Pudgy Penguins to Release Mobile Game in 2025

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) Zentry Secures Funding to Propel Metagame Layer Development

2) NYSE Would Consider Crypto Trading If Regulatory Picture Were Clearer

3) Pudgy Penguins to Release Mobile Game in 2025

4) Google Cloud & iBind Partner to Streamline Banks’ Onboarding Experience

5) IPC Appoints Kurt Adams As New CEO

 Zentry Secures Funding to Propel Metagame Layer Development:

• At Zentry, formerly known as GuildFi, has secured funding in a strategic round to develop its Metagame Layer. The funding round included investments from Spartan Capital, Synergis, LongHash Ventures, and DWF Labs, with previous support from Animoca, Binance Labs, Coinbase Ventures, and Pantera Capital.

• The new funding increases Zentry's treasury to over $150 million, including 16,000+ ETH, positioning the company to advance the Metagame Layer for future web3 gaming and social experiences. Zentry founder and CEO Jarindr Thitadilaka emphasized the importance of the new partnerships for linking online and IRL activities to web3's economic incentive layers.

• In April, GuildFi rebranded as Zentry and announced a token conversion program for holders of the original GuildFi token $GF to convert it to the new token $ZENT. The Metagame Layer aims to unite three billion gamers into a single economy, integrating loyalty systems, gamer identities, and cross-world activities from various games and platforms. Synergis Capital founder Jerry Shi highlighted Zentry's potential to connect the digital and physical worlds and become a dominant distribution source for new games and entertainment..

NYSE Would Consider Crypto Trading If Regulatory Picture Was Clear:

• The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) would consider offering cryptocurrency trading if regulatory clarity in the U.S. improves, said NYSE President Lynn Martin during Consensus 2024 in Austin, Texas. Martin pointed out that the demand for regulated crypto products is evidenced by the $58 billion in assets amassed by U.S.-listed spot bitcoin ETFs, signaling a strong market interest.

• During the panel, Martin and Tom Farley, CEO of crypto exchange Bullish, discussed how the intertwining of traditional financial markets and digital assets is hampered by regulatory uncertainty, slowing innovation. They highlighted the success of bitcoin ETFs and the potential for U.S. regulators to recognize the market demand for regulated crypto structures. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is also planning to launch spot crypto trading, indicating growing institutional interest.

• Farley noted significant shifts in U.S. politics towards crypto, including legislative progress with the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT21) and increased political support for crypto. He expressed optimism about regulatory advancements in the coming years, regardless of the presidential administration. Martin remains hopeful about blockchain technology improving financial processes, especially for less liquid assets. However, Farley pointed out that regulators' preference for control might push traditional finance firms to develop private blockchains rather than using existing decentralized ones.

  

  Source: The Block

Pudgy Penguins to Release Mobile Game in 2025:

• Pudgy Penguins is expanding into a new virtual world with the launch of a mobile-based video game, set to debut in 2025. The game, developed by Mythical Marketplace, will be built on the Mythos Chain, a Polkadot-based network that also hosts the popular Web3 game NFL Rivals.

• Mythical Games CEO John Linden highlighted Pudgy Penguins' mainstream success through partnerships with Walmart and Target and a growing social media following. He emphasized that building the game on the Mythical Platform and Mythos Chain will help drive web3 adoption among mainstream consumers.

• In the coming months, Pudgy Penguins holders will have access to exclusive mobile game content and sneak peeks of gameplay. NFT holders will also be able to provide input on various aspects of the game's development. This mobile app follows the launch of the desktop-based Pudgy Worlds game and the rollout of penguin plushies and collectibles in roughly 2,000 Walmart stores.

Google Cloud & iBind to Streamline Banks’ Onboarding Experience:

• Bangalore-based FinTech startup iBind Systems announced a collaboration with Google Cloud to enhance the onboarding experience for banks and financial institutions. By integrating iBind’s corporate banking SaaS product with Google Cloud’s generative AI technologies and infrastructure, the partnership aims to streamline onboarding and improve risk assessment.

• The collaboration will introduce the Entity Digital Locker within iBind’s Corporate Identity Platform, offering solutions like know your customer, anti-money laundering, entitlement management, credit assessment, and digital signatures. This secure data-sharing system simplifies access to financial services and enhances personalized advertising with AI-powered assistance.

• The partnership focuses on developing specialized AI models for financial analysis, enabling institutions to conduct detailed financial disclosures, AML screening, and improve risk and credit assessments. iBind will use Google Cloud’s GPUs to train and serve complex data models, driving innovation in corporate banking infrastructure. Co-founders Santu Maity and Sanat Bhat emphasized that this collaboration sets a new standard in financial data processing, making operations faster, more accurate, and secure. Google Cloud's Subram Natrajan highlighted their commitment to pushing the boundaries of FinTech innovation.

IPC Appoints Kurt Adams As New CEO:

• IPC, a US-based SaaS trading communications platform, has appointed Kurt Adams as its new CEO, succeeding Bob Santella after his six-year tenure. Adams, with over 25 years of fintech leadership experience, previously served as CEO of Optum Financial and CEO of corporate payments for Fleetcor Technologies, where he also held the position of group president.

• Adams has also held leadership roles at Elavon Financial Services, ABN Amro, Piper Sandler, and US Bank. In addition to Adams' appointment, IPC announced two new board members: Stuart Harvey, former CEO of Elavon Global Acquiring, as chairman of IPC’s board of directors, and Michael Chin, CEO of London-based fintech Duco, as a board member.

• These leadership changes follow the acquisition of IPC by the global alternative investment firm Strategic Value Partners (SVP) four months ago. Jonathan Waggoner, managing director at SVP, commented that the transition is timely with SVP's complete ownership, expressing confidence in Adams' ability to lead IPC through its next growth phase.

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