LensLinks: Issue 99

A blockchain news roundup, brought to you by Regiment LLC

Author

Len Pacek
February 22, 2023

Today in LensLinks:

  • Crypto Hub in the Making: Hong Kong Pushes Forward with Plans for Retail Crypto Trading

  • The Metaverse Money: Exploring the potential for immersive Virtual Worlds and their Revenue Drivers

  • ConsenSys Acquires Easy-to-Use Blockchain Notification Tool 'Hal' to Strengthen Web3 Development

  • Crypto Analysts Scramble to Explain Bitcoin's Pause Near $25K

  • BlackRock launches new metaverse ETF

  • Gamers made up nearly half of all blockchain activity in January: DappRadar Report

  • Centralized crypto exchanges are dying, so long live centralized crypto exchanges?

  • The Singularity: What Does Generative AI Mean For Your Brand And What Does It Have To Do With The Future Of The Metaverse?

  • And Much, Much, More…

QUOTABLE

❝

“GPT3, which is the currently available version, is trained on 175 billion parameters or data points. GPT4, which is coming up this year, likely trained on over 100 trillion parameters.”

- Brandon Kaplan, Chief Innovation Officer at Journey

NOTABLE

Crypto Hub in the Making: Hong Kong Pushes Forward with Plans for Retail Crypto Trading

In a push toward reclaiming its position as a global crypto hub, Hong Kong has outlined plans to allow retail investors to trade certain digital currencies on licensed exchanges.

cryptonews.com/news/crypto-hub-making-hong-kong-pushes-forward-with-plans-for-retail-crypto-trading.htm

Metaverse & Gaming

The Metaverse Money: Exploring the potential for immersive Virtual Worlds and their Revenue Drivers

The worldwide metaverse revenue is estimated to reach $490 billion in 2030.

www.digitalinformationworld.com/2023/02/the-metaverse-money-exploring-potential.html

Blockchain, Tokens & DeFi

ConsenSys Acquires Easy-to-Use Blockchain Notification Tool 'Hal' to Strengthen Web3 Development

The deal, financial terms of which were not made public, will bring 10 Hal employees to the developer.

www.coindesk.com/business/2023/02/21/consensys-acquires-easy-to-use-blockchain-notification-tool-hal-to-strengthen-web3-development

Crypto Trading

Crypto Analysts Scramble to Explain Bitcoin's Pause Near $25K

Bitcoin is struggle to establish a foothold above $25,000, a level that capped the August 2022 price bounce.

www.coindesk.com/markets/2023/02/21/crypto-analysts-scramble-to-explain-bitcoins-pause-near-25k

Metaverse & Gaming - a little more…

BlackRock launches new metaverse ETF

BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager has joined the likes of Roundhill Investments, ProShares, and others with its latest metaverse exchange traded fund launch.

seekingalpha.com/news/3938467-blackrock-enters-the-metaverse-with-its-latest-etf-launch

The next hot housing market is out of this world. It’s in the metaverse

Despite the implosion of FTX and projections of a cryptocurrency winter, the metaverse real estate market is expected to grow by $5.37 billion by 2026

www.khaleejtimes.com/world/the-next-hot-housing-market-is-out-of-this-world-its-in-the-metaverse

Gamers made up nearly half of all blockchain activity in January: DappRadar Report

According to the report, January also saw an average increase of 122% in market caps for top gaming tokens.

cointelegraph.com/news/gamers-made-up-nearly-half-of-all-blockchain-activity-in-january-dappradar-report

Blockchain, Tokens & DeFi - a little more…

Centralized crypto exchanges are dying, so long live centralized crypto exchanges?

Multi-billion dollar bankruptcies, fraud allegations, scandal, and plunging cryptocurrency prices in 2022 all characterized why investors came to distrust centralized exchanges. Yet, some commentators expect platforms to become ever more centralized … and regulated.

finance.yahoo.com/news/centralized-crypto-exchanges-dying-long-155746969.html

ConsenSys Acquires Easy-to-Use Blockchain Notification Tool 'Hal' to Strengthen Web3 Development

The deal, financial terms of which were not made public, will bring 10 Hal employees to the developer.

www.coindesk.com/business/2023/02/21/consensys-acquires-easy-to-use-blockchain-notification-tool-hal-to-strengthen-web3-development

Crypto Trading - a little more…

Trading Platform eToro Gains New York BitLicense to Provide Crypto Services

It also secured a money transmitter license from the New York State Department of Financial Services.

www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/02/21/trading-platform-etoro-wins-new-yorks-bitlicense-to-provide-crypto-services

Huobi applies for Crypto Trading License in Hong Kong

Huobi is applying for a crypto trading license in Hong Kong which will enable Huobi to expand its services and offerings to customers in Hong Kong.

www.cryptotimes.io/huobi-applies-for-crypto-trading-license-in-hong-kong

The Singularity:
AI, Quantum Computing, Robotics, Bio-engineering & Other Stuff on the way

What Does Generative AI Mean For Your Brand And What Does It Have To Do With The Future Of The Metaverse?

Generative AI is transforming our content landscape. It’s prompting questions like what is art? How do AI copyrights work? Is it ethical to use generative AI for my job? Is Generative AI a fad or a useful tool for brands?

www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2023/02/20/what-does-generative-ai-mean-for-your-brand-and-what-does-it-have-to-do-with-the-future-of-the-metaverse/?sh=11a202201f37

Jewel Takes Her Mental Health Mission To The Metaverse

Jewel is taking her mission to scale mental health support to the metaverse. The music artist, who for decades has been championing mental and emotional wellbeing, is the co-founder of a new VR platform called Innerworld that's funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

www.forbes.com/sites/cathyolson/2023/02/21/jewel-takes-her-mental-health-mission-to-the-metaverse/?sh=155e194328c6