‘Ready Player One’ to Be Turned Into Massive Metaverse Experience

Hi NoRamp Community,

Daily News:

1) C3’s 'Self-Custodial Approach’ Exchange Launches Public Mainnet

2) ‘Ready Player One’ to Be Turned Into Massive Metaverse Experience

3) Core Scientific Closes $55 Million For Bitcoin Mining Operations

4) European Robinhood Rival Trade Republic Reports First Profit

5) Banyan Names Citi Veteran Alpesh Chokshi as President

C3’s 'Self-Custodial Approach’ Exchange Launches Public Mainnet:

• C3.io, a hybrid crypto exchange, has launched its public mainnet, featuring a self-custodial approach to give users control over their funds, aiming to enhance security and reduce insolvency risks.

• The exchange emphasizes security by passing two Halborn audits and collaborating with Pyth Network, processing over 10 million oracle-based transactions and offering a $100K bounty for vulnerabilities via Immunifi.

• C3.io provides comprehensive CEX functionalities, including instant execution, high throughput, and advanced order types, while supporting all blockchains. Its on-chain components, deployed on the Algorand blockchain, include the Cross-collateral Clearing Engine and the Health Calculator, with Wormhole’s protocol enabling cross-chain interoperability for consolidating balances

‘Ready Player One’ to Be Turned Into Massive Metaverse Experience:

• Futureverse, an AI and metaverse technology company, has announced the formation of Readyverse Studios in collaboration with Ernest Cline, author of "Ready Player One," and producer Dan Farah, to bring the "Ready Player One" franchise to the metaverse.

• The studio has secured an exclusive partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to integrate the franchise into the metaverse across web3, with plans to launch a multi-world, interoperable open metaverse experience in 2024.

• Emphasizing principles like digital ownership and decentralization, Readyverse Studios aims to transform the virtual world concept from "Ready Player One" into a reality, offering new opportunities for Hollywood studios, talent, and brands to engage with consumers in innovative ways.

Core Scientific Closes $55 Million For Bitcoin Mining Operations:

• Core Scientific's Equity Rights Offering (ERO) exceeded its $55 million target, indicating strong investor confidence and allowing the company to forego backstop funding.

• The company successfully emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with CEO Adam Sullivan highlighting the full repayment of debtor-in-possession financing and strong financial positioning.

• Core Scientific reported significant achievements in 2023, including mining over 13,762 bitcoins, operating 209,000 bitcoin miners, and providing colocation services for 51,000 customer-owned miners, positioning the company to benefit from the growing Bitcoin market.

European Robinhood Rival Trade Republic Reports First Profit:

• Trade Republic, a Sequoia-backed broker, reported its first profit in eight years, contrasting with the struggles of the wider fintech sector due to higher interest rates.

• The company, attracting up to 100,000 new clients monthly, expects a return to loss this year due to increased marketing and investment. It differentiates itself from Robinhood by focusing on long-term investments and has quadrupled its user base to 4 million.

• Despite receiving a full-scale European banking license and planning to expand with new products, Trade Republic faces competition from Robinhood's renewed push into Europe and potential regulatory challenges regarding the practice of "payment for order flow."

Banyan Names Citi Veteran Alpesh Chokshi as President:

• Banyan, an item-level receipt data platform, has appointed Alpesh Chokshi, a financial industry veteran, as its new president.

• Chokshi brings experience from Citi, Visa, and American Express, with Banyan CEO Jehan Luth praising his strategic and leadership skills in forging beneficial relationships across the financial and tech sectors.

• Banyan, known for its collaborations with banks, FinTechs, and merchants to utilize item-level data for customer benefits, is highlighted in a PYMNTS study showing the impact of card-linked offers, especially among Gen Z consumers, in driving loyalty and sales.

NoRamp:

NoRamp is building Web2’s favorite Web3 apps on our lightning-fast payment infra. Join our discord, dive into our our docs, or check out our website to learn more.