📬 Inbox Dump #73

Hello Defiers! Welcome to Inbox Dump where we include the updates and announcements that flood our DMs each week and didn’t make it to The Defiant’s content platforms. Sometimes announcements here didn’t meet the bar to become a news story, sometimes they ...

At The Defiant we cover the most important DeFi-related news and developments but we know many of you are hunting for projects before they are fully developed and before they are newsworthy. Our goal with this installment of the newsletter is to help you find them. Look at this as the starting point to DYOR.

We also include a compilation of DeFi and crypto funding rounds in the past week so you have these in one handy place.

Keep in mind these have been unedited. With that—here we go!

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Inbox Dump!

✉️ USDC trading now available on the Kinesis Exchange

London — Kinesis, the world’s leading gold and silver-based monetary system, has listed the FIAT-based stablecoin, USD Coin (USDC) on the Kinesis Exchange.

✉️ The world’s first staking summit will convene to explore where the $300B industry goes next

Staking Rewards, staking’s leading data aggregator, will be hosting the full-day, in-person event at LX Factory in Lisbon on Nov. 8. The summit will be bringing together the foremost experts and investors from across the industry, speakers from Ethereum, Cosmos, Polkadot and more.

✉️ Bitget partners with Lionel Messi

India, Oct. 21 - Bitget has entered into a partnership with Lionel Andrés Messi, winner of a record-breaking seven Ballon d'Or Awards. The announcement kicks off the engagement between Bitget and Messi, with a film production a month before the Football World Cup tournament.

✉️ a16z crypto Hires Richard Rosenblatt as Senior Advisor

Richard is one of the pioneers of digital media. He has had a storied career founding and running multiple media technology companies, including iMall, Intermix/Myspace, and Demand Media.

✉️ Automobili Lamborghini drops its limited edition “World Tour” themed NFTs this October

In collaboration with Web3 Pro™ and INVNT.ATOM™ (the Web 3.0-focused digital innovation division of [INVNT GROUP]™), the iconic Italian company will release four unique ‘world tour’ themed NFTs available for a limited time.

✉️ Tim Draper’s Draper University Teams Up With CEEK to Launch Virtual Hacker House

Leading VR developer CEEK has unveiled a partnership with Draper University, founded by renowned bitcoin investor Tim Draper. The two organizations have joined forces to create The House of CEEK, the world’s virtual reality hacker house.

✉️ Cere Network unveils Vision 2.0 primed to be a key driver of Web3 infrastructure adoption in 2023

Berlin, Germany, 20th October — Cere Network, a leader in Decentralized Data Cloud (DDC) platforms, announced today the launch of Vision 2.0 to update supporters on its mission for truly decentralized Web3.

✉️ Bitfinex Launches High-Speed British Pound Fiat On-Ramp Service Amid Frantic Trading of UK Currency

British Virgin Islands, October 17 – Bitfinex, a state-of-the-art digital token trading platform, has launched a British Pound (GBP) fiat on-ramp service to enable deposit and withdrawals of GBP, quickly, easily, and cheaply.

✉️ AGIA International to Build First-Ever Luxury Crypto Community on Site of Fyre Festival in the Bahamas

Bahamas - In an unprecedented step for Web 3.0 and real estate, AGIA International Ltd announced that it plans to sell 60 luxurious pavilions and villas to be built atop the Bahamas’ Great Exuma Island via a series of upcoming NFT mints on the Ethereum blockchain.

✉️ Exclusive Web3 members club enables VIP access to major stadiums in the US

Los Angeles super exclusive private club, Stadium Status Members Club, has partnered with NFT platform OneOf and hospitality agency Confirmed360. The aim of the new Web3 members club is to reshape access to stadium and arena VIP suites.

✉️ Come Trick-or-Treat with Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult at the Nightmare Imp’s Door

This Halloween, Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult is calling all its Wizards, Warriors, and Souls – in addition to 10 other blue-chip communities, to participate in its First Annual Trick-Or-Treat event at the Nightmare Imp’s Door from Friday, October 28 to Monday, October 31, 2022.

✉️ Step Into The Future Of Finance With One-Stop-Shop WonderFi, Canada’s Largest Crypto Company

Ben Samaroo, the CEO, and co-founder of WonderFi Technologies Inc is on a mission to empower people worldwide. By giving generations access to cryptocurrency in a simple, smart way, Canada’s TSX powerhouse is here to provide you with the freedom to move with the times.

✉️ MOOI Network expands its business scope as an arts and culture blockchain network by partnering with a global film festival

Dubai, 21st October, MOOI Network, a social blockchain network, comes together and partners with Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2022), the largest global animation festival.

✉️ Sonar Announces The Launch Of Sonar Studio v 0.3

Malta, 20th October — Sonar has introduced the much anticipated Sonar Studio v 0.3 update installment. Sonar Studio is the central cryptocurrency analytical and portfolio tracking mainstay of the Sonar Ecosystem.

✉️ Bosonic Is Selected by Payments Ecosystem, WadzPay®

October 18 -Bosonic, a decentralized Financial Market Infrastructure (dFMI) business, has been selected by WadzPay, a blockchain payments company, to support the delivery of a point-of-sale (POS) capability with an integrated crypto conversion that leverages Bosonic’s global network of liquidity.

Funding

💰 Arch closes $5 million seed round led by DCG and Upload Ventures to become “the Blackrock of Web3”-

Arch, the crypto asset management platform, announced that it completed a $5 million oversubscribed seed round led by DCG and Upload Ventures, formerly Softbank LatAm early-stage arm, to expand its product offering and reach. Soma Capital, GBV, Devlabs, Ripio Ventures, and Platanus Ventures, plus notable angels participated in the round as strategic investors.

💰 Celestia Raises $55 Million to Solve Blockchain Modularity Challenge

The round, which was led by Bain Capital Crypto and Polychain Capital, also saw the participation of Delphi Digital, Protocol Labs, Figment, Maven 11, and Spartan Group, among others.

💰 Stardust snatches up $30 million despite crypto slump

The round itself, led by Framework Ventures, also featured support from Acrew, Blockchain Capital, and Distributed. This news was despite the comparative downturn of the crypto market overall this month.

💰 ChainSafe Raises US$18.75 Million in Series A Funding to Accelerate Web3 Adoption

The investment was led by Round13 with participation from new investors NGC Ventures, HashKey Capital, Sfermion, Jsquare, and returning investors Digital Finance Group, and Fenbushi Capital.

💰 Nischal Shetty's Blockchain Startup Shardeum Raises $18M in Seed Funding

Shardeum has raised $18.2 million in a seed funding round from more than 50 investors, including Jane Street, Struck Crypto, and the Spartan Group. Other investors included Big Brain Holdings, DFG, Ghaf Capital Partners, and Foresight Ventures, among others.

💰 Mercury Raises $7.5 Million in Seed Round Led by Multicoin Capital

BOSTON– Mercury, the fan experience company for top student-athletes and collegiate sports programs, announced a $7.5 million seed funding round led by Multicoin Capital with participation from North Island Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Brevan Howard Digital, and others.