoke, focused on the travel market, has completed a new round of financing of 1.3 million euros, with participation from Dreamcraft Ventures, ff Venture Capital, Vision Hub, and Plug & Play. The new funds will be used to develop decentralized digital identity and biometric solutions for travel.The NeoKe platform uses blockchain and cloud technology to store and share verified user identity information, enabling travelers to fully understand and control their data, and simplifying processes such as service registration, guest verification, access control, and data management by creating independent traveler profiles. (Source link)

ChainCatcher message, driven by AI and focused on developers, the digital identity ecosystem Aspecta announced a strategic investment from Spartan Group, with the specific financing amount not yet disclosed. The new funds will be used to improve the developer digital identity product Aspecta ID and to expand the developer ecosystem infrastructure globally, thereby establishing a new paradigm of data ownership, interoperability, and user experience through artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.Previously reported, the digital identity ecosystem Aspecta completed a $3.5 million seed round financing in March this year, while also announcing the global public testing plan for its flagship product Aspecta ID. (Source link)

According to ChainCatcher news, the first modular Layer3 architecture chain Nautilus Chain has launched DID digital identity. Users with whitelist eligibility can claim it for free through Galxe and QuestN, with the first batch of DID identities limited to only 100,000 pieces, available until exhausted.Holding this DID represents an early rights identity on the Nautilus Chain, which includes benefits such as receiving ecosystem project tokens or NFT airdrops, risk-free pre-mining whitelist for mining pools, whitelists for new projects on Nautilus Chain, governance investment qualifications, and obtaining investment and customized technical support as part of an independent DAO community.In addition, around this DID, the Nautilus Chain ecosystem will further build a DID system, separating identity from address, laying an early foundation for the expansion of more application scenarios and business forms in the future.

ChainCatcher News, the White House has released a national standards strategy for critical and emerging technologies, which indicates that the United States will prioritize the development of standards in eight areas, including "digital identity infrastructure and distributed ledger technology." (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, CFTC Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero urged crypto companies to verify users' digital identities and stated that Congress is considering new legislation to address issues of anonymity and digital identity.Goldsmith Romero stated, "The government and the industry need to address the primary feature that makes cryptocurrency attractive for illicit finance, which is anonymity, and must manage the risks associated with digital assets. Reducing the illicit finance risks in the cryptocurrency market requires addressing the challenges of identity verification. While public blockchains provide a degree of transparency and traceability, the use of mixers and anonymity-enhancing technologies increases the potential for significant risks." (source link)

ChainCatcher news, Desmo Labs (formerly Debond) has now launched the D/Wallet digital identity wallet based on the Source.ID solution, which has passed the compliance testing in accordance with the EU EBSI standards. The D/Wallet has been showcased on the EU EBSI official website, validating the feasibility of KYC and KYB solutions based on EIP-5851 on-chain verifiable credentials for large-scale use.The Source.ID integrated regulatory technology solution will assist Desmo Labs in the extensive use of the compliant digital asset OTC trading platform Debond, which has expanded its business to B-end real-world asset tokenization services, providing a one-stop structured financial product listing, trading, and settlement service. Based on the ERC-3475 standard and the Debond protocol, it covers a full-process solution for tokenization of small and medium-sized enterprise bonds, bankrupt company claims, real estate, commodities, intellectual property, film copyrights, and more.It is reported that the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI), under the European Commission, was established in 2018 when 29 countries (all EU member states, Norway, and Liechtenstein) and the European Commission joined forces to create the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP). The vision of EBP is to use blockchain to create cross-border services for public administration, businesses, citizens, and their ecosystems to verify information and make services trustworthy. Desmo Labs is currently committed to building infrastructure and data communication services for the RWAs track. (Source link)

ChainCatcher news, according to an exclusive report by TechCrunch, AI-driven digital identity ecosystem focused on developers, Aspecta, announced a $3.5 million seed round financing, while also unveiling its global public testing plan for its flagship product, Aspecta ID.It is reported that Aspecta's seed round financing consists of two phases: Phase A was completed in April 2022, with participation from organizations such as ZhenFund, Qiji Chuangtan (formerly YC China), UpHonest Capital, and the Yale Alumni Fund. Phase B was completed in November 2022, with participation from organizations such as HashKey Capital, Foresight Ventures, SNZ Holding, and Infinity Ventures Crypto, raising a total of $3.5 million.In addition, Aspecta has received strategic investments and donation support from project parties and ecosystems such as Galxe, CyberConnect, Mask Network, and P12. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, South Korean crypto venture capital firm Hashed has released the top 10 trends to focus on in 2023, including: 1. Improving wallet user experience and driving more adoption; 2. Decentralized social networking based on Web3 digital identity; 3. Optimizing ZKP to achieve privacy in account-based smart contract platforms; 4. Expanding programmable NFT technology represented by Dynamic NFTs;Exploring diverse NFT utilities; 6. Chain games combining strong IP and smooth experience processes to capture more users; 7. NFT-based virtual goods will build the next generation of DeFi resilient infrastructure; 8. Artificial intelligence will play an important role in blockchain game development and other areas; 9. Institutional-level finance will participate in the crypto space through blockchain infrastructure; 10. Emerging markets led by India challenge the United States' innovation dominance. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, the RNS.ID team of the Republic of Palau tweeted that Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has officially received the RNS.ID digital ID. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin's wallet address recently minted the NFT "Voyager Pass 1430," which can be used to exchange for digital identity in the Republic of Palau.It is reported that the President of the Republic of Palau, Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., signed the "Digital Residency Act" on December 22 last year. The country launched the RNS digital residency program in collaboration with Cryptic Labs this January, where digital identity holders will receive a physical ID card for identification purposes, such as hotel check-in, boarding, membership registration, and more.Previously, the President of the Republic of Palau announced after meeting with Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao that a digital resident ID NFT would be issued on the BNB Chain through the RNS.ID platform. The RNS.ID NFT is developed using zero-knowledge proof technology, with planned use cases including address verification, KYC verification, access to digital banking, legally verified chain signatures, digital company registration services, and other potential products such as asset ownership and insurance. (source link)

ChainCatcher news, the decentralized digital identity service in the Sui ecosystem, Sui Name Service (SuiNS), has completed its pre-seed funding round with participation from Mysten Labs, although the specific amount has not been disclosed. The MVP DApp is expected to be launched on Sui in November, allowing users to experience its features and provide feedback. At that time, mechanisms and incentive frameworks will be established to prevent or eliminate domain name squatters, with no whitelist or preferential treatment.It is reported that the team is establishing an auction contract that allows anyone to participate in domain name registration auctions simultaneously. Additionally, the SuiNS team will collaborate with established protocols and major enterprises to ensure that trademarks and known entities (such as Ethereum, Solana, etc.) retain their domain names on the platform. (source link)