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Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 4th, 2024, Chainwire

• The 2nd Pioneer Test Begins November 20, Running for 10 Days to Ensure Ecosystem Stability
• Exclusive Events Offer In-Game Rewards Equivalent to 5 Million NXPC
• The 1st Pioneer Test Achieved 82% Retention Rate and 195,000+ Transactions in 10 Days

NEXPACE, an innovative blockchain company, has officially announced the date for the second Pioneer Test of MapleStory Universe. The Open Beta Test will commence on November 20, running for 10 days, with the aim of optimizing system stability and gathering user feedback ahead of the game’s official launch. 

To celebrate the commencement of its first-ever Open Beta Test, MapleStory Universe has prepared several exciting in-game events and with an estimated in-game reward of up to 5 million NXPC. NXPC is a utility token used to facilitate interactions and enhance the user experience within the MapleStory Universe. With the event expected to be expanded in size of the first Pioneer Test in July, Participants can look forward to: 

• NXPC Events: Earning NXPC for gameplay achievements, such as completing daily logins and trading NFTs. The Genesis points earned may be redeemed for NXPC after the official launch, subject to applicable terms. 
• Make Special Name (IGN event): Playing MapleStory N to collect letters and be the first to secure desired In-Game Name (IGN).
• Pioneer Swag: Completing the survey and quests to unlock an exclusive outfit.

The first Pioneer Test, which ran from July 24 with more than 1,000 testers for 10 days, delivered impressive performance metrics. 92% of testers actively participated throughout the entire test period, resulting in an 82% retention rate. Testers logged over 45,000 hours of gameplay, averaging more than six hours per user daily. Additionally, the ecosystem processed 195,046 transactions without the presence of a premium cash shop, demonstrating the viability of its economy.

Sunyoung Hwang, Executive Director of NEXPACE, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming test,”The results of our first Pioneer Test exceeded our expectations, and we are excited to scale up for this second Pioneer Test. As we introduce blockchain technology to the 21-year-old MapleStory IP, our goal is to further ensure ecosystem stability and enhance user experience as we prepare for the full launch.”

​MapleStory Universe is a virtual world ecosystem designed to host a variety of applications built on the backbone of the MapleStory IP. This ecosystem serves as a hub for creativity, collaboration, and community engagement, supported by integral components that form a comprehensive ecosystem. MapleStory IP boasts over 250 million+ registered users globally and thanks to the extensive resource pool from 21 years of live operations, MapleStory Universe is building a robust ecosystem where users can engage with in-game items enhanced by blockchain technology to enrich community interaction.

For more information about the MapleStory Universe’s Pioneer Test, users can visit the Official Website, Discord, X, Facebook and Medium. 

About NEXPACE

NEXPACE, an innovative blockchain company based in Abu Dhabi, pioneers an IP-expansion initiative powered by blockchain technology and NFTs to build a community-driven ecosystem. With a mission to redefine interactive entertainment, NEXPACE creates a vibrant space for exploring, sharing, and engaging with diverse content and gameplay crafted by community members.

At the heart of NEXPACE’s ecosystem are principles of transparency, security, and trust, empowering creators to freely share their ideas and enabling users to enjoy immersive experiences. By fostering a culture of creative expression, NEXPACE envisions a secure, collaborative environment that unites ecosystem participants in a thriving digital community.

Contact

Global PR
Bee Shin
Wachsman
bee.shin@wachsman.com

Whitefish, Montana, October 29th, 2024, Chainwire

ARQ Securities is pleased to announce it has received its Digital Alternative Trading System (ARQ Securities ATS) and is launching the platform on Liquidity.io November 5, 2024.  

Liquidity.io is a cutting-edge platform designed to revolutionize the trading and settlement of private credit and private stock for accredited and institutional investors. It took nearly three years of extensive software development while acquiring all necessary regulatory approvals to finally take the platform live. Additionally, the Liquidity Transfer Agency bridges transactions to public blockchains like Solana, Polygon, and soon Avalanche.

“The approval of our digital ATS license is a monumental step forward in our mission to transform the private markets,” said Eric Choi, CEO of ARQ Securities. “Liquidity.io will provide institutional and accredited investors with unprecedented access to Private Assets that are hard to trade and settle. We are going to set a new standard for efficiency and liquidity in credit and private stock. We’re excited to launch with over a billion dollars in Letters of Intent from key industry players and look forward to growing our pipeline of assets in 2025.”

“Liquidity.io creates a seamless and secure environment for trading private assets,” added Ram Praturi, VP of Engineering at Liquidity.io. “By bridging our Liquidity Transfer Agency to Solana, Polygon, and soon Avalanche, we’re ensuring transparency, interoperability, and flexibility for our issuers and investors.”

ThinkEnergy Debuts as Liquidity.io’s Inaugural Issuance: A Milestone in Sustainable Energy Investments

With its groundbreaking refining technology that reduces CO2 emissions by 50%, ThinkEnergy exemplifies our commitment to investments that offer financial returns while positively impacting the global energy landscape. This opportunity allows investors to join ThinkEnergy’s transformative mission toward a more sustainable and efficient energy sector.

Focus on Private Credit and Private Stock

Liquidity.io will initially concentrate on two key asset classes: private credit and private stock, offering institutional and accredited investors a streamlined and transparent way to trade these traditionally illiquid assets. The private credit market has seen significant growth, driven by investors seeking higher yields and diversification. However, the lack of standardized processes and limited transparency have been persistent challenges. Liquidity.io aims to address these issues by leveraging its digital platform to document and automate the trading and settlement processes, thereby reducing operational complexity and improving liquidity.

Strategic Partnerships and Advanced Technology

Over the past year, ARQ Securities has forged strategic partnerships with players in the private credit and private equity sectors, collecting over a billion dollars in Letters of Intent to list on the platform, including:

• Leading private credit originators with significant portfolios, who have committed to listing their assets on Liquidity.io.
• Multiple private companies seeking to provide liquidity options for their shareholders through the platform.
• Various banks, broker-dealers, and registered investment advisors (RIAs) are interested in utilizing Liquidity.io for the efficient execution of private asset transactions.

Looking Forward

With the digital ATS license secured and the launch of Liquidity.io imminent, ARQ Securities is poised to transform the trading landscape for private credit and private stock markets. We encourage interested parties to contact us to explore listing opportunities and to discuss assets available on our platform at launch. If you manage a private asset class with complex settlement processes, we invite you to partner with us to automate these procedures. Our company is enthusiastic about fostering partnerships and seeking new opportunities to offer issuers and investors more efficient and transparent access. 

For more information or to discuss partnership opportunities, interested parties can contact:

Eric Choi, ARQ Securities: CEO, https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-choi-10750241/ 

Austin Trombley, Satschel, Inc: CEO, https://www.linkedin.com/in/austintrombley/ 

For more information about ARQ Securities and Liquidity.io, visit www.liquidity.io. 

About ARQ Securities:

ARQ Securities LLC., a subsidiary of Satschel, Inc., is at the forefront of financial technology, dedicated to reshaping the future of securities trading through innovation and efficiency. With a focus on digital asset tokenization and alternative trading systems, ARQ Securities is committed to empowering issuers, brokers, and investors with cutting-edge platforms and solutions.

Contacts

CEO
Eric Choi
ARQ Securities
echoi@arqsecurities.com
CEO
Austin Trombley
Satschel, Inc.
austin.trombley@satschel.com

San Francisco, United States, October 28th, 2024, Chainwire

Another set of EasyA hackathon winners (also known as “gigabrains”) are headed to Y Combinator. Artemiy Malyshau and Jeevan Juttla attended their first EasyA x Polkadot hackathon nearly two years ago, where they first started experimenting with the ideas that would later become Gecko Sec. Today, they’ve just been accepted into the world-famous Y Combinator accelerator, which has backed some of the world’s most successful Web3 companies like CoinBase, Filecoin and many more. 

According to the team, Gecko Sec lets Web3 developers build secure code quickly without wasting time on tools that don’t deliver results, or relying on one-time human pentests that quickly become outdated. As they continue to develop their groundbreaking software, they’re working on rolling this out for teams building on Polkadot. Writing code that is secure and safe is one of the biggest concerns for Web3 developers, with many millions of dollars spent on security audits every month in Web3 alone.

EasyA gigabrains Jeevan Jutla and Artemiy Malyshau credit EasyA with helping them get off the ground and giving them the inspiration to succeed. 

“What started off at an EasyA hackathon has led to us getting backed by Y Combinator. Big shoutout to Phil and Dom for pushing us out of our comfort zone and getting us here!” said Artemiy Malyshau, Co-Founder of Gecko Sec.

Jeevan Juttla and Artemiy Malyshau have also got highly accomplished professional and educational backgrounds. Jeevan Juttla, CEO and Co-founder of Gecko Sec, graduated with a First Class Degree in Electrical Engineering from King’s College London. After graduating, Jeevan was hired by the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre to secure the British Government’s data and subsequently joined Binance as a Security Engineer. 

Artemiy Malyshau also graduated with First Class Honours in Electrical Engineering from King’s College London, one of the UK’s top universities. Shortly after this, he earned a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Applied Computational Science and Engineering from Imperial College University.

GeckoSec joins a long list of EasyA hackathon winners who’ve gone on to achieve storied success in blockchain. Other EasyA hackathon winners like Axal, founded by Harvard grad Ashlan Ahmed, have been backed by a16z and are planning to announce their latest fundraising round later this month. To date, EasyA alumni have already founded companies valued at nearly $3 billion. 

EasyA has received interest from VCs who want access to its startups pipeline. Although it won’t share the precise details yet, EasyA shares that it has its sights set on launching a fund designed to invest exclusively in its gigabrain community and hackathon winners.

“Seeing our EasyA gigabrains go from launching at our hackathons to getting accepted into YC is testament to the talent density and founder spirit within the EasyA community. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” said Dom Kwok, Co-Founder of EasyA.

Much of the success of EasyA hackathon winners can be traced to the company’s co-founders, who have been instrumental in spotting young talent and nurturing them as founders. Users can go to any EasyA hackathon and find Phil and Dom on the ground, inspiring developers to launch the next unicorns. EasyA co-founders Phil and Dom have been active in blockchain for over 10 years. Prior to EasyA, Phil worked at prestigious law firm Sullivan & Cromwell and Dom worked at the world’s largest Private Equity firm, The Blackstone Group. Their educational backgrounds have also given them, and EasyA, a unique pipeline of talented founders across the US and Europe. Phil was a top scholar at Cambridge University, and Dom studied at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Cum Laude as a Joseph Wharton and Benjamin Franklin Scholar. 

According to Phil and Dom, they’re just getting started. Numerous high-profile fundraising announcements are coming out of the EasyA community over the coming months.

About EasyA

EasyA is one of Web3’s most popular apps, making it possible for anyone to learn about Web3 right from their phones. Learners earn rewards for mastering new skills, and the best ones are invited to in-person hackathons to launch their startups in world-leading hubs like San Francisco, London and Singapore. EasyA alumni have founded startups valued at nearly $3 billion and have raised from top VCs like a16z, Founders Fund, YC and many more. 

Launched by brothers Phil and Dom Kwok, top grads from the University of Cambridge and The Wharton School respectively, EasyA has over 1 million users and has won Apple’s highly-coveted App of the Day award. 

Users can learn more: https://www.easya.io/

Contact

Dom Kwok
dom@easya.io

Vilnius, Lithuanian, October 24th, 2024, Chainwire

BingX, a global leading cryptocurrency exchange, has fully restored its operational capacity following a recent hot wallet incident, with all deposits and withdrawals back to normal. In response to the event, BingX is unveiling its new “ShieldX” initiative, a comprehensive plan aimed at enhancing the platform’s security infrastructure.

“ShieldX” introduces an upgraded wallet firewall designed to provide advanced protection against external threats, further safeguarding user assets. BingX has also partnered with leading third-party security firms to implement extra round-the-clock monitoring and threat detection, ensuring any vulnerabilities are identified and addressed swiftly and proactively.

In addition to enhanced firewalls and partnerships, BingX will undergo regular, rigorous security audits conducted by independent security agencies. The exchange is also rolling out a new hacker bounty program, offering rewards to security researchers who help identify potential vulnerabilities, reinforcing its dedication to continuous improvement.

Utilizing its new cybersecurity initiative, BingX is reaffirming its position as a leader in the cryptocurrency space by putting user safety at the forefront. This initiative not only enhances security but also emphasizes the exchange’s long-term commitment to transparency, resilience, and innovation in the face of evolving cybersecurity challenges.

Vivien Lin, Chief Product Officer at BingX, emphasized the importance of the platform’s swift recovery and ongoing commitment to user security. “We are pleased to confirm our platform has not only returned to standard operations but the platform has also been thoroughly enhanced to a higher performance level than before the incident. BingX’s quick response highlights our dedication to safeguarding user assets, with trust, efficiency, and transparency at the heart of our approach. The launch of ‘ShieldX’ marks a crucial step in proactively strengthening our platform’s defenses,” Lin said. “Our priority remains ensuring a secure environment for all users through continuous improvements and strategic partnerships. Furthermore, we are committed to collaborating with industry leaders to drive higher security standards across the crypto ecosystem.”

About BingX

Founded in 2018, BingX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange serving over 10 million users worldwide. BingX offers diversified products and services, including spot, derivatives, copy trading, and asset management – all designed for the evolving needs of users, from beginners to professionals. BingX is committed to providing a trustworthy platform that empowers users with innovative tools and features to elevate their trading proficiency. In 2024, BingX proudly became Chelsea FC’s principal partner, marking an exciting debut in the world of sports.

For media inquiries, users can contact: media@bingx.com

For more information users can visit: https://bingx.com/

Contact

BingX Media
media@bingx.com

George Town, Cayman Islands, October 23rd, 2024, Chainwire

Variational powers Omni, a platform that allows users to trade perpetual futures on memecoins, points, baskets, pre-market tokens, and more. 

Variational, a protocol enabling leveraged peer-to-peer trading for customizable crypto derivatives, announced today it has secured $10.3 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Bain Capital Crypto and Peak XV Partners (FKA Sequoia India) with support from Coinbase Ventures, Dragonfly Capital, North Island Ventures, HackVC, and many other VCs, angel investors, and industry leaders.

Variational automates the entire trading and clearing process through the use of on-chain settlement pools, a low-latency pricing oracle, and robust liquidation & funding rate engines. This infrastructure allows Variational to offer safe peer-to-peer trading of perpetuals, futures, options, and more.

Omni, Variational’s first application, is a retail-focused platform designed for seamless trading of permissionless perps. Omni enables traders to take leveraged long or short positions on any time series, with a particular focus on newly launched tokens, baskets, yield/volatility perps, and other novel products. Omni maximizes liquidity on all markets through the dedicated Omni Liquidity Provider (OLP), which aggregates liquidity and hedges through DEXs, CEXs, and OTC markets. The Omni Liquidity Provider will be open to community deposits, allowing any Omni user to potentialy earn based on OLP’s performance. Omni is currently live in testnet on Arbitrum Sepolia, and will go live on Arbitrum One upon its mainnet launch.

“Our vision is for Variational to underpin applications for both retail and institutional derivatives traders,” said Lucas V. Schuermann, CEO of Variational. “While our current focus is to revolutionize long-tail perps trading with Omni, we have ambitions for Variational Protocol to streamline OTC trading flows, make hedging easier for institutions, and more.”

Founded in 2021, Variational is led by co-founders Lucas V. Schuermann and Edward Yu. Both founders have extensive experience in crypto derivatives, having previously founded and sold a quantitative hedge fund and ran the engineering team of one of crypto’s largest market makers. The protocol is maintained by a veteran engineering team active in algorithmic crypto trading since 2016 with prior experience at Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Etsy, Twilio, and more.

“Crypto derivatives need the reliability, simplicity, and adaptability that the Variational protocol provides,” said Tom Schmidt, Partner at Dragonfly Capital. “Omni in particular goes beyond just efficient trading — it unlocks access to new derivatives for all market participants. We’re proud to support them in bringing new and unique markets to a broader audience.”

“With so many industry leaders participating in this round, we’re more confident than ever about the excitement for Variational,” Lucas elaborated. “It’s been humbling to see the response from both institutions and retail about the problems we’re working to solve.”

For more information and to sign up for early access to Omni’s mainnet, users can visit variational.io.

About Variational 

Variational is a peer-to-peer trading protocol for perpetuals and generalized derivatives. Variational automates the process of trading and clearing end-to-end for safe peer-to-peer trading of options, futures, perpetuals, and more.

Variational Protocol will initially support two apps: Omni, a retail-focused platform for permissionless perps trading, and Pro, a platform catering to advanced and institutional traders of nonlinear derivatives. In the future, Variational Protocol’s open design will facilitate the growth of a vibrant ecosystem, with additional applications focusing on areas such as potential yield generation, lending, and more.

For more information, users can follow Variational’s Twitter.

Contact

Senior PR Manager
Kayla Gill
bccmedia@serotonin.co

New York, New York, October 22nd, 2024, Chainwire

Today, the Stacks Foundation announced that leading security firm Asymmetric Research has joined the Stacks ecosystem as a security contributor to the leading Bitcoin L2. The team is already making significant contributions to the ecosystem, acting as an embedded security team during their audit of the upcoming BTC asset and joining the Stacks signer network through our delegation program.

Asymmetric has a proven track record of securing some of the industry’s most prominent protocols. It is the security partner for leading bridge Wormhole, Jump Crypto, several top DeFi projects, and leading protocols such as Solana, Cosmos, Berachain, and others. Asymmetric is also a core contributor to Solana’s highly anticipated new validator client, Firedancer.

Signers play a critical role in the Stacks network, securing the deposit and withdrawal process between BTC and sBTC, ensuring a seamless and secure transfer of BTC to the Bitcoin L2 ecosystem. Asymmetric will join other industry leaders in supporting the network and overall security of sBTC, including BitGo, Blockdaemon, Copper, Figment, Kiln, Luganodes, Chorus One, and more than 30 other institutional node operators, making the Stacks Signer network the most robust in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

The release of sBTC, expected in Q4 of this year, will offer developers a trust-minimized, decentralized, programmable Bitcoin asset. The asset is 1:1 Bitcoin-backed and will allow developers to leverage the security, network effects, and 1.2T in latent capital of the Bitcoin network. Among other use cases, sBTC will enable more secure forms of Bitcoin DeFi which is expected to be a major catalyst in activating the Bitcoin economy.

For any project, layers of security are crucial, and Asymmetric Research represents one more major addition to Stacks’ overall security program. This program already includes sBTC’s decentralized network of validators/signers (removing the need to entrust a single entity and mitigating counterparty risk) and sBTC’s design to include 100% Bitcoin finality, securing sBTC at the consensus level of a $2.5 billion network.

In addition to numerous audits, including Asymmetric Research’s audit efforts, other initiatives this year have added to a well-rounded approach to Stacks security. This includes direct and ongoing testing with the aforementioned leading Signers, the onboarding of Hypernative, the emergence of a dedicated whitehat security program, a consultation agreement with the Staking Defense League, an ongoing Immunefi bug bounty program, and dedicated Stacks Foundation Residents focused exclusively on fuzz and penetration testing throughout 2024.

“The value of building on Bitcoin comes down to security. It’s not enough to simply build on Bitcoin— ecosystems must prioritize securing activity at all layers as we collectively look to unlock the Bitcoin economy. With Asymmetric Research, the Stacks ecosystem is adding yet another high-caliber entity to the mix of industry leaders collaborating to make sBTC the best version of programmable BTC available. Stacks core developers and Asymmetric share a commitment to protecting users and developers, and in addition to being a match in technical pedigree, are culturally aligned groups that will enhance each other’s thoughtful and rigorous approaches.” Mitchell Cuevas, Executive Director at The Stacks Foundation said.

Jonathan Claudius, Chief Executive Officer at Asymmetric Research added, “Asymmetric Research is proud to participate in the Stacks ecosystem as it pioneers trust-minimized, decentralized assets like sBTC.”

Please join us in welcoming the Asymmetric Research team to the Stacks Ecosystem, and look out for more information in the coming weeks about how you can engage with the work they will be doing.

About Stacks

Stacks is a Bitcoin L2 that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications to use Bitcoin as a secure base layer. The 2024 Nakamoto and sBTC releases will bring faster speeds and transactions backed by 100% Bitcoin finality. ‍Stacks is the current leading Bitcoin L2 by developer traction and market cap and is poised to help unlock Bitcoin and its $500B in passive capital as a fully programmable, productive asset. The Stacks (STX) token, used as gas on the L2, was the first to undergo an SEC-qualified sale in the United States. The project explicitly decentralized with the mainnet launch in 2021. In the Stacks ecosystem, there are currently 30+ contributing entities including a non-profit Stacks Foundation, a developer tooling company Hiro, Xverse, Trust Machines, Mechanism, Bitcoin L2 Labs, ALEX, Bitcoin Frontier Fund, and more.

Contact

Dasi Kaplan
pr@marketacross.com