Animoca Brands Reports US$402 Million Bookings for 2022

Animoca Brands, a leading figure in the realms of digital entertainment and blockchain technology, has unveiled its financial performance for the year ending 31 December 2022, providing a comprehensive insight into its achievements and future prospects.

The company’s financial health appears robust, with bookings escalating to a commendable A$594 million (approximately US$402 million). This figure represents a significant uptick from the A$428 million (around US$291 million) reported in the previous year. Such bookings are not just mere numbers; they encapsulate the company’s diverse ventures, including token sales, NFT (Non-Fungible Token) sales, and other activities that don’t necessarily fall under the blockchain umbrella.

Diving deeper into their financial reservoir, Animoca Brands has showcased a strong liquidity position. Their cash and stablecoin reserves are pegged at A$286 million (approximately US$191 million). Furthermore, the company’s liquid digital assets, which comprise reserves of the SAND utility token used predominantly in The Sandbox platform, are valued at a substantial A$690 million (roughly US$469 million). Such figures not only highlight the company’s financial prowess but also underscore its strategic investments in digital assets, which are becoming increasingly pivotal in today’s digital age.

Another noteworthy mention is the off-balance sheet token reserves associated with Animoca Brands’ majority-owned Web3 subsidiaries. These reserves have reached a staggering A$2.4 billion (about US$1.6 billion). This includes an array of tokens such as PROS, ASTRAFER, QUIDD, PRIMATE, REVV, TOWER, GMEE, and several others, reflecting the company’s diversified approach in the rapidly evolving blockchain space.

In terms of business expansion, 2022 was a landmark year for Animoca Brands. The company strategically acquired six firms, broadening its portfolio and fortifying its position in the market. These acquisitions include industry players like Grease Monkey Games, known for its prowess in game development, and PIXELYNX, a unique music metaverse gaming platform. Such acquisitions are a testament to Animoca’s vision of integrating diverse digital platforms to offer unparalleled user experiences.

The introduction of Web3 services by Animoca Brands in 2022 is a significant stride towards bridging the gap between traditional web platforms (Web2) and blockchain-based platforms (Web3). With this venture, the company aims to guide other businesses in seamlessly integrating tokens and NFTs into their existing models. This initiative alone contributed a whopping US$120 million to the total bookings for the year, underscoring its success and potential for future growth.

On the leadership front, the company has infused fresh talent into its senior management. The induction of industry stalwarts like Alan Lau, Minh Do, and Jared Shaw is expected to steer the company towards newer horizons.

Product development has also been in the limelight, with Blowfish Studios’ “Phantom Galaxies” making waves by securing US$19.3 million from its Planet Private Sale.

In conclusion, Animoca Brands, with its recognition from industry giants like Deloitte and the Financial Times, continues to shape the digital landscape. Its vast portfolio, strategic acquisitions, and focus on innovation position it as a formidable player in the digital property rights domain and the burgeoning open metaverse.

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Bithumb Korea Reports Operational Losses Due to Declining Crypto Trading Volume

According to decenterBithumb Korea, the company behind the virtual asset exchange Bithumb, has reported a significant operational loss in the second quarter of 2023. According to the electronic disclosure system operated by the Financial Supervisory Service on August 16, Bithumb Korea recorded an operational loss of KRW 3.442 billion in the second quarter. This is in stark contrast to the profit of KRW 38.42 billion that was witnessed during the same time period the previous year.

Earnings for the corporation as a whole also went down, decreasing by 60% yearly to a total of KRW 31.993 billion. The net loss for the time was KRW 8.583 billion, which is much less than the loss of KRW 43.3 billion that occurred during the previous year.

Analysts attribute Bithumb’s deteriorating performance to the decrease in virtual asset trading volume, leading to a decline in fee-based income. The first quarter saw a bullish trend in virtual asset prices, but by the second quarter, prices stagnated below the $30,000 mark, causing a dampening of investor sentiment. While there were brief rebounds due to positive news such as major US asset managers applying for Bitcoin (BTC) ETF listings and Ripple (XRP) securing legal victories, these did not translate into sustained growth.

In response to the declining trading volumes, Bithumb has initiated a no-fee event for select virtual assets in a bid to boost activity. Currently, the exchange is not charging fees for transactions involving assets like Solana (SOL), Ethereum Classic (ETC), and Sandbox (SAND) among 30 other virtual assets. Bithumb stated, “The goal is to lower the barrier of entry for investors and increase new inflows to ensure liquidity. This no-fee zone event is the beginning, and we plan to introduce more proactive and diverse services.”

Bithumb Korea, established in 2014, has become a prominent virtual asset exchange on the global stage. With its deep expertise in virtual asset trading and blockchain technology, Bithumb is poised to shape the future of digital financing platforms worldwide. As per Coinmarketcap, Bithumb currently ranks 13th in terms of spot trading volume.

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Crypto Exchange Bitstamp to Suspend Trading AXS, CHZ, MANA, MATIC, NEAR, SAND, and SOL

Bitstamp, one of the world’s oldest cryptocurrency exchanges, has announced a suspension of trading for seven cryptocurrencies in the United States, effective from August 29, 2023. The affected cryptocurrencies include AXS, CHZ, MANA, MATIC, NEAR, SAND, and SOL.

In an official statement released on Bitstamp’s blog, the company explained that the decision was made “considering recent developments” and in alignment with their “comprehensive framework” to evaluate cryptocurrencies in light of the dynamic regulatory environment. The statement further clarified that as of the mentioned date, new orders involving these assets would be disabled, and all existing orders across the affected trading pairs would be canceled.

Customers in the U.S. will still be able to hold these assets within their Bitstamp accounts and withdraw them at any time. The company has urged users to execute any desired buy or sell orders involving the affected assets before the deadline.

The New York State agency of Financial Services has issued Bitstamp USA, Inc. a license allowing it to participate in Virtual Currency Business Activity. This same agency has also issued Bitstamp USA, Inc. a license allowing it to act as a Money Transmitter.

This move comes at a time when Bitstamp is actively seeking to raise funds for expansion. The delisting coincides with the company’s efforts to comply with the dynamic regulatory environment, as stated in their official announcement, though no direct connection to investor pressure has been publicly disclosed

According to a Bloomberg report, Bitstamp initiated the fundraising process in late June 2023, with Galaxy Digital Holdings acting as an adviser. The funds are planned to be used for launching derivatives trading in Europe next year, expanding into Asian markets, and enhancing operations in the U.K.

Bitstamp’s global chief executive officer, Jean-Baptiste Graftieaux, emphasized that the company is not for sale and that the priority is to “accelerate Bitstamp’s growth by providing new products and services to retail and institutional crypto customers.”

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Luxembourg, Bitstamp was once a primary venue for Bitcoin trading. It is now the world’s seventh-largest exchange, with about $126 million in trading volume in a recent 24-hour period. In 2018, Bitstamp was acquired by NXMH, a European investment firm owned by South Korean conglomerate NXC.

The suspension of trading for the seven cryptocurrencies is a significant indicator in Bitstamp’s operations, reflecting the ongoing challenges and complexities of regulations.

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$SAND Price May Plunge with 127 Million Transferred from The Sandbox Wallets

On August 4, 2023, Lookonchain, a Twitter account specializing in tracking on-chain cryptocurrency data, announced a substantial transfer involving The Sandbox’s ($SAND) tokens. The tweet stated, “We noticed that 127M $SAND ($51.32M) was transferred from #TheSandbox wallets 6 hrs ago.”

In addition, Lookonchain cited information from Token Unlocks, revealing, “According to @Token_Unlocks, 332.55M $SAND ($134.4M) will be unlocked after 10 days, 16.16% of the circulating supply.”

Earlier, on June 5, The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Binance, naming SOL, ADA, MATIC, FIL, ATOM, SAND, MANA, ALGO, AXS, and COTI as securities in the filing. This announcement led to a significant market reaction, with the $SAND price reaching its peak of 0.6151 on June 5, before plummeting to a low of 0.331 on June 10—a 50% decline within just six days.

On July 14, 2023, Spot On Chain drew attention to a resurgence in $SAND and $MATIC, highlighting that both were “up 10%+ over the past 24 hours after the US judge ruled $XRP is not a security! Amid the pumps, we noticed: The Sandbox may reduce their $SAND position soon. KOL @degentradingLSD took profit from a $MATIC deal he accumulated before the pump.” The $SAND price reached 0.4862 that day, marking the highest level in recent days. However, since then, the price has been on a continuous downward trend.

At the time of writing, the $SAND price stands at approximately 0.4, reflecting a 20% decrease from the recent high. The latest transfer of 127 million $SAND is significant and may exert considerable pressure on the $SAND price, adding further complexity to the market dynamics surrounding this cryptocurrency.

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The Sandbox Q2 2023 Report: 59% Increase in NFT Mints, 52% Rise in Primary Sales, 15% Fall in Revenue in Q2

The Sandbox, a leading gaming metaverse, posted a mixed performance in the second quarter of 2023, according to a report released by Messari. The platform saw a robust 59% QoQ increase in NFT mints, primary sales were up 52% QoQ, and active buyers grew 22% QoQ. However, total revenue fell 15% QoQ, despite a 30% increase in non-LAND primary sale volume and an 18% rise in ESTATE volume.

The SEC’s lawsuits against Coinbase and Binance, where SAND was classified as a security, could herald a new era of crypto regulation in the U.S. A recent court ruling on XRP adds complexity to the regulatory scenario.

The Sandbox announced collaborations with brands like Paris Hilton, Warner Music, and others. The roadmap includes new features such as self-publishing experiences by the end of Q3 2023 and the ability to create and rent ESTATEs in Q4 2023.

Daily SAND staked grew 5% QoQ, but fell as a percentage of the circulating supply by 2% QoQ. SAND’s fully diluted valuation hovered between $2.1 billion and $1.1 billion, ending the quarter at $1.22 billion.

Despite facing a tough quarter marked by a fall in revenue, staking rewards, and SAND price, The Sandbox continued to facilitate new partnerships and grow in key areas. The platform faces regulatory uncertainty but is positioned for potential growth.

The Sandbox is a gaming metaverse where players and creators can monetize 3D assets and experiences via NFTs. Initially launched as a 2D mobile game in 2012, it rebranded as a 3D metaverse game in 2018.

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SEC Lawsuits Target Multiple Tokens: DCG Founder Points Out Absence of PoW Cryptos

In an unfolding legal battle against two major cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase and Binance, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has declared various tokens as securities. These tokens include SOL, ADA, MATIC, FIL, SAND, AXS, CHZ, FLOW, ICP, NEAR, VGX, DASH, and NEXO in the case against Coinbase. For Binance, the list features SOL, ADA, MATIC, FIL, ATOM, SAND, MANA, ALGO, AXS, and COTI.

This declaration by the SEC highlights its ongoing effort to regulate the cryptocurrency market and could have substantial implications for these tokens and their holders. If the SEC succeeds in classifying these tokens as securities, it would subject them to more stringent regulatory rules and obligations.

Barry Silbert, the founder of Digital Currency Group (DCG), commented on the situation via Twitter, noting, “No Proof of Work tokens in any of the lawsuits, I believe (BTC, LTC, XMR, ETC, ZEC, etc.).” Silbert’s tweet refers to the SEC’s decision to not include tokens that use Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism in their lawsuits. This includes Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), Monero (XMR), Ethereum Classic (ETC), and Zcash (ZEC), among others.

The implication of Silbert’s statement suggests that the SEC might be differentiating between PoW tokens and other tokens. This differentiation could lead to different regulatory standards and implications for tokens depending on their underlying consensus mechanism.

This ongoing case and the SEC’s decisions could set a precedent for future regulations and classifications in the crypto market. As such, all eyes within the crypto community are keenly focused on the developments. It is yet to be seen how these decisions will shape the regulatory landscape of digital assets.

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Binance US Faces SEC Accusations Over Alleged Securities Trading Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has leveled a series of accusations against the US operations of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, casting a significant cloud over the future of the platform in the United States.

In a formal complaint, the SEC claimed that Binance US facilitated trading in a range of tokens identified as securities without the requisite permissions. The assets in question include Binance Coin (BNB), Binance USD (BUSD), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Polygon (MATIC), Filecoin (FIL), Cosmos (ATOM), The Sandbox (SAND), Decentraland (MANA), Algorand (ALGO), Axie Infinity Shards (AXS), and Coti (COTI).

The SEC’s allegations also extend to investment schemes run by the platform. Binance’s BNB Vault and Simple Earn programs, as well as a staking investment plan, are accused of having operated outside of US regulatory oversight.

The accusations seem to point to a fundamental charge of intentional evasion of US supervision by Binance, a claim that could carry significant implications for the cryptocurrency exchange’s operations within the country.

However, it is important to clarify the nature of these charges. The allegations brought forth by the SEC, as well as those by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), against Binance are civil, not criminal in nature. This marks a distinction from the money laundering charges faced by other exchanges such as BitMEX in previous cases.

The fallout from the accusations is yet to be fully realized, but this could mark a pivotal moment in the ongoing tug-of-war between cryptocurrency exchanges and regulatory bodies. As Binance contends with these accusations, the crypto industry will no doubt be watching closely, aware that the outcome could have far-reaching implications for the future of digital asset trading in the United States.

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Dogecoin (DOGE) Competitor Shiba Inu (SHIB) Announces New Metaverse Project

Memecoin and Dogecoin (DOGE) rival Shiba Inu (SHIB) is selling virtual land in their recently announced metaverse.

In a new announcement, Shiba Inu introduces Shiba Lands, virtual real estate in the Shiba Inu Metaverse.

“We are happy to announce and proudly introduce Shiba Lands! These ‘lands’ found inside our Metaverse will be available for purchase/auction really soon, and it will be our first step towards allowing the community to jump into the Metaverse prior to its full release!”

Holders of the Shiba Inu ecosystem token Doge Killer (LEASH) will have priority access to the virtual lands, which is being modeled off of other metaverses such as Decentraland (MANA) and The Sandbox (SAND).

“This queue allows exclusivity by requiring interested parties to hold ‘LEASH,’ which gives priority and exclusive access to this first selling phase of the land plots in our Metaverse. 

In addition to the queue, we also have worked on an anti-dump system in order to protect LEASH holders. The remaining lands will then unlock, and become available for the public after this exclusive selling process finalizes.”

In response to the news, LEASH jumped 60% in price from $1,178 to $1,893. Doge Killer has since evened out to $1,782, up 123.7% over the last week.

The announcement also says the official name of the Shiba Inu Metaverse will be dropping soon.

“Like everything Shib does, we will lead this Metaverse sector. At this time, our early phase of development continues for the Shiba Inu Metaverse – Codename: Shiberse. 

(Note, we are have not released the name of the Metaverse as of yet for a reason, but expect it to drop this month!)”

SHIB has been largely unaffected by the announcement in terms of price action. Shiba Inu is currently trading for $0.000032, down 3.6% in the last 24 hours but up 55% over the last seven days.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Massive Crypto Whale Quietly Accumulating One Ethereum Competitor and Top Gaming Altcoin

A crypto mega-whale just went on an altcoin buying spree and purchased $23.9 million worth of two digital assets.

The blockchain-transaction tracker WhaleStats reveals that an unnamed Ethereum wallet bought 135,000 Terra (LUNA) for $6.72 million.

Terra is a public blockchain protocol that underpins a suite of decentralized stablecoins. The ninth-ranked crypto asset is currently down 5.18% on the day and priced at $51.35.

The fourth-richest whale wallet also purchased five million tokens of virtual world The Sandbox (SAND) for $17.2 million.

The Sandbox is having an up day, in the green by 4.87% and trading for $3.61.

WhaleStats reports that there’s also been a feeding frenzy for layer-2 scaling solution Polygon (MATIC), which is up 6.63% and valued at $1.70.

A single unnamed Ethereum whale made four separate purchases of Polygon in one day totaling nearly $6.2 million:

At time of writing, the whale’s total Polygon holdings are worth over $24.2 million.

WhaleStats also highlights the altcoins that have been bought the most in the past 24 hours.

“Just in: CHZ @Chiliz is back on top-10 purchased tokens by 1,000 biggest ETH wallets.

We’ve also got YFI, MATIC & WOO on the list.”

Source: WhaleStats/Twitter

Sports-themed Chiliz (CHZ) is up slightly to $0.18, while multi-chain decentralized finance protocol yearn.finance (YFI) is trading sideways at $24,023.

The trading platform Woo Network (WOO) is also even on the day and priced at $0.58.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any loses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Metaverse Crypto the Sandbox (SAND) Announces Partnership With World-Renowned Music Label

Gaming altcoin The Sandbox (SAND) is unveiling a joint metaverse venture with one of the biggest music labels in the world.

In a new blog post, land-focused virtual reality crypto The Sandbox says that it’s partnering up with the world-famous Warner Music Group to create the first-ever music-themed world within the metaverse.

Warner purchased what is equivalent to beachfront property as an in-game ESTATE, which they plan on turning into a hybrid of a musical theme park and a concert venue for Warner’s vast array of leading musical artists to perform for and interact with their fans.

Warner chief digital officer of business development Oana Ruxandra says,

“Our partnership with The Sandbox adds a new layer of possibility in the metaverse, with the ownership of virtual real estate. As a first-mover, Warner Music has secured the equivalent of a beachfront property in the metaverse.

On the LAND, we’ll develop persistent, immersive social music experiences that defy real-world limitations and allow our artists and their fans to engage like never before.”

To mark this partnership, SAND will be holding a sale of in-game LAND non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that are adjacent to the property purchased by Warner at a later date, according to the post.

This isn’t the first time the world-famous music giant partnered up with a cryptocurrency firm as the company threw its weight behind decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Flow (FLOW) in 2019.

SAND is exchanging hands at $3.43 at time of writing, a 27.5% increase from its seven-day low of $2.69.

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