Weekly Project Updates: Celestia Genesis Airdrop, Walmart NFT toys for sale, GMX Submits Funding Application for 14 Million ARB Tokens, etc

Sep 30, 2023

1. Celestia Genesis Airdrop link

On September 26th, the modular blockchain Celestia announced that the genesis block for its first modular data availability network is expected to launch later this year. It also revealed the commencement of the Celestia TIA genesis airdrop. This airdrop will allocate 60 million TIA tokens, which represent 6% of the total supply, to 7,579 developers and 576,653 addresses associated with Ethereum rollups, Cosmos Hub, and Osmosis. The allocation includes 20 million TIA tokens for contributors to research and public products, such as those who have contributed to Ethereum, rollups, Bitcoin, and Cosmos public Github repositories, as well as contributors to Ethereum and Bitcoin improvement proposals and Eth Research. Another 20 million TIA tokens will be distributed to early adopters of the modular ecosystem, with 20% going to the top 10 rollups’ most active users. The remaining 20 million TIA tokens will be shared among Cosmos Hub and Osmosis validators, as well as IBC relayers. The snapshot for this allocation was taken on January 1, 2023.

Celestia, valued at $1 billion in 2022, successfully raised $55 million in funding.

2. OpenAI Plans to Sell Existing Stock at a Valuation of $800 Billion to $900 Billion link

On September 27th, according to The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI is in discussions with investors about selling existing stocks, valuing the company between $80 billion and $90 billion, roughly three times its valuation earlier this year. OpenAI had previously projected its revenue to reach $1 billion this year and several billion dollars by 2024. It is expected that this transaction will allow employees to sell existing stocks rather than the company issuing new stocks to raise additional funds.

3. Buenos Aires Capital to Launch Open-Source Digital Identity Protocol QuarkID Based on zkSync Era link

On September 28th, as reported by Blockworks, Buenos Aires is set to launch an open-source blockchain-based digital identity protocol called QuarkID next month to streamline citizens’ access to public services. City residents will be able to download a local wallet for this protocol to obtain important personal documents like birth certificates and marriage certificates. Buenos Aires citizens will need to complete the existing biometric “KYC” process for identity verification when using QuarkID for the first time.

The QuarkID wallet is a collaborative effort between the government, the blockchain-based digital identity solution company Extrimian, and the zkSync Era development firm Matter Labs. It integrates document storage through zkSync Era’s blockchain framework, which serves as the settlement layer for the QuarkID platform.

4. Linea Introduces Soul-Binding Token Voyage XP link

On September 28th, ConsenSys L2 network Linea announced the launch of the Soul-Bound Token (SBT) called Voyage XP. Voyage XP is a non-transferable Soul-Bound Token that represents the contributions of each community member to the ecosystem’s development. This includes users, startups, DApps, and Linea team members. Voyage XP is visible by default in MetaMask, non-transferable, and cannot be moved to other networks as it is linked to the user’s address. It’s important to note that Voyage XP holds no monetary value. However, Voyage XP holders are entitled to certain privileges, such as official community roles and exclusive Linea merchandise.

5. GMX Submits Funding Application for a Total of 14 Million ARB Tokens to Arbitrum link

On September 28th, GMX has submitted a grant proposal to the Arbitrum DAO’s Short-Term Incentive Program (STIP), requesting the DAO’s consideration for the approval of up to 12 million ARB tokens for its V2 version incentives. Additionally, they propose the issuance of an extra 2 million ARB tokens for ecosystem partners who have built on GMX V2 but did not directly receive incentives from the Arbitrum DAO. The proposal primarily focuses on: converting CEX users into DEX users, promoting the development and integration of the Arbitrum protocol on GMX V2, targeted liquidity provision incentives, and nurturing an active on-chain trading environment.

6. Uniswap Foundation Proposes Fundraising of $62.37 Million link

On September 27th, the Uniswap Foundation released a proposal requesting a total of 62.37 million USD in funds, with an on-chain vote scheduled for October 4th. These funds will be utilized to support the ecosystem, including developer support and research funding. The foundation also announced several future plans, including further development of the Hooks ecosystem.

7. MakerDAO Increases RWA Assets by Over $100 Million on September 27th link

According to data from MakerBurn, on September 27th, MakerDAO once again increased its RWA assets by 101 million USD through Monetalis Clydesdale, BlockTower Andromeda, and New Silver. This marks the seventh increase in BlockTower Andromeda holdings this month. Currently, MakerDAO’s total RWA assets have surpassed 3.1 billion USD, with Monetalis Clydesdale exceeding 1.2 billion USD and BlockTower Andromeda exceeding 1.15 billion USD.

8. Tottenham Hotspur to Launch Fan Token SPURS on October 4th via Chiliz link

On September 28th, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club joined Socios and launched SPURS fan tokens on the Chiliz blockchain. This marks the seventh English Premier League fan token on Chiliz. The SPURS fan tokens will come with new features provided by the team and will be integrated into the loyalty program. All existing members and season ticket holders will receive free tokens on the blockchain.

9. Walmart to Sell Pudgy Penguins NFT Toy Collection in Two Thousand Stores Across the United States link

On September 26th, according to The Block, the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, will be selling the Pudgy Penguins NFT toy collection in its 2000 stores across the United States. The price range for these toys will be from $2.99 to $11.97 each. Each Pudgy toy will grant access to the multiplayer digital social platform called Pudgy World. Pudgy World operates on the Ethereum L2 network zkSync Era.

10. GameFi Project Tiny World Personnel Suspected of Police Investigation link

On September 28th, it has come to Wu Shuo’s attention from multiple sources that individuals associated with the GameFi project Tiny World are suspected of being investigated by the authorities. Tiny World is the original team behind EOS San Guo. In 2022, Tiny World completed a $2.5 million financing round, with participation from HashKey, SNZ, Sky9 Capital, Everest Ventures Group (EVG), TokenPocket, Cipholio, Foresight Ventures, COCOS-BCX, among others. Analysts point out that currently, blockchain games in China are highly associated with crimes such as running casinos.

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